Scorpius Malfoy looked at his girlfriend, soon to be an ex. He was dreading what he was about to say, but it had to be done.

“Lily, I think we should break up.”

She looked at him as if he had told a joke. “Whatever do you mean? Why would we do that?”

He sighed. This was harder than he thought it would be. “I, er – I like someone else.” As her mouth slowly morphed into an ‘O’ of horror, he quickly added, “It has nothing to do with you. You’re great, and – “

His speech was ended abruptly by Lily’s hand striking his cheek with a surprising amount of force for someone her size. Not that he could blame her, of course. She must have thought him the worst sort of cad for doing this to her; it would probably be seen as an embarrassment, especially considering the amount of grief she had tolerated from others for her choice of boyfriend. He probably deserved to be slapped, at the very least, but at the moment, he really just wanted to make her understand that he still cared about her, still saw her as a very special person, just not the one he wanted to be with. And he did not even dare tell her who it was that he did want.

Lily was fuming. He could not honestly tell whether she was going to hit him again or if she was about to go on an insane Weasley tirade, the ferocity of which grew as the hair got redder and redder. If that was the barometer for danger for him, then Lily was, by far, the largest threat to his personal safety at the moment.

Silently, he backed out of the room before the proverbial fur had a chance to fly. It broke his heart to break hers, but in the end, she deserved someone who was dedicated to her and only her, and that someone was not him. Just as the door to the unused classroom closed behind him, he could hear her crying; he nearly ran back into the room and promised to take her back if she would just stop, but he stopped himself. It would have been disingenuous and overall unfair to do so.

So Scorpius walked down the empty corridor at Hogwarts, wishing he could be somewhere – anywhere – else, because he felt like the world’s biggest git at the moment.

Later that evening in the dormitories, as Dominique Weasley packed her things to go home for the summer holidays, she heard a commotion downstairs in the Gryffindor common room. Something between personal curiosity and her duty as a school prefect caused her to investigate. Amongst a flock of consoling friends stood her fourth-year cousin, Lily Potter, which either meant that she had fought with her boyfriend, or that her brother, James, had done something awful to her as some sort of joke.

Dominique decided to do some covert information gathering as she lowered her personal pair of Extendable Ears over the railing in order to listen to Lily and her herd of gushing friends. After about five seconds, she had her answer – it was Malfoy. Why Lily had ever wanted to date Scorpius sodding Malfoy, she would never know, but it was over now.

Instead of joining the pack of girls trying to console Lily, Dominique opted to cross the common room toward the stairs that led to the boys’ dormitories. Quickly, she found the fifth-years room; without knocking, she opened the door. The only boys still in there were Adam Finnigan, who was startled to find a girl in their room, and her intended target, her cousin – and Lily’s brother – Albus.

“Al, you have a problem.”

Albus quirked a brow before continuing with his own packing. “Is that so?”

Glaring, Dominique crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently on the floor, a habit that she had inherited from her mother. “I’ll say you do. That git Malfoy just broke up with your sister, and now she’s downstairs, crying her eyes out over that bloody boy. How is that not your problem?”

“Because I am not, nor will I ever be, my sister’s keeper. She can date whoever she likes, and if it doesn’t work out, then that’s her fault, not mine.” Albus seemed unalarmed at Dominique’s anger, which was a by-product of having a sister and a large flock of female cousins.

This nonchalance just irritated Dominique further. “Ugh, you are a heartless one, Albus Potter. How could you let this happen, and with your best friend, no less?”

He merely snorted. “Because it’s none of my bloody business.” Slamming the lid of his trunk closed, he turned to face her full on, a pretty brave action for the normally non-confrontational Albus. “Just as it’s none of yours.”

Dominique looked affronted, but she realized that Albus was right. She was getting far too involved in this fiasco, especially considering the fact that she pointedly avoided having a boyfriend of her own for just that reason. Contritely, she left Albus and the still slack-jawed Adam to finish their tasks.

Even on the train ride back to London, Dominique could not help but wonder what had precipitated this breakup between her cousin and Scorpius. They had been an item since the beginning of Lily’s second-year and Scorpius’s fourth-year. Though at the time the age disparity between the two had been suspect, Lily had seemed truly happy, and Scorpius, for the most part, had treated her like a princess. He often sent her extravagant gifts, chocolates, and sappy cards that did all sorts of romantic rubbish like emanating hearts and singing love songs.

Where had it gone wrong, and would Lily ever be able to get over this breakup? She just seemed so…shattered by this, as if Scorpius Malfoy had been her Plan A and her Plan B.

