So here's the next chapter, I don't know how I feel about it but I promise that the next chapter of Flash of Red is coming soon. I'm just working out some of the kinks.

Chapter 4 - Hogsmeade

The following weeks were increasingly miserable for Scorpius; he spent most of his time storming out of rooms that Lily and Zenith had made their personal flirting spots. They always made such a spectacle and Scorpius wondered if it was Zenith's way of trying to provoke him. On top of that his mornings were becoming increasingly miserable as winter approached and Lily hadn't shown up either since the first time he'd seen here. Maive was beginning to notice his unhappiness and they started arguing more, usually their arguments were pointless and boring but one in specific made Scorpius storm out of the common room the night before the first Hogsmeade trip.

"Why exactly do you not want to bring me to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Maive glared at him arms folded to her chest as she stood over Scorpius.

"Because I don't want to go in the first place." Scorpius simply said staring back at his textbook smoothing a page she had grabbed in disgust. He had heard Zenith was planning on taking Lily and the whole thing sounded unappealing to him.

"Stop being a child Scorpius and put down that garbage." She hissed at him and pointed towards his textbook, Muggles Through The Century.

"It's for my class and you don't get to tell me what to do." He leveled with her starting to feel his anger bubble up.

"I'm your girlfriend, you should always take my advice. I only want what's good for you and muggle studies isn't going to get you anywhere if you want to be a successful powerful wizard." She fussed, trying to diffuse the argument she had started.

"What if I don't want to be a powerful wizard?" He shouted storming out of the common room; a couple second years stared at him as he left. He didn't care what people thought of him, he didn't care about his reputation. Too often they had had this fight, too often he let it go. Scorpius just started walking around too confused and angry to know where his feet were taking him. He ended up on the third floor and knew exactly where he wanted to go.

Scorpius walked into the Library and spotted Lily sitting by herself for once. He felt his heart speed up and if it didn't stop soon he was going to pass out. She looked so peaceful sitting there, like she belong to this world with its magic and mysteries, everything that came along with being part of this magic world; even the normal ratty table and her nose buried in a shabby looking copy of a muggle book she looked like she belonged. She was unique and different, like the world she was born into. He felt drawn to to her at the moment and his feet seemed to lead him towards her. Her red hair had fell in front of her face making a screen of protection around her, she looked like a delicate flower. When she heard the chair move her head jerked up to see Scorpius sitting before her and her smile faded.

"Good evening." Scorpius said to her lightly.

"What do you want Malfoy?" She sneered at her as he grabbed a piece of her paper and started folding it to keep his hand occupied.

"What are you reading?" Scorpius asked with a smile, he would make an effort to cure the nagging feeling in his stomach.

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" She said without looking up from the book, clearly annoyed that he was sitting with her.

"It's good." He said, remembering back to when he read it for one of his Muggle Studies classes. She merely raised her eyebrow at him, almost in surprise. It wasn't well known that he took Muggle Studies; he mostly sat in the back with Landen Wright, the only other Slytherin that took the class.

"Was there something in particular that you wanted?" Lily sighed and Scorpius smirked at her, admiring her face as it crinkled in annoyance.

"So, you and Osterly then?" He asked casually, he didn't know why he had asked, maybe he didn't believe it was true or maybe he didn't want to believe it was. Lily slammed her book down on the table with one swift movement and tilted her head slightly.

"I don't see how that's any of your damn business." She stared at him with her piercing brown eyes and was leaning uncomfortable close to him, and his heart started pounding in his chest again.

"So it is true." He pointed out, feeling himself smirk while Lily just glared at him. "Well, you might want to watch out for him." He warned her finally after two weeks of avoiding her, he felt a sense of relief to finally get it out.

"Wha…" Lily snapped back against her chair and Scorpius saw pure shock on her face. He then heard yelling and wiping his head around to see Zenith yelling as he walked up to the table.

"Malfoy!" Scorpius tensed; wanting to reach out and grab Lily into his arm, take her away somewhere where he wouldn't find her. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just talking to my friend Potter." He smirked; he wouldn't back down to Zenith.

"I'm not your friend." Lily said icy with piercing eyes staring right through him as if he was the enemy. It felt like a slap in the face but what else would she think, her new boyfriend and her worst enemy.

"Is he bugging you?" Zenith turned to her, looking overly concerned. Scorpius wasn't the one who would hurt her, Scorpius felt like rolling his eyes.

"Always." In the same icy tone she replied as Scorpius stood up, again feeling like she was throwing dragger into his heart. They stood level with one another, Zenith glaring at Scorpius with hatred. Scorpius knew how to get to Zenith; you weren't good friends with someone and not know how to get under their skin, so Scorpius smirked at him with all the arrogances he could muster.

"What are you going to do Osterly?" He egged him on; he would push him so Lily could see who truly was the bad guy. "Are you going to hit me like…?"

