History Lessons

Chapter Ten

Scorpius prided himself on being an intelligent individual. He knew how to write O essays, how to get out of trouble, and how to be a leader. And as much as this intelligence may have been compromised in the past few months...he knew rejection when he saw it.

He pulled the hood of his dark green cloak up against the harsh December wind. Intelligence, he thought, scowling. He'd forfeited his intelligence the moment he ended up on that seventh floor corridor for the second time waiting to see some girl he'd thought was pretty.

A year ago he'd been intelligent. He'd barely talked with anyone outside of his Slytherin friends. He and Sylvester Vaisley had been close. He'd kissed Portia Flint. His father was a recluse, certainly, but his mother spared no affection. His grandfather was in Azkaban, but there was no need to worry about that. The last war was always a strictly forbidden subject in Slytherin house and though people knew of Scorpius's family nobody said anything. Who could? It was pointless; the moment someone like Rosier made a crack about Lucius Malfoy Scorpius could fight back with a jibe at Evan Rosier. Pointless. There were enough skeletons in Slytherin to go around.

Now in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts he'd gone round the bend. Scorpius heard tales of friendly half-giants and kindly werewolves and accepted them. He listened to the heroics of Harry Potter without sneering. Because...well...what if his father really had chosen not only the losing team but the wrong team?

He thought back to the book and winced. That book had taught him far more than he'd ever cared to know.

It had begun back at Hogsmeade. He'd somehow ended up walking to the village with Potter -- not that it had been on purpose, of course -- and then she'd had a fit of superiority and left him for her pathetic fifth-year friends.

That's not true. You frightened her off, you numbskull. She probably thought you were a closet Death Eater.

And then she'd been sitting on a bench outside the Three Broomsticks catching up with some Ravenclaw tosser, and she certainly wasn't protesting.

She was staring at you, you idiot. What have you got, dung for brains?

But he couldn't stay and watch the precious scene unfold and he left Sylvester and Portia out in the cold as he ducked into the nearest shop -- a bookshop.

It was a large shop, luckily, and he ran upstairs quickly in case either of his friends decided to follow him in. He weaved between shelves and ended up in a side room -- probably a store room, he thought, looking around him. There were no windows and only two lamps lit. The walls were lined with thick volumes. He glanced at a few -- divination mostly, it seemed, but also a couple on goblins, and then the goblin wars, and something about Grindelwald and the Muggle wars, and then a book entitled A Factual History of the Second War Against Voldemort.

Scorpius was startled to see that word published in a title like that. His curiosity led his hand to the spine and he pulled it out of the shelf. There was no author. A title page inside read only "An account approved by Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt and written anonymously." Obviously it was very factual; everyone knew of Shacklebolt's wartime activities.

He flicked through the pages, vaguely curious. Of course he knew several details of the last war from his father, but he was interested in seeing them backed up --

Wait. Did that say...

Draco Malfoy was a key part of Voldemort's plans in 1996. As the newest recruited Death Eater and son of the prominent Lucius Malfoy, he was chosen to prove his worth to his master and was given an enormous task: kill Albus Dumbledore.

When the shopkeeper began blithering about private storerooms Scorpius fished an extra three galleons out of his pocket. He would have this book.

Looking back, he sort of wished he'd left it alone. Hearing these stories from Lily and confirming them in A Factual History was corrosive to everything he'd believed in.

"Don't!" he heard a voice yell from somewhere behind him, jolting him back to the present. Instinctively curious he turned and paid the price as a bright blur forced his eyes shut and a snowball suddenly cuffed his chin and forced his head back. His hood fell off. Raucous laughter followed.

"Cor, Malfoy, I didn't mean to hit..." Potter could barely speak from laughter. "Rose yelled...I'm...sorry..."

Scorpius wiped the conjured snow from his chin, smirking at the sight of Potter doubled over and his cousin Weasley standing by, red in the face from suppressed laughter. "Think that's funny, Gryffindor?" Scorpius said loudly.

Albus raised his head and grinned. "Not at all, Slytherin."

Scorpius suddenly had a disturbing thought -- he wouldn't mind having Albus Potter as a brother-in-law. Shaking off that upsetting idea he drew his wand. Albus immediately shielded himself playfully behind Rose, who squealed and shoved Albus out of the way. Scorpius conjured a snowball in the air as Albus had done but now he twirled it in midair, moving his wand in large circles now as if winding up a deadly throw --

Albus and Rose both ducked as Scorpius let the ball loose. It zoomed high over their heads and took the hat off an old wizard walking on the other side of the street.

