17Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.
They empathize…
James Potter I
"Merlin, you are the most spoiled, self-obsessed person I have ever met!" Lily yelled at James from across the dining hall. The two hate-birds were having their daily face-off and the on-lookers watched with glee, excited for dinner and a show.
"Self-obsessed, Evans? The only thing I'm obsessed with is you!" He retaliated, his face full of unbridled mirth.
There was a collective groan from the peanut gallery and James relented. "Alright, alright. I'll think of a better one next time."
"There better not be a next time because if there is I'm gonna… I'm gonna…" Lily took a second to figure out her response, "I'm gonna feed you to the Giant Squid!"
"Already used that one!" A Hufflepuff called from her table.
"Got anymore popcorn?" A Ravenclaw asked from his seat.
"I've got you, mate." Sirius leaned over from his table and handed the student a bowl full of the savory snack.
"You know, you guys need to be more creative with your back and forth," another Gryffindor student commented off-handedly. "It's our fifth year for Merlin's sake, we've seen it all."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Lily said heatedly from her spot in the room, her hands on her hips, "Are we boring you?"
"A little bit… yeah," a Hufflepuff answered honestly. There was a murmur of agreement rippling through the hall.
"Face it, you two," the Hufflepuff said, gesturing towards James and Lily. "This has gone on for far too long. The sexual tension has simmered away from just the plain ol' arguing. The only way to bring it back is gonna be if you two finally hook up for real."
"I'm okay with that," James agreed while Lily, completely aghast, spluttered, "Sexual tension?"
"I agree," a voice from the Gryffindors sounded. "Their whole Romeo and Juliet thing is getting kinda boring."
"Yeah, I would have read Romeo and Juliet if the two characters hooked up," the Gryffindor sitting by them joked. "Might have made it more interesting."
"First off," James responded to the complaints, taking a seat next to Sirius and Remus, "Evans and I are certainly not Romeo and Juliet because Romeo and Juliet both die at the end and that's not gonna happen to us because we're not stupid."
"Oi! Spoilers!" A voice from the Ravenclaws called out.
"I wouldn't say that's the reason we're not Romeo and Juliet," Lily defended as she also took a seat at the Gryffindor table. "They both died for love and that's the most important thing. It wasn't stupid that they died. It was noble."
"It could have been avoided. If they just communicated with each other and didn't keep secrets. If the Montagues and Capulets just stopped fighting, if֫—"
"If, if, if. There are so many what if's but only one epic love story." Lily threw her hands up. "They were star-crossed lovers, Potter. Their love was doomed from the start, but it was the time they had together that mattered. Don't you get that?"
The audience watched their back and forth repartee with intense focus. The dining hall had never been that quiet.
"I just wished they had more time together," James responded honestly.
"Me too," Lily smiled wistfully. "But that's what makes Romeo and Juliet so special, isn't it?"
At that, there came a scoff from the Slytherin table. "There's nothing special about some crazy muggle's book. This is so bloody stupid."
Another voice from the table muttered, albeit loud enough for people nearby to hear. "Did you hear the way she yelled? I would never let a mudblood speak to me like that."
"These filth are lucky to be here, they should keep their mouths shut if they want to stay."
While there was a murmur of agreement amongst the Slytherin table, there was an even greater uproar of protest as the other tables were disgusted with the Slytherin's language. However, before James could come to Lily's defense, the girl in question took a giant spoonful of mashed potatoes from her table and sent it flying across the room to hit the Slytherin who spoke right in the forehead. While the Slytherin hurled insults at her and wiped away at the stains, Lily took it as her moment to calmly collect her belongings and leave the room before things could escalate further.
In the chaos of the dining hall that had become lively once again, no one really noticed that James had slipped out as well. He followed Lily to the steps of the castle. "Evans, I'm sorry he called you… that word."
"Mudblood, Potter." She sat on the steps, her back to him. She sounded worn-out and drained. "He called me a mudblood."
James nodded wearily and sat next to her. "I know."
"No, you don't. You would never understand. One minute the whole hall is joking and having a fun conversation and then to have that word so casually thrown in your face. It's bullshit. Bullshit you would never understand because you're not a mudblood like me."
"You are not that either. Those snakes just say what they want to get people riled up. Trust me, the Marauders will get them good tonight."
"You don't have to."
"Don't worry, we had it planned way before this happened." James gave her a dimpled smile. "And I may not understand what it's like to be muggleborn in a time like this, but know that I will always listen and I will always defend you… even though you can take care of yourself. Whew, that mashed potato hit the mark right on."
"Thanks for listening to me, Potter."
"Purebloods. Muggleborns. We're all the same. It shouldn't matter."
"But it does." Lily smiled, her tongue poking the side of her cheek as a thought struck her. "Montagues. Capulets. They're all the same. It shouldn't matter."
James chuckled as he slouched forward and rolled his neck. "But it does."
Lily nudged James with her shoulder as the two sat side-by-side. "You're alright, Romeo."
"Right back at ya, Juliet."
"Lily's fine."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Lily let her head roll back as she stared at the sky. "I think you've earned it. Plus, I heard we're getting boring with our badinage. Might throw them off if we started using first names."
"So does this mean—"
"I'm not going to date you, James." She paused as her green eyes studied him. "But I will be your friend."
She held her hand out for James to accept. "To being just friends," James agreed, but mid-shake, he stopped and pulled her closer, "for now."
Lily Luna Potter
"Score, what the bloody hell happened to you?" Lily Luna sat across from the blond haired Ravenclaw.
Scorpius sat hunched over in his seat, his left eye getting more swollen by the second. "My dad happened. That's what." He groaned in pain.
Lily charmed a glass of water sitting by into ice and held it up to his face. Scorpius winced when it made contact. "Your dad did this to you?" she asked quietly.
