Lily awoke to the sound of a closing door. Slowly she opened her eyes, blinking the sleep away. She was on her back, and above her was a wood ceiling. It took Lily a moment to gather herself, and remember everything. The first thing that came to her was a very sore feeling in-between her thighs. Then the memory of her and Scorpius's date. Valentine's Day, the Shrieking Shack . . . Lily blushed as she remembered it all. They had finally taken that step. They had really had sex. She smiled happily, the sore feeling having nothing on how content she felt.
"Good morning, beautiful," a husky voice murmured.
Not getting up, Lily turned her head to see Scorpius standing next to the bed, redressed in his jeans, but still shirtless. Her smile brightened at the sight of him. "Hi," she greeted a bit shyly.
He smirked. "Hi," he said back.
Lily licked her dry lips. "It's morning?"
Scorpius nodded. "Yeah, I just checked outside. It looks like the sun just came up, so I doubt it's even time for breakfast yet." He paused. "Should we head back now?"
Lily sighed heavily. She didn't want to, but she knew they had to. The governors had probably kept tabs on who left to Hogsmeade, and Lily was sure that her and Scorpius's absences were noticed. "Yeah, I guess so."
Scorpius nodded, then his eyes roamed over her blanket-covered form. He looked back at her. "Should I carry you?" he asked.
Lily shook her head. "No, I'll be fine." She sat up, holding the blanket to her. It hit her then that, she was still naked. And for some reason, she felt embarrassment run lightly through her. Why did it matter? Scorpius had very obviously seen her naked . . . and within twenty-four hours!
But Scorpius must have noticed her flushed cheeks, and must have sense it was due to modesty. "I'll go get your shoes and the candy," he told her. He grabbed his shirt, and then he left the room, closing the door behind him.
Lily sighed and dropped the blanket. She hated that modest part of her. Of all the times to show up? Pushing away the thought, she pushed off the blanket, and moved her legs so that they dangled off the bed. She hissed raggedly at the pain that jolted through her. That sore feeling could really pack a punch when she moved! But she sucked it up and pushed herself off the bed, putting her weight on her feet. Immediately, her knees wobbled and almost gave out. She caught herself on the bed, and bite her tongue to keep from cursing at the pain. Very slowly, and with as little movement as possible, she picked up her clothing that littered the floor around the bed, and slowly dressed. She didn't bother putting on her tights again, and settled for sitting back on the bed once she was done, putting her Slytherin pendant back on.
It was a few minutes before Scorpius hesitantly opened the door. He stepped in, a bit more relaxed and carefree once he noticed she was dressed. Now Lily felt embarrassed at her previous modesty. "Are you ready?" he asked, her shoes in one hand, and the bag of Honeyduke's candy in the other. Her jacket was slung over his shoulder. He was completely dressed now too, shirt on, shoes tied, and jacket on with the collar popped up.
Lily nodded. "Yeah. Just hand me my shoes." Scorpius moved closer, holding her shoes out. Lily took them and placed them on the bed next to her. Then she pulled her leg up to slip her shoe on, and hissed at the pain. "Dammit!" She couldn't help the small outburst.
Scorpius was instantly there, one hand on her knee, the other on her shoulder. "Babe, are you ok?" he asked hurriedly.
Lily nodded as she unbent her leg and took a deep breath. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just a little sore," she finally admitted.
Scorpius looked at her with concern. Then he took her shoe from her, and kneeled down in front of her. He slipped it on her foot, and began to tie the laces. When he finished, he took her other shoe and did the same. Lily smiled thankfully at him. She brought a hand to his hair, running her fingers through it.
"Is that offer to carry me still open?" Lily inquired as he stood up and held her jacket out to her. Lily took it from his hands.
Scorpius smirked. "It's always open for you," he replied.
Lily slid her jacket on, stuffed her tights into the pocket, and then smiled coyly at him. "Mind if I take you up on it?"
Without a word, Scorpius lifted her bridal style from the bed, doing it with what seemed like little to no effort. Then he picked up the candy bag. He chuckled as he looked at her. "I love it when you accept my offers," he teased. He leaned forward to kiss her lightly on the lips.
Lily giggled into the kiss. "Then I'll try to remember to do it more often," she assured as he began to walk. He went down the steps slowly, obviously trying not to jostle or hurt her. Lily repressed her urge to roll her eyes, although her heart squeezed at his concern. As he reached the first floor, Lily noticed that he'd cleaned up the room, and had opened the way to the tunnel. But he didn't waste time, and stepped down into the tunnel, taking one careful step at a time. After less than a minute of walking, darkness wrapped around them. But Scorpius still didn't falter in his steps. He seemed to be very confident in where he was going. It took long minutes to get through the tunnel. They were quiet the entire way, but it was in contentment. Lily had even closed her eyes, the tired feeling still running sluggishly through her veins, and that sore ache still settled in her lower body.
But then the light of the opening to the tunnel washed over them. Scorpius shifted his hold on her, and then with a now free arm, stuck it out of the tunnel to hit the knob on the Whomping Willow. Then he brought his arm back, and then supported her with both again, and stepped out of the tunnel. Lily blinked at the dim light of the sun. Scorpius had to be right. It could only be early morning, and no way was it time for breakfast. She could probably convince him to let her go back to sleep.
Scorpius kept a steady walking pace as he made his way up to the castle. Lily rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes again. With how careful he was not to jostle her, she could probably fall asleep. It was tempting.
After a few long moments, Scorpius whispered into her ear. "We're inside the castle. Are you up?" he asked with a chuckle.
Lily nodded, not opening her eyes. "Yeah, I'm up," she murmured.
"Want to go back to sleep when we get to the common room?" he asked. She could feel that they were moving down stairs.
"I would love that," she sighed. His walking leveled out, bringing Lily to assume that they were now in the dungeons. Knowing that they were practically home free, she relaxed completely. And then she was again succumbing to sleep.
Lily groaned as she turned over. Then she cursed silently at the pain that roared through her lower body. She opened her eyes warily. A green curtain circled around the bed she laid on, a bed that she laid on alone. Slowly and carefully, she sat up and looked around. When had she fallen asleep? Either way, she must be on Scorpius's bed. He couldn't have been able to take her to her own. She found a note sitting on the pillow next to her, so she picked it up.
"Lil,
I've kicked all the guys out of the room until you wake up. And I had Lana go and bring a set of your clothes from your dorm room. They're in the bathroom, incase you want to shower."