Dominique merely sighed, leaned back into her seat on the Hogwarts Express, and counted her blessings that such insidious evils – love, romance, and Scorpius Malfoy, for example – did not haunt her existence. She was not sure that she could handle that too well.

Scorpius sat in the back seat of the car in silence. His mother had not bothered to come to receive him at the train, but his dad, as usual, would never miss the opportunity to escape his wife. They simply did not speak, which was an aberration from their normal relationship, but the younger Malfoy found his thoughts quite heavy.

Finally, Draco realized that something big was on his son’s mind. “Anything bothering you?"

Shrugging, Scorpius answered, “I broke up with Lily.”

Though he had not appreciated the news at the time, Draco regretted this loss for his son. He had even come to like Lily Potter, at least from the descriptions he had received from letters home and time over the holidays. Despite that, his mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that, for Scorpius to break it off with a girl that he obviously cared for, she must have done something to upset him.

Draco voiced these concerns, but Scorpius simply shook his head. “No, Father. It wasn’t her at all. She’s just…” He sighed heavily. “I just wish that she was someone else.”

Surprised at the level of openness from his son, Draco said, “Anyone in particular?”

This question caused a completely uncharacteristic response from Scorpius – a blush. This caught Draco off guard, for his son simply did not blush. This had to be it. Another girl had caught his attention.

Still waiting for an answer, Draco prodded further. “Well?”

“Dominique Weasley.”

“Ha!” Draco snorted. “For the love of Salazar, why do you insist on seeing these Gryffindor girls?”

Scorpius considered this deeply. “They’re never boring.”

Now this was a truth with which Draco was much more familiar. “That they are not, son. That they are not.”

The rest of the car ride to the Leaky Cauldron proceeded in silence, Draco trying to figure out how his son had allowed himself to become overrun with Weasleys and Potters; Scorpius wondering much the same.

“Scoot over, Louis! You’re hogging the whole ruddy seat!”

Dominique angrily shoved her younger brother further into the backseat of their father’s car as said parent watched in amusement. Some things just never changed.

Once both Dominique and Louis were on board and both trunks were stowed, Bill Weasley started the car and began their drive away from Kings Cross Station. The ride was a quiet one, for which Bill was grateful; normally, Dominique and Louis were at each other’s throats the whole time, but today, his daughter seemed to have something on her mind.

Eventually the silence was broken when Dominique asked, “Where are we going?”

“Diagon Alley. Your mother asked me to pick up something from Madame Malkin’s for her.”

As she sighed and fell back into silence, Dominique started thinking about the Yule Ball. Ever since the last Triwizard Tournament in 1994, the ball portion of the event had been held at Hogwarts every four years, open to fourth-years and above, so that each student was guaranteed to go at least once. She had waited for years, but this time, in her seventh-year, she was finally going to go.

The subject of a dress was one that she did not wish to broach with her father; he would most likely want her to wear the most unfeminine, matronly dress known to man. Victoire had worn such a monstrosity to her Yule Ball, but, as usual, she had still managed to be the most beautiful girl in the room. Dominique was fairly certain that she could never be that gorgeous, so she would just have to make sure that she had a dress that a human being could wear. This, in turn, would require her mother’s assistance.

As the driver of the car stopped, Draco and Scorpius exited the car, leaving the school trunk to proceed without them. Though the Leaky Cauldron was, by far, a much more welcoming establishment under the direction of Hannah Longbottom, it was still not a friendly place for former Death Eaters. As usual, Draco would do his business and leave Diagon Alley before anyone had the chance to start any problems.

“Now, son, we have to make this quick. I, er, have an appointment as soon as we get home, so we mustn’t dawdle.” Draco hoped that Scorpius was still oblivious of the Malfoy family’s dubious social status. He had been fairly sheltered from it at school, but out in the world where one may encounter an old enemy of Draco’s, it was much harder to conceal the truth. Thankfully, though, only a couple of reproachful stares followed them through the pub and into the anonymity of the masses in Diagon Alley.

Curious about their destination, Scorpius asked, “Where are we going, exactly?”

“Madame Malkin’s. Your mother wants you to be fitted for your dress robes as soon as possible.” At his son’s groan, Draco smiled sympathetically. What male could possibly not loathe being poked and prodded by an old madwoman like Madame Malkin? He himself had hated it since he was eleven, and he still did to that day; Scorpius was no different.

Inside, Madame Malkin, who had been expecting them, met them at the door. Scorpius was shepherded into her fitting room, where he was assaulted by a fleet of charmed measuring tapes. To keep himself occupied, he counted to one hundred in every language he knew (something, of course, that took him a considerable amount of time).

