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SIYE Time:13:14 on 28th March 2024
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The Space Between
By YelloWitchGrl

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Category: Post-Hogwarts, Post-DH/AB, Post-DH/PM
Characters:All
Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Fluff, General, Humor, Tragedy
Warnings: Dark Fiction, Death, Disturbing Imagery, Extreme Language, Intimate Sexual Situations, Mental Abuse, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Negative Alcohol Use, Rape, Sexual Situations, Spouse/Adult/Child Abuse, Violence, Violence/Physical Abuse
Rating: R
Reviews: 559
Summary: Harry and Ginny's lives have finally evened out. They've faced trauma, and loss, more than most have, but they've fought hard to find a normal.

If only things could stay that way... Old enemies find new ways to seek revenge.

This story is the sequel to Bound. It would be extremely helpful if you read that first.

Warnings are to be safe. It's probably overkill. Please message me if you have any questions or concerns.
Hitcount: Story Total: 352150; Chapter Total: 2631
Awards: View Trophy Room




Author's Notes:
I know it's been forever. I was literally drowning in masks. For anyone reading this in the future, we're in 2020 in the middle of quarantine and I'm also a seamstress so I have donated thousands of masks to local hospitals, as well as selling them. BTW If you want a Harry Potter mask, hit me up at ecofamilygoods dot com

SO My book dropped and didn't sell well. My last chapter dropped and got only a few comments. I love writing, I really do, but I have to make it count financially to justify taking away from my sewing job.

This fanfiction is getting epically long. It's something like 350,000 words and who on earth has time to read through all that :D I am going to spend more time this summer (It's currently June 1st) writing. I'm ready to get this done. It's still likely going to take another calendar year, though.

In the meantime, I'm mulling over starting a Patreon account and having at least a chapter a month or something in an original story for a tiny subscription fee, say $2-$3 or something. If you're actually reading this, tell me what you think. Harry Potter (OF COURSE) stays free and the Patreon will have none of the fanfiction, but you might enjoy my original works if you enjoy my writing here.

I'll keep you posted on what I decide to do, but I want your feedback! If you're not familiar with Patreon it's a monthly subscription service that helps support artists. In this case, it would be like renting a movie from Redbox every month, and I'd give you a chapter, etc for it.

Thank you again, so much, for continuing to support me!

Most especially to the kind Arnel for all she does!!!




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“You’re going to work in a jewelry shop?” James asked quietly so as not to raise the ire of the librarian. He studied Caroline, just to make sure he’d heard her right. She nodded, though, and continued to work on the essay they had due the next week for Transfiguration. James hadn’t been able to concentrate on it. It was May 2nd, twenty-five years since the Battle of Hogwarts. Twenty-five years since his uncle had died… twenty-five years since Teddy’s parents had died.

He tried, more often than he wanted to admit, to picture what he’d have done back then. He was the same age as his dad. It was an awesome thought. He hadn’t really managed to do anything as impressive as his father and yet James didn’t really think of it as a bad thing. It wasn’t as though his dad wanted him to suffer as he had suffered.

“James?”

He glanced over to her and smiled. “If it’s what you want to do.”

“Nothing else appeals,” she admitted. “I’m not sure it appeals to me, either, but I can keep applying while I work. I’ll be bringing in some money, at least.”

He didn’t know exactly what the financial situation was with her grandparents but he knew it wasn’t good. They’d had to go into debt to fight Caroline’s father for custody of the two girls. He really, really wanted to make it all go away but he knew there wasn’t any way they’d accept that kind of help from him. “How can you concentrate?”

She smiled knowingly at him and his heart flopped over in his chest. “If I have mine done then I can help you with yours the night before it’s due.”