"No! Merlin, no." Scorpius corrected, "It's because of who my dad is. People don't really like being at school with the son of a Death Eater."
"That's not your fault!" Lily argued. "Who did this to you?"
"I don't need you to defend me. I can take care of myself."
Lily took the glass of ice and set it back down on the table with a slam to which Scorpius unwillingly flinched. "Clearly."
"Your life is perfect. You're the boy-who-lived's daughter. Everyone worships the ground you walk on! You would never understand!" Scorpius protested, frustrated at his situation.
"You're right. I would never understand what it's like to be a child of a Malfoy. Just like you would never understand what it's like to be a child of a Potter. You would never understand the constant attention. Paparazzi taking pictures of you at random moments of the day. People posting my screw-ups on the paper as if it was a newsworthy event."
Scorpius was silent as he processed her words so Lily continued, "Potter. Malfoy. We're not defined by our parents. It shouldn't matter. And I know you're scared to fall in love because of our families' history and I get that. But I know you are my best friend and I've always loved you—"
"You're not in love with me, Lily," Scorpius quickly interrupted.
Lily scoffed. "I could be." At Scorpius's hesitance, she carried on, "Look, I don't know if I love love you yet. But I know for sure I am willing to try and find out if you are."
"I think I am." Scorpius looked at her shyly, in a new light. "Hypothetically speaking, how would your dad react if he found out we were—anything."
"Hypothetically, he might be miffed at first, but he would understand." Lily bit her bottom lip and faced Scorpius. "What about you?"
"Oh, I am not telling him I'm dating a Potter." Scorpius shook his head dramatically and laughed.
"So we're dating now?" Lily's eyes twinkled.
"Hypothetically speaking, of course."
"Should we seal the deal with a kiss?" She asked, nervously biting her lower lip.
"Of course," Scorpius agreed. "It's only fair."
Lily grinned eagerly. "All's fair in love and—oh!"
It was definitely fair.
They know how to have fun…
James Potter I
"Lily." James knocked on her door three times. It had been almost three days since the girl had left her room.
"Go away," came the pitiful noise from inside her bedroom. James thought he heard some sniffling. "Leave me alone."
"If you don't open the door I'm breaking in. I'll give you three seconds. One! Two! Thr—" The door swung wide open. "Wow, I didn't think that would work."
Lily glared at him angrily in her ratty old pajamas, her hair a crumpled mess from not being combed. "What do you want, James?"
"We're going to Hogsmeade," James stated frankly.
"No. We're not." Lily made way to shut the door, but James blocked it with his foot.
"Oh, so you haven't run out of your chocolate stash?"
Lily pursed her lips. "Fine. Give me a minute to change." She shut the door and James could hear rummaging from the other side.
"And maybe give your hair a comb," he suggested cheekily.
"Bug off!"
After Lily finished looking somewhat decent, James threw the invisibility cloak over the two of them and they began to go down the secret passageway to get to Hogsmeade.
"How do you know how to get to Hogsmeade?"
"Now, now, Lily flower, what did we say about asking questions?"
"They better have a huge stash of chocolate frogs," Lily grumbled as they walked through the damp tunnel.
When they had finally reached the underground cellar, James led Lily to the stash of chocolates underneath Honeyduke's. "All for the taking, Miss."
Lily took a bite and sighed, reveling in the taste of sweet milk chocolate. She didn't even notice James leaving a small stack of money for the owner to find the next day in exchange for the sweets.
Once the two of them had gorged themselves on enough chocolate and sweets to feed a small army, they sat across from each other, both of their backs resting on a stack of wooden boxes, their legs stretched out and meeting in the middle. To their side, they had a bag full of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and took turns calling out the flavor they had just tasted.
"Banana." James chewed, relieved.
"Lobster." Lily hummed. "Not bad."
"Earthworm."
"Mint."
"Fried egg."
"Sulphur." Lily spit it back out.
"Blueberry."
Lily studied James closely with an unknown expression that turned into a warm smile. "Thanks for cheering me up, James. I know I can be a handful sometimes," she said in a voice that was softer than what James was used to.
He leaned his head back against the boxes and grinned. "You're not my only friend with a time of month. I know how you all like your sweets." He popped a jellybean in his mouth and grinned while Lily rolled her eyes at him, the smile on her face only growing brighter.
Suddenly James's face turned sour and he began to gag. Spitting the jellybean out, he began wiping at his tongue in true desperation to get the horrid taste out of his mouth.
Lily looked at him with mild concern. "Vomit?"
"Vomit."
Lily Luna Potter
She was competitive. At least when it came to Quidditch. Her mother was a player for the Harpies and her dad was the youngest seeker at Hogwarts, of course she was competitive!
It was just supposed to be a friendly game to help everyone relax.
"Lils," her brother, Albus, threw her arms around her shoulder and pulled her in. "We all know this game is going to be anything but friendly."
"It won't be friendly for you since you'll be the loser," Lily taunted.
"You're on."
Lily and Albus were made team captains for the game and that meant they had to choose who they wanted for their teams.
"I pick Scorpius," Albus announced.
"What?" Lily screeched, "You can't do that!"
"Why not?" Albus smirked.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Fine. He's not even good at Quidditch."
"Oi!" Scorpius protested.
"Sorry, love!"
Lily studied her options. "I pick James."
"Took ya long enough," James muttered as he jogged over to his sister's side.
Once the teams were made and positions were decided, the game was set to start. The two teams faced off and the game began.
Lily, the seeker, decided to fly high and keep a watch from above as the beaters, keepers, and chasers continued their back and forth. Scorpius flew up to join her.
"Ah, so he made you a seeker." Lily kept her eyes open as she searched the field for any sign of the golden snitch.
"I'm not that bad at Quidditch, you know." Scorpius replied.
