Obliviate

Chapter 16

The train ride back to Hogwarts after Christmas felt endless. Snow still glittered on the tracks, piled in crisp drifts along the fields that blurred past her window, but Lily barely noticed them. She sat curled against the cold pane, her cheek pressed to the glass, as though the frost outside could keep the heat of her thoughts from spilling over.

Her family had been warm and bright, as always, laughter at the Burrow, Molly's food piled high on her plate, James teasing her in that big-brother way that always made her want to hex him into silence. And Hermione had been there too.

Hermione, who Lily had always known as her clever, dependable aunt. Hermione, who laughed at Ron's jokes, whose quill scribbled notes furiously when she grew passionate in conversation, who had always seemed so steady.

But Lily had seen her differently now. Seen her in the shadows of Draco Malfoy's memories. Seen her face soften when she talked about a love that had not been Ron, not her husband, not the man who fathered her children.

And Lily hadn't been able to stop looking at her, not the way a girl looks at her aunt, but the way someone looks at the answer to a riddle they can't quite solve.

The whistle blew. Hogwarts loomed ahead, sharp against the grey sky, its towers jutting high, its windows glowing faintly. Students stirred in the carriage, tugging cloaks tighter, chattering about the start of term. Lily sat still, her heart pounding, her mind full of Hermione's voice saying there was someone once.

She didn't wait long to find Scorpius.

He was already waiting outside the Room of Requirement, shoulders hunched, pale hair falling into his eyes. He looked thinner than before Christmas, like the holiday had drained him rather than nourished him.

"You're late," he said, but there was no bite in it. Just weariness.

"I know." Lily pushed her hair back, her fingers trembling. "I need to tell you something."

The door slid into being, and they slipped inside. The room was small tonight, cozy, firelight glowing over two old armchairs and shelves lined with forgotten books. It smelled faintly of dust and pine.

Scorpius slumped into one of the chairs, looking at her curiously. "What is it?"

Lily sat across from him, clasping her hands together until her knuckles ached. She had to say it. If she didn't, it would fester inside her until she exploded.

"It's Hermione," she said.

Scorpius's brow furrowed. "What about her?"

"I saw her," Lily whispered. "In one of the visions. With your father."

The room went still. Even the fire seemed to hush.

Scorpius leaned forward slowly, his eyes sharp, searching hers. "With my father how?"

Her throat tightened. "They... they were in love."

He didn't move. Didn't blink. Just stared at her like she had hit him with a curse.

"You're lying," he said finally, but the words had no conviction.

"I wish I was." Lily's voice cracked. "But I saw it. I felt it. It wasn't just a crush or some passing thing. It was real, Scor. They loved each other."

Scorpius's face twisted, his hands gripping the arms of the chair. "But...my father married my mum. He... he stayed. He-"

"I know." Lily swallowed hard. "But it doesn't change what I saw. Hermione said there was someone before Ron. Someone it couldn't work with. She didn't name him, but now I know who it was."