“Uh, Lily, is this a good idea?”
Scorpius knew he sounded hesitant, scared even, but as they whooshed through the air on his Firebolt, he did not feel at all confident. Even Hugo couldn’t think of anything to say as they hurtled towards him. In the presence of the Potters, none of the teachers “ even Professor Vector “ seemed to know what to do. With Ginny Potter looking furious, Harry staring glassily ahead and James holding his head in his hands, Scorpius was starting to wish he could Apparate out of Hogwarts.
“Too late,” Lily said, giggling as they lilted through the air, and through the rest of the players who were staring in amazement at them. “Apart from Al, who won’t notice a thing with Natalie snogging him, everyone’s seen us now.” Twisting her head around, she grinned at him. “You did say you wanted everyone to know, Scorpy. I “” She yelped when he tweaked her hair.
“Stop taking the piss, baby Potter!”
“You said you wouldn’t call me that,” she retorted. “We had a deal.”
“Don’t call me ‘Scorpy’, then,” he grumbled. Removing his hands from her waist, he pulled on the broom, slowing it up. “You mum looks like she’s going to hex me.”
“You can hide behind me,” she whispered, and placing her hands over his, she leant forwards and urged the broom on, laughing. “She won’t do anything here, not with all these witnesses.” Raising her voice, she swerved to the side, and steadily steered the broom towards her parents.
“Hi Mum, this is Scorpius. He leant me his broom. It’s good isn’t it? Not sure I could have made the catch if I hadn’t had such a fast one. Did you see the catch, Dad? James, I hope you got a good picture.”
“Lily, stop babbling,” Harry sighed. “Why don’t you return Scorpius to the stand now you’ve thanked him, and join the team?”
“That was one hell of a ‘thank you’,” murmured James, trying and failing to straighten his face.
“It’s Scorpius’ broom,” Lily repeated, not looking at anyone except her mother. “He lent it to me. He helped Gryffindor win.”
Ginny Potter had said nothing. Not by one word had she intimated her feelings, but Scorpius could tell by the way Harry was eyeing her warily, that she was far from happy with her daughter. She switched her attention to Scorpius, staring into his eyes, the scorn “ and something else he couldn’t quite make out “ evident. “Al is waiting for you, Lily. James and I want to interview the winning team,” she murmured.
It was a snub, a very obvious one, but said in such a mild way that Lily started to turn the broom around. Then she stopped and instead landed on the ledge, deliberately moving Scorpius’ arm around her waist. “I’d like you to meet Scorpius, Mum. He’s my boyfriend. It’s thanks to him that Gryffindor won the Cup.”
“I have a job to do,” Ginny murmured, and without giving Lily a second glance, she rose from her chair and stumbled towards the steps.
Tentatively Harry plucked at her sleeve. “Lily wanted to introduce us, love.”
She turned on him. “I don’t need an introduction,” she said stonily. “I’m well aware who this is.” Then, without looking back, she walked away.
A ghastly silence descended. Beside him, Scorpius could see Lily biting her lip. Without moving closer, he reached out and touched her fingers. Her hand closed on his, squeezing tight.
“Might be better if I go,” Scorpius whispered, picking up the broom. “She’s obviously not happy. I’ll let you get back to your celebrating.”
“No,” she said fiercely. “You helped us win, and I’m not having her ignore that. MUM, COME BACK!”
But Ginny didn’t look around.
“Lily, fabulous win!” Lavender Zabini called out quickly. “And Scorpius, that was magnanimous of you. Professor Zabini will be very proud, despite losing the cup to us.” Standing up, she inched her way down the wooden steps and towards the front of the stand, where she embraced Lily, whispering, “Don’t worry about your Mum. It’s just a bit of a shock.”
“It’s not fair!” Lily exclaimed. “She won’t even let me explain.”
Standing up, Harry stepped towards his daughter and ruffled her hair. “Bad timing, Lily, that’s all. I’ll talk to her.” He smiled awkwardly at Scorpius. “That was good of you to lend her your broom. Thank you.”