"Well…" Lily sang. Suddenly her eye struck gold.
Scorpius noticed her behavior change and quickly charged for the snitch that was behind him before Lily could get a head start.
They chased after the snitch, with Scorpius just a tiny bit closer to the snitch than Lily. He reached his hand out, desperate to grab the small ball when Lily called out as loud as she could, "Your butt looks amazing from this view, Score!"
In that moment of hesitancy as the boy was shocked by her declaration, Lily surged forward and grabbed the snitch bringing victory to her team.
She and Scorpius flew down to the grass while Lily could see Albus throw down his bat in frustration.
"That was one hell of a friendly game, Al!" Lily called out, her fingers still clutching the winning snitch.
"It's not my fault your boyfriend is easily distracted." Albus tossed her a towel so she could wipe off some of the sweat on her face.
"Aw," Lily tilted her head to look up at Scorpius, "It's one of the things I like about him."
"And my butt," Scorpius added, being a gracious loser.
Lily agreed, using the end of her towel to give a friendly smack to her boyfriend's behind. "And your butt."
They make shoddy healers…
James Potter I
"Really, Thames." Lily groaned as she rolled over in bed. "I'mb finguh."
"You're fine? Your fever, stuffy nose, and elevated body temperature says otherwise." James put a hand up to Lily's clammy forehead and she couldn't help but lean in to his cold hand.
For the past few days, Lily had come down with the flu and if Lily thought James was clingy before, nothing prepared her for this.
"Lily, have you had your medicine? Madam Pomfrey made it clear you need to take it every three hours."
"Yesh, muuum." Lily rolled her eyes and used a tissue to wipe her red nose. "Honesthly, it's noth that phig a theal!"
"Not that big a deal?" James shouted as he casually took her old tissue from her hand and gave her a new one. "Not that big a deal?"
Lily face-planted into a pillow to block out the noise. "Are chu althways this loudth?"
"You could be dying, Lily!" James sat on the bed beside her. "Did you have some of the soup I brought you?"
"'mm not hungry," she mumbled feverishly.
Taking it as a sign to take matters into his own hands, James took the bowl of soup from her bedside and began feeding her tiny spoonfuls of the creamy concoction. "You have to keep your energy up, love. It's the only way to fight it."
"I don't need coddling, Pottah."
"Resorting to last names, are you now, Evans?" James gave another slurp of soup to the sick girl.
"You're being vewwy annoything." Lily opened her mouth for another bite.
"Am I?"
"Yesh."
"Yes." James corrected.
"That's what I said: yesh." Lily glared at the boy when he started snickering at her mispronunciations. "Oh, shuth up."
"Oh yesh, you're definitely not sick." Once James finished feeding Lily the rest of the soup, he got up and prepared to leave. "Well then, I'll just be off since you don't need me and I'm so annoything."
"Wait, Pottah!" Lily called out desperately.
"Yesh, Evans?" James asked, a twinkle in his eye.
"You're noth annoything…" she mumbled quietly.
"What was that?" James cupped his ear and leaned in comically.
"Stay," she demanded, patting the empty side of the bed next to her. James had always been there for her and she knew she would miss his presence as soon as he left.
James grinned and threw his stuff down, jumping into bed next to Lily. "For you, lovely Lily, alwa—ACHOO!"
Lily looked at the boy with concern. "Are chu getthing sick too?"
"No." James shook his head. "I'm fi—ACHOO! I'mb fin—ACHOO!"
Lily giggled and wrapped her arm around James's torso, snuggling her head right on his chest. "Ips othay. We'll be sick together."
"I was supposed to help you get better," James sniffled, realizing his nose had begun running. "I'm sorry I haven't helped you get better."
Lily nodded against his chest and James could feel her drifting off to sleep. "I'mb feelin' bettah already."
She looked quite the mess, with her runny nose and worn out pajamas, but James swore he never saw anyone more beautiful than her. James too felt himself getting sleepy and began to close his eyes, a final thought floating in his head: if her getting better meant him getting sick, it was a risk he was willing to take.
Lily Luna Potter
"Oh, you are definitely dying."
"Thanks, Lily. You are such a great help." Currently in the hospital wing at Hogwarts, Scorpius was not having a good day.
"Babe, when you die… I just want you to know," Lily looked at him with sad brown eyes. "I am definitely going to see other people."
Scorpius quirked one eyebrow and glared at his girlfriend who was currently sitting in a chair next to his hospital bed. "You're real funny, you know that?"
Ignoring Scorpius's absolute misery, Lily grinned and reached down into her backpack to pull out a giant ancient book. Opening it up, she said, "Let's find out what you have, shall we?"
"Pomfrey is already running the potion tests to see what I have."
"Yeah, but this is more fun."
"Me dying is fun for you?"
"Hey!" Lily shouted, "Only I'm allowed to say you're dying. Now," she looked at the book. "Would you say your symptoms are closer to Scrofungulus or Dragon Pox?"
Scorpius wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Neither!"
"Black cat flu?"
"No."
"Spattergroit?"
"Do I look purple to you?" Scorpius narrowed his eyes, focusing on her as his vision went slightly blurry.
Lily squinted as she tilted her head to look up at him from her seat. "Well…"
Scorpius grabbed the glass of water on the table beside him to try and look at his reflection. "Am I purple?" He looked up to see Lily silently laughing in her chair. "Honestly, I only feel bad once in a while. It's not even too bad now." He tossed his legs over the side of the bed and hopped off.
In an instant, Lily Luna scrambled out of her seat and backed away from the boy. "Oh no, you don't. I don't want whatever contagious death disease you have anywhere near me! Stay back! Stay back!" Lily continued to back away, dramatically waving her wand at him.
Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Alright, Lily. You don't have to be so dramat—"
Blinding pain hit him behind his eyes and Scorpius doubled over in pain. It was like pins and needles were sticking into him. He put his fists to his eyes and pushed, trying to block it but it was to no avail.
He heard Lily run to him without any hesitancy. He could feel Lily's hands immediately on his back rubbing soothingly and comfortingly. Her soft, nonsense words whispering in his ears providing him with sweet comfort. They continued on for a few minutes, him crouched on the ground beside the bed with her protectively over him.
Once the wave of pain passed, Scorpius looked up to see Lily looking at him with nothing but worry and panic. All signs of joking and laughter were gone from her face.
He gave her a weak smile as he climbed back onto the bed. "I thought you didn't want whatever contagious death disease I had."
Lily didn't smile. She stood by his bed and after he had adjusted himself to sit upright, she reached out and wrapped both her arms around his neck, fitting her face in the curve of his neck. "I don't want to lose you," she whispered softly, soft droplets of tears making their way down her face and onto Scorpius's neck.
He returned the hug and wrapped his own arms around her waist. Kissing her forehead, he assured her, "You won't lose me, Lils. I'm not going anywhere."
"Mr. Malfoy." Madam Pomfrey's voice had the two teenagers' heads turning to the noise. Lily quickly started wiping the last of her tears away to prepare to hear the news. "Your results came in. What you have are severe migraines."
"Migraines?" Scorpius questioned. "But I've never had a migraine before and now I'm getting them all the time. Why are they just coming out of nowhere?"
"Yes, well, this kind of migraine can come at any age and can be triggered by many things, bright lights, stress and anxiety, caffeine—"
"What can we do about it? How can you cure him?" Lily asked demandingly.
Pomfrey remained calm. "Sadly, there's no cure, but we can manage the migraines and control them." She handed him a potion. "Take a spoonful when you feel a coming headache and it should help ease it. Try stress-management and make sure to get plenty of sleep."
"He has been sleeping less lately," Lily muttered. When Pomfrey looked at her confused, she explained further, "Because he's been studying for final exams and writing his ultra-super-secret novel that he refuses to let me read."
"Lily," Scorpius hissed.
"Mr. Malfoy, you must try to sleep at reasonable hours, otherwise your migraines might get worse."
"Yes, ma'am," he mumbled.
"Would you like me to notify your parents about your condition?"
"No!" Scorpius burst out. He then cleared his throat and said, "Uh, it's alright. I'll let them know myself."
After Pomfrey finished the rest of her explanations and dismissed the two of them, they walked hand in hand back to the Ravenclaw common room.
"Alright, so migraines," Lily started, swinging her and Scorpius's hands back and forth. "Nothing you can't handle, right?"
"I kinda have to, don't I?" Scorpius muttered as he walked through the halls with his shoulder slumped.
"Hey now," Lily stopped in her steps and turned to face her boyfriend. She reached out her hand and cupped his cheek. "You are strong, Scorpius Malfoy. You can do anything and everything. And I will be there with you every step of the way for the days you don't think you are."
Scorpius leaned into her hand and sighed. "You promise?"
"I promise, you big book reading nerd." She gave him a bright-eyed grin and stood on her tippy toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I can't believe you thought you were dying. You were worried for nothing."
"I thought I was dying? I was worried? Who was the one screaming about my contagious death disease? Stay back! Stay back!" He quickly untangled from her hold and started sprinting down the hall.
Lily laughed as she too began running after him.
"Stay back!" Scorpius yelled between laughs, slowing down to allow Lily to catch up.
Lily jumped on his back when she finally reached him and the two of them spun around in a dizzying circle. She tightened her hold on him and squeezed her eyes shut, a smile blossoming on her face. "Never."
They have their parents' approval…
James Potter I
"How do I look?" Lily asked Sirius, twirling around in her dress. She wanted to look perfect for when she was going to meet James's mum.
"With your eyes," Sirius replied sarcastically while flipping through a magazine with a flashy motorcycle on the front cover; he couldn't even spare a quick glance in her direction.
Lily and the four marauders were currently in James's childhood bedroom at Potter Manor after coming home for break.
Over their sixth year, James invited Lily over to spend the summer at his manor. Having to decide between the constant isolation and disapproving sneers from her sister or a fun summer with the marauders, Lily wisely chose the latter. James's father had recently died and he knew he did not want to spend the summer alone and Lily wanted to be there for him in whichever way she could.
James watched Lily fidget with her dress. "Why are you so nervous to meet my mum anyway?"
He wasn't really sure where he stood with Lily Evans. They had become friends in their fifth year and they had gotten closer and closer as the days passed. James had stopped asking Lily out completely and Lily actually smiled when he sat down next to her. He didn't want to jinx it by asking her out again, but he knew he certainly wanted to be more than friends with her.
"It's not just your mum, James," Sirius said, munching on a licorice wand before flipping to the next page of his magazine. "Lily just has a desperate need to look good in the eyes of any grown adult. She's a professional ass-kisser."
"Oi!" Lily protested.
"I did say you were professional." Sirius shrugged.
"Well, you're just an ass," Lily retorted.
"Actually, I'm a dog."
Lily narrowed her eyes as she glared at the Animagus, "And you—"
"Alright, alright!" James put his hand up, interfering in the argument before it could escalate. "Sirius, don't call Lily an ass-kisser and Lily, you are going to be fine. Mum is gonna love you. She always talked about wanting a girl in the house."
"As if Remus wasn't enough," Sirius snorted.
"Oi!" Remus threw a pillow at Sirius's head from James's bed where he and Peter were playing a game of chess. "Are you trying to start a fight with everyone in this room?"
"I'm bored!" Sirius sang as he twisted his body off the couch, dropping the shiny booklet to the floor.
