Chapter Text
Lily Luna Potter was a curious child, she loved to wander about the places she knows she’s not allowed to be because if she doesn’t get caught, was she ever really there? This never changed even as she grew and went off to Hogwarts with her older brothers. Lily always found a way to the secretive parts of the castle she knew would wind her up in trouble if she was ever found there, but that never stopped her. If anything, the thrill was what kept her going.
This time, however, she found herself wandering outside the castle and towards a place that was out of bounds to all students. She wasn’t planning on going into the Forbidden Forest, she just wanted to satisfy her curiosity enough by getting a peek into the weird and wonderful - the creatures that lurked, the flowers that grew, the water that flowed.
So, that very sunny Friday afternoon, Lily set off down the path all alone, telling her friends she’ll catch them at dinner after she got a start on her herbology homework - a small white lie never harmed anyone. She hopped down the stoned path, the sounds of birds chirping around her, the sun beaming brightly. It was a strangely sunny day for March, most students had abandoned their school robes and some had even left their jumpers and cardigans behind - Lily’s own cardigan was shoved into her backpack along with the plant she was supposed to be looking after.
She made sure to try and avoid Hagrid’s Hut - she loved having tea with him, but right now couldn’t stomach the idea of his overcooked rock cakes… or stomach the idea of tea. Sneaking past Hagrids, Lily ran the rest of the way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, coming to a quick stop when another student was sat leaning up a tree, sitting on his robes and a large book in his hand. Lily recognised him almost instantly - his blond hair was a dead giveaway - as Scorpius Malfoy, her older brothers best friend.
They hadn’t spoken much since Lily had started Hogwarts, the odd hello here and there whenever Lily cornered Albus long enough to catch him in a decent conversation. Albus seemed to speak to her more than he did James, but she still felt like her older brother was slipping through her fingers. She’d also seen Scorpius in the library on occasion and they sometimes communicated across the room, but other than that, their communication had been limited.
Lily, however, would rather quite like to get to know the boy who Albus spoke so highly of.
“Scorpius?” she asked, making the other boy jump slightly, panicking for a brief moment before he realised who had interrupted his quiet moment.
“Lily, hi,” he replied as he closed his book, keeping a finger between the pages so he wouldn’t lose his place. “What’re you doing here?”
“Just… wandering,” she replied innocently, swaying on her heels and smiling widely at him. She could have sworn she saw him roll his eyes fondly.
“You’re not allowed down here,” he reminded, putting a bookmark inside his book instead and sitting up, crossing his legs.
Lily looked around before taking a couple of steps closer and whispering, “I like being in places I’m not allowed to be. You’re not allowed down here, either,” she reminded, raising her eyebrows at him.
Scorpius smiled. “You know you look just like Albus when you do that?” he said as he rifled through his bag and produced a note. “I actually am allowed down here with permission from Professor Hagrid,” he said almost smugly, handing the note to Lily even though he didn’t have anything to prove to her. Lily was two years younger, she certainly had no authority over him.
To humour him, she took the note anyway and read it as though Headmistress McGonagall would, reading through her glasses down her nose. Scorpius let out a giggle that made Lily feel rather accomplished. She handed him back the note and shuffled slightly on her feet before asking, “could you use some company?”
“That would be nice,” he smiled and patted the ground next to him. Lily closed the gap between them, throwing her backpack on the floor and fishing out her cardigan - the plant she was looking after falling out with it - and spreading it on the floor next to Scorpius. “What’s this?” Scorpius asked, picking up the plant that Lily had carelessly abandoned.
“That’s Patrick,” Lily waved off, reaching over to pick up the book Scorpius was reading.
“Patrick… the plant?” he asked as he tried to hide his smirk. “Why was he stuffed in your bag? That is no way to treat a plant,” he half-scolded and Lily shot him a look.
“I’m useless at herbology and Professor Longbottom gave me Patrick as a little extra project, I have to monitor his growth,” she said, imitating Neville in a funny voice. “But enough about me, why do you have permission to be here?”
“Research,” he said proudly, putting Patrick the Plant down carefully and turning the book - that Lily was still holding - to the page where he left off. Thestrals, it read. Lily felt her shoulders sag, her heart aching for the boy who just lost his mother. She could never imagine losing her mum, that pain would never leave her. She almost didn’t want to ask, but her curiosity got the better of her.
“Can you see them now?”
Scorpius slightly nodded, closing the book and picking Patrick back up. “Do you want any help? With this project?”
A smile covered her face uncontrollably. “Do you mean that?”
“Of course, I know a thing or two, like how not to keep them in your backpack.”
Lily got out her notebook that she was going to use to monitor the progress of Patrick and a quill, writing down Scorpius’ first tip. She smiled cheekily at him as he read over her shoulder what she had written down.
“Anything else?”
“Wormwood is a very valuable plant, it needs to be watered three times a day in order for it to grow properly for it to be used in potions,” he explained, talking slowly so Lily could jot it all down. She was pretty sure Professor Longbottom had already covered this with her, but she barely remembered that. “Plants are like babies -”
“Woah,” Lily interrupted, “I don’t think I’m ready to be a mum yet.”
Scorpius nudged her shoulder as Lily broke her act with a laugh. “Good job you have me, I will happily be your plants mum.”
“We can be plant mums together!” Lily exclaimed, practically jumping for joy.
Scorpius looked slightly taken aback, even though it was his suggestion. “You’d want that?”
“Well, you’re helping me anyway, right? Might as well help with the practical side too?”
He smiled softly, the glow of the sun highlighting his soft grey eyes. Lily wondered for a moment how anyone could find an ounce of darkness in someone so sweet and kind, who selflessly offered his time to help her in a subject that she was - quite frankly - useless in.
They spent another hour or so down by the edge of the forest, discussing all things herbology and how Lily would look after the plant when Scorpius wasn’t around. As they laughed together, the beginnings of a friendship blossomed beautifully, like the trees in the beginning of spring.