He laughed but it was cut off by a wince as the library shot him a death glare. He didn’t have long before he went off for training. He only had another few weeks with her and then they’d be apart for most of the summer. It was only this summer, though. Well, he hoped it was only this summer. The new recruits to the team were required to spend their entire training time with the team in order to build comradery. James didn’t think sharing a dorm with two other blokes, no new girls this year, was going to do anything but he wanted the job so he would follow the rules. He had a perfectly good house he wanted to go back to. But the only way out of the dormitories was if he was married and there wasn’t a chance of that happening any time soon.

“You look awfully pensive.”

“Just thinking about missing you,” James told her honestly. “I only have a month.”

“It’s weird you’re leaving the day we leave school,” she said thoughtfully.

Truthfully, the two new teammates would be there for several days before he arrived, but they couldn’t make him cut short his education for it. “You sure you don’t want to be getting ready for this thing? I heard Lily say she was going to spend all day preparing.”

“Lily doesn’t even need two minutes to look beautiful,” Caroline scoffed as she made a flourish on her paper. “There, I’m done. It was awfully sweet of Scorpius to say he’d take her. She should be there, of course. It was her parents who helped stop the whole thing.”

It made something between his shoulder blades itch as he thought back to what had happened to his parents shortly after the final battle. They’d been forced to marry, his mother pregnant with his sister Hope. He felt a gentle hand touch his. He smiled at Caroline. “Our last date before I go.”

She nodded and gathered up her books. “It’s not exactly a happy celebration, but I am glad Voldemort is dead.”

They all were.

~*~

Teddy lounged back into his pillows and tried to stay focused on his book. It was the night of the Remembrance Ball and he and Victoire should have been there. It was twenty-five years since he’d lost his parents. But he wasn’t there and he didn’t regret that decision for a moment. Victoire was still too ill to do anything of the sort, not with the feeding line hooked up to her all day and all night. He hadn’t wanted to find a sitter for his daughter so he could go alone, face his parents’ deaths alone. No, he wanted to be where he was. He’d been given the day off, which he’d appreciated. He’d had the whole day with Emma. He’d fed her, changed her, and now she was in bed completely worn out from his need to stay busy that day. Victoire had slept fitfully through the day, as she did most days. The twins were really knocking it out of her.

“I wish I could have met your parents.”

“Me, too,” he admitted. He had met them, in a way. He knew them from stories his grandmother had told him, and from what the rest of the family had said, but it wasn’t the same.

“Teddy?”

He turned to study his wife and worried at the gauntness he saw in her cheeks. She was worn thin, still, even though she wasn’t throwing up anymore. He hadn’t brought it up with her, yet, but he thought he might explore the option of making sure they didn’t have any more children after this. She wasn’t in the right frame of mind to discuss it, though, and they had time yet. He actually had thought he wanted four children but after seeing what this pregnancy was doing to her, he knew he couldn’t ask her to do it again.

“Stop looking at me like that,” she ordered as she poked his nose.

He grinned and caught her hand, placing a lingering kiss on her fingertips. They both sighed, though, as he let her hand fall. They were on strict orders not to do anything of that nature while she had the feeding tube.

It might end up being a very long nine months.

“Your parents will live on in our children,” she said simply.

He let the words sink in and slowly he nodded. He knew it was true. They weren’t really gone. Harry had explained to him he’d seen Remus when he’d been about ready to die. He’d told him, over and over, the dead we love never really leave.

“I wish you would have gone tonight.”

Teddy shook his head. “No. I couldn’t do it without you. I didn’t want to do it without you. Besides,” he said on a long sigh. “I am living and they are not. I remember them all the time. I don’t need a ball to remember them.”

“It’s going to be a lot of boring, pompous speeches,” Victoire sighed and didn’t quite hide her mirth. “Uncle Harry is going to be miserable.”

“They’re all going to be miserable,” Teddy agreed. “Harry has to speak.”

He would have to. He was the hero who conquered the dark lord, as Peeves was so fond of singing for some unknown reason. But, of course, when Peeves sang it, it simply sounded like an insult.

Lily had been so excited to go, but then again she was Lily. She was light and life and nothing seemed to suck her down. He hoped the mood of the ball didn’t ruin it for her.