Lily smiled and put the note back down. She leaned over and pulled the curtain back. Light flooded her sight. But she ignored it and took a deep breath. Then she moved her legs over the bed. She gritted her teeth at the ache. Sure, she'd had worse pain, but it was the constant pain that made it suck. But she bit her tongue and got off the bed, and slowly took small steps toward the bathroom.
Lily was grateful when she made it in there, but she didn't bother with a shower. She was not putting more weight on her legs than she had to. Instead she ran a bath, and sat on the edge while she waited.
Did it hurt for everyone like this? When did the soreness leave? Lily blushed at her next thought. Maybe it was so long lasting because of how . . . big he was.
When her bath finished filling, Lily turned off the knobs, and while sitting, slowly began to undress. Then she carefully climbed into the warm water. She sighed with relief. That felt much better, and that ache soothed out and disappeared. Sadly, she was sure it would come back later after the bath. Relaxing further into the water, Lily found herself looking around the bathroom. It was obvious that it was in the grasp of a bunch of guys. Clothes were everywhere, and there were a multitude of male hair and soap products. But to her surprise, Lily saw a few of her own shower products sitting by her clothes on the closed toilet seat. Then she smiled. She was going to have to thank Lana later.
So Lily took an extensive bath, taking the time to wash her hair and clean up. She felt so much better now that the feel of dried sweat was off of her skin. Once she was finished with her bath, she looked at the outfit Lana had picked out for her. A pair of black short shorts and a thin white shirt. Again, Lily knew she'd have to thank Lana, this time for picking a loose and comfortable outfit. Lily put on the underwear and bra Lana had brought her, and then slipped on the shorts and shirt. After a quick examination, Lily was sure that the shorts were long enough to be approved if she felt like leaving the common room. She loved dressing casual on Saturdays and Sundays. She just hated that they had to follow a certain code. Lily took her clothes from the previous day and her bath products, and left the bathroom. She had to admit that now, even though the ache and sore feeling was still there, it was much easier to deal with.
Lily left the boys' room and made her way to the girls' hall. She was surprised that she didn't pass anyone, and was even more surprised when she opened her dorm room to see that none of the other girls were in there. So Lily threw the clothes into the girls' hamper for the house elves to take, and then grabbed her wand. She dried her hair with a quick spell, and then pulled her hair up. Then she slipped on a pair of socks and pulled on her shoes. Always wearing socks and shoes was part of their dumb "casual dress code" that Lily hated. She grabbed her potion box, took her contraception potion, and then put it away. Then she looked around herself. She couldn't think of anything she needed or wanted. So she placed her wand into the small pocket of her shorts, and then left the room.
When she walked down into the common room, Lily was again surprised to see how many kids were there. Ten at the most. Lily glanced at the clock that hung on the wall. Then she understood. It was a little past noon. Everyone was probably eating lunch.
At the thought of lunch, Lily's stomach clawed at her, warning her of how hungry she was. So Lily made her way out of the common room. She walked through the dungeons, happy that the still existing ache was now easier to manage.
"Ah! Lily!"
Lily stopped and turned to see Slughorn coming toward her. He had a large smile on his face, making Lily smile herself.
"Good afternoon, Professor," Lily greeted. "On your way to lunch?"
Slughorn started to walk with her. "Indeed I am. And the same for you?"
Lily nodded. "Yes. I'm starving."
Slughorn chuckled. "Well, then we'll just hurry along. But, I'm glad that I caught up with you. I was planning to speak with you at breakfast, but I couldn't find you," he told her.
Lily nodded, doing her best not to blush or give away that she was hiding something. "Sorry, I slept in this morning. But, what was it you needed to talk about?"
"Well, I was thinking about throwing a small get together during Easter Break, and I was wanting to add a few new members to the Slug Club. I was hoping you could help me," Slughorn explained.
Lily smiled. He wanted her to help him figure out who was going to be famous after graduating. She almost laughed at his antics. "Of course I'll help you, sir. When should we start?"
"Well, I was thinking maybe twelve or so people, not including myself and you. And I was hoping to have at least three new prospective members there. I'll give you a list of current members, and I'll let you go from there," Slughorn told her. "I'll get the letter to you later this afternoon. Sound good?"
Lily nodded as they stepped into the Entrance Hall. "That sounds perfectly fine, sir."
Slughorn smiled. "Wonderful!" He stepped aside to let her into the Great Hall first. "Now, I'll let you settle your starving stomach, and I'll settle mine," he joked.
Lily chuckled. "Of course. I'll see you later, Professor."
"I'll be waiting," he teased lightly.
Lily moved over to the Slytherin table. Not far from the middle, Lily caught sight of the girls, each looking at her and practically bouncing in their seats. Lily had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. And unable to help herself, Lily instead chose to sit next to Lana, who was sitting with a few seventh and sixth year girls.
Lana didn't look as surprised as the other girls did when Lily sat down. "Hey, Lil. Glad to see you liked my choice of clothes," Lana commented with a friendly grin.
Lily nodded as she began to pile food onto her plate. "Considering the situation, they were perfect," Lily told her. "So, thank you very much for everything this morning."
"Oh, it's no problem," Lana assured.
"So, Lily," Miley Flint addressed, "why are you sitting by us? Just curious, that is."
Lily glanced over at Lola and the others, catching their glares and irritated and impatient looks. Then she laughed slightly.
Lana seemed to get the idea too. "You know, they look like they want to kill you," she mentioned.
The other girls sitting with them looked over that the other fifth years too. "Are they mad at you?" Layla Reeser asked.
Lily shook her head. "No, it's not that. They were expecting to interrogate me today, but I didn't sit by them."
"Won't that just make it worse later?" Tamara Nott asked with a laugh.
Lily shrugged. "It's worth the current entertainment at their faces." Conversation soon flowed easily around them, and Lily was easily able to talk with them. After all, girl talk was girl talk no matter the age. It consisted of a few basic things at Hogwarts: boys, other girls, and current school or personal issues. But once some of the girls began to discuss N.E.W.T.s, Lana glanced over at Lily and quietly spoke.
"So, I made an assumption on what happened after Scorpius asked me to do him that favor. Can I expect to be right?" she asked.
"You generally are," Lily pointed out.
Lana grinned teasingly. "Hurting?"
Lily swallowed the food in her mouth. "Not so much after taking a bath, but a little yes."