Now it was Scorpius who couldn't contain his laughter. The man was still just staring at his hat, plastered to a shop wall by the giant snowball. Albus was fighting back laughter and actually moving toward the man and Scorpius knew that he was going to apologize and clean the hat off for him.

Gryffindors, Scorpius thought, nearly rolling his eyes.

Scorpius ran forward and grabbed Albus's arm before he could get any closer. "We've got to run for it!" he gasped dramatically.

"But --"

Rose took off first, laughing madly and pulling Albus along with her and the three escaped through another alley as the man finally began to shout at "those hooligans, no respect for elders --"

"You sneak," Albus said breathlessly as they finally stopped in a distant corner, leaning against a brick wall to catch their breath. "You Slytherin."

"And proud of it," said Scorpius. "At least I wasn't going to go over there and smarm it up with that old codger."

"You'd think that our Head Boy would display better moral values."

"Funny, your Head Girl ran, too," Scorpius said, smirking. "Good work, Weasley."

Rose grinned. "Come on, Al -- what good would it've done to stay and apologize? And besides, this was infinitely more fun." She frowned. "By the way, what happened to Lily?"

"I've got to go," Scorpius said quickly. This wasn't the smoothest change of subject he'd executed, but it was definitely necessary. "I'm out with my aunt and uncle as well as my parents today and I'm sure they're wondering. See you two back at Hogwarts." He smiled briefly and left for the busy street.

Rose and Albus too made their way back to the thoroughfare looking for their family.

"What d'you reckon happened with Lily?" Albus wondered aloud.

"Something bad," Rose replied.

"I dunno, he was in a good mood."

"Did you see that snowball?" Rose said incredulously. "That thing had a lot of emotion behind its momentum. He took out a lot of anger with that throw."

"Rose...is that the same man...?"

"Run!"

~

Lily sat through lunch silently as her cousins chatted around her. Honestly, she didn't know what she was so upset about. Some head-up-his-arse boy had pushed her away, left her alone after telling her a horrible truth about her friend...that's why she was upset, she decided. Phoebe's parents are dead.

It was truly a horrific thought and Lily had been so grateful to Scorpius for stepping up and hugging her. Why did that feel so comfortable? It shouldn't have been so easy to fit her head into the crook of his neck and shoulders...shouldn't seem unsurprising to find his heartbeat matched hers...she shouldn't have found the scent of his cologne familiar...

The family flooed back to the Burrow for the night. The next day was New Year's Eve, the big day of Alicia's party. As Lily predicted she would, Rose quizzed her on her meeting with Malfoy earlier.

"He doesn't fancy me, that's that," was all Lily would say. Rose frowned.

"Lily, he was hurt very badly," she said slowly. "Malfoy's got a lot of pride; he might not come back to you. You've got to step up and go after what you want."

Prideful bastard, Lily thought as she settled in her blankets, closing her eyes and wishing for sleep. What girl would want him anyway?

Lily found herself in a closet. She was trying to keep hidden from something. Scorpius was there also. He kissed her and tried to open the closet door but she wouldn't let him. "Put on your wig!" Lily kept repeating but he tossed the wig in the fireplace.

She woke abruptly from her dream to find the room still pitch-black. Why was there a fireplace in a closet? she wondered groggily. Scorpius looked so good in yellow light...his hair reminded her of the yellow in the fire and she thought vaguely that her red hair complimented his blond nicely.

And then she remembered...oh, that's the boy who's too proud to admit he fancies you. Stop thinking about him, Lily, and move on.

Lily's eyes snapped open.

That, Lily Potter, is absolute bullshit.

~

Lily did not get much sleep that night.

What had changed in her? She recalled Erato sneering about her "playing the hero". It was true. Lily took no crap from her classmates. When Malfoy sneered at her in the corridor she fought back and eventually drew her wand on him. When Leander provoked her she snapped back. She stuck up for Phoebe when others judged her.

And then Scorpius Malfoy had happened. Suddenly she only stuck her neck out for him and his past -- when Leander Goldstein had cracked the Lestrange joke and followed it with a Malfoy comment. Lily only stood up for Scorpius's sake...and what had he done for her?

