Hello, all!
Another chapter awaits! But before it begins, a couple brief service announcements (DO NOT SKIP THEM I SWEAR):
Read. Memoirs. Of. A. Guardian. I swear, it's worth reading! And good! ¡POR FAVOR, SEÑORES!
My little brother has just started a Wattpad account. His username is QUEENANN3SREVENGE and he's been having some trouble with reads and followers. So, like a good sister, I am advocating for him and asking that you go vote on his book/follow him! Please, he really is a good writer. It would mean a lot to him and make me superduper happy! HE FOLLOWS BACK
If you know of any good fanfictions (preferably HP, PJO, Narnia, Lord of the Rings, or Keeper of the Lost Cities related), tell me! I need new stuff to read! (And yes, please recommend your own fics! I know you will anyways lol) Just please no smut! Can't take that schist. Bleh.
Love you all,
Lily
P. S. Okay NOW you may read.
"Lily, wait!"
Lily looked up to see Scorpius running towards her and sighed. She had known a moment like this would come since the day she beat him at Quidditch. She wondered, for the seventieth time, whether it was truly a good idea to make the feelings she had for him known.
Lily was not sure of anything, these days.
She knew that it felt wonderful to be clever and witty, and sometimes the admiration of other people felt nice. But she still couldn't tell if this person, this Nix she'd discovered inside herself, was really a prankster. And if Nix was the part of her that was real, then who was Lily? And if it wasn't Nix who was real, then had Scorpius grown to have feelings for a dream-girl?
It was for this reason that Lily hesitated to tell Scorpius. For of course she fancied him- how could she not? Lily, a seasoned judge of character, knew a good person when she saw one. Scorpius was loyal, doggedly so, as well as kind, sensitive, and hardworking. Added to all that, she admitted to herself, he was really quite attractive. Rigorous Quidditch training had done wonders for his previously rather scrawny physique and darkened his complexion, and there had never been anything the matter with his face. Yes, Scorpius Malfoy was handsome, and if she'd been the type to giggle and gush, she might even have gone so far as to call him hot.
But until Lily knew for herself who she was, she wouldn't know for sure if Scorpius really liked her, or only one of her many masks. And she had to know.
"Lily," Scorpius said, "I'm sorry. She shouldn't have said what she said to you."
She shrugged. "It's alright."
"No, it isn't. You're neither a slut nor a cow. I hope you know that." He lifted his gaze bashfully to her face, then looked away again.
Lily smiled at him, wondering how it was that Rose had undervalued feelings like these so. "Thank you, Scorpius."
He took her hands. "If you don't- that is- I mean I- Lily, you already know, don't you?"
She nodded. "If you mean what I think you do, then yes. I know. No matter what I might have said to Rose to save your hide- which you disregarded, by the way- I think you were about to kiss me."
"A rather vicious cycle, isn't it?"
She wondered why he was suddenly closer to her, but when his hands touched her back she forgot everything. And then, unsurprisingly, he kissed her. This time no unwanted cousins interrupted.
Lily had never been kissed before, and wondered that Scorpius had been brave enough to do it. But in a minute she was not thinking of anything but the feel of his lips on hers and the safeness of his encircling arms.
Then, in an instant, she pushed away. "Scorpius, we can't do this."
"Why not?" He was, understandably, quite confused by this rapid turnaround.
"I do like you, Scorpius, I really do, but what about Rose? 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,' you know. She'll do something awful, I know it. And- and Scorpius, I don't know if you really care for me, or for my confident demeanour. That's another mask, you know."
Scorpius looked at her in wonder and relief. "That's all? Lily, look in my eyes and tell me if you think I could ever fake feelings like these."
"It's not- it's not the feelings." Lily, for once, struggled to find words. "It's that I want to know that you care for me, not my attitude."
"Your attitude?" Scorpius actually laughed. "Lily, you let down your mask last patrol that we talked on. That was when I started to lo- to like you. Before that, I found your attitude annoying- remember?" He took her in his arms again. "And as for Rose, well- at least she'll see how wonderful a relationship in the open can be. That is, if you'll- I mean-"
Lily gasped a little. "All this is so sudden-"
"Feelings like these often are." Scorpius tightened his hold on her. "Please, Lily?"
Lily thought about his wonderful character, his glowing eyes, his smile. She couldn't say no, but she couldn't speak either. So she nodded into his chest.
He kissed her again. "I can't believe how lucky I am. You're a treasure, you know that?"
Lily laughed. "No. I'm the sun. Bright, fiery and joyful."
He shook his head. "That you are."
Lily leaned to look up at him. "And you're the moon."
"Why?"
"Your hair, it's all silvery." She smirked. "And you've got such a soft, quiet sort of glow about you. Although you're not as pale as you once were."
"The sun and the moon," he mused. "I like that."
"Why?"
"Because they're meant to be together." He pulled away and took her hand. "C'mon, let's get you back to the dorms. As a prefect, I officially let you off detention- only just this once, of course."
Lily smiled. "Oh, it is on. You sure you can keep up with me?"
"As long as you don't sabotage my attempts," he grinned. "Though, knowing you, you probably will."
She beamed at him. "Of course!"
Hand in hand, they walked off down the corridors, talking and teasing. Rose, peeking around the corner, watched them go, and felt her vision go blurry. She realised just what her actions had cost her.
Then the sadness hardened into a bitter, burning anger. He had treated her like scum, she seethed. Ditching her in the middle of a corridor for her younger cousin! He would be sorry.
She swore it.