Lily wondered how she got tricked into her current situation. She was sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair, but that wasn't the situation. It was the impending dinner that her mother had somehow gotten her to invite Scorpius to. To make things comfortable, James and Albus wouldn't be there, but Teddy and Victoire would be. Fleur would be babysitting Gabriella and Theodore for the night.
A knocking sounded at her door before it opened, and Victoire stepped in. "Mind if we come in?" Victoire asked.
Lily raised a brow in her mirror. "Um, sure?"
Victoire stepped in further, and then Ginny followed, closing the door behind her. Lily sighed. Something was tricky about them coming in together, Lily just knew it.
"Do you need help, sweetheart?" Ginny asked curiously.
Lily shook her head as she put down her brush. "No, I'm mainly just occupying myself until the night begins."
Ginny rolled her eyes as she came to stand behind her daughter. "When is Scorpius supposed to arrive?"
"Any time now," Lily replied. She looked at her mother in the mirror. "Did you need to talk about something?"
"Always to the point," Victoire said with a smile.
"Well she's right," Ginny sighed as she picked up the brush, and began running it through her daughter's hair again. "I was hoping to speak to you about something."
"And Vic too?" Lily inquired.
"I'm here for support," Victoire explained. "I get to be the bridge."
Lily felt a bit of confusion as to why her mother would want Victoire there for support and to be a "bridge" to connect them. But she just sighed. "Well, what's up?"
"Well it's about you and Scorpius," Ginny started.
It took all of Lily's willpower to keep from tensing up. A small fear settled in her stomach. Victoire was the only one in the family besides Hugo that knew Lily had started taking contraceptive potions. Victoire had taught her how to make them! Lily could only hope that wasn't how Victoire was going to be a "bridge" in the conversation.
"What about me and Scorpius?" Lily asked hesitantly.
"Well . . . how are you two?" Ginny asked, and Lily knew that it wasn't her original question. But she answered it anyways.
"We're doing great," Lily told her casually. "Never better."
"Well the hickey on the side of your neck here tells me that much," Ginny commented.
Lily's eyes went wide, and quickly shot to look at her neck in the mirror. And sure enough, now that her mum had moved her hair while brushing it, a reddish, purplish mark was obvious on her skin. How had she not noticed that?
Lily licked her lips, feeling very dry at the moment. "Oh. Well . . . um . . ."
"I'm teasing you, sweetheart," Ginny said with a laugh. "Although I would hide that from your father. He'd blow his top if he saw it."
"Where's your potion kit at, Lily? I'll get your potion so you can get rid of it," Victoire offered.
"I don't have any more," Lily said with a sigh. But when her mother raised a teasing brow, Lily quickly continued. "I had to use quite a bit after our last Quidditch match, and I gave some to Hugo after his last game. I've just been too lazy or busy to make more."
"Lily," Ginny spoke again, "I understand that you and Scorpius are serious. And even if he won't say it out loud, your father knows as well. And you know that, even though your father may not be thrilled, that we still accept your relationship."
Lily could easily tell where she was going. "Mum, I'm not Dom. I'm not brave enough to drop everything and run away. Besides, I think Scorpius and I are comfortable with making decisions as they come to us."
"Well I'm glad to hear that . . . What decisions have the two of you made?" Ginny asked carefully.
Lily avoided her mother's eyes, and played around with a few bottles of perfume on the vanity desk. "What do you mean?"
"Well have you two decided what you're going to do when you go back to school?" Ginny replied.
"He's going to train, and I'll go to school. When the chance arises, we'll see each other," Lily answered.
"And you think that'll work?" Victoire commented.
"I'm not afraid of losing him, and vice-versa. We know we'll be fine," Lily said firmly.
"Well there are other decisions that couples make before they are forced apart for a set time," Ginny mentioned.
Again, Lily raised a brow. "What kind of decisions?"
"Well . . . decisions that are more of an adult nature," Ginny said hesitantly.
"Sex?" Lily asked bluntly.
Ginny sighed. "Ok, we can be honest, good." Ginny set the brush down, and Lily turned to look at her mother fully. "Look, your father doesn't know we're having this discussion, so I want us to all be honest about this."
Lily took in a deep breath. Although it wasn't a conversation she wanted to have, she'd rather it be with her mother than with her dad. "Ok, fine. You start."
Ginny moved so that she sat next to Victoire on the bed. "Lily, have you and Scorpius discussed the topic of sex?"
Lily momentarily bit the inside of her cheek before deciding her answer. "Yes, we have."
"And what did the two of you decide?" Ginny inquired.
Lily ran a hand through her hair. Honest. She could trust her mum not to tell her father. And her mum was always more accepting about these things. She had told Lily she would be. "Well, in February we decided that we were ready and it was the right time," she said truthfully.
Ginny looked at her daughter with pure surprise, while Victoire looked at Lily with curiosity. "You mean that you two have . . . ?" Ginny trailed off.
Lily nodded. "Yeah, we have."
They were all quiet for a moment. Ginny seemed to be taking it all in, Lily and Victoire waited for her to say something.
"Well . . . you two were safe about it, right? You used a contraceptive spell?" Ginny asked.
Lily pushed her hair away from her shoulders. "Actually, I asked Victoire to give me the recipe for a potion, and I've been using that," she explained.