Staring back at Harry, and trying hard to stop the resentment erupting from within, Scorpius nodded to him. He wanted to shout, wanted to rave at the man that just because he was a Slytherin and a Malfoy, it didn’t mean he couldn’t do something good, but instead he looked away. Harry Potter had made his mind up about Scorpius a long time ago “ probably before he was even born “ and there wasn’t much he could do about that. “She needed a decent broom,” he muttered. “The school ones are crap.”
“But you didn’t have to lend her yours,” Harry persisted. “So thank you.”
Wrongfooted by Harry’s seeming gratitude, Scorpius flushed. He caught James studying him with a flash of amusement in his eyes. “I should go, Lily. Leave you with your family, yeah?”
Lily smiled up at him. “I’m going to get changed. Will you wait for me?”
“Is that what you want?” She nodded, so smiling back at her, Scorpius mounted the broomstick. “C’mon, Apple Queen. One more lap of honour and I’ll drop you off at the changing rooms.”
Sitting outside, enjoying the sun on his face, Scorpius ignored the curious glances and catcalls from the Ravenclaw team as they stomped out of their changing room, not wishing to linger. Their Seeker, Belby, cast him a furious glare, which Scorpius returned by grinning nastily. He wasn’t going to be popular for lending Lily his broom, but then he wasn’t popular anyway, and whatever Belby did was nothing compared to his own House. Inside the other changing room, the Gryffindors were still singing. He wondered whether to leave Lily to it, but she’d asked him to wait and he had no doubt she’d be out when she could.
“My mum won’t be pleased to see you here,” James said.
Scorpius looked up to see James standing over him. “Lily asked me to wait,” he replied stubbornly. “And I don’t have anywhere else to be.”
“Why did you lend her your Firebolt X?” James asked, his voice neutral.
“Told you,” Scorpius replied. “School brooms are crap.”
James stretched out on the grass. “Was it just because you’re seeing her?”
Scorpius shrugged. “I wouldn’t have lent it to Belby or Jones if that’s what you’re asking.”
“So it was just because you’re seeing my sister, then.”
Scorpius looked at him coolly. “I didn’t particularly want Gryffindor to win, you know. I don’t exactly get on with your mob. But Lily is a good Seeker, and she didn’t deserve to be lumbered with a crap broom when it wasn’t her fault she lost her Nimbus.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think her broom was jinxed,” Scorpius replied.
“Really?” James looked interested now. “How could you tell?”
“It didn’t respond to her commands, and didn’t fall with her,” Scorpius replied shrugging. “It’s a new broom and shouldn’t be that uncontrollable.”
“My sister isn’t experienced,” James scoffed. “She lost control.”
“Your sister is a bloody good flyer,” Scorpius retorted. “She’s got more sodding talent than you ever had, Potter. It’s instinct with her and not brute force.” He turned away, not wanting to talk anymore.
“You waited!” Lily called from the door as she dashed out, not faltering even though she could see Scorpius was flanked by her brother.
“Of course,” he replied smoothly, and stood up to give her an awkward hug. “Look, you can go off with them, you know. I don’t mind.”
“I do,” she said clearly, directing her voice as much to her brother as to Scorpius. “They’re going on about the Gryffindor party tonight. Al’s said that Rose is inviting Ben. He’s a Hufflepuff and Rose isn’t even on the team, so you should come along.”
“She’s head girl, Lil, obviously Rosy gets her own way, even if MacMillan’s so bloody boring, he’ll send everyone to sleep.” James said, pulling a face. “I take it Mum’s not in there.”
“Well, if she is, she’s wearing Dad’s cloak,” Lily replied waspishly. “I’ve not seen her.” She pulled on Scorpius’ arm and pecked him on the cheek. “Let’s go for a walk.”
“Oi, Seeker. I want a quote from you,” James yelled as they walked off.
“I made the catch thanks to Scorpius Malfoy!” she yelled back.