Out in the waiting area, Draco discussed payment with the witch at the front desk as a new group of patrons entered the shop. When he saw who it was, Draco could barely keep himself from grunting in annoyance. It was usually a bad day for him every time he encountered a Weasley.

Dominique could hardly believe the coincidence that had brought her and her family into the very same shop occupied by the father of the object of her current thoughts. Furthermore, she was fairly certain that the aforementioned object was probably there, as well. Why must my existence be flooded with Malfoys? she thought to herself.

Bill approached the counter next to Draco, giving him a curt nod of acknowledgement. “Malfoy.”

“Weasley,” Draco replied in an identical manner.

While Bill and Draco exchanged cool pleasantries, Dominique skulked into the back, wanting to see if the current object of her scorn was in the back. As a Weasley, she was predisposed to stealth, so getting to her destination was no problem. When she reached the very back of the shop and the room where Madame Malkin typically did measurements, she caught a glimpse of white-blond hair and ducked for cover. For Scorpius to see her spying on him was unacceptable, so she cautiously poked her head from behind the open doorway to observe.

He stood there in nothing but his underwear, politely bored with the onslaught of the tape measures, and it looked as though he was talking to himself. Dominique could not help but wonder what could possibly be catching his interest, but before her mind could jump to conclusions, she scolded herself for her thoughts. He was the enemy, after all – not to be trusted.

Some things, however, could not help but capture her interest; it was then that she first noticed the color of his eyes. They were not blue, as she had previously thought, but a unique shade of gray, reminiscent of steel, but paler than stone. This hue was one that she had never seen before, and Merlin, was it gorgeous.

Stop it! Dominique admonished herself. That sort of mental meandering was dangerous, so she tore her gaze away from those obnoxiously beautiful eyes and sat on the floor on the other side of the door, trying to discipline her brain. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there on the floor, eyes squeezed closed, but the next sound she heard was a combination of a throat clear and a laugh – a laugh that she knew.

“So, the insurmountable Dominique Weasley has resorted to spying, has she?”

Dominique could feel her cheeks flame as Scorpius correctly guessed her reason for being there, but despite her very visible confession, she would not give him the pleasure of seeing her squirm. Chin held high, she cast him her best – or worst – Veela glare, but instead of cringing, as most did when her mother, Fleur, used it, he winked at her and sauntered away, fully aware of his victory in their battle

She glared at him as he left, determined that the next round would be hers.

Later that night, Scorpius found his mind irreparably glued to one thought – Dominique. To say he had been surprised to see her outside the fitting room would be downplaying what he had actually felt. Excitement was much more of an accurate assessment. The way her aquamarine eyes had stared into his…it had made him feel warm in all the right places.

All of this had made him certain that he had done the right thing by leaving Lily. Merlin knew he had not wanted to hurt her, but it was unfair of him to let her think that their relationship was going anywhere, when, in fact, his heart was straying more and more toward the strawberry-haired vixen that was Dominique Marie Weasley. The fact that he remembered nearly every minute detail about Dominique that Lily had shared only lent more proof that it had truly been the kinder road to take.

None of this had gone unnoticed by Draco. Hearing a soft knock on the door, an extremely pensive Scorpius granted him entry. Knowing immediately what was on his son’s mind, Draco sat into a chair as the younger Malfoy flung himself onto his bed and stared intently at the ceiling.

Though Draco was more amused than annoyed by his son’s fascination with yet another member of the Weasley brood, he decided to be kinder to Scorpius than he had been upon learning of the Lily Potter Incident. “So, was that her?”

“Uh huh,” Scorpius mumbled, not averting his gaze from the hole in the plaster above that he was trying to drill with his eyes. What he would not do for some of that false bravado that had managed to manifest itself while he was talking to Dominique.

Draco chuckled. “She’s a fair one. Her Mum’s a part-Veela, so I guess it’s only to be expected.” He scratched his chin. “Though that damnable Weasley red hair seems to be a curse that even she could not escape.”

Scorpius shot straight up and looked at his father in horror. “Her hair is gorgeous! How could you think that it’s a curse?”

Putting his hands up in mock surrender, Draco said, “Fine, fine. You win. Her hair is gorgeous.” A smile tugged on the corner of his mouth. “Just remember, son, you’re a Malfoy, so if you want this girl so badly, use whatever tools necessary to accomplish that; it will happen.” With that, he tousled Scorpius’s hair and left the room with that thought for his son to chew upon.