"I gave her the instructions for the one that we recommend to women at St. Mungo's," Victoire assured Ginny. "And I know easily that it's something Lily can make correctly, especially with her skills."
"And you've been keeping up on them? You've taken them every time you were supposed to?" Ginny questioned.
"I never miss one," Lily assured. "That's the last thing I need." Lily hesitated, but then asked anyways. "You're not telling Dad, right?"
"We haven't been married long enough for me to want his head to explode," Ginny retorted. "I'll wait until you're about thirty or forty to let him know that you're not a virgin."
Lily grinned as she relaxed in her chair. "Well, is there anything else you were wanting to talk about? I feel like that was the main point."
"Well I didn't expect it to go that smoothly. You seem to have covered everything I wanted to be sure you knew," Ginny replied.
"Mum, the process is the same as when we had this talk seven years ago. I think I get it," Lily teased.
"At least your dad hasn't actually talked to you about it," Victoire stated. "It was much more horrible than when my mother talked to me."
"I cannot believe my brother did that to you," Ginny mentioned to Victoire.
"Well he never brought it back up once I told him I was waiting until I got married," Victoire pointed out.
"I should lie and tell Dad that," Lily mumbled.
"I should check on him, now that I think about it. If Scorpius arrived, the last thing he would do is warn us. It gives him more time to glare and interrogate him," Ginny sighed as she stood up.
"Oh, Teddy would probably let us know," Victoire replied.
"Still, I'd better be sure. Are you girls coming down?" Ginny inquired as she opened the door.
"In a minute," Victoire answered before Lily could speak.
"Well, if he's not here, Scorpius will be here soon, and dinner will be done. So don't take too long," Ginny told them before shutting the door behind her.
Victoire turned to smile at Lily. "So, last February?"
Lily smiled sheepishly. "It happened on Valentine's Day."
Victoire practically squealed. "Really? That's so sweet!"
Lily shrugged while trying not to blush. "I guess. We didn't really choose that day to be overly romantic about it. It just happened on that day."
Victoire gave her a knowing look. "But it was absolutely perfect, wasn't it."
Finally, Lily could no longer suppress her bright smile. "Yeah, it was."
"Hey, come down for dinner!" Teddy called out loudly.
"In other words, Scorpius is here," Victoire said with a laugh. "Come on."
Lily followed Victoire out to the hall, and when they descended the stairs, Lily could hear voices in the living room. A deep voice in particular caught her attention, and made her feet head straight there. Sure enough, Scorpius was sitting casually on the couch, talking with Teddy. Her father was surprisingly nowhere in sight.
Both men turned their head when Lily stepped into the room, and Scorpius immediately stood up from his seat, a small smile on his lips. "Well hey there, beautiful," he murmured as he casually approached her.
Lily smiled happily at him. "Hi," she greeted. The kiss he planted on her lips was chaste but sweet.
"We were just discussing N.E.W.T. results. They should be coming out soon," Teddy commented as he stood up too.
"I was telling Ted about how I was planning to join the Auror training program," Scorpius replied as he led Lily to the hall.
"That's three people I know," Teddy stated. "You, Al, and Rose."
When they got to the dinner table, Scorpius pulled a chair out for Lily before sitting next to her. "Well I've been interested in being an Auror for a while now."
"When did you decide you wanted to be an Auror, Scorpius?" Victoire asked curiously as she also sat down.
"Well the idea popped into my head in about my second year. But I was sure about it in my fourth," Scorpius told her.
"Well you're in for a treat then, Lily," Ginny said as she brought the last bit of food to the table. "The odd hours of an Auror are always fun to deal with."
Lily smiled. "Where is Dad, by the way?"
"Right here," Harry muttered as he came in and sat down. "I was finishing up a bit of work in my study."
"Hello, Mr. Potter. It's great to see you again," Scorpius greeted.
The hesitation from her father was obvious. "Hello, Scorpius. How have you been?"
"Oh, same as always," Scorpius said with a sigh. Once everyone had been seated, and their plates made, a small silence settled over them for a moment.
"So, Lily, how do you think you did on your O.W.L. exams?" Victoire asked, finally breaking the ice.
Lily shrugged. "Well enough. I wouldn't say I did perfect, but I'm sure I didn't fail any."
"With how much you guys worked this year, I'd doubt anyone really failed," Scorpius commented.
"So, even if you do excellently on all your tests, you're still going to be a model?" Harry inquired.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dad, I am."
"I've been barking up that tree for almost a year now, Mr. Potter," Scorpius said with a sigh. "She refuses to try something different."
"She's as stubborn as her mother," Harry muttered.
"I think it's a Weasley woman thing," Teddy mentioned.
"You men realize we're still here, right?" Ginny demanded with a raised brow.
Scorpius grinned as he looked at Lily. "Lucky for me, I don't live with mine yet. This won't haunt me later tonight."
"No, it'll wait until tomorrow," Lily retorted.
"I have young children at my house. Any yelling would wake up the baby," Teddy joked.
"Maybe I'll let Mum keep them for the entire night," Victoire mocked.
"I've learned not to fight against 'em, Ted," Scorpius warned. "You never win."
