Gift for shadowclub

[khateh]

Author: sirra_scribbles
Recipient: shadowclub
Title: Conversations With Lily
Pairing(s): Albus/Scorpius, allusions to other pairings
Summary: Lily Potter watches, cultivates and referees budding relationships. Because sometimes all you need is a swift kick to the gut to realize you're in love.
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): Fluff, nice!James, Gryffindor!Scorpius
Word Count: ~9,000
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: shadowclub, we all appreciate what you and your co-mod have done to make this fest a success. I hope you enjoy your gift! Thank you to my beta, B, for making it pretty. :)



* * *

Conversations With Lily

* * *

In his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scorpius Malfoy bemoaned his fate yet again. He had just exited his Charms classroom, lagging behind his peers, when he heard the dark chuckling of his usual tormentors. Up the corridor, Nott, Jenkins, and Laird, all upper-year Slytherins, located Scorpius a moment after he saw them. After minimal fumbling and a shout, Laird bowled the head of a morning star down the corridor. Normally Scorpius would not have worried, but with a wave of Nott's wand, the morning star had suddenly swelled to over a meter in diameter. Students cried out and pressed themselves against the walls as the heavy weapon grated down the corridor, picking up speed as it approached Scorpius.

He huffed an exasperated sigh, and with none of the bravery characteristic of his House, sprinted away from the morning star. As Scorpius dashed down the corridor, the spiked sphere close on his heels, he hollered at his classmates to get a professor or move out of his way. Scorpius's breathing grew quicker and shallower, but he saw his salvation ahead: the stairwell. If he could just get onto the stairs, perhaps going up would keep the morning star from following him.

As soon as Scorpius saw his path, a gaggle of Gryffindor First-years clambered down the stone steps. He screamed at them to get off, but the small students crowded in surprise around the landing, blocking the path. Except for one: one redheaded girl at the front of the group, unable to get past her peers, quickly comprehended the situation approaching her. She screamed and tried to get down the stairs as fast as she could.

Scorpius appreciated her good intentions, yet he knew it wouldn't be enough. The next best solution formed in his mind, so he made a silent prayer to whatever higher beings were watching, rounded the corner of the stairwell, and bolted down the steps.

The girl had just reached the middle landing, and with the morning star hot on his heels, he leaped the last five steps. Before she could jump to the next flight, Scorpius grabbed her arm and flung her to the ground. He shoved her onto the first step down, wedging her painfully into the corner. Then, as the morning star clanked against the handrail, he flattened himself on top of her; he was only a little taller than she was. The girl's eyes were wide and her freckled face was pale with fright.

In the same corridor three years later, it was her face that Scorpius saw before James Potter shouted an impolite term and punched him square in the nose.

* * *

Four weeks earlier, in the Gryffindor common room fourth-year Lily Potter was studiously procrastinating on her Potions essay. She had a coveted comfy armchair and sat with several other like-minded, and a handful of unlike-minded, students. Putting down her quill with a sigh, Lily stretched her back and covertly surveyed her peers. Her cousin Rose Weasley belonged to the unlike-minded group, and with the zeal of a barrister presenting the case of her career, was arguing with Abe Longbottom about their Transfiguration project. In a rowdy corner of the room, members of the House Quidditch team congregated. Standing with them, James Potter held a pair of Omnioculars and replayed a scene from the recent Slytherin-Ravenclaw match. Lily noticed that Scorpius Malfoy, standing next to her brother, seemed particularly keen to watch the recorded scene.

Many Hogwarts students, to this day, were still amazed that Scorpius Malfoy had ended up in Gryffindor, whilst Lily's brother Albus was sorted into Slytherin. But after her first year, when Scorpius had foolhardily thrown himself over her in the corridor, she didn't share their surprise. In that moment, through her own panic and fear, Lily had sensed that he was just as scared. A braver, though less chivalrous, Scorpius might have been able to outrun her and let Lily evade the morning star on her own, like he did for the other students. Or he could have backtracked into an empty classroom along the corridor (which is what Rose had suggested). But after becoming acquainted with Scorpius and getting to know him better, Lily had reached her own conclusion. She had discovered that when the bullying began in his first year, Scorpius had been determined not to let other people get hurt on his account, even if it meant more trips to the Infirmary and Madame Edings's tight-lipped ministrations. So, Lily concluded, Scorpius had saved her only because he was exceedingly stubborn.

Before the accident, Lily had been unfailingly polite to Scorpius Malfoy, but never going out of her way to do so. After it, when she found herself to be his third and last visitor in the Infirmary (his parents were the other two), she decided she would befriend the lonely boy. Lily's warm attitude toward Scorpius, plus a few choice words, had made James unbend. Just a little: the two boys weren't exactly friends, but in conversations and more than a few altercations, James consistently rose to Scorpius's defence. The final blow to Scorpius's pariah reputation came when Rose and Abe, the unofficial ringleaders of their group, had approached him. Lily watched as her boisterous cousin shyly invited Scorpius to hang out with them. The blond's expression of unfettered joy was seared into her memories.

And how he's changed, Lily thought fondly. Scorpius isn't just an unimposing target anymore, not with being a Chaser on the team and having Rose, Abe, and James in his social network. She grinned when, having seen enough of the replay, Scorpius broke away from the other Quidditch players and ambled over to her. And somehow, even though there are dozens of places to sit, I still can't get rid of him.

"Hey," Lily greeted as she squashed herself into the corner of the armchair, and Scorpius obligingly squeezed into the opening. At her voice James glanced over, but he looked away after seeing them sitting companionably. Her Potions text unbalanced and fell to the floor. Ah well, she thought without sorrow, some things just aren't meant to be.

"Do you know what I just saw?" marveled Scorpius in a quiet voice, utterly unlike his typical lilt.

Oh dear, she mused as she pulled her red hair from where it was being trapped by his shoulder, this doesn't sound promising. "What did you just see?"

His starstruck expression made his watery-blue eyes seem even more vacuous. "I saw my destiny."