As he considered Draco’s words, a slow grin spread across Scorpius’s face as the wheels in his head started to spin and click into place. Yes, he knew exactly what he was going to do.

Once she was at home, Dominique wanted no more than blissful solitude, which she had finally been granted once Victoire had moved to her own home with her new husband, Teddy. For years, the two sisters had been forced to share a room, and Victoire, as the eldest sibling, had won every battle for territory.

Now, though, Dominique was enjoying her new measure of freedom far from her sister and how much she had felt overshadowed. Victoire had not been cursed with red hair; instead, she had gorgeous, platinum blond locks. Victoire did not have a pointy face like Dominique did, and she certainly had filled out her figure much faster than her younger sister had.

All of this, after so long, had really made Dominique feel inferior to Victoire, but now that she was gone, the road to recovery had begun. The first thing that she had done was paint the room a lilac color, much more pleasing than the minging shade of pink upon which Victoire had so heavily insisted. Second, she had removed every item in the room that had been her sister’s – a sizeable amount, to be sure.

Lastly, Dominique had decided on the ultimate severance from Victoire, which would be something her sister would have never done – get a job. Instead of allowing their father to pay for everything – clothes, shoes, books, and even her wedding – she, Dominique would work for what she got from that day on. She was sure that her Uncle George could use a hand at Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, so she had owled him as soon as she got home, asking if he had any need of her services.

This newfound autonomy for which she strove would be a costly one in one aspect – her dress for the Yule Ball. Though she knew that, when she turned seventeen, she could wear whatever dress she liked, no matter what her father thought of it, it would probably cost a fortune – certainly more than she could afford in conjunction with the cost of her school supplies and spending money she would inevitably want to have for Hogsmeade trips.

All of these numbers made her head ache. Budgeting was hard. She knew that she would have to make certain sacrifices, such as second-hand textbooks, fewer spare quills, and less spending money, but the feeling that she knew she would get from making it on her own would more than make up for having to scribble out someone else’s name from her Charms book.

Her musings were interrupted by a tapping on the window, which she knew was her owl, Perrin, returning from its trip to deliver the message to Uncle George. Once she had let in Perrin and gave her a treat, Dominique opened the letter that had been attached to the owl’s leg ravenously.

“Dearest Dominique,

“I would be more than happy to give you a summer job. Having a gorgeous young lady working the counter can’t be anything but great for business, so I’d be stupid not to hire you.

“Of course, I am completely pulling your leg. Except for the part about hiring you. I’ll expect to see you Monday morning at 9:00 A.M., so don’t be late.

“That weird uncle of yours,

“George.”

The news made Dominique’s stomach do somersaults. The last cog in her plan had fallen into place, and now, all she had left to do was to tell her parents that she would be working all summer. That had the potential to be problematic, but she knew that this was something that she had to do, and her parents would understand that…she hoped.

It was finally here - the day that Scorpius had been planning for weeks had finally arrived – the day that he was going to ask Dominique Weasley to the Yule Ball. He had it all planned out in his mind, every word, every action, every reaction, so all he had to do was execute the plan.

He Floo-ed from Malfoy Manor to the Leaky Cauldron; his ultimate destination was Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, which was a stone’s throw away. His reconnaissance, which was mainly the exchange of letters with Albus, told him that Dominique was working at her uncle’s shop over the summer. Though his friend had been overtly curious about his need for his information, Scorpius had managed to deflect and still gain the information that he so desperately needed.

As he got closer and closer to the Weasleys’ shop, his nerve to continue wavered radically. What if she said no? What if she said yes? Truthfully, he was not sure he was properly equipped for something as nerve-racking as this. Dating Lily had been easy, even with all the curious stares from classmates, because she had been a much more enthusiastic participant, but this…this was like preparing for battle. Who could say what a spitfire like Dominique would do if she became angry with him?

Then another thought struck him with every footfall. She had a brother about his size and many cousins who were bigger, not to mention a fearsome-looking father. Scorpius could barely count the ways that a man like Bill Weasley, who had a bloody fang in his ear, could make him pay for upsetting his daughter.

But it was too late to back out now, because his destination had arrived. Spotting a smallish redhead entering the back door, he waved her down frantically. When she approached, he asked, “It’s Lucy, right? Lucy Weasley?” She nodded. “Is Dominique working right now?”

Lucy looked at him carefully, fully aware of who he was and what he used to be – namely, Lily’s ex-boyfriend. She thought a moment before replying, “Yes, she’s working. She’s on break in about ten minutes, if you want to talk to her so bad.”