"Yeah, but it's just habit for me to try," Teddy laughed.
"So, Scorpius, what are your plans for the summer?" Harry questioned.
"Well until test results come in, I'll just be relaxing. Once they do come, I'll be sending them to you, and then just waiting until training starts," Scorpius answered.
"So you're serious about being an Auror?" Harry replied.
"As serious as can be," Scorpius assured.
"It's a lot of training. The only days you don't train really are holidays," Harry told him.
Scorpius shrugged. "If that's what it takes."
Lily quickly took a bite of her food, trying not to sigh or show how uncomfortable the thought of the extent of Scorpius's training made her feel.
The dinner went on well enough in Lily's mind. As time went, her father seemed less hesitant and hostile to Scorpius, and was once again politely friendly. In fact, it almost seemed as if her dad enjoyed talking to Scorpius, which Lily was sure he did. The two men were a lot alike in some senses. They talked to each other for a good amount of the dinner, from work as an Auror, to recent politics, and had somehow gotten to telling funny stories from their times at Hogwarts. It amazed Lily, but she didn't dare to comment on it. Why take a chance on ruining it?
When they had all finished eating, Lily led Scorpius away from the table, since her father was finally caught in a conversation with Teddy. She took a hold of his wrist, and took him from the room.
"Where are we going?" Scorpius asked softly.
"My room," Lily said simply.
"Um, is that a good idea?" Scorpius inquired hesitantly.
"As long as I keep my door open," Lily replied as she opened her door wide.
Scorpius stepped inside her room, and Lily repressed the urge to shut and lock it. Old habits may die hard, but she was getting good at ignoring them. She turned and smiled at how familiar he seemed in her room, yet how strange it was to see her eighteen-year-old boyfriend sitting on the bed she'd had since she was almost four.
Scorpius reached out and took her hand, pulling her a little closer. "What are you thinking about?" he whispered.
"That you and my father got on surprisingly well for him being so stubborn," Lily teased. "Which is probably where I actually get it from partly. I think it's half and half between my mum and him."
Scorpius smirked. "Like I told you years ago. I like your dad."
Lily sighed as she moved to sit next to him. "Well he probably won't admit it for another twenty years, but I think he likes you too," she replied as she rested her head on his shoulder, keeping her hand in his.
"I can accept that," Scorpius murmured.
Lily closed her eyes, relaxed, and almost a little tired. "I had a talk with my mum before I came downstairs tonight."
Scorpius rested his cheek against her hair. "What about?"
"About the decisions we have ahead of us. Decisions we've already made, and such," Lily sighed.
"Like what?"
"Mainly concerning sex," Lily said honestly. "She won't tell my dad, so I told her the truth."
Scorpius made a sound of approval. "And what future decisions?"
"What we planned to do once I went to school," Lily told him. "I told them that I would go to school, you would train, and we'd see each other when we could." She sighed. "It doesn't seem like it's going to be much anymore."
"We'll have holidays," Scorpius pointed out. "And if I can ever get a chance to sneak out to Hogsmeade at night."
"You'll be exhausted," Lily argued. "My uncle Ron is one of the trainers, and he's told a lot of stories about how those that make past a week are still dead on their feet."
"You'd be worth losing the sleep," Scorpius replied.
"Scorpius, being an Auror is important to you. I know you're going to want to focus on it, and that you're going to throw all you've got into it. And I understand that you're going to be worn out more nights than not," Lily countered.
"So you don't want me to come out and see you?" Scorpius mumbled with confusion.
Lily sighed again. "I just don't want you to run yourself ragged."
Scorpius kissed her hair. "We'll figure something out, babe," he assured. "I promise."
Lily hoped he was right.
After Lily had showered, dried, and dressed for bed, she stepped out of her bathroom to find her mother sitting on her bed.
"Hey, Mum. What's up this time?" Lily asked curiously as she picked up her brush and began to run it through her hair.
"Well I thought I'd let you know that your father has actually yet to complain about your boyfriend since before we had dinner tonight," Ginny commented.
Lily smiled. "Well that's good." She put her brush down, and then moved to sit on her bed next to her mother.
Ginny pushed Lily's hair from her eyes. "Lily, I know it's not easy being apart for two years. I'm sure you can handle it. I did, and it was under much dire circumstances."
Lily nodded. "I know, I know. But it's still a little daunting."
"Time apart always is," Ginny agreed. "But you grow accustomed to it. Especially when he finishes and your father starts sending him out on missions."
Lily grinned dryly. "Stop, Mum. You're making it sound like so much fun."
Ginny rolled her eyes and smiled. "Lily, do you love him?"
"Of course I do."
"And he loves you?"
"Yes."
"Then you'll be fine," Ginny assured. "Some times we have to do things or deal with things that we don't really like in order to be happy in the long-run. It's all part of life."
Lily sighed. "I know."
"And sometimes we have to deal with things that stink."
"I know, Mum, I know," Lily said with a laugh. "No need for a life lesson. I know how life can suck sometimes. Believe me, I know."
Ginny squeezed her daughter's shoulder. "I'm sorry that you know so well at fifteen."
Lily shrugged. "I play what I was given. I can't change anything. Besides, I don't think I would if I could."