“You made the catch because you were the better Seeker,” Scorpius demurred. “It wasn’t the broom, Lily, it was you.”
“You’re too kind,” she said, giggling, and then wound her arm around him. “This party tonight in the common room, I’d like you to be there, but if you don’t want to come along, then I’ll skip it.”
It was artfully done. She must have known he wouldn’t want her to miss the celebrations. “Maybe for a short while,” he muttered, “but I think me being there’s going to put a downer on the thing. I’m not exactly popular “ with anyone.” He smiled sardonically. “Haven’t faced the Slytherins, yet.”
“Are you worried?” Lily asked anxiously.
Feigning a nonchalance he didn’t quite feel, Scorpius grinned at her. “I can take them. Wandless and tied up, I’ll still kick their arses.” She lifted her face up to him, merriment lighting the yellow flecks in her eyes. Merlin, she’s so beautiful when she’s happy. He stopped talking, and pulled her to the side of the path and behind a tree. Cupping her face in his hands, he lowered his lips to hers, delighting in her immediate response. She smelt fresh, her hair still damp from the shower, her skin clean. As his lips strayed to her neck, he heard small moans escape from her lips and emboldened by the sound, his hand moved to the front of her shirt, slipping inside until he found her breast. She didn’t flinch away, not this time, instead she melted into him, allowing him to duck his head down further until his tongue teased her nipple.
He knew this was crazy. They weren’t that far off the path and although the grass was longer here by the trees, it wouldn’t hide them entirely. She was only just sixteen. This would be her first time, and he’d imagined it happening somewhere a bloody sight more comfortable than on the ground. But with Lily’s fingernails trailing up and down his back, Scorpius felt himself losing whatever remnants of control and morality he’d managed to hold onto.
“Shall I stop?” he muttered.
“No,” she whispered, and gasped as his hand slid, inching under her skirt and up her thigh until he encountered the scratchy lace of her pants. “What are you... oh ...”
“Enjoy,” he murmured. With her breath hot on his neck, and excited by her arousal, Scorpius foggily tried to scheme his next move. He needed to get horizontal. In his admittedly limited experience of outside screwing, he should be the one to lie on his back, but with this being her first time ... Damn it! Why here? he thought.
Just as Lily cried out, Scorpius heard another voice from the path.
“I’m going to have to let her bring him, aren’t I?”
“Yes, Al, you are,” Natalie Thomas, the Gryffindor Chaser was saying. “He did lend her his broom, and “”
“Bollocks, it’s your brother!” Scorpius hissed. The spell broken, he stopped her cries with a kiss, rapidly adjusted his clothes, and as Lily was incoherent, did up the buttons on her top. “Bloody awful timing. I’d hex him, but I don’t think that’ll help get me on your mum’s good side.”
Lily didn’t reply, but buried her face into his chest. He could feel her heart pulsing in her chest and held her close until her breath returned to normal. “That was --” she began to say.
“Good, yeah?” he muttered, touching his mouth to her brow. “But a bit crazy.”
“Reckless,” she whispered, and smiled at him. “You’re becoming a Gryffindor.”
He snorted. “Must be your influence,” he said, smoothing a loose tress of her hair behind her ear. “Shall we go back before your mum sends a troll after me?”
She sighed as she stepped away from the tree, pulling him with her. “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t think she’d be like that.”
“Compared to what my family’s reaction will be, that was a picnic, Lily,” he muttered.
She looked concerned, so he grinned at her hoping his smile belied the anxiety gnawing at him. But there was nothing he could do now. And there was nothing they could do to him “ not here, not at this moment “ so winding his arm around Lily’s waist, he kissed her again, as they meandered back to school.
Several pupils stopped speaking as they walked past. Scorpius knew very few of them, as they weren’t Slytherins, prefects or seventh years, but Lily from the way she was nodding, or waving appeared to know the vast majority.
“Shall we give them something to really gossip about?” he whispered, as he very slowly lowered his mouth to hers.
“Ouch!”