"I didn't stop hurting for hours afterwards. But it did stop," Lana assured.
"Well I'm glad to hear that. And I've been through worse pain thanks to Quidditch matches, so it's easy to ignore now," Lily replied.
"How bad did it hurt when it first happened?" Lana inquired.
"Like a bitch," Lily said casually.
"Welcome to the club. But on the bright side, the worst of the pain is over. I mean, it kind of hurt a tiny bit the second time Dante and I had sex, but after that it was smooth sailing," Lana told her.
"Well I'm glad to hear that," Lily said with a grin.
"Hey, you're finally up." Each of the girls turned to see Scorpius, Mitch, Lars, and Rex coming toward them. They stopped just next to where they sat. Scorpius pulled a chair out to sit next to Lily. "I wasn't sure if you'd get up at all today," he teased lightly.
Lily smiled as she refilled her cup with pumpkin juice. "I would never miss a Sunday."
"Good because we've got Quidditch practice today," Lars said. "And if we all have to work our asses off, you need to join us."
But Scorpius looked at her with a concerned gaze. "You can just watch if you'd prefer," he told her.
"Why should she get off easy?" Lars complained.
"Shut it, Lars!" Lana snapped quickly.
Lily rolled her eyes, but she smiled at Scorpius. "I'll be fine. I'll be there."
"So, Lil, how are you feeling?" Rex asked slyly.
"Rex," Scorpius warned.
"I'm just checking on our resident princess," Rex said innocently. Then he looked sneakily at Lily. "Are you walking straight?"
Scorpius reached back and punched Rex in the gut. Then he looked at Lily a bit sheepishly. "They guessed what'd happened when I kicked them out of the room," he explained.
Lily shrugged. "It's ok. You really think my friends are going to let me go all day without telling them basically every detail?" she pointed out.
"See! So you can tell us all the details!" Rex assured. "Like we tell you."
"I don't ask you to tell me all about your trysts," Scorpius argued. He looked back at Lily. "By the way, the guys covered for us not coming back last night. They covered it with Lars's dad."
"Good, because the last thing I want to deal with is Brunt," Lily sighed.
"Yeah, tell me about it." Scorpius paused before continuing. "So, what do you have planned for later?"
"Give the girl a break, Scor," Lana teased.
Lily giggled lightly. "I think Izzy and Shannon were wanting us girls to study for O.W.L.s later this afternoon," she told him.
"And you boys should be studying for N.E.W.T.s," Lana pointed out. "They're not that far away."
"It's February. They're in June. That's like . . . a lot of months," Mitch assured. "And why should I care? I'm gunna be a rockstar. That doesn't require N.E.W.T. scores."
"And I'm in the same position," Rex said, both him and Mitch high-fiving each other.
"But not for Lars and Scor," Lana argued. "They need to study."
"Thanks for the reminder, sis," Lars muttered.
"What do you want to be, Lars?" Lily asked curiously.
"I plan on working with the Department of Magical Transportation in the ministry," Lars said proudly. "I even sent in an early application to apply there. I've just got to wait for my N.E.W.T.s now."
"Which shows that they are important to your future, and that you need to study for them," Lana pointed out.
"Yeah, yeah," Lars mumbled.
"Lily Luna!" Lily bit her lip to keep from laughing when she heard Lola's irritated voice ring out. The group turned to see the four other fifth year girls standing behind them, each of them with expectant looks.
Lily raised a playful brow. "Hey, girls. How did your dates go?" she asked jokingly.
"Lily Luna, you cannot disappear for a whole day practically, and then not tell us what happened!" Lola exclaimed.
Lily shook her head and laughed. "Ok, ok." She pushed her plate away and stood from her seat. She leaned down and kissed Scorpius quickly. "I'll see you at practice."
"It's at three o'clock," he told her.
Lily nodded, and then looked toward the other girls. "Well, where to?" Immediately, Lola grabbed her wrist and began to tug her along. "Hey, hey, easy!" Lily warned. Sure, it didn't hurt as bad, but that was because she'd been taking careful steps.
Lola glanced at her a bit weirdly, but then slowed her pace, but still didn't let go of Lily's wrist. As if she thought Lily would run off. Lily just rolled her eyes and shook her head.
It was silent around them as they left the Great Hall, and Lily let Lola lead her around. "You know, while we're walking, could I at least hear about your dates?" Lily requested.
Shannon pounced on the opportunity. "Chris is such a sweetheart! After the double-date, we went for a walk around Hogsmeade before coming back to school. It was wonderful!"
"What did you and Hugo end up doing, Lola?" Lily asked curiously.
"Well we went to a few different shops, and then just to see if I could get him to go, we went to Madam Puttifoot's," Lola said with laughed.
Lily laughed as well. "He actually went?"
Lola smiled as she nodded. "Yeah, I could tell he hated it, so we left early. I was just curious if he'd go if I asked."
"That boy is smitten with you, of course he would go," Megan pointed out.
"Well it's nice to see proof," Lola joked.
The five girls entered the common room, and they immediately dragged Lily up to their dorm room. Lola dragged Lily to one of the beds while Shannon closed the door. Then the girls gathered around on the bed.
"Ok, spill," Lola demanded.
Lily sighed and began to untie her shoes. She knew this was going to be a long talk. "What do you want to know?" she asked teasingly.
"What happened yesterday?" Izzy said.
"What about yesterday?" Lily mocked with a grin as she threw her shoes off the bed.
"Lily!" Lola gave Lily a playful, but still forceful shove.
"Did you and Scorpius have sex?" Megan asked bluntly, no shame at all in her question.
Lily didn't answer for a moment, and instead pushed her bangs away from her face. Then she couldn't hold back her smile. "Yeah, we did."
The squeals and gushes of excitement that came from the other girls at that moment were ear shattering, and Lily almost thought her ears would bleed. But her smile still didn't fade.
"No way!" Shannon exclaimed.
Then a million questions flowed into Lily's ears, making it impossible to understand any of them.
"Woah, woah. Can we calm a minute?" Lily asked with a laugh.
"Well this is like a really big thing, Lil!" Lola replied. She leaned a bit closer. "Did it hurt as badly as people say it does?"
Lily ran her tongue across her teeth. "Well, it hurt like a bitch. Still kind of hurts, that's why I had to get you stop pulling me so quickly. But, I mean, it's easier to handle now. I've had Quidditch injuries that have hurt more. It's just that it's a consistent pain, and that's what makes it suck," she explained.