Scorpius could not keep the stupid grin off of his face. “Thank you, Miss Weasley. You are a star!” He nearly sprinted into the shop, leaving a gobsmacked Lucy in his wake.

When he walked in, his eyes were immediately drawn to that perfect mane of hers – nearly blond, nearly red, totally perfect. Everything about her was perfect, save perhaps the scathing look on her face when she saw him, but he had expected that.

As though by providence, something took over inside of him, which he assumed was what Draco had talked to him about – his inner Malfoy charm. It was as if he had been taken over, all of his insecurity overridden by a swagger that he had not even known he possessed; it was all a bit surreal. It was this that assuaged the sting that her words should have brought.

* ”What do you want, Malfoy?”

He had prepared for this reaction, but that natural suaveness again monopolized his actions. * “Why, Dom, aren’t you glad to see me?” Her look would have been endearing had he not been so damned nervous.

* “If you’re here to buy something, then welcome to Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, but if not, then no.”

Again, not an unexpected reaction, but he managed to keep calm and, somehow, convince her to speak with him. Each word out of his mouth came from someone else entirely, it seemed.

As he waited outside for her to stop stalling and take her break, he struggled to collect himself. Every time he looked at her, he had to try his best not to stare. How this girl could possibly not know how ridiculously beautiful she was beyond him, but sure enough, she still thought herself as less than her sister, Lily had said. What an absurd notion – one he needed to quell for her.

She was surprised when he led her to Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour, and possibly a bit annoyed, but that rapidly converted to shock when he managed to order her favorite dish from the place without her even having to open her mouth. That had obviously stolen the words right from her, because she simply stared at him while absently eating her raspberry sorbet.

Taking a deep breath, he forged ahead. * “As it seems that you have been temporarily muted, which is impairing your ability to ask the million questions that are no doubt floating about in your mind, I shall answer them anyway.” Some force within him made him lightly stroke her hand, to which his mind screamed, What the hell are you thinking?

* “Dominique Marie Weasley, will you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to the Yule Ball this winter?” Too nervous to wait for an answer, he added, * “Normally, I wouldn’t ask so early, but I wanted to make sure you had enough time to shop for your dress and whatnot, so I decided to just go ahead and procure your company as soon as possible.

* “So, my lady, what do you say? Will you go with me?” Thank Merlin, I finally said it. He was silently begging her not to refuse him. To his surprise, she mumbled out some incoherent form of acceptance, which made him want to sing for joy.

With that, he brazenly kissed her on the cheek and said * “Excellent! I’ll see you on the Express, then?” His nerves finally got the best of him, and he walked off, leaving her with melting ice cream and a date to the biggest event of their school careers.

Now, it was time to go to Madame Malkin’s and talk about his dress robes. He wanted to look perfect – not for him, but for her.

When Dominique got home that night, she was still slightly paralyzed by the events from earlier that day. How had she agreed to this? Lily would kill her if she found out. And she would find out.

As she absently picked at her breakfast, her mother noticed right away that something was amiss with her daughter. The minute Bill left for work and Louis went off on his own pursuits, Fleur got her daughter’s attention.

“Your thoughts are heavy, ma chère.”

Dominique looked up and sighed. “I got asked to the Yule Ball.” Pinching the bridge of her nose, she added, “By Scorpius Malfoy.”

Knowing all about the Lily Potter Incident, Fleur smiled tightly. “Do you want to go with him?”

“No!” Dominique was vehement, or at least she tried to be. Was that truly her answer? Resting her forehead on the table, she amended quietly, “Yes.”

Fleur smiled knowingly. “Then you shall go with him.” Picking up her handbag, she gestured toward the fireplace. “I believe you have an appointment with Madame Malkin today?”

Confused, Dominique asked, “I do?”

“You do now.” Fleur smartly turned and floated toward the hearth, leaving her daughter to follow her, in awe of the sheer confidence.

As they strolled into Madame Malkin’s shop, Dominique decided to be bold for once in her life and ask the seamstress about matching her dress with whatever Scorpius had commissioned. All the while, she thought about what had made her accept his ludicrous offer. Was it her attraction to his physique, or was it the fact that, when he touched her, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning? Honestly, she could discount neither of these things.

When she left the shop, several Galleons poorer, Dominique could not help but anticipate the next time that she would see him, whether it would be to showcase that absurdly gorgeous dimple of his or to scold him for making her doubt herself.

One thing was for certain – nothing that had occurred between them had been boring. She liked that.

On the Hogwarts Express, Scorpius sat in the prefect carriage, completely bored. If only there had been some polite way to refuse this position, but Draco had told him that it was an honor and a privilege, so he should stop complaining. He knew that his father was right, but that did not mean that he had to like it.