"I just don't know how to act in front of her," Lily said, wringing her hands. "And I'm a muggleborn and I don't know, your mum is like pureblood royalty."
"My mum doesn't care about blood status," James replied. "That's the last thing on her mind. She doesn't care."
"Okay, sure but… even when purebloods say they don't care, somewhere in the back of their minds they still see a difference between purebloods and muggleborns."
Remus nodded in agreement. "Lily does have a point."
Lily continued. "Like take Professor Slughorn for example—"
James interrupted her, "The minute we start comparing my mum to Slughorn is where I draw the line."
"Lily," Sirius said with a sincere tone that had her turning her head. "I know a lot of purebloods might seem like that. Trust me, I've lived with that. I can promise you that Mrs. Potter is nothing like them. Not a single bit."
Lily nodded hesitantly and turned back to the mirror to continue smoothing out her dress until she heard the sound of the Floo network being activated.
"I'm home! How 'bout ya boys come down and help me with the groceries!" A voice sounded from the room below.
At the sound of the voice, the faces of the four marauders brightened at once. "Mum!" James said excitedly. Followed by, "Mrs. Potter!" from the other three.
Lily watched amusedly as the four scampered off the couch and the bed and dashed to the door. They all ran to the woman holding a brown paper bag full of groceries and bombarded her with hugs. "Aw, it's good to see you boys too."
James took the bag from his mother and they all started walking to the kitchen. Lily awkwardly followed behind, not sure what to do.
As they put the groceries away, James and his mum caught up as James updated her on his life. Lily could tell that James was a complete momma's boy.
"Sirius, honey," Euphemia Potter said, looking at the marauder, "You are looking skinnier by the day. Are you eating enough at the school? Because if not, I will come by there and feed you myself if I have to."
Sirius gave a bark-life laugh. "I've been eating! I've just been getting more muscular is all." Sirius flexed his arms and showed off jokingly.
The mother chuckled. "I bet all the ladies love that."
"They can't get enough," was his response.
"And you Remus," the woman turned to the werewolf. "Are you getting the weekly chocolates I've been sending? Cause I know our owl likes to snag some of the loot."
"Yes, Mrs. Potter, I have. Thank you," Remus said bashfully.
"Of course, darling." She turned to the next marauder. "Peter, have you been practicing your spells?"
"Getting better every day, Mrs. Potter," the rat Animagus said proudly.
Euphemia patted his cheek lovingly. "Good boy."
Finally, she settled on Lily. She let her eyes wander up and down as she studied the girl. Lily couldn't help but fidget as she was being scrutinized. Gathering up her courage, Lily stretched out her hand. "Hi, Mrs. Potter. I'm Lily. Lily Evans."
Mrs. Potter continued to observe the hand in pin-drop silence, not making a move to take it. Her eyes went up to lock in with Lily and she finally said, "So you're the girl who's rejected my son a thousand times over?"
Lily's eyes widened as she dropped her hand immediately. "Oh um… well…"
While Lily was struggling to find the words, she failed to notice how Euphemia Potter was struggling to stifle her laughter. She finally couldn't help it and let out a burst of laughter. Reaching out and giving Lily and giant hug, that maternal Potter welcomed her into the family. "You know, I kept telling Jamie to leave you alone and to not bother you, but did he listen?" she answered her question. "Not one bit."
"He listened in fifth year," Lily replied, happy to have been so openly accepted.
"And look where you are now. In his house. As his friend." Euphemia smacked her son in the back of his head, although James was about a foot taller than her so it ended up looking comical. "What did I tell ya?"
"Yes, mum." James rolled his eyes and made a face. "You were right."
"Mhmm," Mrs. Potter hummed. "And don't you forget it. Now Lily dear, what is your favorite food. Today we are having a Lily themed dinner to celebrate me being right and my son being wrong."
Lily laughed. "Anything is fine, Mrs. Potter, really!"
"Oh no, you are calling me Euphemia."
"Hey!" Sirius called out, "We don't get to call you Euphemia."
"Are you gonna be my future daughter-in-law?" Euphemia Potter asked, her hands on her hips, while Lily and James spluttered beside her.
"I have more of a chance than Evans," Sirius smirked.
Euphemia Potter quirked her eyebrows and gave the boy the classic Potter grin. Lily realized that even her hazel brown eyes twinkled the same way as James. "Are you really going to question a mother's intuition? And so soon after her latest victory?"
Sirius conceded, putting his hands up in defeat. "Whatever you say, Mrs. Potter."
"Damn right." Euphemia turned to Lily, an excited look in her eyes. "I already have the centerpieces picked out for your wedding!"
Lily and James looked at each other nervously, not knowing how to tell the energetic woman that they weren't actually together. After all, who could fight a mother's intuition?
Lily Luna Potter
"This is a bad idea, Lily." Scorpius nervously fixed his tie as he and Lily walked up the steps of Grimmauld Place. "This is a really bad idea."
"Score," Lily said smoothly. "Shut. Up. This is just dinner with my dad. It's not the end of the world. He's not going to kill you." Lily tilted her head in thought. "At least not in public."
Scorpius looked at her in terror, so Lily exclaimed, "I'm joking! Goodness, Scorpius, it's going to be fine!"
"Is it? Is it?" Scorpius leaned in with widened eyes. "Can you be sure that your father, the savior of the Wizarding world, will approve of me, the son of his arch-nemesis?"
Lily looked at him, shocked. "You're Voldemort's secret bastard child?"
At Scorpius's an unamused look, Lily reassured him, "My dad is not one to judge someone by their parents. If he hates you, it'll be because of you and your personality, not because of your father."
"Huh," Scorpius scratched the back of his head as Lily knocked on the front door. "Strangely that does make me feel better."
"Glad to be of service, babe." When the door opened, Lily Luna brightened at the sight. "Daddy!"