"Really? Why do you say that?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Well we are the way we are because of our experiences and the problems life throws at us. And I think my life is just perfect for me, and it's not something I want to change."
The news wasn't expected. It hadn't slipped Lily's mind, but she hadn't expected to hear it when she did. But when her father smiled and handed her the paper over breakfast, the headline made Lily want to laugh, dance, and party all at the same time.
"Hogwarts Governors Vote to Keep Headmaster Jacob Brown."
Lily didn't bother reading what Skeeter had written. She really didn't care who had voted what. It only mattered that the majority had voted to bring him back. And breakfast wasn't even finished when Hugo ran into the room, holding his own copy of the Daily Prophet.
"Have you heard?" Hugo asked with an eager grin.
Lily held up their copy of the paper. "I heard."
Hugo laughed. "I almost choked on my biscuit when I read this! I've never heard more fantastic news, than to hear about how Heyes is getting kicked out on his arse!"
"Now we've just got to wait until they all get evaluated," Lily said happily.
"Well first we have to wait until the Wizengamot makes its decision. And we won't hear about that until the fifteenth," Harry told them. "Hermione and I have to go and listen to the verdict."
"Can we go?" Hugo asked with excitement. "I wanna see their faces!"
"Yeah, can we?" Lily pleaded.
Harry chuckled into his coffee mug. "I guess so."
Hugo punched the air in victory. "How can this summer get better?"
Lily had the feeling that it would get even better. First with the eleventh, and then with the fifteenth.
Lily was just finishing up her look with a bit of lip gloss when there was a knock on her bedroom door.
"Who is it?" Lily called. Because she knew if it was one of her parents, she was going to have to make an excuse as to why she was looking ready for a party more than a simple slumber party.
"It's Lucy," she heard being called back softly.
"Come in, Lucy," Lily said as she ran a hand through her loosely curled hair. Her makeup was light as always, and her outfit consisted of a black skirt, which was a length her father would pass out at, with a lace hem, and thin and forest green off the shoulder top. All in all, she thought she looked good.
At the sound of her door closing, Lily turned to see Lucy standing there with a bag. Her hair was in its normal style of curls at the ends. She wore a maroon sweater and jeans, her face free of any makeup.
"Hey, Lily," Lucy greeted almost meekly.
Lily smiled. "Hey. So, did you need to get ready here?"
Lucy's brow furrowed with confusion. "Get ready?"
Lily kept from rolling her eyes. "You were planning to go to the party like that?"
Lucy shrugged. "Most of my clothes are like this," she replied.
Lily sighed as she moved closer and looked Lucy over. "Well, you're most likely my size. Let's try and find you something a little more suited for a party."
Lucy bit her lip as Lily went to her closet. "I don't know, Lily."
"I promise I won't make you wear anything that makes you uncomfortable," Lily promised. She pulled out a simple black v-neck shirt. "Try this on," Lily told her.
Lucy took the shirt from her, and Lily moved over to her dresser. "Are you sure about this party, Lily?"
"Lucy, if you don't want to drink, you don't have to. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. And if it gets to be too much, just tell me or Scorpius, and we'll go back to his place, ok? Now how do you feel about skirts?"
"I've never worn one that was higher than my knees," Lucy admitted.
"Do you wanna keep it that way?" Lily asked.
"Um, I don't know," Lucy stammered.
Lily handed her a denim skirt and black tights. "Then take these. The skirt's a little high, but it's not so short that it stops at your thighs, I promise."
Lucy sighed as she took them. "Ok."
Lily looked over the shirt that Lucy was now wearing. "That shirt looks good on you," Lily complimented.
"I don't think I've ever worn something that was this . . . tight? Revealing?" Lucy mumbled with blushing cheeks.
Lily chuckled as she moved to grab her own overnight bag. "Well you should. You're very pretty."
"Thanks, Lily," Lucy practically whispered. "So, how's this?"
Lily turned around to Lucy fidgeting with the hem of the skirt, but she looked fantastic. "You look great," Lily assured. "And it's not too short for you?"
"Well it's not bad. And I feel better wearing tights under it," Lucy replied.
Lily smiled. "Then we just need one more thing." Lily dug through her bag, and then held out a hair tie. "Put your hair up. It's thick, so it kind of hides your face, and that's not necessary."
Lucy smiled sheepishly as she pulled her hair up as Lily told her. "So, what are we doing after this?"
"We're Flooing to The Leaky Cauldron first. Hugo will be getting off of work really soon, and we'll meet Scorpius and Lars there. Then they are going to Apparate us to Scorpius's flat, where we'll drop our things off, and then we'll go to the party," Lily explained.
"It feels a little weird lying to my parents about something like this. I've never done it before," Lucy sighed.
Lily pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder. "The only part that's a lie is about where you're staying. Otherwise, it's a night for you."
"But what about you? You're lying about staying at your boyfriend's flat," Lucy retorted.
Lily shrugged. "I've done it before. Maybe I'm immune to being guilty about it."
"You're lucky then," Lucy replied.
"That's one way of thinking," Lily whispered to herself.
"Must we do this?" Scorpius whispered to Lily as they walked behind Lucy, Hugo, and Lars. They had Apparated just a few blocks away from the Flint household, and were now walking to the house.
