Hello, Lily! (A Scorily/Scorlily fanfic)

Chapter Twelve: The Gala

The Vernal Formal is not the only large party which happens during the year. 

In their excitement about the Vernal the students have nearly forgotten the Ganymede Gala, a special event which takes place in the Three Broomsticks each year in March. It is a charity function, thrown mostly to fund the Remus Project, an initiative begun by Harry Potter. 

This year, Harry has allowed his incorrigible daughter to plan it. And because Lily does not do things by halves, nearly three hundred students have- almost before they are aware what they are signing up for- bought tickets. 

Lily is busy. Her matchmaking services have been almost too wildly popular this year- so popular that sometimes Lily has found that she is expected to make the same girl fall for two boys at once. Of all the matches, only Seth Wood's case has been easy. He and Davis Finnigan were already practically joined at the hip before Lily gave Davis the hint he needed. 

Lily's exercise regimen has at least thirty subscribers. Her fashion sense has been pricey, too- and her cousins Molly and Dominique are no longer speaking to her because Lily refuses to give them free consultations (Really! Lily is a businesswoman, not a philanthropist).  

Lily has given, in addition, two more dance workshops. Only her tutoring business is suffering- only ten students have signed up for it this year- thoughts of a dance do make everyone half-mad. 

Yet Lily still manages to keep her mind firmly on that Plan of hers. She is attending NEWT-level potions, and although she never so much as glances Scorpius's way in this class (though she has noticed him, on more than one occasion, staring at her), she closely monitors his movements. 

"Ernestina Simple" has somehow still got him whipped, but Lily sees the growing agitation, the annoyance, the disgust. Soon Scorpius, for the first time in his life, will overcome his mortal fear of women and become assertive- perhaps even downright rude. 

Lily still has every intention of going with Scorpius to the Vernal. But sometimes, internally, she chides herself for not being quite as disinterested as she ought to be. 

The truth is that Scorpius Malfoy has turned out to be more interesting than she at first believed. He has a brand of dry, witty humor that she finds oddly charming. He is intelligent- very much so, in fact. And he is more imaginative than she thought. The other day she noticed him reading a muggle fantasy novel- and as Lily happens to very much approve of The Chronicles of Narnia, specifically the story of Prince Caspian, she spends the rest of that day mentally kicking herself. 

Lily does not want to fall for Scorpius. She does not want to fall for anyone. She, in fact, believes him disinterested in her- even annoyed by her. And although at first his annoyance was amusing, now Lily wishes- very secretly, and after much inner denial- that he would find her as interesting as she finds him. She no longer has such prosiac, practical views on romance- on life after Hogwarts. 

It is all Scorpius Malfoy's fault, and because it is, she works harder than ever to make sure her plans for him fall perfectly into place. 

Everything is nearly ready- she has convinced Albus, Irene, Carter, and Emmie to attend the Gala under the mistaken impression that Scorpius will not be there. 

He, however, will. He is irritated and angrily confused about it- but one "Ernestina Simple" has strong-armed him into it. He will be there. 

And, at the appropriate time of course, so will Lily.