Oh, to be young again.

Well, no, Teddy mused. Even at fourteen he’d known better. No, she was fifteen now. She’d turned fifteen in April. The years were simply flying by. “Did I ever tell you about the day Lily was born?”

Curious, Victoire turned a bit and gave him her full attention. “No, I don’t think so.”

“I was ten,” he mused as he could still picture it. “She was born a little early, only five pounds something. I don’t know if you remember that. I was so nervous to meet her.”

“You were nervous?”

His chagrin must have shown because she made a cooing noise. “You thought she’d replace you?”

“I dunno,” he admitted. “It’s hard to go back to sort out, but I think it was something like that. I was so excited to see her I was begging to go and Grandma finally said I could. When I got there, James threw himself at me for a hug. He was confident and excited. Al was shy.”

“Al was shy for the longest time,” Victoire remembered. “I always wondered if he’d outgrow it.”

He had, and then some.

“I went up the stairs and I was telling myself they weren’t going to love me any less just because Lily was there. They were still going to care about me.” His smile was so genuine, now, it almost hurt. “I opened the door and Ginny held out her arm for me.”

“Aw, Teddy…” Victoire’s tears were evident in her voice.

He felt a stinging in his own eyes. “My mother, the only one I had known in life, was still wanting me. I ran to her and she held me close. I held Lily that morning. She was this tiny thing. She’s held my heart ever since.” He reached over to gently swipe at the tear sliding down his wife’s cheek. “Now she’s fifteen and I have a daughter of my own,” he said thoughtfully. “I have two more on the way. I couldn’t have imagined what life had in store for me, not that day, but it’s been a good life. I don’t think my parents could have wished better for me given what they’d sacrificed.” He closed his eyes briefly before he met hers. “I had parents growing up. They weren’t the ones who brought me into this world, but they did carry me through it. They always have. So, while I miss knowing my parents, I’m proud of their sacrifice and I don’t feel cheated.”

“If one of them is a boy, are we naming him Remus?”

Teddy considered it for a long moment. They’d talked about it for Emma, but it hadn’t ever felt like it was the right thing to do. “Maybe for a middle name. We have to wait and see.”

“We should know soon enough.”

“You don’t want to be surprised?”

Victoire gave him the look and he couldn’t help but laugh. No, of course they weren’t going to be surprised.

“I love you,” he told her simply as he bent his head to press a kiss to her brow. “We’ll do whatever you want.”

Two days later they found out they were having two more girls.

~*~

This could not be happening. James shook his head, trying to understand what the headmaster was saying to Caroline and Honor. He hadn’t wanted James to come to the meeting but Caroline had flat out refused to see the headmaster without James along. The headmaster was bad enough but there was another man along with him, one James hadn’t ever seen before.

“I’m so sorry, girls,” Headmaster Goldstein said again.

“A fire?” James repeated, absolutely certain he’d heard wrong. “They died in a fire?” How could they die in a fire? It was the question screaming nonstop in James’ mind. They could have simply put the fire out, or escaped from the house.

“It’s being investigated,” the headmaster assured them as James came back to himself and slung an arm around both sisters. Rufus had his head planted firmly in Caroline’s lap, but for once she didn’t seem to be panicking. Honor, on the other hand, was sobbing uncontrollably.

Their grandparents were dead.

Where was James’ father? It had to be murder.

“We have more to discuss,” Headmaster Goldstein said. “There are only two days left in the term, so the funeral will happen the day after you get home. The Potters are making the arrangements.”

“I won’t be there,” James shook his head. “I have to be there.”

“You will be,” the headmaster assured him. “I spoke with your coach, told him what happened, and he’s more than willing for you to come the day after. He’s a good man, very understanding.”

“Thank you,” James said automatically, even though he meant it. He’d have quit before he made Caroline face her grandparents’ funeral alone.

There was a knock at the door and Madam Longbottom poked her head in. “You called, Headmaster?”