"You haven't been drinking Professor Trelawney's special tea, have you?"

Scorpius snorted and returned to himself. "No, you silly bint." It was a measure of their friendship that she didn't push him off for saying that (Lily wouldn't let even her own brothers tease her like that). "See, I was watching a replay of the game--"

Lily was sorely tempted to interrupt with, 'I could tell, you had those Omnioculars glued to your face for the past five minutes,' but when she saw how intent Scorpius looked, she bit her tongue.

"--And it got me thinking."

Staring through me won't implant your thoughts into my brain, Lily thought after his eyes reacquired that distant look. She serenely responded, "About?"

Scorpius leaned a little to the side to murmur, "About your brother."

"James?" she whispered harshly. Though no one else in the common room was listening to them, like a mother hen that spotted a hawk near her chicks, Scorpius flapped his hands in an attempt to quiet her.

"No," he murmured once he finished gesturing. He was close enough that Lily could smell his rancid breath from dinner. I need to get him one of Uncle George's Spare-Me Mints.

Then she realized what he just said--or didn't say. Horror, shock, and portents of doom crushed her mental wisecracks. "Albus?" she squeaked.

Scorpius replied sunnily, "I knew you'd understand me."

* * *

In the next few days after his revelation, Lily patiently waited for Scorpius to reveal his harebrained scheme to pursue her brother. Having seen how some of his plans developed, and having extensively watched the telly in her earlier years, Lily could best compare his plan to a program that revolved around a bumbling, ignorant host--that would be Scorpius--pretending to be like and interact with the local folk--meaning, Hogwarts students--and miraculously emerging unscathed, grudgingly accepted, and perhaps with a key to the city. His plans included such fine examples as convincing the rest of the school population to keep their hatred for him confined and unseen; using the momentum of his accident in third year and the ensuing support to get onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team; and dating a fair number of the female--but not the male--population in his year, Lily's year, and James's year, without incurring any girl's wrath.

Even Lily had briefly entertained a romantic relationship with Scorpius earlier that year. Being best friends, they had thought they would be excellent companions in other ways. Things might have proceeded well except both were too awkward to act normally around the other; they had sat uncomfortably perched two feet apart from each other no matter where they were (a difficult feat to do in the armchair). And the one time they tried to kiss, Scorpius had accidentally mauled her mouth with his sharp teeth. Not to mention, his nose didn't fit right with her face. So with sighs of relief they had amiably broken it off and resumed crushing each other into the common room upholstery.

The trek back from Hogsmeade one weekend with Rose, Abe, and Lily, was when Scorpius broke his silence. Since only Lily knew of his infatuation with her brother, Scorpius stated by way of introduction, "I have a dilemma."

"Studies becoming too intense for you?" asked Rose, looking down and fussing with her scarf. The tips of her fingers were still ink-stained from an early cramming session that morning.

"A certain girl not liking you?" queried Abe, forlornly gazing at Rose.

"Close." Scorpius grinned and held up his hands dramatically, a magician about to pull the rabbit from his hat. "A certain boy, actually."

That made Rose and Abe pause. Their incredulous expressions, despite her copper coloring and his light brown hair, made them look eerily similar. As she waited with Scorpius for the two to keep moving, Lily contemplated, Did I look like that when he told me?

Abe was the first to recover. As they resumed their hike back to the castle he asked, "Who is it?"

"You might be familiar with him," responded Scorpius with a none-too-innocent smile. "Albus Potter."

"Are you having me on?" spluttered Rose. "You two don't talk to each other in class, much less interact!"

"Why?" When Abe asked, he seemed less outraged and more confused. Lily smiled to herself. Trust Abe to get to the emotions of the matter.

Scorpius was pensive as he answered. "He seems decent. He plays Quidditch well."

Since Albus was her brother, if what Scorpius had said were his only reasons, Lily would have thrashed him in a heartbeat. But though Scorpius had a dating history as extensive as his family tree, he wasn't disingenuous in his feelings. It was probably because he was a boy that he couldn't adequately explain them. So as his best friend, Lily felt it was her duty to add, "Actually, Al and Scorpius would look good together."

Abe glanced at his friend. Since Rose was too shocked to say anything coherent, the brown-haired Gryffindor stated hesitantly, "Well, I suppose, if you're into juxtaposition."

Rose recovered her wits enough to blurt out, "You know what that word means?"

Lily sniffed derisively; sometimes her cousin could be so blunt, and incredibly dense. Rose had returned her attention to Scorpius and didn't see the hurt flash across Abe's face.

"What's the dilemma then?" Rose asked.

Feeling the cold January wind rush between his buttons, Scorpius readjusted his coat as he explained. "I need Albus to notice me and my good traits. So far all he probably knows is that I play Quidditch, I'm in Gryffindor, and I'm in his History class. He has to wake up to my other, romantic qualities."

"You have romantic qualities?" joked Abe, still a little bitter but used to the cold shoulder from Rose. "I still don't know what your exes saw in you."

Scorpius ignored his friend and continued, "So to solve that, I'll need your help, Rose."

"WHAT?" yelled Abe.

"Me?" Rose squeaked.

As Scorpius described his plan, comprehension dawned upon Lily and she mentally filled in the missing parts. Oh Scorpius, you clever but misguided fool, she thought, imagining all sorts of things going wrong for him. What is it with boys and being so indirect?

* * *

It started the following day. At breakfast, Scorpius's owl conspicuously delivered a note to Rose Weasley. Lily rolled her eyes. He was sitting right next to Rose; couldn't he just hand it to her? But as directed by their friend, Abe and Lily leaned over curiously as Rose opened and perused the note.

I have to hand it to Rose, Lily wryly thought as her cousin cried out and threw her arms around Scorpius's shoulders. Her acting is only a little over the top.

