Hello, Lily! (A Scorily/Scorlily fanfic)

Chapter Eight: Rose Granger

Lily, while alone as far as intellectual equality goes among her peers, is not entirely alone. A certain Slytherin, two years above her and one of her only constant friends, is quite her equal in both intelligence and her love of watching others squirm in discomfort. Rose Granger, her cousin and confidante, has always been more than happy to help Lily's little plots along, though preferring to do so on the down-low, as she, a Slytherin through and through, has pursuits of her own which she would rather not endanger by putting herself beneath a spotlight. 

Lily, apart from the summer holidays, does not often see Rose, who prefers a solitary life lived mostly in her dormitory and a shadowy corner of the Slytherin common room. How she eats, when she never shows up for meals in the Hall, Lily will never know. Being rather preoccupied, she does not at first think to use this slightly unreliable and difficult-to-find resource. But one day in the library, while glancing nonchalantly at a window ninety degrees to Scorpius's left and watching him from the very corner of her eye, she hears a chuckle to her left. Turning quickly, she sees Rose's lithe form leaning against a bookshelf, smiling with narrowed ice-blue eyes. Others find this expression unsettling. Lily has learned that it only indicates amusement and moves over to make room for her cousin, smiling brightly. 

"Rosie, what a pleasant surprise! Do sit down." 

Rose, smirking now, slides into the chair Lily has indicated. Ordinarily, the nickname 'Rosie' would bring hexes raining down upon the unfortunate speaker's head. Lily has special privileges and knows it. 

"So," Rose says in the low voice which Lily knows all too well is not her natural tone. Rose's ordinary voice is rather airy and fluttering, like a bird's. But this does not fit her desired Hogwarts persona, hence the lowered, eerily soft tone. 

"So?" Lily shrugs, not bothering to affect an air of innocence. Rose has caught her, and she knows it. 

"So how long has this particular type of potion held your interest?" Rose laughs quietly again. "It isn't a type you would ordinarily find useful, Moon-face."

"You are so uniformly unpleasant, Rosie darling." Lily sighs wistfully. "But as to the potion- usefulness doesn't enter into it. Professional curiosity, I suppose. I find it intriguing. And I will admit that at first I only needed it as leverage for one of my more painful projects, but it has now become a project in and of itself."

Rose turns, looking almost incredulous- although everyone knows Rose Granger cannot be surprised. She props her pointed chin up on her thin brown wrists. "You mean it's really a project? I thought, after the last one failed, you weren't aiming to try something like that again." 

"Careful, or the potion will gain sentience." 

This sentence confuses Rose until she sees the Malfoy boy frowning unusually hard at his text, his eyes occasionally flicking towards the cousins. Of course. If her words are too thinly veiled, the boy, thickheaded as he can be, will understand what they are really talking about. 

She smirks, twirling a lock of her thick, dark hair around one coffee-colored finger. "Potions don't gain sentience, cousinmine, least of all that one."

"That one happens to be directly related to such subjects." Lily closes her textbook with a slam that causes Scorpius to jump, then redden when he sees that she has caught him staring. "Shall we go to lunch, Rosie darling?"

"In the Hall?" Rose shudders. "Rather not. Too many dimwits. However, if you'd like to head to that place we know of, I'll accompany you."

"If you like." The two girls stand in perfect synchronization and sling their bags over their shoulders. Then they walk from the library, Lily's purse jingling merrily all the way. 

Scorpius Malfoy shakes his head and tries to look away- truly, he does. He detests the Potter girl- cannot bear the sight of her obnoxious face- her witty retorts- her flashes of ridiculous conversation- her ruddy beautiful dancing- her gently curling auburn hair- her sharp hazel eyes- her freckles- her smug smile-

Scorpius groans. He thinks he must be the first unfortunate soul to find Lily Potter, entrepreneur and gloriously insulting conversationalist, utterly bewitching. 

Which is, of course, where he is wrong, but there is nobody to tell him this. 

He sits, brooding over this honor which is only going to bring him trouble, for quite some time, his homework for once completely and utterly forgotten. 

For even though Lily is an incorrigible flirt, and has dated several boys, he believes that the Potter girl would never give her heart to someone as utterly boring and proud as he. 

At least- not on purpose. 

And Lily never makes mistakes. 

Does she?