Excitedly, she threw her arms around her father and held him close.
"Lily," Harry smiled at his daughter. "Welcome home. Mum is running late from quidditch practice, but she'll be here soon."
It was the summer of her fifth year and Lily had told her father that she would come home from King's Crossing on her own. She wanted to give Scorpius time to prepare to meet him and at that moment, it seemed like the extra time did not help.
Scorpius fidgeted nervously beside her and wiped the sweat off his clammy hands on the front of his pants.
"That's good. Daddy." Lily grabbed Scorpius's forearm and dragged him forward. "This is Scorpius, my boyfriend."
Wiping his hands once again, Scorpius held his hand out. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Sir… I mean Harry! I mean Potter. Mr. Harry Potter, sir."
Harry reached out and shook his hand, his eyes raised amusedly. Lily looked at the ground, struggling not to laugh at her boyfriend's predicament.
"Scorpius… Malfoy?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer.
"Uh… yes," he admitted.
"Hmm," Harry nodded, continuing to study the boy. "So what do you want to do in the future?"
Scorpius didn't really know what kind of test this was. It wasn't like Scorpius was going to say, Well, I would love to be a Death Eater just like my father was. Follow in his footsteps and all that.
"I, uh… well, I'm considering either teaching or writing."
"He's a great writer, dad," Lily encouraged. "I was finally allowed to read chapter one of his novel and it's amazing."
"Teaching?" Harry said, finally moving out of the way of the door to allow his daughter and her boyfriend inside. "You know, I did a bit of teaching in my fifth year."
"Really?" Scorpius said, even though he already knew everything about Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army. Still, he let the older man explain what happened and acted like it was brand new information.
Lily rolled her eyes at him, knowing the truth. "Kiss ass," she mumbled at his side, which he responded with a soft elbow jab. Harry didn't seem to notice a thing as he recounted the time he taught Dumbledore's Army the Impediment Jinx.
James Sirius and Albus had arrived a few minutes earlier and she saw them bustling around in the kitchen getting everything ready for dinner. Actually, they were helping their father who was the actual chef of the house. "Dad, I have missed your cooking," James Sirius said as he dipped a finger into the sauce and licked it.
"Oi!" Albus grabbed his brother's hand. "That's for everyone ya numpty."
Lily smiled as she set her bags down in the living room and joined her family in the other room. "It's good to be back home."
"And then we all learned how to do the Patronus charm, which was a great help during the Battle" Harry finished his story.
"I'm gonna learn how to do the Patronus charm next year," Lily chimed in, sticking one of her fingers in the sauce and licking her finger just as her elder brother had done. "And Scorpius learned how to do it in Defense this year."
Albus threw his spoon up in exasperation, as both his siblings had poisoned their dinner with their nasty fingers. "I live in a house full of heathens."
"Were you able to cast a full corporal Patronus?" Harry casually asked as he and Lily set the table. He knew that most students were not able to and he figured Scorpius could not either.
"Yeah, I did." Scorpius answered while Harry looked at him impressed and slightly shocked. "I mean, it was only for a second and it disappeared really quickly, but there was definitely a hint of an animal there."
"Really?" Lily asked, intrigued as she and her brothers sat down at the table. "You never told me that."
Scorpius shrugged. "I thought it would be a cool animal like a tiger or a dragon or something. And the whole thing lasted for maybe half a second, so I didn't think it was a big deal."
"So it wasn't a cool animal like my lion?" James grinned as he started piling his plate up with food. "What was it then? A llama? A rhino? A—"
"A deer," Scorpius admitted resignedly.
Harry paused midway of putting a spoonful of food on his plate. "A deer?" he asked hesitantly.
"I know. Of course I had to get the most random animal—"
"Score," Lily said quietly.
Scorpius looked at her in confusion as to why the whole table went silent. "What?"
"Prongs," she reminded him of her family's history.
"Oh," Scorpius said as he remembered Harry's own Patronus. "Oh…"
Lily stuck a fork in her food and ate. "I wonder what my Patronus will be."
"You'd have to a have a very powerful happy memory to fuel a full corporeal Patronus," Harry warned, as he continued to fill his plate.
Lily looked at Scorpius with a twinkling smile. "I have a couple."
After dinner, Lily and Scorpius volunteered to do the dishes. Lily opted to wash and Scorpius chose to dry. After the last dish was soaped up and washed, she handed the plate to Scorpius and walked to her father to a place in the room she believed to be out of earshot from her boyfriend. "So what do you think?" she asked bluntly.
"Lily flower," Harry said, "If you like him, then I like him. He seems like a good kid."
Harry kissed the top of his daughter's head as she leaned in for a hug. "Thanks daddy."
"We'll have to find a way to ease your Uncle Ron into this though," Harry said with a chuckle.
Scorpius smiled to himself as he dried the last dish; this moment could fuel a Patronus as bright as the sun.
They are loved deeply…
James Potter I
His hooved feet left a deep indent in the soft dirt. Prongs trekked leisurely through the forest, simply basking in the lovely sunlight and the peaceful sanctuary. Tomorrow was going to be a full moon and he needed some time alone to relax and feel his form before Moony's transformation began. He did this before every full moon, took some time to himself, that is. It was his seventh year at Hogwarts and even though he had been an Animagus for quite some time, it was always an exciting feeling to completely transform and become something else.
He thought he was alone, but the crunch of the leaves behind him said otherwise. Eyes widening like a him in headlights, Prongs swiveled around to face whatever was waiting for him. To his surprise, he was greeted by the wonderful sight of red hair and green eyes. It was the love of his life.
"Hi, deer," Lily Evans cooed at him.
Prongs grunted in response and stomped a hoof in the ground, excited to see her, but also curious as to why she was so deep in the forest.