He took a detention for standing up for Phoebe. He did that for Lily. And you know what? She'd had it. No matter what lies he told himself, Scorpius fancied Lily.

A familiar sense of righteous anger filled Lily now. He was pushing her away for something as stupid as pride. Well, Lily had pride too and she would brandish it today. She was too damn proud to be swept under the rug by the boy she fancied.

He had better be in London today.

~

The entire Weasley clan was put to work on New Year's Eve, whether they liked it or not. Lily was sorely tempted to indulge in a Skiving Snackbox, but the mere idea made her feel guilty as she looked around at her harried Aunt Alicia who seemed a broken teacup away from a total collapse. And so Lily dutifully carried out whatever tasks were needed. She hung tinsel from trees, set tables, and became the live band's servant.

She was sent out on several missions for the snooty Were-Elves. They were well-known in Wizarding England basically, Lily reasoned, because there really weren't that many magical musicians out there. The Were-Elves were loud, fussy, and leering, but played mellow rhythms perfect for background music and had fast beats that would serve for dancing.

Now Lily left the shop on her fourth mission from the band. The drummer had insisted on hot pumpkin cider earlier and now the bassist and lead singer both wanted cups of it. She weaved through the crowds, following her frozen breath in the air. The sky was a solid gray getting dimmer by the minute, and the Prophet's weather reports insisted that London would see its first snow that night in a half-inch dusting. Lily kept an eye out as she walked for Scorpius or his parents.

She waited in line at the Cheering Charm Café for the two pumpkin ciders and left ten minutes later, her fingers warmed through her mittens by the cups in her hands. The lamps were now lit all down Diagon Alley; it looked picturesque in the evening light. She headed back down the street, weaving through the crowds and searching shamelessly for Scorpius.

"Oof!" Lily stepped back as someone knocked into her arm; a little cider ran down the side of one cup. "Pardon!" she said angrily to the young man who was still standing there, looking down his nose at her.

"Potter," he said, and Lily realized with a rush of adrenaline that it was Raphael Zabini. She could feel her cheeks flush. There was still a chance.

And he kept walking right past her.

Lily pivoted and followed, walking quickly to keep up with his long strides. Zabini was here. Zabini would lead her to Scorpius. He had to! There wasn't room in Lily's head for any other possibilities.

Zabini glanced back at her only once as she hurried after him and made a show of rolling his eyes. Lily could only grin maniacally in response. It felt as though a fire had been lit deep inside of her and nothing could snuff it out. Zabini was taking her to Scorpius!

They slowed as they approached the end of the alley, far from the activities of New Year's. An empty marble fountain stood in the middle of a large circle surrounded by odd shops: a bookstore, a florist's, a tiny tea house. Zabini turned around and looked at Lily again.

"What're you still doing there?" he sneered and he walked past her and back to the main way.

Lily's heart dropped. Her hands suddenly felt cold around the cups of cider. All she could see was the empty circle, the lone lamp next to the fountain's edge, and a bleak, gray sky. There was nothing here. There was nobody here.

She walked slowly to the fountain and sat on the wide edge under the lamp. Why did she want to talk to Scorpius so badly anyway? He'd hardly ever been nice to her. Sure, he was decent enough to comfort her...and he'd helped her with homework plenty of times....Lily remembered sitting in the corridor just waiting for him to appear, keeping in mind questions about her homework to ask in case there was a lull in conversation and he made to leave...

Why didn't he like her being in that corridor?

"Malfoy!"

Lily was on her feet and now both cups were spilling cider over her gloves and she dropped them immediately, tore off the wet gloves and shoved them in the pocket of her red coat as the shadow in front of the book shop froze.

"Why did you try to get me out of that corridor?"

Scorpius stared down at her incredulously. "That's what you have to say to me?" he said.

"It's a simple question."

He put his hands in his pockets and looked away, clearly frustrated. "Well, I've already told you, but I suppose you forgot."

"That was not my fault," Lily said hotly.

"D'you know your uncle Fred?" he said, staring resolutely at the florist shop sign.

Lily eyes widened. She certainly hadn't expected this. "No, of course not," she said softly, though her heart was still pounding with adrenaline. "Why aren't you looking at me?"

He paused. "Because I've already watched you hear this once and I'd rather not do it again."

Silence.

"Your --" He broke off. "During the final battle he was killed."

"I know."

"By an explosion..." Scorpius glanced at her and then went back to the florist's sign.