It was supposed to be her and Abe's job to watch Albus, yet given Abe's moue and crossed arms, his participation was unlikely; so she did it alone. Lily easily found Albus's blank face amongst his Slytherin cohort. The middle Potter had, out of necessity, learned how to hide his emotions, but Lily was almost as good as their father at reading the hints of his expressions. Looks like he's flummoxed, she derived from the tiniest eyebrow lift on his otherwise-neutral face. Probably didn't expect Rose's reaction either.

Of the three Potter children, to Lily's eyes, Albus had inherited the best mix of their parents' genes. Albus's dark hair wasn't true black like their father's, but rather a brown many shades darker than James's chestnut hair. He tanned easily, unlike Lily, and his freckles showed only in the summer. Lily was a bit envious of his luck; she was a true redhead like her mother, and she was rather vain of her hazel eyes, but she wished her freckles weren't quite so prominent. At least James is spotted too, she consoled herself.

Lily looked to where James sat a few seats down, and chortled into her orange juice. If Albus looked stunned, James was positively floored. Snowflakes of mushed, saliva-covered muffin precipitated from his open mouth, landing delicately on the table and his neighbor's arm. Giselle Marquis, his sometimes-girlfriend, made a noise of disgust and shook her sleeve of the crumbs before smacking his arm. James came back to himself, hastily gulped his mouthful, and tried to explain himself.

Happy murmuring and cooing sounds drew Lily's attention back to Rose and Scorpius. He appeared to be immersed in the act of flirting, with the appropriate adoration focused on Rose (as Scorpius should have been, since his face was more visible to Albus). She, on the other hand, looked like a victim of Doxies gnawing off her toes. In what alligators might have considered a friendly grin, Rose exposed her lower teeth too much, and her eyes were too wide for a person who supposedly found her true love. Sitting next to Rose, Abe Longbottom's fraught face was pale and looked like he would sick up--not that Lily would blame him.

"That doesn't even look real anymore," whispered Lily across to Rose. Then she said more loudly, "Oh, is it true?"

"It's difficult," Rose replied brightly and loud enough for the entire table to hear. "It's difficult to believe, but it is!"

Abe disconsolately stuffed a kipper into his mouth and grumbled, "Ith eth 'orrit," which Lily interpreted as, 'This is horrid.'

"Thank you," said Scorpius gratefully, "for your encouragement." He turned to Rose and exuberantly asked, "Should we, um, go to class?" And he winked at Rose in a fashion that was supposed to be lewd, but to Lily looked comical.

"Certainly," Rose replied with a twitch of her own eye. She with visible effort smoothed her expression into something less reptilian.

Rose and Scorpius left the Great Hall, and Lily saw in her peripheral vision that her brothers' gazes followed the couple. Both of them seemed contemplative. Lily took a drink, guessing, One boy using his brain is bad, and two could be disastrous.

As if he heard her thoughts, Abe muttered, "I don't like this plan at all." His brown eyes were troubled, and he dipped his finger into his drink and tapped the table with the wet tip.

"Then why didn't you say something?"

Abe paused in his superficial defacing of the table top. "Even if I said something, Rose wouldn't notice me."

Lily sighed; it was an old and frequent topic between them.

* * *

The next week the plan rolled on. As per Scorpius's request, they alternated nights studying visibly in the Library; and as expected, the target took the bait. It was Lily's watch when she saw Albus stride through the doors into the quiet sanctum of Hogwarts' Library. Knowing her brother, he had probably intended it that way: it was a well-known fact that very few students used the Library so soon after the Christmas holidays, and of Abe, Rose, Scorpius, and herself, Lily was the most approachable, the most familiar, and perhaps the most observant.

Albus Potter smoothly dropped into the empty chair by Lily and swung his bag onto her table. At his disruption Lily glanced up and flashed a smile at her brother. "Nice to see you."

"Evening, Lily." In his black robes with the customary green-and-silver tie, Albus gave the impression of casual grace, which Lily knew to be an extension of his childhood punctiliousness. Though he had gone through the hassle of bringing it, Albus left his bag untouched and went right to what was on his mind. He murmured, "Is it true what I've heard about Rose?"

Lily was unable to resist and teased softly, "Depends on what you heard. I'll not confirm if she has an insatiable taste for blood, for example."

Albus rolled his eyes. Lily was aware that from his own Slytherins, Albus would expect either a straightforward answer or hassling. Dealing with family was an entirely different protocol, but he wasn't too brainwashed with Slytherin behaviour yet. Like Lily, Albus had quickly learned the difference between being with friends, and being friends with family. He chuckled and replied congenially, "I mean about her new... boyfriend."

"Oh, Scorpius?" Lily shrugged, the picture of nonchalance. "Yes, they're dating, if that's what you wanted to confirm."

"How did that happen?" Against his will, though he still appeared unconcerned, some of Albus's bewilderment coloured his question.

Lily learned early on in her observations of people that sometimes it was better to tell partial truths and leave some details unspoken, than it was to fabricate tales. So she said only, "You know they have been friends for a while. I guess Rose saw more than just a good friend in Scorpius, and the other way around." Even if that 'more' is insanity and not love.

"Really." All traces of his puzzlement vanished and Albus seemed completely unconvinced. "Malfoy has good qualities?"

"Of course he does," retorted Lily with real, rising indignation. "He's honest--" When he needs to be, "--has a good sense of humor, is a good student--"

At the front desk, Madame Pince cleared her throat, and the sound carried to where Lily and Albus sat. Mortified, Lily cut herself off and feebly waved at the elderly witch. When Pince's attention was off them, Albus apologized sotto voce, "I forgot you two had dated."

"For two days," Lily corrected in a harsh whisper. "But Scorpius is my friend, too."

"Fine, sorry." Albus sighed and stood up. She realized her rash words had pushed him away, and she scrambled for another pre-assigned topic of discussion.

"Surprisingly, he's romantic too," she whispered loudly before Albus could walk away. It was enough to stop him in his tracks.

"Why is it a surprise? Didn't he date other people?"

"It's different." Lily paused to consider her words. "I think he thinks Rose likes romance, so Scorpius can be... romantic. When needed."