“Yes, thank you, Hannah,” he said as he pointed to Honor. “I think Honor could use some quiet and sleep in your care. I will have Mr. Potter escort Caroline down for the same in a bit.”

Caroline shook her head. She wouldn’t willingly take anything which might dull her senses. James might have argued with her, but she seemed to be taking things better than he could have imagined.

As soon as her sister was gone, she turned to the man. “Why are you here?”

The man, an older gentleman with kind, gray eyes which matched his silvered hair, didn’t seem in the least offended. James could feel her shoulders shaking as he lowered his arm to take her hand in his, her other hand remained tightly fisted in Rufus’ scruffy mane.

“I am Cameron Bean, her grandparents’ solicitor,” the man explained to James before returning his focus to Caroline. “I’m going to be frank with you Caroline. Your grandparents were in a lot of debt.”

“How much debt?” James asked before he could stop himself.

At a nod from Caroline, the solicitor answered him and James let out a low whistle, sitting back in his seat. “Is she responsible for paying it?”

“I’m afraid so,” the solicitor explained gently. “With the house gone, I can sell the land and pay off a good portion of it, but not everything. I’ve arranged a payment schedule with the goblins. They were very understanding of your age and they are prepared to work with you.”

“How much?”

The monthly amount was more than Caroline would make at the jewelry store. James squeezed her hand but she began to shake badly. “I think we’re done for now,” James said as he stood and pulled her to her feet. “Send the details of the payments to me.”

“No,” Caroline whispered, but her protests were halfhearted, at best. She was in shock and James wasn’t going to put more on her shoulders.

“Yes,” he said firmly to the solicitor. “I’m taking her down to the hospital wing. We can speak later, if you can wait.”

“Of course,” Mr. Bean said as James led Caroline out of the office.

They were nearly to the hospital wing when he pulled her up short and took her into his arms. “I’ll take care of everything,” he promised. The payment would take up his entire paycheck every month, but he had other money laying around, which she didn’t.

“We’re homeless,” Caroline whispered into chest.

“No, you’re not,” he shook his head. “You’ll move into my house. It’ll be empty, anyway. You and Honor can stay there.”

In his mind it was already settled.

“I can’t,” she said as he tugged her into the hospital wing.

In the end he talked her into the sleeping draft and he waited with her until she’d fallen asleep in the bed next to her sister before he went back to deal the solicitor and arrange the payments.

They held the funeral three days later and he moved the girls into his house his last night before he left for training. His parents didn’t love the girls staying alone and Ginny said she’d check in on them often, but it was Caroline’s decision. She was of age and Honor’s legal guardian now. Besides, James would be gone and they could look after the house. The girls could stay at Ivy Run, but it was always crowded even with James gone. Ginny and Harry made Caroline promise to let them know if she needed anything, but James knew she wasn’t likely to ask.

The plan was for Caroline to find a flat for the two of them once she had a bit of money saved up. She could stay, for all he cared. He wanted her there, anyway.

For now, she could keep an eye on his empty house. They’d deal with everything else when the time came. With trepidation he left for training.

~*~

Scorpius used the Floo network to get to Ivy Run and tried not to vomit from his nerves. He’d sent an owl to Mr. Potter and asked for this meeting and had conspired with Nat to get Lily and Al out of the way so that they wouldn’t know he was there.

Harry was waiting for him, not saying a word. Scorpius cleared his throat and held out a hand to shake. “Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Potter.”

Harry shook and eyed him curiously. “Let’s go to my office.”

Scorpius followed silently in his wake. Harry closed the door and waved his wand over it, magically protecting it from eves-droppers. He motioned for Scorpius to sit and he did, while Harry pulled his chair around so that there was no desk between them. He waited patiently for Scorpius to collect himself. “I…” he took a deep breath and tried again, meeting Harry’s green eyes head on. “I’m in love with Lily.” As soon as he said it, Scorpius wanted to club himself with a Beater’s bat. He’d never meant to say that! He’d meant to ask for his permission to date her! “I…” but he cut off when Harry held up a hand.