"How big a damper was it during?" Megan asked.
Lily shrugged. "It kind of lost importance in my mind. I wasn't really focused on it during the act," she said with a laugh.
Megan fell to her back. "So, they say most girls don't have an orgasm their first time. Did you?"
Lily nodded as she pulled a pillow onto her lap. "Yup."
"And?" Megan urged.
Lily grinned. "Bloody fantastic."
"So, how was Scorpius?" Lola asked with a sly grin.
Lily smoothed the pillowcase out. "So perfect that it's almost hard to believe that it was his first time too."
"How big is he?" Megan asked.
Shannon shoved Megan, at least the best she could while Megan was laying down. "Megan!" she chided with a laugh.
Lily laughed too, despite the light pink blush that took on her cheeks. "Big," she answered simply.
"Happy that it happened?" Izzy asked.
"Ecstatic that it happened," Lily replied.
"Think anything will change?" Shannon asked.
Lily raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"Well they say sex always changes a relationship. Think yours will change?" Shannon elaborated.
Lily sighed. "Well, I can't imagine it changing really. But, I guess time will tell on that," she answered.
From then on, the other girls grilled Lily on how the entire date had gone. With how many questions they asked, and how often they interrupted, Lily wasn't even half way through explaining all they wanted to know when she noticed that she needed to get ready for Quidditch practice. So she explained a little more as she dressed in slightly warmer clothing and grabbed her broom. But then she told them she would meet them at dinner, and go with them to study for O.W.L.s later. Then she was heading out the door.
Her walk outside and to the pitch was by herself. She was still taking careful steps, but the pain was lessening every hour. When she reached the pitch, she entered the locker room to see that the guys were already changing into their practice clothes.
"Didn't think you were gunna come, Lil," Tanner commented.
"Sorry, I kind of lost track of time," Lily replied as she opened her locker.
"The point is you made it before we started," Lars teased.
Lily rolled her eyes and smiled as she began to change into her practice uniform. She was obviously the last one to finish getting ready.
"Alright, I just want a normal practice today," Scorpius told them. "So, let's get out there."
As they all headed for the door, Scorpius took Lily's wrist, pulling her to a stop. Lily looked at him in question. "What is it?" she asked.
"Are you sure you're up for this?" he asked. "If you're still hurting, you don't have to practice today."
"Scorpius, it's not that bad. And not that I don't think it's cute, but you don't have to keep asking me that," Lily said with a smile.
"Babe, I had to carry you back to school," Scorpius argued gently.
"And since I woke up and had a bath, I've been getting better. It's getting to where I barely feel it when I walk. I'll be fine," she assured.
Scorpius didn't look convinced, but he let go of her wrist. "Ok. But first time it starts to hurt more, sit out. And if I think you look like you're hurting, I'm sending you out," he threatened with a smirk.
Lily smiled as she leaned up to kiss him quickly. "You got a deal," she replied.
They walked out to see that the others were all in the air, throwing a Quaffle around. Scorpius mounted his broom quickly, and took off. "Ok, guys! I want us to do a few passing drills first!"
Lily walked over to the box and grabbed the practice Snitch, keeping it tightly in her fist. She tucked it into her pocket, and then mounted her broom. She leaped into the air, and then winced harshly. She hadn't thought about the fact that the broom would have to be between her legs while she rode it, so she hadn't expected the ragged pain that shot through her lower body.
"Holy hell!" Lily hissed through gritted teeth. She instinctively lowered her broom back to the ground. She bent over slightly, holding her knees, waiting for the sting to subside.
"Babe, are you ok?" Scorpius called from the air.
Lily blew out a breath. "I'm fine," she called back.
"Do you want someone to walk you back to the castle?" Lars asked.
Lily shook her head. "I'm going to the locker room," she told them. Then slowly, she put the Snitch back, and walked back into the locker rooms. She tossed her broom down in irritation and then laid on her back on one of the benches. The last thing she wanted to do right now was change clothes. She didn't even feel like standing anymore.
Note to self: Don't do anything to aggravate the soreness. It makes it feel worse for a long ass time! Lily thought to herself. She closed her eyes and laid there for an amount of time that she lost track of. But as the time passed, she found that the ache slowly reverted back to the dull state that it was before she'd gotten on her broom. It wasn't until a few minutes after that though that she finally got off of the bench and opened her locker to redress. A shower was unnecessary, so she dressed quickly and then grabbed her broom again. She stepped out of the locker room, and went to the stands instead to watch the practice go on. But as she watched them pass the Quaffle, take shots, hit Bludgers around, and fly laps around the pitch, Lily wished desperately that she was actually out there with them. She felt overly lazy by sitting around and not doing anything during practice when she was actually on the team. It felt like slacking.
"You ok there, Lily?" Lance asked as he came to a stop by the railing of the stands.
Lily nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Are you sure you don't want one of us to walk you back?" Lance insisted.
Lily smiled. "Really, I'm fine. Just continue with practice. I'll be fine."
Lance gave a nod and then flew off again, rejoining the guys. Lily found herself watching Scorpius. She would quickly admit that he was amazing. He had quick reflexes, and his throws were strong. He caught every pass that was thrown to him. He could easily palm the Quaffle, holding it with one hand easily. Lily blushed heavily as flashes of the previous night replayed in her mind.
Shaking the thoughts with her head, Lily stood from the stands. She needed to get out of the cold, to a place she could rest, and a person to talk to about everything and anything.
She needed to go find Hugo.
Lily left the stands, and began her walk back up to the castle. Once she was back inside, she was happy for the warmth from the slightly chilly air. But then she immediately made her way toward the common room. When she passed through the opening in the wall, she looked around. She saw Hugo hanging out with some of the boys.
"Hugo," she called calmly as she walked over to them.
Hugo looked over at her, then he grinned. "Hey, cuz. What's up?"
"Can we talk?" Lily asked.
Hugo shrugged. "Yeah, sure." He stood up from the couch, grabbed his hat from the table, and placed it on his head. "Lead the way."
Knowing that Scorpius's dorm room would probably be empty, since the other guys probably had band practice, she led Hugo up to his room. Hugo walked past her to sit on one of the beds as she closed the door.
"So what's up, cuz? How'd your Valentine's Day go?" Hugo asked.