He did not even notice who the Head Boy and Head Girl were that year, and one of them had started talking nonstop about the duties and requirements of the positions – all the same rubbish he had listened to the previous year – but something about that voice was familiar.

When Scorpius looked up, he got an eyeful of Dominique. He could not help but be captivated by her subtle gestures as she spoke and the natural grace of her voice, and he was sure that he could sit there and listen to it for hours.

After she was done with her presentation, all the other prefects fled the premises, and she made to follow. He needed to hear that voice again, and he wanted to hear her speak just for him. But when Scorpius had her attention in the empty carriage, it seemed as if neither of them could talk properly.

Unbidden, his hand came up to her face and gently traced her jaw line, reveling in the softness of her skin and the sparkle he saw in her eyes. She was not backing away, and she was not telling him no, so there had to be some part of her that wanted him half as much as he wanted her at that moment. His voice hoarse with raw feeling, he gasped, * “So beautiful.”

Daring, hoping, begging, his lips brushed hers, totally unprepared for the subsequent jolt that coursed through his blood like quicksilver. Not one time had Scorpius kissed Lily and felt anything like this. It was…it was a lot to process, and he was not sure if he could handle it at this juncture, not without doing something inappropriate.

He needed some air. As much as he did not want to leave, it was for the best. They had formed this small bridge, and he could not allow himself to compromise it, so without a backward glance, he exited the carriage to collect his racing thoughts.

Later that night, as he herded some errant first-years to the Slytherin common room, much to his surprise, she was there, waiting for him. That meant that she was not completely angry with him for leaving her after their kiss. He smiled at her in what he hoped was a charming manner and asked, * “So, what brings you down here?”

Dominique looked nervous, and he did not like it. She was about to tell him something that he did not want to hear, and he had a good idea what it was about. She confirmed his suspicions by saying, * “I can’t go to the ball with you. Lily was furious when I told her.”

Lily. Of course. Sweet, lovelorn – still pissed – Lily. She was the only one who had the power to stall this budding relationship in its tracks, and she had done so with a vengeance. All he could say was, * “Oh.”

She put her hand on his cheek and mumbled some rubbish about matching dresses, but all Scorpius could think about is how utterly devastated he really was. He knew that he had really wanted to know this beautiful creature better, but he had not quite known the degree of this obsession of his until she had denied him.

Frowning, Dominique pled, * “Please say something.”

Scorpius knew, at that moment, that words were completely beyond him, so he did the only thing that he really wanted to do, and that was to kiss her hard. Perhaps she would feel some of the burning that she incited inside of him. And then he left her there, breathless and panting.

When he was safely ensconced in his dormitory, Scorpius lay on his four-poster and stared at the curtains above him, wondering when someone, more specifically, Dominique Weasley, had gained the power to control his very soul as if he was under the influence of the Imperius Curse. She had to but ask him, and he would obey; this made her dangerous, more so than the blackest of magic.

In her own dormitory, Dominique drew the curtains of her bed around her and let herself cry. She had completely crushed him; she was sure of it. Not only that, but telling him that she could not see him anymore had crushed her, as well. How dare he make her feel this awful for something that was not her fault?

But she knew that he dared a lot of things, including a mind-altering kiss. From the second his lips had touched hers, she had known that she was gone, and it was unlike anything she had ever experienced, or even contemplated, for that matter. Though she had no clue what it was that she felt, she did know that it was insidious, far more than she could ever know.

On Halloween, Scorpius saw his breakfast shadowed by the very annoying presence of James Potter – Head Boy and overall miscreant. “What do you want, Potter?”

James smiled sickeningly and rambled about some girl named Lacy Billington and a swarm of reasons why he should spend his evening with her and not do his patrol shift that night.

Dropping his fork loudly onto his plate, Scorpius scowled at James. “So, let me get this straight. You want me to do your work so you can go off and snog some girl?”

Grinning, James said, “You catch on quickly.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes. “I’m probably going to regret this, but all right. On one condition, though.”

“Name it.”

“Never, under any circumstances, come within five meters of me while I’m eating again. Got it?” He hoped that he sounded half as annoyed as he felt. Nodding furiously, James scampered away, leaving the rather grouchy Scorpius to his breakfast, which had suddenly lost its appeal.

That night, he purposely showed up late to his unwanted patrol shift, unenthused about policing snogging couples in the halls, but he nearly tripped over his own feet when he saw who he was patrolling with – Dominique.