Albus mulled over her words, and then nodded slowly. "I see. Casanova on demand."

Lily giggled, unable to picture Scorpius as a philanderer. "More like Shakespeare."

Her brother made a face. "I hope he doesn't write love poems to Rose."

"I don't know," she murmured with a smirk, "there were some strangely-scented letters that made Rose blush..."

"Ugh. Spare me the details." Albus stood up, and Lily knew the conversation was truly over, but it hadn't ended too badly. "Thanks for the confirmation."

"No problem. See you." Left alone after Albus's departure, Lily pondered how strongly her words influenced Albus, and how much good--or harm--they might have done to Scorpius's cause.

* * *

The situation escalated within the fortnight. On the eventful evening the thespians were in the common room, Rose and Scorpius close together on the loveseat and Abe glowering beside her. Lily sat alone and was once again attempting to tackle an assignment, this time for History of Magic. Unlike Potions, which was boring all the time, some topics in History were fascinating, like the brief biographies of famous magical folk they occasionally went over (oh, to figure out why Headmaster Dumbledore acted as he did to her father!). But as soon as Professor Binns droned onto archaic wars, which was 80% of the material, Lily was conditioned to zone out.

Maybe I should've stayed in the Library, she thought wryly as her eyes skimmed the same sentence four times. At least I got stuff done. Lily sighed and shifted in her strangely-roomy armchair, hoping she could squeak under the assigned word limit about the Two Hundred Thirty Six and One-Half Days Conflict of 1826.

The tenuous hold on her attention was disrupted when Abe suddenly roared, "That's it!"

All the heads in the common room turned to them. Her mouth open, Rose dropped the Chocoball she had been about to feed to Scorpius. He didn't seem to notice; Scorpius's eyes were on their friend behind her.

"That's it," Abe repeated more quietly. He stood up, face ruddy with determination, and glared at Scorpius. In that moment, Lily could see in him the legacy of Abe's father, the equally-famous Professor Longbottom. She leaned forward eagerly.

"What's it?" queried Scorpius. He appeared more perplexed than petrified.

"I'm calling an end to this--this--" Abe pointed an accusatory finger at the Chocoball between Rose and Scorpius, beginning to melt on the upholstery. "--This charade!"

Lily knew without having to look that her expression mirrored those of Rose and Scorpius: alarm mixed with awe. Rose was the first to find her tongue, and she uttered, "Abe, what--"

"Rose, listen to me." Never before had he cut her off like that, and Abe kneeled down to be of eye level with her. "Just listen, all right? Don't interrupt me, or belittle me, or ignore me."

By this point, no one in the common room, including Rose, breathed deeply, much less tried to speak.

"Rose Weasley, even though you're the most brilliant girl I've ever known, for the past two years I've been trying to open your eyes and get you to see me." As Abe spoke, his words came softer but faster, his thoughts flooding out after the rainstorm. "I'm not the same boy who's content to be your friend but never your equal. I've tried to make you listen, but though I'm your friend, you always put me down or disregard what I say."

Abe was oblivious to the other students watching, and didn't even start when Lily's parchment fluttered to the floor. He never broke eye contact with Rose as he spoke in a whisper, "So now that I have your attention, I just wanted to say... I wanted to say..." Abe bit his lip and rushed on with, "I don't like that you're with Scorpius, because I'd rather you were with me."

Oh Abe, good for you! cheered Lily silently. Rose stared on in astonishment as Abe stood up, suddenly aware of everyone and mortified at his behaviour. Scorpius blinked and glanced back and forth between his friends.

"Well." Scorpius licked his dry lips. "I don't want to damage our friendship, and it's not that I don't like you, Rose--"

She dipped her head vaguely in agreement, still staring at Abe who was quickly turning as red as her hair.

Lily met Scorpius's gaze with a slight nod. With her approval, Scorpius continued, "So I guess we should break it off, Rose."

"Yes," replied Rose in a strained voice. Speaking seemed to wake her from her shock, and her expression of disbelief slowly gave way to wide-eyed, nostril-flaring umbrage. Abe shuffled backwards, almost tripping over Lily's feet. "I believe we should."

Abe had about three seconds of a head start out the portrait hole before Rose jumped up and ran after him. Activities in the common room resumed, much louder and more lively than it was before Abe's confrontation; no doubt that scene provided fuel for the gossipmongers for days. Lily sighed and picked up her shoe-imprinted essay.

"Think Professor Binns will accept this?"

Scorpius scraped the Chocoball from the upholstery and eyed it forlornly. "Nope."

* * *

"I heard that Rose and Malfoy are no longer an item," said Albus the day after Abe's very public confession.

Lily sighed. After spending the entire morning cleaning up the dirty laundry her friends had oh-so-carelessly aired, kindhearted work that would probably go unnoticed, she just wanted to get to History and turn in her battered homework. She really didn't want to get sucked back into rumor-dispersing duty, and other students in the corridor were undoubtedly eavesdropping. But since it was her brother that had asked, she swallowed her exasperation and said, "You heard correctly."

"Good," Albus responded smugly. "I had a feeling it wouldn't work between them."

Lily watched her brother lope up the corridor with a bemused smile. And I have a feeling he wasn't entirely fooled.

* * *

A shift of her hips, a twitch of her toe, and she tensed her calf muscles. Her foot was tingly, about to fall asleep, and there was nothing Lily could do about it. Though he served as a fairly good desk, Scorpius was dead weight on her legs.

"My plan is ruined," he lowed into the armrest. Lily tapped his shoulder with the spine of her open textbook.

"Stop moving," Lily warned. "I'm horribly behind on my reading, and it's all your fault."

"All my hopes, my dreams, gone. Gone in a gaudy Gryffindor declaration."

Said gaudy Gryffindor confessor was, at the moment, softly talking to a straight-backed but attentive Rose on the loveseat. I'm glad for him, Lily thought. After enduring a most trying time, Abe deserved all he could get from Rose, even if Lily believed she didn't deserve him.