Lily reached out and touched his arm where it disappeared into his pocket. He withdrew his hand and intertwined his gloved fingers with hers, never looking down.

"It blew the wall out and it was the stones that..."

She stopped and ran her hands over the wall, wondering what story could be behind the stones.

"I studied there?" was all she said.

She found herself once again pressed against Scorpius Malfoy, her forehead against his neck and their heartbeats in synch. Her eyes fluttered shut as she thought of George and the corridor and photographs and war stories and Scorpius....First Phoebe, and now Fred?

"What other secrets are you hiding?" she whispered and she felt his arms hold her tighter and knew he was smiling.

"Well, apparently I'm the only one with any knowledge of your forgotten yet caffeinated evening in the corridor," he said, his breath hot on her ear.

"You told me about Uncle Fred," she said. "I wondered why it felt familiar just now...like I'd already spent tears and distress over it."
"You did."

Lily still held onto Scorpius even as she felt him lean back a little for a chance to see her face. She couldn't bear to look him in the eye. Not after everything he'd told her, and everything they'd been through...

And now it occurred to her that they'd made up. They were friends again.

Scorpius smoothed her hair with his hand and pushed some behind her ear. Lily's heart pounded as she felt his fingers move down her jaw to her chin, and as her face lifted and their eyes met a large wet snowflake drifted down and landed on the tip of Scorpius's nose. He immediately took his hand from Lily's face to rub it off and Lily laughed at his apparent embarrassment. In those few seconds the wind picked up and there was suddenly snow everywhere, heavy and damp and pouring from the black sky.

"We've got to go!" Lily said loudly over the rush of wind, her arms held over her head and shielding her face. "Come on, back to my aunt's party!"

"Why?" Scorpius asked, not bothering now to cover himself.

"This isn't a dusting, this is a storm!" Lily replied, grinning. "Come on, Scorpius, we can't stay here!" She began to turn before Scorpius caught her arm and pulled her close, lowering her arms from above her head. He smoothed her hair, brushing the flakes away to reveal the auburn shining in the yellow lamplight, and he smiled a genuine, real smile.

"That's a gorgeous red."

"Why aren't we going in?" Lily demanded, attempting to fight a rising blush. Honestly, would it take him all day or was she going to have to do this herself?

"Well..." was all he said, just staring at her.

Lily stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly, kissing more snowflake than lip, she realized as she stood back. "All right now?" she said.

Scorpius didn't even bother answering. He leaned down and kissed her again, one hand behind her head and the other on her back, and Lily imagined that he was the only thing keeping the wind from just blowing her away with the snow. It felt much too hot to be wearing this heavy jacket, she thought to herself even as her bare fingertips grew numb against the rough material of Scorpius's cloak. And her final thought before the snowball was that she shouldn't be able to recognize the way Scorpius's lips felt against her own, as if she'd done this before.

The snowball hit Scorpius's shoulder and splattered, hitting both Lily and Scorpius's faces. Lily almost lost her balance altogether and Scorpius held her to him as she laughed out loud.

Albus grinned apologetically behind Rose, who was brushing off her gloves on her pea coat. "Come on, you two lovebirds!" she shouted. "It's nearly midnight, Uncle Harry's doing his nut worrying about you, Lily, and it's about time that Scorpius git met the parents!"

"Uh oh," said Lily, giggling at Scorpius. "Al, d'you think you could give us another few minutes?"

"Sure thing," said Albus. "And Lily...I take this to mean that you liked my Christmas present?"

Lily gaped. "You two conniving little...Albus, you told me you'd owl-ordered my present!"

"He did," said Scorpius, a little grumpily. "Explained everything to me and begged me to forgive."

"So you knew!" said Lily. "You knew I fancied you and you were still being a total -- erm --"

"Twat?" Rose suggested loudly as she and Albus faded into the distance.

"Watch it, Weasley," Scorpius yelled back, hugging Lily closer. "See, Lily, why would I believe silly Gryffindor twits like them?"

"I'm a silly Gryffindor twit!" Lily said hotly and Scorpius laughed and kissed her again.

"Shall we, then?" said Lily.

Scorpius sighed deeply. "You sure your dad won't hex me on the spot?"

"Positive." She beamed up at him. "He'll love you."

And the daughter of Harry Potter took the hand of the son of Draco Malfoy and they walked, green and red, hand in hand, towards the New Year.