“Huh?”
Lily pushed him away. “Your broom’s sticking into me.”
“Bastard thing,” he murmured, letting it clatter to the ground.
Looking amused, Lily bent down to pick it up. “This broom made Gryffindor the champions for the first time in five years. If you can’t treat it properly, then I’ll have to take it.”
“Uh “uh!” he replied, trying to wrench it away from her. “It’s not like wand-lore. This is my broom, bab -”
“You promised!” she shrieked, and with a huge smile on her face, span away from him and sprinted across the lawns towards the entrance hall.
“I was going to say ‘babe’,” he laughed as he chased after her.
He caught her easily, and together they tumbled on the grass. “I don’t like ‘babe’ either,” she said.
“How about I stop thinking up rubbish nicknames and just kiss you?” he murmured.
Lily smiled, but whatever she’d been about to say was stopped by a sudden jet of water squirting Scorpius in the face. Spluttering, he looked up. Standing over the pair of them were Lily’s parents, James (who couldn’t stop laughing), and Lavender Zabini, looking exasperated.
“Scorpius, leave the poor girl alone,” she said, “or I’ll squirt you again.” She glanced at James. “In my day, Professor Snape used far worse punishments. Merlin, I remember being caught with ... um ... no, perhaps I won’t go there.”
Her idle chit-chat gave Scorpius time to wipe his face. He grinned sheepishly and helped Lily to her feet. Then, taking a deep breath, he faced her mum. “Sorry, Mrs Potter, I know this must be a bit awkward, but it’s “”
“I don’t want to hear this,” Ginny muttered, yanking Lily towards her. “No wonder you’re doing so badly with your school work - too distracted by - ”
“Ginny!” Harry interrupted. “That isn’t fair.”
She rounded on him. “You don’t seem at all surprised,” she spat. “None of you seem the slightest bit shocked that my daughter is seeing Malfoy’s son. Why is that?”
James shrugged. “I didn’t know, Mum. You’ve got to admit, though, if you’re going to snog a Slytherin, make sure it’s one with a decent broom.”
“Not helping, James,” muttered Harry. He stepped towards his wife, and gently removed her hand from Lily’s arm. “I should have told you, but I thought it had ended and I didn’t want you getting in a state.”
“A state!” she exclaimed. “Merlin, Harry, this isn’t the bloody dinner getting burnt or me trying to make a deadline. This is our daughter with a Malfoy. Have you ANY idea what this is doing to me?”
Scorpius stared at his feet. Inside he could feel anger raging inside of him, but knew if he was to stand any chance of being accepted by Lily’s family, he had to keep a lid on his temper.
He hadn’t reckoned on Lily, though. Tearing herself away from her dad, she stepped back to Scorpius. “This is my boyfriend,” she screamed. “If you don’t like it, then tough!”
“You’re behaving like a three year old,” Ginny retorted. “And kissing him in front of everyone looks cheap!”
“I didn’t see you shouting at Al,” Lily yelled back. “He was positively eating Natalie on that Quidditch pitch, but no! Golden boy Albus can’t do anything wrong. It’s just me. Stupid, pathetic Lily who can’t have a boyfriend because she’s too thick and has to study.” A sob caught at her throat, and she stopped speaking, turning her face away from them all.
But Scorpius had seen the tears. With one hand, he pulled her towards him. “Mrs Potter. It’s my fault we were kissing and I’m sorry if it upset you, but please, I like your daughter and I don’t want to hurt her.”
Ginny twisted to face him and in that moment he realised that something else was going on. This wasn’t just about the fact that they were in different houses. He wasn’t even sure it had anything to do with Lily’s exams. Ginny was looking at him with hatred in her eyes. “You don’t want to hurt her, and yet you will. You won’t be able to help yourself. It’s in your blood, Malfoy.”
“I think we should take this somewhere else,” Lavender murmured.
“This is a private matter and has nothing to do with you,” Ginny objected. “Harry and I can sort out our own daughter.”