Silence ensued, halting the tongue-lashing that surely would have been due to James for being so late, but she merely asked where her cousin was; he woodenly answered. Their interactions, which had previously been electric I their intensity, were now stilted and extremely awkward.

Hour after tense hour passed in silence, the only sounds coming from their disappointed quarry as they were sent back to their common rooms minus House points. When the time came to part ways, they both choked out a curt ‘goodnight’ and Scorpius started toward the steps leading to the dungeons, but before he could begin his descent, Dominique surprised him. She yanked his head down and planted a kiss on his face before almost sprinting up the opposite staircase toward Gryffindor Tower.

Though he had neither expected it nor asked for it, Scorpius knew, at that instant, that he was undeniably, stupidly in love with Dominique Marie Weasley, and he had to do whatever he could to get her back.

Dominique lay on her side in bed, sleepless and staring at the wall. There were worse things, she supposed, than to realize that one is in love with someone that one can never have, but it sure did not feel like it to her. Scorpius Malfoy had become so much more than just some boy that had asked her to the Yule Ball; he was vital and alive, and when he was not around, she lost a little bit of herself.

As the moon shimmered down into the room, something glistened from inside her still opened trunk. It was her Yule Ball gown, emerald green with black velvet trim. She had even had it matched to Scorpius’s dress robes, and until the moment she had told him that she could not go to the ball with him, she had wanted to wear it so badly. She had wanted to wear it for him, but that happy delusion was just that – an unattainable fantasy.

Tears once again traced down her face as she silently wondered to herself why fate had to have such a cruel agenda.

The night he had anticipated had finally arrived. The sooner Scorpius could set his plan into motion, the better, and what better night to start than the night that should have been theirs – the Yule Ball. He carefully donned his dress robes, wanting to look his best, but not for just anyone; he wanted to look good for her. Everything had to be perfect.

He left the dungeons and made the long trek toward Gryffindor Tower. He needed to follow her in order to give her the gift that he had brought, which was a music box that played her favorite song. After a while – a long while – she finally emerged, looking sullen, reluctant to leave the solitude of her dormitory, and absolutely splendid. At that very minute, if he thought about it for the rest of his life, he could not think of another woman on the planet that could possibly hold a candle to this one. Her form-hugging green robes made the strawberry tones of her hair glow, and it made her pale skin look smoother than satin.

Scorpius smiled inwardly when he realized that, when she had rambled about matching dresses that day in the dungeons, she had meant that she had matched her dress to his robes. The thought made him feel light-headed with happiness that, even then, she had wanted to look her best for him.

Once she departed the common room, however, she did not head straight for the Great Hall; instead, she steered her way aimlessly around the castle, until she eventually ended up in the Astronomy Tower. She looked out over the battlements and into the night sky, which was graced with a thin sliver of lunar elegance and littered with countless stars. The night was perfect, right down to the slight bite in the air.

He approached and leaned against the wall next to her. “C’est une belle nuit.”

Not even realizing that he had spoken her mother’s native tongue, she turned to look at him and stared. He felt sheepish now, dressed like some peacock, but it was done. She was just so gorgeous in the faint stellar light that he could not help but to reach out and caress the face that he had seen in his dreams numerous times.

She responded – oh, sweet Salazar, she did – and his ability to deny himself was completely gone. Scorpius kissed her with every ounce of the passion that she incited in his soul. As he prayed for this moment to never end, she pressed her body to his, and every inch of him was branded as hers. He knew that there could be not other girl who would be capable of eliciting this burning need inside of him.

Somehow, though, he managed to tear himself away from her. * “I thought that you said that we couldn’t do this.”

* “I did.”

* “But, if that’s the case, then how did we end up here again?” Scorpius wondered in his heart whether she felt some measure of what he did, and as they began talking, he was starting to see that she did, indeed, want him just as badly.

He produced the music box, and they danced the night away to its melody, unmindful of the party below, unmindful of everything. The thought that they could simply be for just once was impossible to ignore.

The night before, Scorpius had told her that he planned to talk to Lily and try to clear the air with her a bit, but Dominique thought that it might be a mistake. She had not said anything to him about it, but she planned to talk to Lily first, because something this huge would feel much less intrusive coming from family. Though she was not quite convinced that Lily would not hate her, anyway, Dominique remained optimistic that her cousin would see reason and just let them be happy.

For she was happy with Scorpius. Dominique was sure now that she had never been truly happy until she had fallen for the most unlikely of boys. He was overly confident, slightly arrogant, and much more aristocratic in his mannerisms than she could ever be, but his magnetism, his eyes, his very soul, held her captive. If Lily could not understand that, then so be it. Sometimes, one just had to be selfish here and there.