"Scorpius, it's a simple party. It won't kill you," Lily teased. "Besides, Lucy needs a fun night." Lily squeezed his hand. "Besides, you forget that this night is ending with me sleeping next to you until morning."
Scorpius smiled softly. "One pro in a million cons, and it has to be the one I really want."
"It's only a couple of hours," Lily reminded him. "Besides, you just got your test results back yesterday with an E being your lowest grade. We have to celebrate that."
Scorpius brought her hand to his lips. "Ok, I'll deal with this party. For you."
"Here we are," Lars announced as they approached a two-story house near the end of the block. It was a moderate size, brick structure, and a pristine yard.
"I've got to admit, I could see Shannon growing up in a home like this," Hugo joked.
"Yeah, but it doesn't match Adrian," Lily said with a laugh.
"Well just wait. Adrian's made it so that no one can hear the party going on from outside, that way the Muggle neighbors wouldn't complain. Once we step inside, it's going to look a little more like a place Adrian would live, because it's probably trashed by now," Lars warned as he stepped through the gate and walked up a sidewalk path towards a smooth wooden porch.
"It's a pretty house though," Lucy complimented as she looked at it.
"I agree that the inside's a mess by now," Scorpius mocked.
"It's Adrian's party after all," Lars laughed.
When Lars opened the door, Lily smiled at what she saw inside. Music was already assaulting her ears and people she recognized were everywhere. No sooner than when they had all stepped in and shut the door did Adrian appear.
"Lily Lu! Man, it's been forever!" Adrian commented as he pulled her into a short hug.
Lily smiled as his arms dropped from around her. "I know. Not since Christmas, and we didn't talk much then."
"Well now we've all got an entire night to catch up and have fun," Adrian laughed.
"First I want you to meet someone," Lily told him, then she pulled Lucy next to her. "This is my cousin Lucy. She needs a night of fun, and what better place than at a party by Adrian?"
Adrian grinned. "Welcome, Lucy. Gryffindor Keeper, right?"
"Chaser now," Lucy corrected timidly.
"Ah, that's right. Well, feel free to have fun. And don't let anyone give ya trouble. Just say you're Lil's cousin. Her friend's are our friends," Adrian assured. He clapped Lars on the shoulder. "Anyways, I got a few more people to greet, so I'll see you around the house."
Lily looked over at Lucy. "Are you ok with this?"
Lucy took in a deep breath. "Yeah, I think I am."
"Hey, Lil, do you know if Lola is gunna be here?" Hugo asked over the music.
Lily shook her head. "No, I don't. Go see if you can find Shannon. She might know."
Hugo nodded, and then walked away, disappearing into the sea of people. Lucy still looked hesitant to leave the door.
"I'm getting a drink," Lars told them. "Ashley and I broke up, I'm single, and I plan on having a fun night I can't remember. See ya in a bit." Then he too disappeared among the people.
Lily took Lucy's hand. "Come on. I'll introduce you to a few people."
"I'm going to get something to drink too. Do you want something?" Scorpius said softly next to her ear.
Lily nodded. "Yeah, get me whatever. Just make sure Lucy's is nonalcoholic," she told him.
Scorpius nodded, and then walked off. Lily pulled Lucy through the crowd of people, and felt Lucy squeezing her hand, as if to assure she was still there. It took a minute, but Lily finally found who she'd been looking for. The perfect friendly and laid-back person to introduce her cousin too.
"Hey, Lana," Lily greeted happily.
Lana turned away from the three girls she'd been talking with and smiled. "Hey, Lily. I was surprised that you wanted to come to one of these parties."
Lily raised a brow. "Really?"
"Well I know Scor doesn't like them, and I never thought you'd go to one without him," Lana commented.
Lily grinned. "You're right. That's why I convinced him to go. He's getting a drink."
Lana laughed and shook her head. "I've been training that man since I was born, you have him whipped in less than a year."
Lily laughed and shrugged. "I'm a miracle worker," she joked. But then she tugged Lucy forward a little. "Anyways, Lana, this is my cousin Lucy."
Lana smiled at her. "Nice to meet you, Lucy."
Lucy smiled too, but hers was a little more timid. "It's nice to meet you too, Lana."
Lana looked at her knowingly. "You've never been to a party like this before, have you?"
"No, actually. Is it obvious?" Lucy inquired.
"Only by how scared you look, "Lana teased. But then she took Lucy's hand from Lily's. "Mind if I steal you away? I know how to get you comfortable in this environment."
Lucy looked hesitantly over at Lily. "Um, I guess?"
Lana smiled at Lily. "I'll take care of your cousin," she assured.
Lily laughed. "Ok, but one thing first." She brought her lips to Lana's ear and whispered. "She's trying to forget and get over a bad break up, so that's what we're dealing with."
Lana nodded. "I can do that, no problem. Come on, Lucy. We're going to have fun." Lucy sent one hesitant look back at Lily before letting Lana pull her along.
"Well I don't feel bad for not being able to carry three drinks along anymore," Scorpius commented as he practically appeared next to Lily, holding only two cups. He smirked and held one out to her. "There isn't alcohol in either of them," he told her.
Lily nodded and took a drink, almost sighing at the warming taste of butterbeer. "Thanks."