To say that Harry looked shocked was a mild understatement. “I didn’t know you two were together.”

“We aren’t!” Scorpius assured him. “That’s… that’s what I wanted to ask you about. I wanted your permission to ask her out.”

Harry arched an eyebrow. “You’re in love with her and you’ve never been on a date?”

Scorpius dropped his head in his hands. He’d already made a complete mess of this. “I didn’t need to date her to fall in love with her,” he whispered into his hands. “I’ve been trying so hard not to love her! I’ve been fighting this for over a year and a half.”

“You…” Harry said and Scorpius heard the uncertainty. “Why have you been fighting it?”

“Because she’s two and a half years younger than I am!” Scorpius told him miserably as he looked up again. “Because she’s a Potter and I figured there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that you’d let me date her and because… because she deserves better.”

Harry frowned. “What do you mean better?”

“My family is insane!” Scorpius spit out, trying to force down all the rage and bile that even thinking of his father could induce. “They’re already arranging a marriage for me with someone I don’t even know. If anything were serious between Lily and me I’d be disowned and while I don’t give a rat’s fart–” he froze, looking apologetic, but Harry motioned for him to continue. “I don’t want to drag her into that.”

“But you’re asking now?” Harry said studying him.

“I think… I think she has feelings for me now,” Scorpius told him and felt his heart trip. “I think she feels something and she’s starting to look so unhappy that I’m not returning her feeling. I can’t stand it anymore. I don’t want to keep pretending and I can’t keep hurting her.”

Harry nodded slowly. “So you really came to ask me if you could date my daughter.”

“Yes,” Scorpius answered miserably. “I didn’t mean to say the other bit.”

The older man studied him. “You are not at all who I would have envisioned for her.”

“I know,” Scorpius said and he did. He knew he was just about the last person that Harry would have wanted for Lily and if he said no, Scorpius was going to respect it even if it killed him. “I am not going to cause a rift in your family. If you say no, then that’s it. She loves you all too much and part of what makes her so amazing is that she has you. I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize that.”

“What if I say no? What about your feelings?” Harry asked cautiously.

Nausea rolled through him. “I’m going to bury them and try to forget they existed if I can. I hope you aren’t going to say that, though.”

Harry sat back and considered him, his brow furrowed. “You’ve been Al’s friend six years now.”

Scorpius nodded. “Al’s been the best mate I could have asked for. He doesn’t care that my family are almost all complete nutters and that some are downright evil. He doesn’t hold it against me that you and my dad aren’t exactly chums.”

“I always thought you and Rose would get together,” Harry said as he leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing across his lips.

“Rose?” Scorpius blurted out, truly surprised. “No! She’s like a sister to me, same as Nat. Besides she’s going out with someone else and has been for a few months now. Er… please don’t tell Mr. Weasley that, though.”

Harry waved that off as he tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. “You’re really in love with her?”

“Yes,” Scorpius answered honestly. “I… she’s just so amazing and sweet and funny and genuine and she’s so kind.” Scorpius bit down on his cheek trying to stop himself from babbling and trying to justify his feelings. Harry had never been anything but nice to him, and he knew that even if he said ‘no’ he’d not be cruel about it. It just wasn’t in his nature.

“She’s also beautiful,” Harry said simply, watching him closely.

“Yes,” Scorpius agreed a little defensively. “But, I’ve liked her as a friend for years now. She’s a lot more than a pretty face.”

Harry rocked back in his chair before letting it back down carefully. “Al wrote and told us about what happened in February and how you went after her.”

“I couldn’t let her be on her own,” he whispered hoarsely.

“You made sure that her brothers were taking care of the idiot who hurt her, and then you went after her?” Harry summed up. “You didn’t want to pound the stuffing out of him yourself?”

“I did,” Scorpius admitted a little sheepishly. “But more than that I needed to make sure she was okay. Al, James and Louis were easily able to take care of him. I needed to take care of her more than I need revenge–” but he faltered at the look in Harry’s eyes. There was grief there as well as something else that he couldn’t quite name.