The common room was fairly empty, save for Lily and a couple of her friends, who were playing Exploding Snap. Dominique tapped her cousin on the shoulder and whispered, “Can I talk to you?”

Lily got up and brushed off the stray particles of soot before following Dominique to a secluded corner. Once they were safely out of earshot, Lily asked, “What’s up?”

Dominique was not quite sure how to start. She wanted to do this carefully so that Lily did not feel pressured and bullied, but every thought that came into her head was simply a declaration of love for Scorpius, which made her feel ridiculous. Finally, she stammered, “I, um…oh, hell!” She raked her fingers through her still-tangled hair. Taking a fortifying breath, she said bluntly, “I can’t do this anymore, Lil. I love him. It’s making me sick knowing that it hurts you!” Tears were streaming down her face, but she did not care. She had said what she had needed to say.

Staring, Lily was slack-jawed. Her normally cool and composed cousin was obviously in agony, and it was all her fault. Never, in all of her wildest dreams, had she thought that Dominique would ever fall for Scorpius, but here she was, looking at the one who had stolen the affection of her boyfriend. Yet, no matter how much she thought she should, no matter how much she felt that she was entitled to it, Lily felt no malice. How could she, when Dominique had obviously been torturing herself over this?

Sighing, Lily broke the silence. “He really means that much to you? You really care about him that much?”

Enthralled that the conversation had not ended with her confession, Dominique recounted the entire story – every encounter, every conversation, every kiss. She had nothing left in her but the truth, and it came pouring out in spades.

After the barrage of admissions by Dominique, Lily simply stared at her miserable cousin, who, quite simply, looked like crap, and she knew how that felt. Truth be told, she had gotten over Scorpius long before Dominique had basically asked permission to attend the Yule Ball with him, but she had been so intent on punishing her ex-boyfriend, she had not realized that she had punished her cousin, as well. That had never been her intention.

“Dom, I’m sorry. I really am – “

As Lily started her sentence, Dominique got a horrible, sinking feeling that the other girl was going to tell her that it was still a problem with her and that she was doomed to heartbreak. It ate at her. It felt as if she would never know anything but this ache in her chest.

But when Lily finished her sentence, Dominique’s world righted itself once more. “ – I should have never said that to you. You’re free to see whoever you like, as is he.”

The words to describe her relief just would not come. Dominique had just heard the greatest news in her life, and she could not think of one bloody thing to say. But joy rapidly took over as she kissed Lily on both cheeks and enveloped her cousin in a bear hug, nearly lifting the other girl off of the floor.

Still overcome with joy, Dominique sprinted out of the common room and to her new favorite place in the world – wherever Scorpius happened to be at the moment. Once she reached the dungeons, she uttered the password for the Slytherin common room, which she had been given as Head Girl, and flew into the unfamiliar room.

Not many students were in the room, but the one she sought was. Wordlessly, she launched herself into Scorpius’s arms and kissed him with all the passion that she had and could finally, finally express. It was perfect, it was magnificent, and it was, at last, allowed.

Dominique looped her arms around his neck and pulled back for air. Both of them were panting, oblivious of the curious onlookers, who were obviously wondering how they had a Gryffindor in their midst. She grinned, her first true smile in ages, and said, “It’s all right now.”

Scorpius simply stared at her. How could he hope for anything so incredible? “You mean – “

“Yes! Lily said it was okay!” Dominique hugged him to her and squeezed her eyes shut. She knew that this was the right moment for one last bit of truth. “I love you,” she whispered into his ear.

He could not breathe. Had he heard her correctly? Had she really said what he hoped that she had said? To hell with it, he said to himself. I’ll say it. He pulled her away to look deep into her entrancing blue eyes and said, “I love you, Dominique Marie Weasley. You are sweet, you are brilliant, you are fascinating, and you are gorgeous, inside and out.”

Her heart hammered against her ribs while she waited for him to speak, but she felt it stop completely at the first few words of his own confession. He loved her. He loved her. Scorpius – whatever his middle name was, she did not care – Malfoy loved her as much as she loved him, and there was not a single feeling, not a single thought, in the world that could take that away now.

Finally cognizant of their audience, Scorpius slipped her a sly grin and said, “What do you say we get out of here and let these prats get back to studying?”

With a matching smile, Dominique said, “That would be perfect.”

Together, blissfully unaware of anything but each other, Dominique and Scorpius strolled through the castle, arm in arm, talking, laughing, living, loving. For what else could there be to life than these simple things that make it all worthwhile?