"So, did you really just let my sister drag your cousin off?" Scorpius asked curiously.
Lily nodded. "I'm sure she'll be fine. And like I told her, if she ever wants to leave early, we'll leave."
"Then part of me kind hopes she has a bad time and wants to leave," Scorpius joked.
Lily lightly smacked his shoulder. "Be nice. It's not that bad."
"We haven't been here that long," Scorpius pointed out. "And I can see possible trouble coming now."
"Lily Lu! How long has it been?" Bret Reeser greeted. Lily remembered Bret. He was a good friend of Raven's, although it had been a long time. But she had liked Bret. He was funny and witty. But he looked different now. The dusty blonde hair she remembered was now snow white, and his fair skin was much tanner.
"Enough time for you to have changed this much," Lily said with a smile.
Bret chuckled as he ran a hand through his snowy hair, his other hand holding a drink. "I decided to try something new," he admitted. "But I could say the same about you. You've got pink and green in your hair, and a body that I don't remember you having my last year of school."
Lily rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully, making him laugh. "Bite it," she retorted with a bit of a laugh.
Bret still laughed. "Ah, I'm just playing. You look good, Lil."
"Well so do you," Lily replied. "How have you been?"
"Well I've mainly been going from job to job, looking for something that grabs my interest," Bret told her. "Although I was briefly married."
Lily looked at him in surprise and confusion. "What?"
Bret chuckled. "Met a girl, and we thought we'd give a try."
"So how long is brief?" Lily inquired.
"Four months," Bret said with a laugh.
Lily rolled her eyes and laugh. "Only you, Bret."
He shrugged and grinned. Then looked over at Scorpius. "How you been Scor? It's been a while since I seen you too."
Scorpius shrugged as well. "Not much. Just graduated."
"Oh, that's right!" Bret said as if remembering. "I remember seeing you go up there. I was only really paying attention when they called Layla, after that I kinda zoned out."
"I didn't see you at the graduation," Lily commented.
"Good, that means I hid well," Bret joked. "I only went because my sister was graduating. I had to hide from my parents. They've been harping more and more about how I need a steady job and girl."
Scorpius chuckled. "Can't imagine why they would think that."
"Well I hear that you're the lucky bloke that's dating our pretty flower here," Bret commented with a sly grin.
Lily left the two men to talk, and made her way through a few people. She then found Hugo talking with Lance near the kitchen. "Hey, you two," she greeted.
Lance smiled. "Hey there, Lil. How ya been?"
"Not too bad. Find out if Lola was coming?" Lily asked Hugo.
Hugo shook his head. "She ain't coming. I ran into Miley a few minutes ago, and found out from her. Then Lance and I got to talking about Quidditch."
"Why am I not surprised?" Lily mocked.
Lance and Hugo laughed. "Well what better topic for two guys?" Lance joked.
"Well here's a different topic. How are you and Courtney?" she asked him.
Lance grinned sheepishly. "We're ok. Haven't even had a fight yet."
"That'll change," Hugo muttered.
Lance laughed lightly. "I figured it would. I've been expecting it actually."
Lily smacked Hugo's shoulder. "Don't make it sound like a war approaching. Every couple fights, it's not that bad."
"I didn't say it was bad. You get really used to being yelled at," Hugo teased.
The party was going extremely well. Lily hadn't seen Lucy since she left with Lana, so Lily assumed that she was having fun. For a while Lily simply took time to catch up with friends she hadn't seen in so long. But of course, that meant they hadn't seen her in so long either.
"Man you are prettier than when I saw you at Christmas," Aaron Goyle complimented.
Lily smiled. "And you are still way too tall."
Aaron chuckled. "I think you're just too short," he told her.
Suddenly a loud roar of sound from a crowd near the kitchen sounded, making everyone in the living room look toward the sound. Then Ted West was pushing his way through a crowd that was rushing out the back door in the kitchen.
"What the hell is going on?" Will Nott asked him.
"Dante and Clete are beating the shit out of each other!" Ted told the people in the living room.
"Shit!" Will cursed before running for the front door. "I'll jump the fence to the back."
"I got the crowd," Aaron told them. Then he was yelling for people to part and back up.
"Scor and Lars are gunna try to stop 'em," Ted yelled to Aaron.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Perfect," she muttered before hurrying to the door as well. Once she got there, Aaron had gotten most of the people to move out of the way and go back inside. But when she stepped outside there was still half a circle of people around the fighting men. Dante had Clete on the ground, and was throwing punch after punch.
That was when Scorpius and Lars broke through part of the crowd. They both pulled Dante off of Clete, but when Clete got up and started for Dante, Lars tackled him back to the ground and held him there. Scorpius had an arm wrapped around Dante's neck, and one of Dante's arms around his back and pressed between them.
"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Will hissed.
"All right, everyone get back inside!" Aaron commanded. Slowly, the crowd began to retreat inside. Lily moved away from the door, fully intending to stay. But then she caught sight of Lana, an annoyed look on her face, pushing her way through people with Lucy following her. Lily considered going after her, but decided against it, and hurried to where Dante and Clete were still struggling against Lars and Scorpius.
Once the crowd had gone inside, and Will slid the door shut, he turned back to the guys. "Now, what the fuck?"