Harry took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I have to take it back, Scorpius. You are exactly what I hoped for.”

He sucked in a breath hardly daring to believe that Harry had said it. “Sir?”

“Do you promise me that you are always going to put her first?” Harry asked him, leaning forward to look him straight in the eye.

It was an easy promise to make. “Yes.”

“Okay, you have my permission to ask her out, but Scorpius,” he said and there was steel and warning in his tone. “She is just fifteen. Always keep that in mind.”

“I will,” he agreed.

Harry looked off for a second out the window and then back at him. “This has been one of the more uncomfortable conversations of my life.”

Scorpius laughed nervously. “Yeah.”

“I need you to know something,” he said carefully. “I know your dad loves you. I don’t think he really understands you, but he loves you.”

Scorpius waited, not sure where this was going and not sure he agreed. He knew his mum loved him, and that was sometimes enough.

“If you ever need to talk to someone like you would want to talk to your dad, but you don’t feel like you can…” Harry’s green eyes were intense. “My door is always open to you, even if it’s about Lily. No,” he corrected, “especially if it’s about Lily. I hope you and your dad can repair your relationship, but if you can’t I will be here.”

Scorpius felt his eyes sting for a moment and he didn’t speak, not sure he could manage any words.

Harry stood and he followed suit. They shook hands again and Harry clapped him on the back as he led them out of his office. “I believe they’re all out back flying. Why don’t you go join them?”

“Thank you,” Scorpius said gruffly and went out through the kitchen door and down into the yard.

He looked up and saw Al and Nat on one broom and Lily on another. She looked down and waved before coming back to the ground and landing near him. She laughed her beautiful laugh and grinned at him, just a little bit shyly. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I wanted to see you,” he told her and watched the pleasure cross her face as she bit her lip.

“Do you want to fly with me?” she asked and he nodded and hopped on the broom behind her, wrapping his arms around her to hold onto the broom. It was heaven and it was torture.

They flew up to where Al and Nat were and they waved.

“Al,” Nat said suddenly. “I’m getting hungry, we need to go down.”

“Are you okay?” Al asked quickly.

“Should we come?” Lily asked.

Nat shook her head, pretending to look pathetic. “No! Scorpius just got here. You two keep flying.”

The others went back down to the house and they continued to fly. Eventually they landed on the grass out back under a canopy of trees and Scorpius took her hand, pulling her down to lay next to him and looked up at the sky. “I want to ask you something,” he said finally, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted.

“What?” Lily asked looking over at him.

He turned his head and then his whole body onto his side with his head propped on his hand. “I don’t know how to say it.”

Lily smiled her stunning smile. “You can ask me anything.”

He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. “I really fancy you,” Scorpius said carefully. “I wanted to ask if you wanted to go out with me.”

Lily’s eyes went wide as she bit her lip. “You fancy me?”

“Yeah,” he said getting lost in her captivating brown eyes. “I have for a long time now.”

Confusion crossed her face. “Why didn’t you ask before?”

“Because I didn’t think you liked me before,” he told her honestly.

She studied him, looking suddenly nervous. “I don’t know how to do this.”

“Do what?” Scorpius asked perplexed.

“I don’t know how to be a girlfriend,” she said, waving her hand around.

He didn’t want to simply hope that she was saying yes, he needed to be sure. “Do you want to go out with me?”

Lily nodded slowly. “I like you, too,” she admitted barely above a whisper and his heart leapt with joy. “But you’ve had all those girlfriends and I’m just–”

He touched his finger to her lips and she fell silent. “I’ve had three girlfriends and none were serious nor did they last all that long.”

Color completely flooded her face and she covered it with her hands. “Oh Merlin… I told you that I haven’t kissed anyone! This is so embarrassing. I don’t know how to kiss!”