“It’s a very public argument taking place at school,” Lavender replied archly. “While Professor Zabini’s away, I’m in charge of the Slytherins. Ginny, if you’re going to abuse Scorpius, then I think you need a better reason than ‘he’s a Malfoy.’” She exchanged a look with Harry who nodded. “Blaise’s study is two doors along from Professor Slughorn’s old room, password’s ‘biscotti’. The door at the back leads to our private quarters. Take Ginny there and I’ll be along in a minute.”
Although she looked very reluctant to leave, Ginny allowed Harry to lead her away. From where he stood, Scorpius could see her still arguing with her husband and wondered exactly what was going on.
“Come on,” Lavender sighed. “Let’s see if we can sort this out. No, James, I don’t think we need your input. Why don’t you take yourself off and interview the Ravenclaws? Balance is very important, whatever your personal opinion.”
Wrinkling his nose in disgust, James nonetheless listened to Lavender (who was, after all, a journalist of considerable standing) and wandered off towards a group of Ravenclaws, who’d been watching the scene with glee.
“Lily,” Lavender said gently, “you’re a brave girl, but not necessarily a wise one. Don’t shout at your mum, it will only make her worse.” She caught Scorpius’ eye and grimaced. “You’re very lucky Professor Zabini wasn’t here. He’d have hexed the pair of you apart with no warning. Having a snog after an exhilarating match is one thing, but on the lawn? Good Godric, can’t you be the slightest bit discreet?”
Ginny Potter had calmed down somewhat by the time they reached the study. No longer flushed, she had sat herself on one of the armchairs by the coffee table and was fiddling distractedly with her wand. “Sorry for yelling, Lavender.”
“Get comfortable whilst I make some tea,” Lavender replied, waving away Ginny’s apology. “I need to put my feet up for one thing. I don’t know about you, Ginny, but this baby is playing havoc with my ankles.”
“I had the same problem with the boys,” Ginny remarked, and glanced at Lily. “You weren’t nearly as problematic ... not then.”
“Shame I was born, isn’t it?” Lily muttered, stopping when her father shook his head.
Scorpius held her hand squeezing it despite knowing Mrs Potter was watching and frowning as they sat together on a rather squashy brown leather sofa.
“Tea and biscuits,” Lavender announced a few minutes later when a house-elf walked in laden with a tray, “and gherkins for me. Gods, you won’t believe how many of these I’m getting through. I never believed all those pregnancy stories, but I cannot stop eating these even though I get the most awful heartburn.”
“How long has this been going on, Lily?” Ginny asked, ignoring Lavender.
“Um ...” Lily sounded unsure. “Well, Scorpius fell off his broom in the first match of the season, and I visited him in hospital, but nothing happened then. I suppose ... um ...”
“The Christmas holiday,” Scorpius stated plainly. “We bumped into each other at the broom shop then started meeting up when we got back to Hogwarts. We broke up for a while, but got back together in February.”
“And you knew all this time?” Ginny’s glare took in Lavender as well as Harry.
He sighed. “Ginny, I found out that day I gave the Defence lecture. I was as angry as you are because I believed Scorpius was using our daughter. They split up, so I didn’t think it was worth telling you about something that was over.”
“You didn’t know it had started up again, then?” she asked, sounding suspicious.
Harry Potter could be an adept liar. He’d certainly have to be able to think on his feet as Head Auror, but under the interrogation of his wife, he folded. “Teddy mentioned that they were back together,” he mumbled.
“Teddy knows all about this!” she cried out. “He’s part of our family and yet he couldn’t tell me either!”
“I told him not to,” Harry admitted.
“Why? Don’t you think I have the right to know about something that affects our daughter?”
“Because I knew you’d react like this!” exclaimed Harry. He took a breath, calming down in an instant and when he spoke again his voice was much softer. “You’ve always told me the way to get our daughter to do something is to tell her to do the opposite. I thought this would fizzle out.”