"Lola hasn't said anything?" Lily asked with a bit of a grin. She went over to Scorpius's bed and moved to lay on it.
"Surprisingly no. I thought I'd hear all about how romantic a day you'd had, and then think to myself about the new bar of standards I'd have to live up to," Hugo joked as he switched over to sit on Scorpius's bed with her.
Lily rolled her eyes and smiled. "Oh, well we just go back to school this morning. And then I crashed out until lunch."
"Where were you guys?" Hugo asked casually.
"The Shrieking Shack," Lily told him. She glanced over at him, and then sighed. "We had sex last night."
Hugo moved to lay next to her on his stomach. He grabbed a pillow and bunched it up. Then he rested his chin on it. "And how was that?"
Lily grinned, knowing his real and his joking meaning. She chose to answer his real meaning. "I think that it was the right thing to do."
"What if word gets out to someone like Albus?" Hugo threw out.
Lily shrugged. "I don't care. Even if he were to tell my dad."
"You'd face the wrath of Daddy Potter?" Hugo joked.
Lily scoffed. "What worse could happen between us?" She paused, then sighed. "Can I talk to you about something with me and Scorpius? Something besides the topic we're on already?"
"Shoot."
Lily blew her bangs away from her face. "During the break for the wedding, we had this fight about how he doesn't trust Lysander. That Ly still has feelings for me, and Scorpius thinks that he's going to make a move on me," she explained.
"Why does he think that?" Hugo inquired.
Lily shrugged. "I don't know. I guess Lysander said something to him. But . . . Lysander is still acting like Lysander. I just . . . I don't get his paranoia."
Hugo sighed quietly. "You know, Scor doesn't see himself as a prince or anything."
"I know," Lily replied.
"In fact, and I'm sure you know this too but I'm reminding you, Scorpius sees himself pretty low on some lists because of how some of the media sees his family." Hugo put one hand on the bed, and then raised the other into the air as an example. "Now, he puts you on this high ass pedestal. So, his fear of losing you is as high as that pedestal."
"But-,"
"Hold on," Hugo stopped her. "I'm on a roll. Now, when you add in the fact that you've obviously cheated on a boyfriend before, it could be playing on the insecurities in his thoughts."
"Ok, stop!" Lily interrupted. "Now, we all know I cheated on Lysander because of my really strong feelings for Scorpius, and my fast dwindling and already practically gone feelings for Lysander."
Hugo nodded. "Still, when us guys are dating a girl that we see as higher up than ourselves, we get paranoid. And when you love them, it gets even worse for us. And it's not that we don't trust our girls. We don't trust other guys. We know how we all think," he ended with a laugh.
Lily sighed. "I guess now I'm just hoping that maybe taking this step will get him past his 'insecurities' and leave it in the past."
"Could happen," Hugo assured. "So, can I talk to you about something?"
"Absolutely."
"How did you know that you were ready to have sex?" Hugo asked.
Lily raised a brow. "That's an unexpected question."
"Sorry," Hugo apologized.
Lily waved off his apology. "It's fine. It's fine." She pulled in a breath as she thought of how to word it. "Well, it was kind of a mental and emotional thing. I mean, I didn't hesitate in my mind on whether or not I was ready. Yeah, I was nervous, but I still knew I was ready." Then Lily quickly glanced over at Hugo. "Are you thinking about having sex with Lola?"
Hugo sighed as he moved to sit up. He began to play with the skull ring on his finger. "I won't lie and say that I don't think about it. But . . . I just, . . . I want to bring it up with her. Just the topic in general. You know, seriously. But I'm not sure how she'd take to me bringing it up. I don't want her to think I'm trying to pressure her or something."
"Lola is one for honest talks. If there's something you want to talk about, she's usually willing to wait and listen completely," Lily told him. "Just tell her that you think that you need to talk about it with her."
Hugo nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. La's pretty good at talking things out." He ran a hand through his hair. "You know, as oddly as it seems, I don't think I would be as comfortable talking about anything like I am with you. Not even guy stuff." Then with a grin, he scoffed. "It's like being little kids again, and hiding up in the tree house and just talking about anything we thought of."
"Like when you asked me if I could smell the cooties on you?" Lily teased.
Hugo rolled his eyes. "I was four!" he protested. But then he chuckled. "But yeah, kinda like that." He sighed. "I miss doing that."
"We'll have to do it again," Lily agreed. "They were better days."
"Well, you've still got the old tree house," Hugo said with a grin.
"And soon, we'll have a whole summer," Lily replied with a smile.
After studying for their O.W.L.s the Slytherin girls were glad to be back into their common room, and away from a million library books.
"I hate it when you guys make me study for those dumb tests," Lily muttered.
"You need to study," Lola argued.
"I'm just studying things I already know! It's like writing an essay twice. Pointless!" Lily countered. But then she sighed. "We could at least add some actual practice in with the boring studying."
"I agree," Megan replied. "It's way too dull for me."
"You two just bore easily," Izzy retorted.
"Your point?" Megan asked.
Izzy shook her head. "That was it."
"Well that was a dumb point. I already knew that," Megan muttered.
Shannon stretched her arms above her head. "Ok, I'm tired. Anyone else?"
"My mind's exhausted," Lola agreed. "I'm going to bed."
"I'm in," Megan said.
"Hey, Lily!" Lily turned to see Scorpius getting off the arm of the couch and heading toward them.
Megan elbowed her in the side. "Guess we'll see you in the morning," she teased quietly. Then she and the other girls walked toward the stairs.
Lily rolled her eyes, but smiled when Scorpius was in front of her. "Hey there," she greeted coyly.
Scorpius smirked. "What are you up to?" he asked.
Lily sighed. "Well I just got done with O.W.L. studying and revisions, and I'm a bit tired. I think I'm going to go to bed," she admitted.
Scorpius stuffed his hands into his pockets. "You want me to come with? I don't mind turning in a bit earlier," he offered.
Lily bit her lip. "Um, actually, Scor, I was thinking that I might sleep in my dorm tonight."
Scorpius scowled with confusion. "What? Why? Did I do something?"
She shook her head. "No, no."
"Is it because you're still hurting?" he asked with concern.
"No," she replied. The ache felt ready to disappear altogether now. "It's just that . . . well now that we have . . . you know, I think that maybe sleeping in the same bed wouldn't be a great idea."
"I don't follow," he told her.
Lily shifted the weight of her bag on her shoulder. "Well, I don't want things to change totally."