She had no idea that it wasn’t a bad thing at all. He took her hands and slowly pulled them away from her face. “Do you want me to kiss you?”

“What…” she hesitated with a hitch, her voice barely above a whisper. “What if I’m bad at it?”

Lily was fifteen… it struck home yet again. Lily was also Lily, which meant that was a Lily thing to say and worry about. It was what he loved about her, but these two years made a huge difference. It didn’t change how he felt, but it definitely made him mindful of how he acted. He didn’t want to change her. “You aren’t going to be bad at it.”

“I could be a huge disappointment,” she said as her eyes filled with tears. “You have all this experience and I’m just–”

Scorpius bent and carefully touched his lips to hers. His heart soared as feeling crashed through him, turning his insides into a hurricane, as her tentative lips touched his. He didn’t push, didn’t move faster than the gentle brush. “You are never going to disappoint me Lily, and I don’t have a lot of experience.” He pulled back and grinned as he looked into her amazing eyes, the ones that always drew him in.

Lily reached up and hesitantly brushed a lock of his thick, dirty blond hair from his face. “I didn’t think you liked me. I thought I was going to have this crush on you and you wouldn’t feel the same way.”

“Ah,” he cleared his throat. “I’ve been trying not to act like I like you.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t think your parents would approve,” Scorpius explained feeling his own cheeks flush. “Malfoy isn’t exactly a good name.”

Lily frowned. “So why did you change your mind?”

He faltered, but knew she needed the truth. “You can’t get mad,” he began.

“I might get mad,” Lily rebutted, propping herself up to look at him.

“I asked your dad first,” Scorpius said slowly, hoping she wasn’t going to blow up over it.

She blinked in surprise. “You asked my dad if you could date me?”

“I didn’t want to cause any problems,” he explained quickly, unable to stop himself from running his fingers through her hair. “I couldn’t stand being the reason you might fight with your parents.”

“That is…” Lily thought for a moment, “completely hilarious! Who was more embarrassed by the conversation?” Mirth danced out of her as she started to giggle. “Oh, my gosh! I wish I could have seen your faces.”

A reluctant smile pulled at his lips as the tears of laughter poured down her cheeks. “I’m glad this is funny to you.”

Another giggle escaped her as she bit her lip and leaned forward. She glanced at his mouth and back up at his eyes before carefully kissing him. It was so light, so sweet and innocent and yet it made his heart race like nothing else had ever done. Lily pulled back and watched at him, searching for affirmation and he grinned, letting all of his feelings show in his eyes. She blushed again before laying back. “I think it’s really sweet that you did that. I never thought anyone would do that for me, especially not with my dad.”

“I respect your dad a lot,” Scorpius said evenly. “I knew he would hear me out at least.”

“What if he’d said ‘no’?” Lily asked quietly.

He didn’t answer, simply looked at her and she saw it.

Disappointment and hurt flashed across her face. “You wouldn’t have asked me out?”

“I’d have tried to get him to change his mind,” he explained taking her hand in his and linking their fingers together. “You have a great family and I am not doing anything to disrupt that.”

She searched his face. “What’s your family going to say?”

“I don’t have a great family Lil,” he said and tried not to let the hurt slip through. “So, I don’t really care what they say.”

Lily studied him, looking uncertain. Then she sat up a bit and nudged his shoulder with her hand until he was on his back. He watched her, wondering what on earth she was doing. She tucked her hair behind her ear and then carefully laid her head on his shoulder, putting her hand on his chest and cuddling in to his side. Scorpius closed his eyes and soaked in the amazing feel of her head right there, a place he’d dreamed of it being and how it fit perfectly. He ran one hand up her back and the other over the arm that she’d rested on his chest.

“This feels as good as I thought it would,” Lily breathed out, her breath tickling under his chin. “I’ve seen Mum and Dad do this and I always thought…”

“Yeah,” Scorpius agreed, and couldn’t imagine his parents doing this. He was so glad she had parents who actually loved each other.

“I’m sorry about your family,” Lily murmured. “I wish I could make it better.”