Speaking of the undeserving... Lily huffed and retorted, "Scorpius, it's not the end of the world. He was just your momentary fixation."

"He isn't," muttered the melancholy teenager, "he wasn't." Scorpius hadn't lifted his face from where it was still smooshed into the fabric. Lily saw only his hair and an ear but as she processed his words and attitude, she perceived more than the back of his head. What she realized made her both amazed and amazingly frustrated.

"You actually like Albus?" Scorpius nodded, and Lily rolled her eyes. "Then your plan would never have worked."

His head whipped up so fast that Scorpius almost knocked Lily's teeth out. "What do you mean?"

"It was stupid," Lily stated, not without rancor. Her foot up to the middle of her calf was well asleep, and her chin was sore from clipping Scorpius's pointy, hard head. "You can't show you care for him by dating another person. Especially Rose. They're cousins, but they're nothing alike, and there's no way Albus could have seen himself in Rose's shoes. For all that they don't get along, Albus and James are more similar."

He exhaled and slumped over. "Perhaps you're right." Then Scorpius looked up through his eyelashes, trying to look penitent and coy. "You are entirely too observant, Lily Potter."

She was flattered and pleased that Scorpius had noticed. "Thank you." Then, finding that he wasn't watching her, Lily followed his line of sight. Oh Morgaine. "Scorpius, what are you doing?"

With a flutter of his long lashes at his oblivious target, Scorpius answered, "Enacting plan B."

* * *

Since Rose and Abe were no longer willing participants in their friend's shenanigans (they were much too fixated on working out their issues), Scorpius and Lily cornered his next target just inside the entrance hall after practice. Lily was cold from waiting at the door for Scorpius's signal, and only their friendship kept Lily there.

"What?" hollered James Potter. He was still in his disheveled Quidditch gear, and from five feet away Lily could smell he needed a shower.

In a tone he might use to call James's attention to a piece of grass in his hair, Scorpius repeated, "We need to pretend to date."

The eldest Potter looked between his sister and teammate. Unfortunately, with Lily wilting from the cold and Scorpius fatigued from their practice, neither seemed to be joking. James's forehead crinkled, making his bushy eyebrows touch. "What's this about?"

Before Scorpius could be clever and evade a direct answer, Lily divulged, "Scorpius wants to show Albus that he's dateable material, without actually asking our poor brother."

"You like Al?" James asked solemnly of the rosy-cheeked Malfoy.

"I do."

James and Lily exchanged glances; translated, James's expression read, Is this bloke serious? and Lily's arched eyes answered positively.

The seventh-year tapped his broomstick handle lightly against his chin in consideration. Scorpius looked as tired as James, and his shoulder muscles twitched from exhaustion. Lily danced on her feet and wished she had worn jeans instead of her wool stockings and skirt; however cute the get-up had been earlier, it was bloody cold now.

"All right."

Instantly Scorpius's face lit up. "You'll do it?"

I'm shocked, thought Lily. I thought James would've put up a fight. She swayed a little too much and banged her shoulder against the wall.

"On a few conditions." James tossed the handle between his open palms as he listed, "No cuddling, snogging, spooning, or other mushy stuff."

Scorpius frowned and replied, "For my plan to work, I'll need at least hugs and maybe a few close-lipped pecks."

"Fine," James rolled his eyes. "But nothing too physical."

"Actually," responded Scorpius in a tone that was a shade above conspiratorial, "it has to be completely physical."

The Potter siblings exchanged another look, entirely in agreement about Malfoy's mental state.

* * *

And that was how Lily found herself in the corridor between classes, watching with other students her best friend and her oldest brother exchange fists. James's punch connected crackingly well, and Scorpius went down. But when James had his back turned, he fell backwards at Scorpius's tug and sprawled onto the floor. Quite a few audience members winced when Scorpius's uppercut, with dynamite accuracy, encountered James's jaw.

Lily cringed as they tumbled down the corridor, banging elbows and knees into the stone and each other. That wasn't unintentional. As the two boys rolled head-over-heels past a classroom, Lily looked up and saw Albus at the front of the crowd. I hope he figures this out fast. Albus was avidly watching the fight, pressing his lips tightly to keep from gnawing on them in his agitation.

"Mister Potter," squawked Professor Flitwick, breaking through the students. "Mister Malfoy! Desist immediately!"

Lily was the only one who saw the combatants exchange looks at the interruption. Then, knowing what would happen next, she shifted her scrutiny back to Albus. She heard by the gasps and squeals that James and Scorpius had ended their fisticuffs, pressing together their closed mouths in an intimate staring contest.

That's interesting, noted Lily when Albus's face drained of color and perspiration formed on his forehead. He seems... panicked.

As Professor Flitwick hustled the boys off the floor and started to march them to the Infirmary--Scorpius cradling his bleeding nose, James rotating his lower jaw with alarming clicking noises--Lily grabbed Albus's arm and followed them. The four students were silent until they arrived at Madame Edings's domain.

"James Potter, what have I said about--Scorpius, your nose!" The petite, rounded woman grabbed a towel and pressed it to Scorpius's face.

"They were in an altercation," Flitwick informed her. He cast a reproachful gaze upon the two. "If that is how you two conduct your--relationship, you must not do so again in public. And certainly not in the detention you'll have..."

"Relationship?" whispered Albus hollowly as Flitwick meted out their punishment and Madame Edings retrieved her supplies.

Scorpius heard his words and reacted. Though he had a bloodied towel covering half his face like a bandana, he stared pointedly at James with a fairly good impression of hot, venomous desire. James returned the look, which was actually quite similar to his usual flirtatious grin.

And really, she thought, it doesn't matter that James acts like Scorpius is a girl, or that Scorpius looks like he's seeing Albus, the Chocolate Musical. Lily took in Albus's dumbfounded look and nodded to herself. I'm surprised, but this plan might actually be working.