He looked even more confused for a minute, but then he seemed to understand, and he smirked. He took one of her hands into his, and then placed a small kiss on it. "Babe, I'm not going to expect us to have sex every night now. I didn't when we first shared a bed. I'd like you to sleep in my bed for the same reason that I wanted you to the first time. The comfort," he assured. He kissed her forehead this time. "Besides, I've grown used to you sleeping next to me in that bed. It'd feel weird without you there."
Lily smiled. Her heart gave that small squeeze that it always did whenever Scorpius said something like that. "Well . . ."
Scorpius pulled her into an embrace, his lips blowing breath next to her ear. "Please?" he pleaded with amusement.
Lily sighed as she wrapped her arms around his middle. "You make it hard to say no," she joked lightly.
"Then say yes," he laughed lightly.
Lily sighed as she pulled back slightly to look up at him. "Ok then. Yes," she replied.
Scorpius smirked. "Good. And since you're tired, how about we go to sleep?"
"You're not tired," Lily pointed out.
He shrugged. "So? I don't mind. And if I end up not being able to fall asleep, then I'll wait until you do and then come back down."
Lily moved to rest her cheek on his chest. "Ok. Whatever you say."
Lily stopped in front of the door to Slughorn's quarters and knocked. Since it was far enough into the second term for everyone to get back to normal routine, which meant it was time for the fifth years to begin having their Career Advice Meetings with their Head of House. Slughorn had requested that she come to his rooms, so that after they talked through her career choices, they could work on his small party.
"Come in, Lily, come in!" Slughorn called to her.
Lily opened the door and stepped inside. She closed the door behind her and looked around. Slughorn was bent over his desk, writing something down. "Make yourself comfortable," he told her. "Shouldn't take a minute."
Lily dropped her bag by the couch, and then went over to his wall of favorite students and former Slug Club members. She liked looking at all the pictures, some of people she recognized, some she didn't. Gweong Jones. Lily had met her years ago when she'd come to visit her mother and have a chat. It was the one good thing about not being allowed to go to Hogwarts while her brothers had gotten to go.
There was a picture of her mother, and one of her father. Her aunt Hermione was sitting on one of the shelves. Lily Evans was there as well.
"Ok, I'm ready," Slughorn said. Lily turned around and saw Slughorn moving to sit in an armchair. Lily moved to take a seat on the couch. Once they were both settled, he looked at her. "Ok, Lily, I know you're pretty straightforward, so that's how we'll conduct this."
Lily grinned. "Perfect. Then let me start. I've decided to keep my modeling career for after school," she said frankly.
Slughorn didn't hide his small look of disappointment. "Oh, I really wish you'd have chosen to stick with potion making. You'd be fabulous at it!"
Lily smiled. "I know. But making a hobby into work isn't my idea of fun. I'm not a terrible fan of deadlines. And I like modeling. And apparently I'm good at it," she chuckled.
Slughorn chuckled as well. "Well then, from my knowledge, being a model doesn't exactly require any specific N.E.W.T.s," he commented. "So, have you thought about what classes you want to take your sixth and seventh years?"
Lily shrugged. "Well, I thought I'd see how I do with my O.W.L.s, and then pick what I like based on what I pass."
He grinned. "I can't imagine you not passing something. But, do you have no other ideas or fall back plans on what you would like to do?"
Lily sighed. "Not really. Honestly, I'd never thought about what I'd want to be when I graduated. Not since I started school. But after a couple of months of thinking, I've come to the decision that I want to keep modeling. I mean, ever since I started, I've been told by younger girls that I'm like a role model to them because I'm smart and because I'm pretty. They look up to me because most models aren't seen as intelligent, but they know I'm smart. I guess it gives them encouragement to see that a girl as smart as me can be seen as beautiful, or vice versa. And maybe it makes me arrogant or egotistical to think like that, but I like the thought," she explained.
Slughorn nodded. "I don't think it's arrogant to think like that. Not when it's true. And I think that picking a job so that young girls can possibly have a beautiful and intelligent role model is a wonderful idea."
"Thank you, sir," Lily replied.
"Oh, let's go with Horace for now. Because since we seem to be done early with your advice, I thought we'd work on the party plans," Slughorn said.
Lily nodded. "Ok, let's get started then."
"So, have you thought of three prospective members?" he asked.
"I have. I've thought of Lance Higgs from Slytherin, Chris Summerby from Hufflepuff, and Clayton Cornfoot from Ravenclaw," Lily listed. She'd been thinking of decent students, smart and talented ones, because that was who she knew Slughorn would want. Those were her first three ideas.
Slughorn leaned back and pondered for a moment. "Three good young gentlemen. I currently am teaching all three of them. Mr. Summerby is quite the potion maker as well, although no where near your level," he assured.
Lily smiled. "I thought you'd like Lance."
"And he's on the Quidditch team, yes?"
She nodded. "Yes, he's a Chaser. Actually, he plans to be a professional player one day for the Kestrels," she informed him.
"Hmm. He is a pretty good player from my memories," Slughorn mentioned.
So for the next hour or so, Lily explained more about why she chose the three boys. Slughorn soon happily agreed and commended her choices. Then they went on to picking nine other members of the club to have at the dinner. It was eventually put on a guest list: Scorpius Malfoy, Hugo Weasley, Lucy Weasley, Lana Goyle, Zack Creevey, Louis Weasley, Liz West, Violet Anderson, and Connie Wood.
Lily looked over the guest list one last time. Perhaps this time when she went to one of Slughorn's little parties, it wouldn't end in disaster.
Over the next few passing days, Lily found herself becoming completely involved in Quidditch. The match against Ravenclaw was creeping up on them, and Scorpius wanted everyone to be prepared. Lily was able to come back to practice after the ache left after the first day.
When the day of the game came, Scorpius required that they all eat a good-sized meal. Enough to get them through the match, but small enough to keep them from puking.
"Good physical condition requires a healthy meal," he had said when Tanner asked.
After eating, they all went back to get their brooms, wanting to get to the pitch. Scorpius wanted to test how the weather was, and everyone else was just eager to get out there. But of course, luck couldn't be on Lily's side.
"Lily!"
Lily whirled around to see Lysander jogging toward them. Quickly she glanced at Scorpius, who scowled and looked at Lysander with distrust. She waved the boys off. "Go on ahead. I'll be there in a minute."
