Growing Up and other Desasters

4. Talking about Tattoos

Scorpius knew straight away that something was wrong. There was somebody in his bed. For a moment panic gripped him as he wished with all that was in him that this wasn't Jennifer in front of him, snuggled close and with her hand lying on his sternum. Opening his eyes he saw black hair. Sighing in relieve he remembered meeting Lilly last night. Lilly...

He was awake which meant it must have been about half past seven in the morning. Lilly was lying next to him. She was still asleep. Merlin! It was Tuesday morning...

"Lil."

No reaction.

"Lilly! We overslept."

The witch in his arms muttered something before burying her face against the crook of his neck, sighing contently.

Scorpius just looked at her. Was she always like this in the morning?

"Lilly, there's a troll trying to steal you wand."

"What? What's trying to steal what?" She sounded still not really awake.

Though her face moved and she was now looking at him, with half closed eyes and a dreamy expression.

"Do you know, how adorable you look, Lilly Zabini?" He whispered as his lips found their way to her forehead.

"Hm?"

"It's time to get going."

"What time is it?"

"I reckon about half past seven. That's when I normally wake up."

It took her brain a while to process this information, but then she suddenly sat up. As she was starring at him wild eyed he couldn't help but grin.

"I must make a really good pillow, if you don't mind sleeping..."

He didn't get to finish the sentence as she had bent down and was now brushing her lips over his. When she finally pulled back there was a big grin on her face.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Scorpius Malfoy." She laughed while getting off the couch.

He propped himself on his elbows and smirked at her. She was a wonderful witch. Would she be his wonderful witch? There was still doubt in his mind, if he should get involved with her or not. His heart told him that there was no question about it. His mind on the other hand warned him about all sorts of horrible things that might be happening to her.

He couldn't help himself, he simply couldn't. His lips found hers in a sweet kiss. She was way too lovely for her own good. How had he managed to be with her all those years and never realising that she was a beautiful girl? No, that wasn't true. He'd always known her to be beautiful. In previous years it just hadn't been... important. They had been best mates, until last summer that was.

It hadn't been planned. It just had turned out to be one of those things that happen and you couldn't explain afterwards how or why and, more crucially, your reasons not to stop it but let it happen. Lilly had been staying at the Manor and they had spent their days exploring the extensive grounds surrounding it. On quite a few occasions they had been sitting by the small lake that was hidden in a woodland outcrop. The sun had been shining and for once he had been planning ahead as to bring a picnic.

Sitting on the tartan blanket eating delicious sandwiches, laughing with Lilly had been... different. There had been only a very subtle change but he had felt it nevertheless. The sunlight illuminating her hair had been warmer and the glinting in the witch's eyes had been brighter. There had been a shift in their chemistry. She even smelled differently, it reminded him of silk and the dew on the flowers of a summer morning.