Ginny looked away from him and stared straight at Lavender. “You’ve obviously have been encouraging this. Typical! Lavender Brown always loved a good drama.”
“I don’t think we should be having the same old arguments twenty-five years later, if that’s what you mean,” Lavender replied caustically.
The two women locked looks like cats, neither wanting to be the first to blink.
“Ginny, Scorpius is not Draco,” continued Lavender. “I know he looks like him, but it’s a different time and he’s a different boy. It would be like saying Albus is Harry because of the resemblance.”
Ginny closed her eyes. She looked utterly drained as she slumped back in the chair. “Are you seriously telling me that you’re happy with this, Harry?” she asked, her voice now weary. “You think Malfoy’s son is good enough for our daughter?”
Harry lifted his eyes from his wife, and searched Scorpius’ face as if unsure who was really in front of him. Scorpius tried a smile, but got nothing in return.
“Merlin wouldn’t be good enough for my daughter, you know that,” Harry murmured, after a while. “But Lily has to make her own decisions.”
“She’s barely sixteen!”
“And you were fifteen when you started seeing Dad!” Lily protested.
“That was completely different.”
“Why?”
“Because your father was a good person,” Ginny shouted. “He wouldn’t have taken advantage of me, or used me, or ANYTHING else that a Malfoy will do to you.”
“I won’t!” Scorpius protested. The anger and resentment he’d been struggling to keep a lid on started to bubble furiously inside of him. “Mrs Potter, I know you hate my dad. That’s fine because I don’t think he’s overly fond of you, but I’m not him. And I’m not about to split up with your daughter because you can’t see beyond my bloody surname or the colour of my hair!”
A sudden crash stopped him saying more. Tearing his eyes away from Ginny, Scorpius saw Mrs Zabini bent double, her jar of gherkins smashed on the wooden floor. “Bloody hell, this heartburn is not going away. I have to stop eating ... AH!”
“Are you sure this is heartburn?” Ginny’s attention flipped away from Scorpius and straight to Lavender.
“Yes, yes,” Lavender gasped. “It’s been on and off all afternoon. Ah ... Merlin, that’s bad.”
“She’s in labour,” Ginny declared. “Lavender, the baby’s coming.”
“No, it can’t be. I’m not due for six weeks,” groaned Lavender.
“Babies don’t always follow timetables,” Ginny replied. Turning swiftly to Lily, she ordered her away. “Find Madam Bones.”
A white-faced Lily stared at Lavender, unable to look away.
“Lily!” shouted her mum in exasperation. “Listen to me. I need Madam Bones.” As Lily stood up, still glassy-eyed, Ginny turned to Scorpius. “Go with her.”
“No,” Lavender gasped. “Scorpius, find the professor. If you’re right, Ginny, I can’t do this without Blaise.”
“Where is he, Mrs Zabini?” Scorpius shouted in desperation. “Where did he go?”
Taking a breath, she seemed to recover slightly. “Diagon Alley and his mother’s, I think,” she replied. “Just find him for me, please.”
Taking his lead from his wife, Harry led both Lily and Scorpius out of the lounge and through to the study. Without saying a word, Lily ran off in the direction of the stairs to find Madam Bones.
“I don’t know where Professor Zabini’s mother lives,” Scorpius whispered. “And an owl will be too late, won’t it?”
“Leave it to me,” Harry replied. He smiled slightly. “You might like this, Scorpius.” Then with a wave of his wand, he produced his Patronus. The stag stood shimmering in front of them, not bounding around the study, but proud and still. Staring at it, Harry whispered a message to the creature and sent it on its way. It vanished through the wall leaving only the faintest traces of gleaming silver in its wake.
“That was seriously cool,” Scorpius said, awestruck despite the seriousness of the situation.
“Something Dumbledore taught the Order members. A lifesaver,” Harry replied, sounding solemn. Then he grinned. “Yeah, it’s ‘seriously cool,’ though.”
“I told Madam Bones. She’ll be here soon, she’s just talking to a Healer at St Mungo’s,” Lily yelped as she bounded back into the study. They all heard a yell from the other room. “Is she okay?”