Scorpius looked like he was ready to argue, but he slowly began to walk away. "Come on, guys," he muttered.
Lily watched them walk away, and then turned to see that Lysander was already coming close. "Hey, Lily," he greeted with a smile.
Lily forced a hesitant smile as well. "Hi, Ly. What's up?"
Lysander cleared his throat, ran a hand through his hair, and tried to straighten his collar. It was obvious to the world that he was nervous. "Well, I wanted to talk to you for a moment. There's . . . well there's something I wanted to say."
Lily felt her stomach churn. She was getting a very bad feeling from this already. "Um, well can it wait until after the game?"
"No, I think I should say it now," he retorted. "I want to say it before something happens in the game, or before one of our team wins and gets dragged off to a party. This is the one time I know I can get it all out."
"Ly," Lily trailed off, really not trusting this conversation.
"Lily, when we broke up . . . when you broke up with me, I was hurt. And since then, I've been trying to figure out what happened, what went wrong. What I did," Lysander told her.
"You didn't do anything," Lily replied.
But Lysander kept going. "And, I came to conclusion that it was something about me. But, Lily, I'm willing to change."
"Ly . . ."
"I can be aggressive. I can be a jerk. I'll be whoever you want to be. I can act like Malfoy if that's what it takes. But, Lil, I just want to be with you. I want us to have the chance we deserved. I want to do this right," Lysander told her.
Lily felt her heart pounding in her ears. "Lysander."
"Lily, I love you," Lysander stated proudly. "I've never felt this way, and I know in my heart that I never will again."
Lily began to collect her thoughts of guilt and surprise at his confession. But before she could even begin to speak, Lysander had placed a hand on her cheek, and had placed his lips on hers.
Lily felt herself freeze in shock. She couldn't move. She couldn't think. She couldn't react. When Lily had told Scorpius that if Lysander were to ever try something that she would hit him, but now that he actually had done something . . . she . . . she was clueless on how to get her body to even respond now.
"You son of a bitch!"
It took Lily a moment to realize that Lysander had already stopped the kiss, and took her a moment to notice that the every guy on the team was holding Scorpius back, who looked ready to commit murder. And she was slow to react. Time just seemed to move slower. But when Scorpius threw a punch at Lysander's jaw, everything seemed to go quicker. The guys were jumping on Scorpius again, trying to push him back.
"Scor, calm down!"
"Chill out, dude!"
"If you kill him, they won't let you play in the match!"
Lily found herself trying to stand in front Scorpius. There was rage in his eyes, obviously aimed at Lysander, who was just finally standing back up.
"Scorpius," Lily said, "let's just go to the pitch!"
Scorpius looked down at her, his attempts to push off the other five guys stopped. Then with a harsh shove, he broke away from all five of them. Then he turned to glare at Lysander. "Watch your back, Scamander!" he hissed. Then he turned his back and began to storm off. "Let's go!" he commanded.
Lily and the rest of the team hurried after him. While the others all looked back at where Lysander was still probably standing, Lily stared straight ahead, her mind reeling. Although time had seemed to pick up its normal pace, her mind was still sluggish.
He . . . loves her? It was hard for Lily to comprehend and believe. Love? She knew love. She felt it whenever Scorpius spoke something sweet to her, or when he would smirk at her from across the common room. She knew the intensity of that feeling. And Lysander thought he felt that for her? He couldn't really love her. Maybe he still had feelings . . . but love was more than Lily believed was possible for Lysander to feel about her. After what she'd done to him? After seeing how different they were, and all the different things they wanted in a relationship? No. No, it wasn't love.
But that didn't mean she didn't feel a little guilty about it. Maybe it was a stupid thing for her to feel. But even if it wasn't really love, he believed it was, and Lily knew that faith in something could be strong for people. And she knew that to break that faith could be painful for that person. To find out that what you thought was true, was a lie? It was like what she'd felt when James had basically denounced her as a sister. It hurt. How bad was he hurting because of her? How long has she been hurting him? Why was she still hurting him? She broke up with him so that she could stop hurting him! She was never going to stop hurting him, was she?
Once in the locker room, she noticed Scorpius storm to his own locker, punch the one next to his, and then open his own to change. Lily winced when she saw the dent his fist had left. Now that she was in the familiarity of the locker room, Lily was now able to worry about Scorpius. Fury didn't really describe the feeling that seemed to radiate from him. It was a lot darker. Murderous perhaps. She was mainly afraid of what he would do. Scorpius had a bad habit of taking his anger to violence, and thrusting the violence onto other guys.
When they were all changed, Scorpius simply paced the room back and forth, not bothering to give any kind of pep talk or speech. He simply paced. Lily's eyes followed him with worry. He wouldn't even look at her. Finally, just before it was time for them to go out, Scorpius stopped, and looked around at them all, then his eyes bored straight into the door leading outside.
"Kill 'em," he mumbled. Then he picked up his broom, and stormed off to the door.
When both teams were out on the pitch, the rules were given, and an obvious tension rose. Lily avoided looking Lysander. She kept her eyes on the handshake between Lorcan and Scorpius. The Quaffle was thrown to the air, and the game began. Scorpius practically threw his shoulder into the Ravenclaw Chaser, Hayden Stretton, knocking him back. Scorpius took the Quaffle and was down the field before people could even really process it.
"And it looks like Malfoy's taking an aggressive stance during this match. He's already got the Quaffle and is to the goals! Keeper, Sam Goldstein, looks a bit unsure. Malfoy throws the Quaffle with impossible looking force and strength. It flies right by the head of Goldstein, making the score ten to zero!" Peakes commentated.
Lily felt her stomach churn as she hurried into the air. It'd only been a few seconds, but she just wanted to end this game already. She climbed higher and higher, wanting to get a good look at the open air around her. She just wanted to find the Snitch and end it. Although honestly, she just wanted the Snitch to be caught. The other Seeker was the least of her worries now.
"And Malfoy makes another viscous steal! He's got the Quaffle again. He tosses it off to Higgs. It's a hard toss, and Higgs almost drops it. But he put it into his grasp and then passes it off to Pritchard. Pritchard throws it back to Malfoy, and the triangle of the Slytherin makes their way down the field, passing it back and forth. They're at the goals. Higgs has the Quaffle. He tosses it and . . . it's good! That's another ten points to Slytherin!"