"You're probably wondering why I'm here." Lily cautiously walked to the stag, careful not to spook him away. "I just needed some space to clear my mind."
Prongs leaned his long neck towards the girl, allowing her to place her hands on his fur. She complied and Prongs preened under her touch.
"You see, deer." Lily continued to pet Prongs's fur. "I am kind of in a dilemma."
Prongs grunted as if asking what was wrong, so Lily explained. "I like this guy. I think I've liked him for a little while now and I keep trying to find the right moment to tell him, but I always get to chicken." Lily looked at the stag and joked, "Maybe I should buck up and be brave, don't you think?"
Prongs shook his antlers and let out a sound of mourning. He didn't want Lily to ask another guy out. He wanted Lily to love him.
"Calm down!" Lily backed away from the moving stag. "I know my pun wasn't great, but you don't have to be mean about it!"
Prongs rolled his head in a circle. His expression portraying his utter disbelief at her unknown betrayal.
Despite the signs of Prongs being unstable, Lily neared the stag once more and pet his shoulder area. Leaning in for a hug, she placed her head on his neck and said, "For a long time, I've tried to deny my feelings, but all that did was make them grow more and now what I want more than anything is to just be with him. I guess what I'm really trying to say is: James Potter, will you be my boyfriend?"
Prongs stilled completely while Lily grinned, backing away from the creature and crossing her arms. Slowly but surely, Prongs began his transformation back into James. His hooves became feet, his eyes getting smaller, and his fur reverting back to skin, until Lily was met face-to-face with James Potter in all his human glory.
They stared at each other in silence, until James broke it. "How did you know it was me?"
"How could I not?" Lily replied, walking nearer to the boy. "I've never met a deer with that much personality. I can be very observant." She reached towards James and helped fix his tie which had become lopsided during his transformation.
"How long have you known?" James asked.
"Does it matter?"
"When I was Prongs…" James ruffled the back of his head in a way that once drove Lily mad. "You said you…. well, you said…"
She grinned, watching him blubber. "I did say that."
"Did you mean it?"
"Depends on what your answer is," said Lily shyly.
James couldn't hide his bubbling ecstasy. "I'm gonna have to hear the question again."
"I've already asked."
"And I've spent the last six years asking, Evans. I have to hear it again."
Lily shook her head, rolling her eyes at his playfulness. "James Potter, will you make me the happiest woman on the face of the earth and go out with me?"
James pulled her forward, holding her by the waist. He could not believe his luck. Lily leaned forward, her lips an inch away from his. He could almost taste her kiss. Just before sealing the deal, he whispered. "Yes. I will be your boyfriend."
Lily Luna Potter
The hippogriff reared his head back and squawked majestically. He, along with Scorpius and Lily, stood outside of Hagrid's hut. Scorpius and Lily had both graduated from Hogwarts, but had returned that day because Scorpius was offered a teaching position at the school and it was going to be his first day as a professor.
Lily insisted on tagging along to see how much the campus had changed without her presence in it. While there, they had both decided to visit Hagrid and he had allowed them to ride Buckbeak for a little bit and enjoy themselves. Lily had jumped at the opportunity… Scorpius was a little more hesitant.
He shook his head dramatically and backed away. "No. No. No. There is no way in hell I am getting on that thing."
"That thing is Buckbeak and he is a wonderful creature." Lily Luna turned to the hippogriff, petting its feathers. "Yes, you are," she cooed. "Yes, you are."
Scorpius raised his eyebrow. "I am not riding it. My father said hippogriffs are literal demons."
"Yeah, and you're gonna believe your father?" Lily turned to face her boyfriend, one hand still on the hippogriff. "Look at Buckbeak and tell me he's not the cutest little bird you've ever seen."
"He's not the cutest little bird I've ever seen." Scorpius looked at Lily, a twinkle in his eye. "You are."
"You can flatter me all you want, but you're still riding the hippogriff." Lily still blushed at the compliment.
"I take it back," grumbled Scorpius, as he cautiously trudged towards the creature.
"Too late, baby." Lily teased as she helped him climb on the creature. After she made sure Scorpius was secured on Buckbeak's back, she also climbed on behind the blond and patted the hippogriff's back, letting him know they were ready. The creature reared back on its hind legs and let out a giant squawk before taking off into the air.
Lily laughed as she enjoyed the breeze in her hair while Scorpius screamed bloody murder at the top of his lungs. He could not believe he let Lily convince him to do this.
While Buckbeak soared through the air and twisted and turned, Lily noticed something fall out of Scorpius's pocket. Using her seeker abilities, Lily reached out and grabbed it before it could fall any further and stuffed the small box into her pocket.
Buckbeak flew a little longer and finally, to Scorpius's relief, decided to land next to the lake. Scorpius stumbled off the creature and heaved forcefully, his body bent forward. Lily rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's theatrics and took out the small box he had dropped, preparing to return it. Before doing so, her curiosity got the better of her and she opened it slightly to take a peek.
She was speechless. Scorpius eventually looked up to see Lily staring at the box and felt his heart drop to his stomach.
"It was supposed to be a surprise." He walked over to her and put his hand on top of the hand Lily used to hold the box. "You were the one who always asked me out back when we were students, so I figured it would be my turn to do the asking."
He got down on one knee, and opened the small box in his hand to reveal a beautiful blue engagement ring.
Lily still couldn't find the words to speak. Scorpius took it as a sign that Lily didn't want what he was offering. He shook his head, embarrassed. "Look, I know we just got out of Hogwarts and it's only the start of our careers and we don't know what the future holds. I had a whole speech planned out. I was going to take you to a romantic dinner and then read you an excerpt from my novel, which I was then going to tell you that it was all about you. I even considered singing you a song." Scorpius looked at her like a thirsty man finding a well. "I know this is all so much. But you are my future, Lily Luna Potter and—"
"Scorpius, baby." Lily finally spoke, her hand reaching down to the man and cradling the side of his face. She couldn't contain her happiness. With happy tears in her eyes she said, "Technically, you haven't asked me anything."