“You’re already making it better,” he promised.

She traced her fingers along a line up and down his chest. “I don’t want to be the reason you fight with your family.”

“I’m willing to give up my family for you,” Scorpius said instantly. He would probably have to. They were never going to approve of him dating Lily Potter.

Her fingers froze. “How… how long have you liked me?”

Scorpius closed his eyes and tried to stop his racing heart which he knew she had to be hearing under her cheek. “About a year and a half.”

Lily turned her head to look up at him startled. “That long?”

“Yeah,” he said evenly, cupping the back of her head and kissing the crown of her hair, breathing in her amazing scent. He had no idea what it was, but it was all her. If he had to guess, he’d have said it was a mixture of fruits and flowers. “I didn’t do anything at first because you were so young and I wasn’t sure what I was feeling.”

“And then?”

“And then I didn’t do anything because you didn’t feel the same way about me,” he explained. “I saw all those blokes after you and I wasn’t going to be another one.”

She propped herself up and frowned at him. “You wouldn’t have been, even if I didn’t fancy you.”

“I wouldn’t?” Scorpius asked, completely wrong-footed. “Why not?”

She gave him an amused smile. “Because I trust you; I’ve trusted you for years.”

He would have been less stunned if she’d hit him in the gut. Lily had guarded and protected her heart for years and yet she was offering it to him without a second’s hesitation. The enormity of it was overwhelming and awe inspiring. Part of him wanted to tell her that he loved her, and another knew that there was time yet. This time, this innocence between then, was only going to last for so long and he wanted to soak it in. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

She put her head back down. “You don’t have to say anything. You’ve earned my trust.”

“I’m going to keep it,” he said sincerely. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You might hurt me,” Lily corrected. “I’m probably going to hurt you. That’s inevitable in any relationship, but it doesn’t have to be the end of everything. I’ve seen my parents really mad at each other, but they always work it out.”

“I don’t know how to do that,” Scorpius confessed. “My parents don’t do that. They ignore topics and a lot of the time my mum caves in.”

She sighed. “I’m not likely to cave. I can be stubborn. But… but I’ll teach you how to fight fair.” Lily grinned; he felt it through his t-shirt. “That’s something I know more about than you do.”

“You’re going to rub it in?” he asked bemused, but very pleased all the same.

“I don’t know how to snog someone senseless,” Lily commented speculatively. She honestly sounded innocent, which made Scorpius grin. “You’re going to have to teach me how to do that.”

“Not yet,” Scorpius said trying to keep his hormones in control. It was extremely difficult with her body pressed up to his.

“You don’t want to?”

“Oh, I want to,” he assured her. “But we have time, Lily. There isn’t any need to rush.”

Not to mention, her father would kill him. Scorpius wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize his chance of being with Lily.

She sat up again and stared into his eyes, hers so curious and open. “How much time do you think we have?”

Scorpius didn’t answer, just watched her. He knew what he wanted and knew he had a long time to wait if he wanted a chance to get it. She had three years of school left. But it didn’t matter. Lily was more than worth the wait. He’d already waited this long and found that being with her wildly surpassed anything he could have imagined. He cupped her soft cheek and brought her down for another kiss, this one lingering just a bit longer than the others. She rested her head on his shoulder again and they lay there, listening to the birds and enjoying being together.

By the time they walked back into the house, hand in hand, he knew that he could take whatever his father was going to throw at him. Al saw them, but didn’t seem surprised. Apparently, Nat had filled him in. Scorpius looked at his best mate and got a small smile and a nod from him. He relaxed and turned to find Mrs. Potter watching him speculatively. He didn’t know what to say, but didn’t let go of Lily’s hand.

“Well,” she said finally, crossing her arms with a huff. “It took you long enough.”

Scorpius felt his mouth drop as Lily started to giggle. “I…” he still didn’t know what to say.

“Are you staying for dinner?” Ginny asked with a wink.

“That would be great,” he replied.
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