"It's none of your business," Dante hissed as he tried to pull away from Scorpius.
Scorpius pulled him back, tightening his arm around Dante's neck. Then he leaned back a little, pulling Dante off his feet. "I'll put you down when you calm," Scorpius stated.
Dante kicked his feet at the air, his free hand trying to pull Scorpius's arm away. But after a few moments, he went limp. Scorpius set him back on his feet, but he didn't let him go. Dante took in a large breath, and glared at Clete.
"No one warned me that Montague was a fuckin' psycho!" Clete yelled from the grass.
"Well you're a fucking pervert!" Dante growled.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Lars demanded.
"That son of a bitch was planning to one night stand your sister tonight!" Dante snarled.
Lily looked over at Clete in surprise. Lars was looking at him with a steely look. "Will, come hold him down," Lars commanded.
Will moved immediately and pulled Clete to his feet, letting Lars storm away from him, his fists clenched. Will kept a tight hold on Clete's shoulders.
Although Scorpius was still holding on to Dante, he had his own glare pointed at Clete. "You planned to do what to our sister?" he hissed.
"Hey, she's a grown woman, with her own decisions, and she's single!" Clete argued. "What we did would have been our business!"
"Until her three brothers came and kicked your ass!" Aaron countered. "And as you can see, the three of us are much bigger!"
"Now you have two minutes to redeem yourself before I let him go," Scorpius threatened.
"Ok. All of you stop!" Lily stated firmly as she stepped in-between them, catching all of their attentions. "Ok, first of all, Aaron, Lars, and Scorpius. You have no right to interfere with your sister's life. You can't beat up every guy that has an interest in her, even if his intentions are deplorable. It's her life, not yours."
All three of them avoid her eyes, looking at the grass or at the sky. Lily looked at Dante. "And you. You and Lana broke up mutually to avoid problems if one of you developed feelings for someone else while you were apart. That means you have no claim over her, so you can't go around scaring guys away from her. Now if you wanna finally admit that you love her, or that you made a dumbass mistake, then you go tell her that. It's a lot smarter than pissing her off by fighting over her!" Lily told him. "Now let Clete go inside."
Will let Clete go, and he quickly walked toward the house. Looking around at his friends one last time, Will soon turned to follow him inside.
"Why didn't Parson get a lecture?" Lars demanded.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Because I don't have to be a genius to know that Dante started the fight. And me telling him to not be a jackass toward women would have done nothing. Now, since he's gone, there is no need to strangle Dante."
Quickly, Scorpius let him go and stepped back. Dante rubbed at his neck and moved his wrist around, trying to get feeling back in both areas. He looked at Lily with hesitance. "Am I allowed to go in, Lil?" Dante asked humbly.
"Merlin's sake, you can all go back in," she retorted with a roll of her eyes.
Slowly the boys all began to trail inside, except for Scorpius, who stayed outside with Lily. He ran a hand through his hair. "I feel like an ass."
"You should," Lily replied.
"No, I mean I've been having sex with you since February, I'm surprised your brothers haven't tried to kill me," Scorpius muttered. "Because I wanna kill Parson for just thinking that about my sister."
Lily rolled her eyes again. "First of all, you care more about Lana than my brothers care about me. And second, they don't even know that we've had sex."
"Oh, you know that Albus assumes we have," Scorpius retorted.
"Because he thinks I'm a tramp," Lily argued. "Showing how little he cares for me."
"Either way, I feel like an ass," Scorpius sighed.
"Well tell that to Lana. It might redeem you in her eyes," Lily told him. "And if it will make you feel better, if my dad ever knew, he'd kill you immediately."
Scorpius chuckled. "Well thank you for that reassurance," he mumbled.
Lily smiled. "Come on, let's go back inside. Who knows what excitement's going on now," she sighed.
Scorpius groaned. "When is it time to leave?"
"When Lucy wants to," Lily replied as she took his hand led him to the door.
"This party is making me hate people," Scorpius complained.
"We can snog in an empty room if you stay," Lily mentioned. "Just you and me."
Scorpius's brow rose in interest. "Really?"
Lily grinned coyly. "Really."
"You gotta deal."
When Lily awoke the next morning, she felt groggy, but nothing more. She was thankful that she hadn't drank much at the party. But when had she really had the time, she had been occupied most of the night. Catching up with friends, lecturing full-grown men about fighting, or snogging her boyfriend had kept her busy for most of the night. And of course getting Lucy back to Scorpius's flat. Then it hit her like lightning.
"Lucy!" Lily whispered in surprise. She hurriedly, but carefully, slipped out of Scorpius's bed without waking him. Then she quickly tiptoed out of the room before rushing to the hall bathroom. But she was too late, because from the open door, she could hear the sounds of someone throwing up. And she wasn't surprised to see that it was Lucy.
Lily walked in and, without a word, held back Lucy's hair as she puked. After a few minutes of nonstop retching, Lily began to wonder how much more Lucy could puke. Finally, a feeble looking hand came up to flush the toilet, while Lucy rested her head on the seat of the toilet.
Lily rubbed her cousin's back sympathetically. "Are you ok, Lucy?"
"Bludger's have hit me more gently," she slurred. "How can people party like this all the time?"
