Just call me Lil (HP next generation)

Chapter 4 - Potions

Scorpius

"Please," I beg again. Her big, emerald eyes are dilated with fear, and I am struck by the resemblance between her and a young deer.

"I - You're too good for me. You're way too good. I'm afraid I don't deserve you," she whispers, soft words escaping from her mandarin red lips, silent tears streaming down her peach cheeks.

I loose my grip on her wrist and she easily pulls it free.

"B-But-" I try. If there is someone not deserving the other, it'd be me. I want to hold her close, wipe her tears away, tell her it's okay.

But instead I let her go.

She runs the last ten metres before reaching the statue that gives entry to her Common Room. She easily solves the riddle and goes in, her auburn hair being the last thing I see.

***

"Where have you been?" Sequoia asks quasi-concerned. Not to be "Mr-Every-Girl-Likes-Me", but she's undoubtedly hunting for my love.

"Somewhere," I mutter, crossing the dim lit Common Room, heading straight to my dorm. I feel that the eyes of several Slytherin students are following me - this is not the Scorpius they know. The Scorpius they know likes throwing a party and pulling pranks on every First Year. The Scorpius they know is last year's one.

***

Sitting on my four-poster under an emerald-green canopy - the colour reminds me of her eyes - I take a Potions, grade 3 book out of my leather bag and examine it. It lay on the fifth floor - literally - so someone should've lost it. Better return it as soon as I've found its owner.

The pages are flat, as if they've never been touched by human fingers. The cover looks brand-new, except for the outer corners, which are slightly bent.

As soon as I turn it around a little piece of parchment falls on the ground. I know, I should not read other's notes, but I can't resist.

As soon as I've laid my eyes upon her handwriting - it's obviously a girl's, or this boy writes ridiculously girly - my mouth falls open. It's a list of The positive and negative sides of being in love with Scorpius Malfoy. I quickly look in the back of the book and my heart skips a beat. This is Lily Potter's book.

So that means that a) I'll have a good reason to meet her again (by returning it)

b) I'll be able to look at her handwriting and c) I'll have the chance to look into her mind for one split second by reading her list. Hopefully.

***

The next day I walk to the dungeons after Defence against the Dark Arts, instead of striding on the Hogwarts' grounds, which I usually do during free hours. I hope no-one's seen me.

Why? a small voice in my head asks me.

Because I don't want people to know that I like her.

Is it a shame to be in love with a Potter?

For a Malfoy, yes.

Why should it be? Isn't love something about which you should not be ashamed about?

Yes, but-

No "but". Show her how much you love her.

How?!

Talk to her. I don't know! Just show her she matters to you.

I take a deep breath and knock twice on the dungeon's door.

"Come in," Professor Mellow, an extraordinary man (note the sarcasm) and teacher, says.

I open the door.

"Ah! Mr Malfoy! Come in!"

I am one of his favourites, not only because he admires my father - sigh - but also because I've never got a grade lower than "A" for Potions.

"I just wanted to return this book," I say "It's ehm -" I take a deep breath and hope my cheeks haven't turned red yet. "Lily's."

"Miss Potter's?"

"Yes sir, she must have lost it on the fifth floor yesterday. When I was doing my weekly rounds - I'm a Prefect, and that's one of my duties, you see - I found it."

"Excellent! I was just about to look at Miss Potter's potion - they're having a test, you see, and they have to brew a potion of choice within 60 minutes."

I follow professor Mellow to Lily's cauldron with sweating hands.

"H-Here you are," I say, trying not to tremble.

"Thank you," Lily responds, trying not to look at me.

"Let me see, what do we have here? Ah!"

he lets out a joyful cry of surprise. "Draught of the Living Death! By Merlin's beard! There has been just one student in the history of Hogwarts who has succeeded brewing this extremely difficult, six year level potion within sixty minutes! Thirty points to Ravenclaw! And a well-deserved "O" for this test!"

I can see that Lily's cheeks turn almost as red as her hair, and after I whisper: "I may be two years older than you, but trust me, it really doesn't matter to me." I swear, her cheeks are the same colour as her beautiful hair.