"Lily Luna Potter," Scorpius took in a deep breath and released, "Will you make me the happiest man in the whole world and marry me?"
She didn't hesitate this time and she couldn't wait any longer. Kneeling down on the muddy ground to join her soulmate, with the sound of the wind in their ears and the smell of the fresh lake beside them, Lily kissed him with everything she had. "Yes. I will marry you."
And above all: They have each other's backs…
Lily Luna Potter
"I can't believe my husband is an actual published author!" Lily Luna Potter squealed excitedly for the hundredth time that day.
Scorpius blushed, ducking his head, as he sat in the book signing chair at Flourish and Blotts. "Honey, you are the actual famous one here with your music and your official head choir director of all of magical Great Britain title."
"Oh, hush." Lily smacked her husband's shoulder. "Today is about you."
"Actually, it's about this." Scorpius held up his book. "Which is all about you."
Lily leaned in for a kiss. "It's all about us."
"Mhmm," Scorpius agreed, kissing her back.
"Absolutely disgusting," a voice commented from afar.
Lily pulled back from her public display of attention to address the voice. "Excuse me?"
A man walked forward, at least her father's age and crinkled his nose as he looked at her. "You are Harry Potter's daughter?"
"Yes?" Lily looked at him confused. "And you are?"
"I just wanted to let you know what a disappointment you are to the wizarding community."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Wow, tell us how you really feel."
While Lily was taking his insult with a grain of salt, Scorpius was not having it. He would not let anyone be so blatantly rude to his wife. "Who the bloody hell do you think you are?" He demanded to know.
"I am a man who fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. I fought against people like you." The older man looked at Scorpius like he was Voldemort, himself. "And then I find out that the daughter of the man I fought with is married to the son of a Death Eater." He turned to Lily with a scathing look. "You married the enemy. Imagine how your father feels."
"My father walked me down the bloody aisle, thank you very much!" Lily yelled in an almost shrill voice. She could not believe the nerve of this man. "And not that it's any of your business, but my father and Scorpius get along very well and Scorpius is most definitely not a Death Eater. How dare you come here with your accusations?"
"Your father may believe the lies, but I know the truth," the man growled. "Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater. It's in your blood. Just think what your grandfather would say. James Potter died for his family only to have his family become the people he hates most. One grandchild in Slytherin, one married to a Death Eater…"
"Stop saying my husband is a Death Eater, you bloody maniac!" Lily said, her voice growling, attracting the attention of nearby people who stopped to see what the commotion was about.
She slammed her hands on the table as she leaned forward and seethed, "You have only said one thing right this whole time. James Potter was a hero. So was my grandmother, Lily Potter. My dad is a hero. My mum is a hero. My Uncle Ron and my Aunt Hermione are heroes. They have all come to accept my relationship with Scorpius and my grandparents would have too." She crossed her arms and glared at the man. "You know why? Because we are not defined by our past. We are not defined by our families and what they did. We make a future for ourselves."
"And you," she walked in front of the book signing table and stood right in front of the cocky man, pointing one finger at his chest. "If you think that someone's blood makes them what they are, well then mister, I have to tell you something. You are no better than the Death Eaters you so vehemently hate."
The man had nothing to say to that, so Lily continued, "I suggest you pack your things and get the bloody hell out of here before I throw you out myself."
At a loss for words, the man had no choice but to walk out of the store, his head hung low. After the man had left, the silence in the bookshop was broken by a smattering of clapping that turned into a full-blown applause. Lily bowed three times and laughed. "Thank you, thank you! It's all in a day's work. Now please, check out my husband's novel!"
There was an immediate rush to pick up more novels and while the civilians flipped through its pages, Scorpius stood from his table and walked to his wife. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"
"I love you too, baby." Lily wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss, a continuation of the one they shared before they were so rudely interrupted.
A few hours passed and Scorpius's hand grew tired of all the book signing. It was a wonderful pain and he could not believe so many people actually wanted to read his book. He knew most of the credit belonged to his lovely wife who was his inspiration and his guide. All his books were sold at the end of the day. All but one.
"Can I get your autograph, Mr. Malfoy?" Lily's voice asked teasingly as she stood in front of his table. All the other people had already gotten their signatures and left, so it was just the two of them and the storeowner left.
"Why, of course, Mrs. Malfoy." He took the last book and began to sign the first page. "We sold it all, Lily," Scorpius said in total awe. "We actually did it."
"I knew we could," Lily smiled proudly at Scorpius. "I think this is just the start, don't you think, baby?"
Scorpius closed the book and handed it back to her, the title of the novel speaking for itself: Yes.
James Potter I
"I always knew she was my favorite," James exclaimed rather loudly.
Being in heaven meant having all the time in the world and that meant spying on the grandchildren was on the daily agenda.
"James, you say a different grandkid is your favorite every day," Lily smiled softly as she shook her head at her husband's antics.
"But the way she stood up to that idiot was absolutely amazing! And did you hear what she said? She said I was a hero! A hero!"
"You've been called a hero by plenty of people, honey." She wrapped her arms around him and held him close.
"Yeah, but she's my granddaughter. It means a lot coming from her."
"Well, it's true." Lily reached up and planted a kiss on his cheek. "You know, she reminds me a lot of you, James."
"Really? I don't see it."
"A Lily by any other name would smell as sweet."
Authors Note: Hope you enjoyed this two-shot! I would really, really appreciate it if you could take a moment to write a review and let me know your thoughts! Thanks!