* * *

Only a day passed after Scorpius and James's 'relationship' was outed when Albus tracked down Lily in the Library. She had barely set down her textbooks, anticipating doing her homework for once, when the Slytherin Potter darted in. Madame Pince looked scandalized at his hasty entrance, but Albus was fleet of foot and not too disruptive. The characteristic Potter charm, flaunted full force in his wide grin at the librarian, didn't hurt either.

"Why are James and Malfoy dating?" hissed Albus when they were in speaking range. He had arrived at her table without harassment.

Lily blinked; she hadn't expected him to be this direct. "I guess they like each other," she answered as she sat down.

"They barely tolerated each other when Malfoy visited you last summer." Albus flung himself into a chair and crossed his arms, making him look like a petulant child. "Why? How did it happen?"

He's really distraught over this. Lily nibbled her lower lip as she considered her words. Albus wasn't even attempting to conceal his emotions, a puzzling situation that made it critical that she say the right things. I wonder if he's actually concerned about James, she entertained briefly before she spoke, "They weren't exactly best mates before this, but I guess they knew each other through Quidditch."

"And what?" Albus snorted. "A punch, a tumble in the corridor, and they're together?"

"Sometimes all you need is a swift kick to the gut to realize you're in love," Lily replied dryly.

Perhaps he saw that she was as disturbed as he was, or that she was tired of this game, or maybe she had a piece of food in her teeth; but whatever he saw in Lily's demeanour made Albus relax a tad. With a taut grin he countered, "I don't think it's meant to be taken literally."

"Agreed."

The dark-haired Slytherin looked away as he spoke, "I don't like how right after Malfoy broke up with Rose, he's suddenly with James now."

Lily shrugged. "Rose and Abe are together now."

"Seriously?"

"It's almost official." She smiled fondly as she thought of her friends. They still argued occasionally over Abe's untimely confession, but Lily could tell Rose was weakening under Abe's relentless and straightforward pursuit.

"Hmm." Albus absentmindedly scratched at the table with a clean fingernail. "I wonder if it wasn't all an act."

He's figured it out. "What do you mean?" Lily asked, her breath coming shallowly.

"Everyone knows that Abe Longbottom liked Rose." He stopped scraping at the grain and picked at the accumulated grit under his nail. "And I think Malfoy dating Rose created momentum for Longbottom, and catalyzed their relationship."

He hasn't picked up on the true intent, but... "Maybe you're right." Lily grinned at her brother and teased, "Only a Slytherin could dissect a plan like that."

"And only a Gryffindor would be dumb enough to come up with it," joked Albus. Unlike many other Slytherins, he had no real axe to grind with Gryffindor students, but he did enjoy mocking them. "Maybe it's the same thing for James. Maybe our older brother has the hots for someone, or Malfoy's helping some poor soul get his attention."

Lily gave a loud, but sincere, sigh. "We can only hope."

* * *

Five days passed after their conversation. Five days of stiff-backed embraces between Scorpius and James. Fifteen meals exchanging looks of 'love' so transparent they went right through the boys' heads. Four nights of tense co-occupation of the same space in the common room. There were many ways to describe that time; to Lily they were five dreadful, terrible, stomach-clenching days. She never knew when the other shoe would drop, and the suspense shattered her academic focus.

From her observations, Albus shared her misery. Every time she saw her brother watching their older brother with Scorpius, Albus barely hid his disapproving scowl. But the dark circles under his eyes bespoke of lost sleep, and according to Rose, even Albus's performance in class suffered. Scorpius too was twitchy and nervous; being with James and acting like he cared for the older boy frayed his nerves. Only James seemed largely unaffected. He had grudgingly accepted his role, and only entered it when in the presence of Scorpius. When his 'boyfriend' was not there, James was a shameless flirt. Lily wondered how their relationship could be at all convincing if James shelved it when Scorpius wasn't around.

Her answer arrived that weekend. Lily had been unable to shake off a headache that incapacitated her since the previous night, so instead of being productive (a state she hadn't achieved all week), she rested quietly in her bed. She was almost asleep when Rose came in.

"Lily, you need to come down."

I don't like her Prefect privileges right now, letting her into my year's room. She wasn't able to pinpoint Rose's tone, and it didn't sound dangerous or angry. But when Lily sat up and took in Rose's worried face, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, got up, and followed.

The first thing Lily noticed when she entered the common room was that James and Scorpius weren't sitting together. Her brother was starting a game of Wizarding Chess with one of his friends, and appeared quite pleased about the tall brunette hanging all over him. Lily next saw a familiar blond head peeking above the back of her favorite armchair. If the Sixth year rubbing her breasts into James's shoulder wasn't reason enough, that armchair certainly explained why the two boys weren't sitting together like they should have been; only a petite girl like Lily, and not her gangly brother, could sit together with Scorpius in that chair.

"What happened?" murmured Lily as she came around the armchair.

"It's over," Scorpius said in an empty-sounding voice. Lily squeezed herself beside him and took his hand.

"I'm sorry," Lily replied wholeheartedly. "I know how much this meant to you--"

Scorpius clenched her hand but hurriedly shook his head, dishevelling his thin fringe. "No, not that. James and I don't have to pretend to date anymore."

"Huh?"

He lowered his voice, but it didn't matter; only Rose and Abe, situated on the nearby loveseat, were in a position to listen in, and they seemed very preoccupied. Scorpius elaborated, "I had a conversation with Albus just now, and he told me some interesting things. Apparently they came from you."

"Me?" Lily inhaled sharply and racked her brain for what she could have possibly told her brother. "What things?"

Scorpius inclined his head at their friends. "How I helped Abe and Rose get together." Then he glanced at James and continued, "How I might have been helping James with his own relationship woes.

"How I could help Albus with his own romantic problems."

What--that Slytherin! "I said nothing of the sort." Lily hesitated and corrected herself with, "I did say the first thing, but he inferred the rest I think."

Scorpius released her hand to push back the hair in his eyes, and Lily shook her freed hand to restore feeling in her fingers. "Anyway, the point is, Albus asked me to help him out, like I 'helped' Abe and James."