"Well you get used to it, so you throw up less. And you only throw up that badly when you get really smashed," Lily told her.
"I wish you'd have warned me of that," Lucy mumbled.
"Well I didn't think you would drink, and I never thought you would have ever drunk that much in your life," Lily admitted. It had been a great surprise for Lily when she and Scorpius had finally come back down the stairs. She hadn't done anything crazy, but Lucy was certainly more excited and having much more fun. And it was then obvious by how free timid Lucy was acting that she was totally smashed. Lana had told Lily that once Lucy requested one drink, she got a new one once that one was finished.
"And I never will again," Lucy muttered. "And I don't think I'll ever eat again either."
Lily bit back a laugh. "I've got something in my bag that'll get rid of that feeling. Just give me a minute."
Lucy grabbed her wrist. "No, just stay a moment longer," she whispered. Lily nodded and moved to kneel next to her. She saw Lucy's shoulders heave with a sigh. "I was doing great last night . . . and suddenly a thought of Tyler came to me. And then I couldn't help it. I wanted to stop thinking about him. To not remember him. So I had a drink, and another one, and apparently a million more. And all it did was make me feel like crap in the morning, and Tyler is still in my head."
"That idea only works when you continue to drink until it kills you," Lily replied.
"That sucks. I don't think I have the stomach for that. I just puked it all into the toilet," Lucy groaned.
"Let me know when you want me to get you that potion," Lily mentioned.
That was when Lucy gave another violent dry heave. After a fit of choking and coughing, she was finally able to talk. "Now."
< Prev 1. A Potter? In Slytherin? No Way!2. Everything's Changing3. Gryffindor's Version of Slytherins4. Playing Dirty5. Family Advice6. The Quidditch Cup Tension7. The End of the Beginning8. Malfoy Manor9. A Slytherin Dinner10. A New Year11. A Snake in the Lions' Den12. Win, or Die Trying13. Tensions Rising14. The Good, Bad, or Shocking News?15. Guilty Cheaters Can't Handle the Truth16. And The Year Drags On and On17. A Slytherin in Gryffindor Colors18. Boys Are Gross! Right?19. Who Said Summer School Wasn't Fun?20. People Changing With Time21. Don't Mess With Slytherin's Girl22. When September Ends23. Curiosity Never Killed The Snake24. How Unfair Life Can Be25. Taking A Stand26. The Close To Perfect First Date27. The Omen Of A Bad Day28. And Down Goes Potter, Broom And All29. Too Much Drama For One Break30. Punk Rock Princess31. Friends, Boyfriends, And Crushes32. Time's Almost Up33. New Member to the Weasley Clan34. A Circle of Magic35. Crossing the Line36. The Clean Potter Name37. Guess Who's Coming Over38. Enough is Enough39. Making New Windows40. Bad, Bad Girlfriend41. High Society Girl42. A Selfish Princess43. Lily Luna, and Nothing More44. A Life Changing Party45. Match Made In Heaven46. Be Proud of Your Father47. Best Birthday Ever48. Which Family is Mine?49. The Good in the Bad50. Don't Fade Away51. A Light of Your Own52. How to Look Like a Slytherin53. Front Page Material54. Full of Guilt and Full of Love55. Blacking Out the Guilt56. Glad You're Well, Lily Luna57. Cracks in Family Foundations58. Understanding Yourself59. Christmas Break the Malfoy Way60. No Man Better61. From Troublemaker To Peacemaker62. Our Cousins, Our Saviors63. One Down, A Hundred To Go64. The Trials of Undying Love65. The Damages of Rivalry66. Undetectable Changes67. Changes Raising Tensions68. Perfect Ideas69. Daddy's Perfect Little Girl70. Heart to Heart71. Like A Game of Chess72. An Outside Victory73. A Job For A Weasley74. Out with the New, In with the Old75. Taking Advantage of Time76. Change in the Air77. Make Time to Forget78. The Father and The Boyfriend79. Checkmate80. Good Changes and Bad Changes81. The Lines of Maturity and Self Awareness82. Dealing with Emotions and Questions83. Live With What You Do84. Unions and Reunions85. Too Mature For Sixteen86. A Dream To A Nightmare87. Giving Advice and Taking Advice88. When Something Isn't Right89. The Invisible Targets90. A Generation's Mistake91. Stopping A Repeat In Time92. The Impossible93. The Changes of Growing Up94. Growing Toward The Future95. The Beginning of the End96. Ready, or Not, We're Moving Forward97. Life in the Future, Together98. A Promise Kept99. Decisions Always Ride on Shoulders100. Now Begins The End101. Smile102. Lessons of Life103. A Two Year Wait104. The Way of the Game105. When Tables Are Turned106. The Responsibility Of A Sister107. People Change as Life Continues108. The Reasons Why We Do109. Counting Down Time110. Beginning of Something New and Familiar111. The Different Forms of Bravery112. The Potter Siblings' Secrets113. Reasons to Worry114. Shadows Looming Over115. Dealings With Pregnancies116. The Unpredictability of Life117. When You're No Longer Hurting118. Old Life and New Life119. And Life Goes On120. Rebel MalfoyNext >Post Review As Actions Share Follow/Favorite . . . .