The game seemed to go the same way as time kept going. Every so often, Ravenclaw was able to scrounge up a goal. But otherwise, Scorpius was brutal about getting the Quaffle from them, and taking it down the field. Soon, Lorcan was obviously trying to take Scorpius out. Scorpius took two Bludgers, one on the back, the other on the shoulder, but he hadn't stopped. And so far, Scorpius had fouled four times, which was where Ravenclaw had gotten two of their points.
"And Pritchard makes the shot! That makes the score two hundred and thirty to a hundred and ten, Slytherin's lead!" Peakes announced the score. "And Belby catches the pass, and she's making her way down the field. Looks like she's expecting Malfoy to smash into her, but he looks like he's giving orders to his Beaters."
Lily glanced over at where Scorpius really was talking with Tanner and Lars. What was he saying to them?
"But Malfoy isn't needed! Pritchard makes the steal, and he tosses it off to Higgs. Higgs evades Davies and zooms down the pitch. Malfoy seems to be back in it, and Higgs makes the pass to him, and Malfoy throws it for a goal! Another ten points to Slytherin. This is a brutal match for Ravenclaw."
Lily circled the pitch, her eyes always moving as they looked and searched for the elusive Snitch. She wanted this game to end before Scorpius really blew up. She wanted to end it, and she wanted to talk to him. Calm him. And although she probably wouldn't tell him . . . she needed to speak to Lysander. Part of her was furious at what he'd done. It had obviously been intentional, and he couldn't have missed Scorpius standing not that far away. But another part of her was again filled with guilt.
Guilt was starting to become a daily emotion it seemed, with a few breaks between. And this situation she was in . . . like all the others, it was her fault. When she had broken up with Lysander, she was young, not that she wasn't young now, but she had thought that his pain and feelings for her would automatically end. She never really fixed it. Never really took care of what she started. And it was about time she did.
"And Malfoy's got the Quaffle . . . but he passes it off to Higgs, who flies down the field with Pritchard. Malfoy's hanging back, maybe to defend the middle. But . . . what's he doing?"
It seemed that everyone had their curious attention on Scorpius, because it was where Lily was now looking too. He, Tanner, and Lars were flying a little lower in strong formation. Then they leveled out and flew straight and swiftly . . . but it was toward the Slytherin goals. Lily looked at them with confusion, and looked to where they were heading. Then her stomach dropped.
Lysander.
"Well Higgs passes it to Pritchard, who after dodging Belby, passes it back to Higgs, he kicks the Quaffle . . . and he makes it! What a great . . . Oh!"
There was a loud and collective gasp from the crowd of spectators and fans, and for the first time, Lily felt her breath leave her of its own accord at what she'd witnessed.
Lars and Tanner had fanned out a little, but Scorpius was moving like a straight shot. He smashed into Lysander, his bigger build rocking Lysander on his broom. And that was when both Beaters had moved to crisscross, both "accidently" smashing Lysander with their bats. Tanner's had caught Lysander on the collarbone, and Lars's had caught him on the head. And when they separated, Lysander fell from his broom.
Part of Lily knew that she should try to help him. That this was partly her fault. That it wasn't right to let him fall. She'd thought the same thing when Kimberly Rickett had been knocked out years ago. But for some reason, she didn't move. Nobody in the game did. But at least the Ravenclaw team tried to reach Lysander before he hit the ground. Lily was sorry that they didn't make it.
Whistles were blowing, and teachers and Madam Hooch were yelling. Madam Hooch was flying fast to the field, and teachers were already making their way onto the pitch from the stands. The Ravenclaw team was now on the ground, each surrounding Lysander with the staff. But the Slytherin team just simply floated on their brooms, and watched. When Lysander was finally loaded onto a stretcher and was made to float in the air, Lily cringed. There was blood. A lot of it.
Madam Hooch was in the air again, and she looked to be in a furry. "Three foul shots for Ravenclaw! And another move like that will end the game! And, Mr. Malfoy, if you cause one more foul, you're out of the game, and you'll never play the next one!" she screamed.
The Ravenclaws all returned to the air, casting an array of different looks at Scorpius, Tanner, and Lars. Hate, mistrust, fear. But Lily turned away, unable to look at any of them.
"And after that surprising and sick display of a foul, the Ravenclaw Chaser, Nadia Belby, takes the Quaffle, and gets into position to make her foul shots," Peaks announced.
It was eery to Lily how quiet the crowd was now. Even when Nadia missed her first shot. Not a single Slytherin cheered. But thankfully, the rest of the crowd seemed to finally cheer when Nadia made the second and third. But Slytherins were still silent. And Lily knew why. They knew Scorpius. Something had happened. Lysander had done something outside of the match. And just like Lily would have feared if she hadn't been the real cause of it, they probably feared that it was something prejudice against Slytherin House. They already felt defensive about something they didn't know the truth of. Lily closed her eyes. The rivalry among Houses . . . it was really getting out of hand. Had it always been like this? Had it been this bad when she and James first started fighting?
Lily shook her head as she began to move again. No, it hadn't. They had made it this bad over five years. And if it kept going . . . it was going to boil over, and something unchangeable would happen. But what could she do to stop it? One girl change the minds of thousands? It was easy to change the mind of new and younger kids, but the older ones that have been dealing with this for as long, or longer, than she had?
A flash of gold glinted in the sunlight, bringing Lily back to the game. She took off toward it, but a second too late. Robbie Ackerley, the Ravenclaw Seeker, was already on his way, and was closer than she was. She was thankful she had the faster broom, making it a little easier to catch up to him. Robbie held his arm out, hand open. Lily did the same, but she didn't have the reach he did. She glanced over Ackerley. He was big compared to her, and there was a scowl of concentration on his face. And when his eyes looked over at her, she saw utter hatred.
Ackerley lurched forward, and missed the Snitch. Lily tried to reach out farther, but she still didn't have the advantage he did. Ackerley made another try for it, and missed again, but barely. So Lily took her chance. Taking both hands away from her broom, she lunged forward. The Snitch hit her hand, and she closed her fingers around it, effectively catching it. But then she began to fall, her legs still tightly wrapped around her broom. She waited to be upside down, for the sky to become the ground. But then she felt as if her upper body was floating. She opened her eyes, and looked.
Robbie Ackerley was holding her up by her Quidditch robes. He pulled her back, roughly letting her settle onto her broom once again. He was still scowling, but he nodded once, and then flew away. Lily watched him go.
Maybe . . . maybe there was hope.