Foreboding filled Lily's mind as she asked, "Albus likes somebody?"

"Yes." Then Scorpius's face revealed a grief he had temporarily put aside. "My cousin."

"Elaine Greengrass?" Lily recalled what she knew about the Ravenclaw; she was tall, blonde, and very popular with the other Houses. But, like Scorpius, she was easy on the eyes. And very blonde. "I had no idea."

"Neither did I. But the point is, I agreed."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes." Scorpius stubbornly jutted forward his lower lip. "My plan, after all, was to get him to date me."

"But not so that he could hook up with someone else. Your cousin, at that!"

Ignoring her outrage, Scorpius planned out loud, "Now that he's with me, I just have to hold on to him until he gives up on Elaine."

Scorpius Malfoy, you berk. Your plan has backfired, and now Albus is going to use you like you used Rose and James. Lily made a noise of disgust and leaned back against the armrest. "Good luck with that."

He closed his eyes, and a tiny smile erased any traces of his pigheadedness. Scorpius mumbled, "He looked so handsome, telling me to break up with James."

Instead of trying to hold onto her displeasure, a weight that was only worsening her headache, Lily couldn't help herself and smiled back. Scorpius's dreamy expression led her to conclude, He's still in love with him.

Lily massaged her temples and muttered, "Hopeless."

Scorpius murmured in reply, "I know."

* * *

Lily observed the two loons over the next three days, and if she had been unaware of their agreement, she would not have been able to tell their relationship was a pretence. In the morning post, Albus and Scorpius sent to each other the requisite notes of affection that, though they tried to hide them, were somehow disclosed to the entire Great Hall. Lily heard from Rose that Albus had changed seats so that he could sit next to Scorpius in History of Magic. At night, Lily missed her best friend's presence in the common room; after their Quidditch practices, Scorpius and Albus were out together, and no one could tell exactly where they went. (Lily suspected either Albus or Scorpius had thieved the Cloak from James, but the latter didn't seem to have noticed he was missing anything.)

With that evidence, before Scorpius could get away to be with Albus, Lily pulled him aside after dinner and walked with him back to Gryffindor tower. They strolled leisurely, and were well behind most students.

"Hi Scorpius, how's it going?" she joked. The taller teen rolled his eyes, but his facade of irritation was ruined by the spark in his eyes.

"I'm doing well, how are you?"

Lily said truthfully, "Missing you. Where have you been this past week?"

Scorpius blushed and shook back his fringe from his eyes. "I've been with Albus, of course. We have to establish our relationship to make it realistic."

"For Elaine? Or for him?"

His flush of embarrassment dissipated as anger overtook him. "For Elaine, of course."

"I'm not doubting your honesty with him," Lily soothed her pale-faced friend. "I think you've been very open around him. But I'm not convinced that he's using you like you think he is."

That made Scorpius pause. Even though he was a Gryffindor, and even though he was eager in his plans, as a Malfoy he had learned how to restrain himself. Thus he took her aside at an alcove and said calmly, "Explain."

"When I see him with you, Albus doesn't act normally. When he enters the Great Hall, he searches for you. If you're around, he always has an eye on you." The more she said, the surer of herself Lily became. She placed her fists on her hips and added, "And I've sat and watched one of his practices. Instead of looking for the Snitch, he flies around aimlessly with the most foolish look."

Scorpius narrowed his eyes and retorted, "That's because he's thinking of Elaine--"

"I've not heard or seen anything about Elaine and Albus that would suggest that. For one thing, if you didn't know, Elaine's already in a relationship, and it seems pretty steady. Even when you're not there and she is, Albus never looks at her." Lily flicked his arm in chastisement. "I believe you two need to have a talk. An honest conversation, without hiding anything."

Scorpius pondered, "Then why would he have lied about liking Elaine?"

"For the same reason you roped us into it. Because he likes you."

When he took in what Lily said, hope lit up Scorpius's eyes. Timidly he said, "You really think there's a chance...?"

"I'll wager all the chocolate in Honeyduke's." Pity for her friend suffused her and Lily hugged him. "I've been your friend for four years, but I've known Albus all my life."

"I love you, Lily." In her embrace, Scorpius sighed, "Why couldn't we have decided to be platonic life partners, and saved a millimetre of my hairline?"

Lily patted his back comfortingly and replied, "Because I like my men chiselled, not clingy."

* * *

Begging, Scorpius once explained to Lily, was conduct in which Malfoys did not engage. To beg was to acknowledge an external, often negative, power over your actions, and Malfoys did not willingly concede control (unless they were in jeopardizing circumstances, like Dark Lords rising to power). Humble requests fell into the same category and were also not acceptable modes of action (unless a wizard held his wand to a Malfoy's throat and the Malfoy in question did not have a plan). In the book of Malfoy disgraces, compared to begging and humble requests, poor planning was the worst.

"Lily, please, please, please stay with me when I talk to Albus," whined Scorpius just before they came to the Fat Lady.

What a Gryffindor he turned out to be, Lily thought with a roll of her eyes. "Scorpius Malfoy, how in Merlin's name can you two come clean if I'm there? No way would Albus reveal himself like that."

"I don't know," he replied, picking at his fingers in nervousness. "Ouch!" Scorpius stuck a finger with a ripped, bleeding cuticle into his mouth.

Lily took in her friend's agitated state, and weighed her friendship with him against the repercussions of leaving him to tenacity and luck. "Fine," she sighed heavily, "I'll just slip into Animagus form and become a fly on the wall, shall I?"

His anxiety hadn't completely stupefied him, and Scorpius marveled, "You're an Animagus?"

"No, you berk, I'm joking." Lily waved her hand at him. "You meet with Albus. I'll find a way to be there."

He bobbed his head vigorously, fluffing his blond fringe. "Okay. Er, I think tonight we're meeting in the fifth-floor classroom with the portrait of Snape outside it."

"Fifth floor, Snape, got it. Now go."