“Childbirth hurts, Lily,” Harry murmured. “Your mum has never let me forget that. Look, there’s nothing you can do, now, so why don’t the pair of you scamper off. Just ...” he shook his head, “... just don’t get into anymore trouble, or your mum will hex me.”
“I want to stay here,” Lily whispered. “Please, I don’t think I can concentrate on anything not when I know this is my fault.”
Scorpius reached out for her hand and squeezed tight. He knew exactly what she was feeling. However illogical it might be, he couldn’t help feeling responsible for all of this. It was his actions that had upset Lily’s mum, and without that, Lavender wouldn’t have felt the need to intervene. “I’m staying,” he mumbled. “It’s my fault.”
“It’s not either of your faults,” Harry insisted. “Lavender was complaining about tummy ache all afternoon. It was obviously labour “ she just didn’t realise.”
“But the baby’s early!” Lily wailed. “That’s dangerous, isn’t it?”
“You were early,” Harry replied. “Very eager to get into the world, Lily Luna.” He smiled warmly at her. “No wonder you were Sorted into Gryffindor.”
Appearing in the doorway, Madam Bones, bag in hand, nodded briefly at the three of them, and strode into the lounge. Scorpius could hear her rapping out orders to Ginny, and questioning Lavender. Lavender’s replies were incomprehensible, mingled with cries and swear words.
“Did you find Zabini?” Ginny demanded of Scorpius, poking her head around the door.
“I sent a Patronus,” Harry replied.
“Good. If Lavender has to go through this without him...” She faltered, and swallowed before continuing. “Madam Bones doesn’t want to move her. She thinks taking the Floo to St Mungo’s at this late stage is ... er ... unwise.”
“Can’t they send a Healer?” Scorpius asked.
“Apparently not,” Ginny replied, chewing her lip anxiously. “There’s been some sort of incident at the Arrows game and it’s all hands on deck.” Sweeping her hair out of her eyes, Ginny looked strained and weary. “Hell, I was supposed to have been covering that match.” A cry from the neighbouring room wrenched her attention back to Lavender.
“Is she going to be okay?” Lily asked, her voice trembling.
In an instant, Ginny had crossed the floor and wrapped her arms around her. “Sweetheart, she’s going to be fine. The baby’s just impatient to be here, that’s all. You were early, and look at you now “ utterly beautiful.” Over Lily’s shoulder, she caught Scorpius’ eye. “Take her away from this. She doesn’t have to be here. None of you do.”
Before Scorpius had time to register this change in Lily’s mum’s attitude towards him, a whoosh from the hearth disrupted his thoughts. Coughing and spluttering, Professor Zabini stepped out of the fire, looking far from his usual suave self.
“What’s going on? Why isn’t Lavender at St. Mungo’s?” he demanded of Harry. Then he looked at the people assembled in his study. “And what the bloody hell are you all doing here?”
“Lavender went into labour this afternoon,” Ginny explained. “We were having tea in the lounge and “”
“She invited you for a cosy tea ... all of you!” Blaise snapped. “Highly unlikely!”
“She was trying to sort out an argument,” Harry replied. He stood up and approached Blaise, touching him on the shoulder. “You’re in time, Zabini, don’t worry.”
Pushing Harry away, Professor Zabini shot him a furious look as he clenched and unclenched his fists. “DON’T WORRY?” he roared, his eyes wide and nostrils flaring.
Scorpius flinched; he’d never seen the professor lose his temper in such a spectacular fashion.
“My wife,” raged the professor, “no doubt had to deal with some adolescent crap to do with your daughter and Malfoy’s son, and now she’s gone into labour. This is too early, Potter! Anything could happen.”
“ZABINI!” Lavender’s screech from the next room startled them all. “IF YOU DON’T GET INTO THIS BLOODY ROOM IN THE NEXT TEN SECONDS, I’LL HEX YOUR BOLLOCKS OFF!”