Before he could take a faltering step, Scorpius spun around and blurted, "What if there's a problem? Like if he's going to kill me, or I lose my nerve." He realized he had been babbling and forced calm into his words. "Right, so if there's a problem, I'll say something like... like..."

"Something absurd. Though I doubt you'll have a problem." Lily smirked and amended, "But if you want me to leave, quote a musical."

"Okay."

How ironic, she thought as Scorpius dashed away, totally unconcerned about her plan. A Malfoy, a Potter, and a Snape enter a corridor...

Lily quickly grabbed her tool of choice from her trunk and made her way to the meeting place. When she climbed the stairs, she softened her steps and used all her stealth to approach the fifth floor silently. Unplagued by gangly limbs, Lily was much more graceful and sure of foot than her brothers. She was confident she would be undetected--as long as she didn't alert their watch dog.

I hope he isn't paying attention to his own wall, she silently prayed. Lily stopped at the top step and began to unwind her Deluxe Extendable Ear (a first-year gift from Uncle George, so that she could at least be in on the Hogwarts hell-raising) around the corner.

"Incorrigible brats," murmured a harsh, slightly nasal voice in the hall. "Potter's brood is just as bold and glory-seeking as he is."

Lily swallowed the rising anger and focused on keeping the Ear flush with the floor and wall. Just a few more feet...

Headmaster Severus Snape's portrait continued his invections with, "Draco would not be pleased to see his progeny acting in such a depraved fashion." His mutterings trailed off into invectives against the Boy Who Lived To Start A Family, upstart Gryffindors, and unqualified Heads of House.

You don't know the whole of it, you prejudiced git. Lily pushed the Ear more forcefully than she had intended, and almost dropped the coil in her hands when the end encountered resistance. She breathed shallowly through her nose to recover herself, and began the tricky business of sliding the Ear under the classroom door. Lily knew she was successful when the end in her hands vibrated soundlessly. She crouched on the step and pressed the receiver to her ear.

"How are things going with Elaine?" By the sound of Scorpius's faster breath, Lily reckoned they had just entered and started talking.

"They're fine." Albus's voice sounded deeper and less inflected. Either he has a cold, or it could be the woe he feels for entertaining this charade.

A noticeable pause, then Scorpius asked, "Have you talked to her?"

"Not yet."

Absolutely not a cold.

"... Do you even plan to?"

"O-of course." The last time Lily had heard Albus stutter was when he had found a Snitch eight years ago in a trunk in the attic. Their father was inexplicably angry, the kind of anger that silenced his tongue and made his bottle-green eyes bulge. So now Albus is just as unsettled--or scared--as he was eight years ago, she concluded bleakly. Not exactly the response I'd hoped for.

"I--"

"Except I can't." Albus's tone dropped and Lily barely heard him add, "I won't."

"I--What?"

"Malfoy... Scorpius... I don't have anything to say to Greengrass." Somebody shuffled, and then Albus's voice was louder. "I said it all before, to someone else, and I meant it."

The silence that met Albus's words was so long, Lily worried Scorpius had fainted. She was about to barge in and rescue him when she heard, in a softly-lilting voice, "I am the very model of a modern Major-General."

"Huh?"

And then she heard no other words. Just some more shuffling, then labored breathing and the rustling of robes...

What--oh!

Cheeks aflame, Lily withdrew the Extendable Ear as fast as she dared.

* * *

Hogsmeade weekend in February arrived on the heels of Saint Valentine's Day, and with reluctance Lily accompanied her friends into the village. Entering the heart of Hogsmeade, she peeked over her shoulder at the two boys walking behind her. Albus and Scorpius were side by side but close together, nudging each other and speaking quietly with smiles that warmed the cold day.

They came to the path for the Hog's Head. Albus grinned a cheeky farewell and Scorpius hugged her before they departed for their time together at the less-popular pub. Rose and Abe, linked at the elbows, were not long with Lily either. Just a short distance beyond was the path to Madame Puddifoot's, and with a cheery wave they went to claim their reservation.

And here I am, thought Lily wryly, watching her friends' backs as they turned the corner. As always, alone, cold, and bored.

She wasn't one to dwell upon misery, nor did she want to be out in the chill February air for much longer. Lily backtracked to the Three Broomsticks; she knew a few friends in her year were meeting there. Though it was mid-day, witch-globes glowed at the door and windows, making it seem cozy and inviting. The heat and jumble of conversations from within cheered Lily, so she threw back her shoulders and entered the bustling establishment.

"We were wondering where you went," greeted a Gryffindor classmate when Lily found their table.

"I ordered you a Butterbeer," Hugo Weasley said softly. He scooted over for Lily to sit at the edge of the booth seat.

"Thanks." Lily smiled at her cousin, and the conversation resumed around her. As her peers gossiped and chatted, she listened quietly, made polite noises when required, and let her eyes slowly take in her surroundings.

At the counter, James was sitting next to the brunette girl that Lily knew to be his current flame. But what caught Lily's eye was Elaine Greengrass, three seats down, stealing glances not at her besotted boyfriend but at James.

That would make for a fascinating family gathering, she mused as she sipped her warm butterbeer. James with Elaine, and Scorpius with Albus. Alas that Scorpius does not have a sibling or another cousin!

One of her friends related a bawdy joke, something about a tie and a wizard--she had heard it before from James--and Lily laughed along with their companions. As the amusement wound down, her attention inevitably drifted again. Drifted to the young man at the table next to them.

Hmm. Lily appraised his neat, dark blond hair, the snugness of his jumper to his well-defined torso, handsome profile (with a nose that looked like it would fit just right), and found them all to her approval. He looks familiar...

He turned and, with a crooked, demur grin, caught her observing him. She gasped in recognition, and a tingle raced up her back when his violet eyes didn't look away.

Lysander Lovegood, she wondered with warm cheeks, When did you grow up? Impetuously, Lily picked up her Butterbeer and put a sway into her upper body as she sauntered over to the object of her interest. Now, how should I woo him...?

THE END