"What are you still doing here?" Zenith cut him off harshly, and Scorpius knew he almost had him. He had to play this carefully, like a game of chess.

"The real question is what you think you're doing here." He couldn't help but glanced over at Lily who seemed frozen in her spot and half smiled.

"You think you're better don't you? You and your little death eater friends?" Zenith snarled at him and Scorpius took a careful step towards him. This is how he's going to play it he thought; well this was a game that Scorpius did know how to play. This wasn't the time for it; he had to plan this out carefully.

"I know I'm better than you." He said in a harsh tone and turned to walk out of the library, but before he could, he gave one last glance to Lily; she looked a bit lost watching him leave. He forced himself to turn and not run back for her.

He walked down the cool corridors with a renewed purpose; he would beat Zenith at his own games. Halfway down the hall he heard his name being screeched like an owl at the top of someone's lungs.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Maive barked and came bolting towards him in those hideous heels she was so fond of wearing.

"Walking?" Scorpius answered sarcasm dripping from his voice as he raised an eyebrow at her. She was at his eye level with them on and she stared him in the eye. "I heard you got into a row with Zenith, Scorpius, what were you doing? Defending the honor of Princess Potter were you?"

"Good gossip travels fast I see." He merely chuckled, he didn't care about anything she was saying, and all he cared about was crushing Zenith.

"Do you realize how bad that makes me look?" She demanded and he was tired already with this conversation. His thoughts were occupied thinking about ways he could make Lily see the truth about Zenith. "While you were off fighting like a child over Potter, I happened to over hear this from that Mouse girl, Davey or whatever her name is!"

"It's Alyssa Davies," Scorpius told her, growing more uninterested with the conversation.

"I don't care what her name is Scorpius," Maive shirked and then Scorpius caught a sight of Lily walking by out of the corner of his eyes, careful not to look at her his eyes stayed directly on Maive. As she was walking by his stomach began to ache again, it was becoming rather annoying. He refused to believe it was because of her.

"… You know half of the time I don't even think you're listening to me, like Scorpius I'm trying to work on this with you and you don't even care how I'm feeling." Scorpius snapped out of his trance and focused on Maive. He smiled slightly and then knew what he had to do.

"We'll go to Hogsmeade tomorrow, I'll take you to Hogsmeade tomorrow." Scorpius told her smoothly, and Maive grinned wrapping her arms around him like a snake.

"I do hope you have something big planned." Maive grinned, gripping his arm tighter and walking with him to the common room.

"Oh, I have something big planned." He mumbled.

The next morning when Scorpius came down into the common room it was fairly full of people buzzing about the Hogsmeade trip. "I don't like that look on your face." Poppy frowned at him from where she was sitting on the couch.

"What are you talking about?" Scorpius asked in surprise, staring at her blankly as she walked towards him.

"You don't think I don't know your scheming face Scorpius Malfoy." She raised her eyebrow at him in suspicion.

"I don't have a scheming face." He scoffed at her.

"How long have I known you?" Poppy scowled,

"Long enough," He sighed,

"Exactly, long enough to know that I can't tell you what to do, but long enough to tell you that you're making bad choices, I know you want to be a good person by her or something, but she's toxic to you." She glared at him, and Scorpius knew she was talking about Maive.

"Scorpius!" Maive shouted from the stairs as she ran towards him. "I'm excited for what you have planned for us." She wrapped her arms around Scorpius and Poppy stepped away from them, almost backing into Duanne who grinned down at her. Poppy who thoroughly ignored his presences waited for them.

"Perfect. Shall we?" Scorpius motioned for the door.

"Poppy you coming?" Maive snapped at her.

"Come on Poppy, we're going on a double date." Duanne smirked at her as she turned with a wild smirk on her face. Scorpius looked caustically at him.

"In your dreams dear," She told him with distain dripping in her tone.

"Why not make that dream come true?" He breathed into her ear and tucked a piece of her hair behind it. Poppy wiped her wand out from her belt and jammed it into his throat.

"How about I make your nightmares come true instead?" She snarled at him, the fear snuck up on his face.

"Poppy that enough, stop being so dramatic, come on or we're going to be late." Maive snapped at her and Poppy turned at glare at her but backed down.

"I don't see why you won't give him a chance, he's a respectable wizard." Scorpius heard Maive hiss to Poppy as they started walking to Hogsmeade. The girls had got a bit further ahead, most likely Scorpius figured to talk about Duanne and him.

"Mate, so no double date then?" Duanne ran up beside him, Cason flanking his other side.

"I'm afraid not, you know how Poppy is." Scorpius smirked; she would never go for him.

"Stubborn girl, but I'll crack her." He said confidently. "Still putting in good words? I know she trusts you."

"Oh always mate," He tried hard not too sound sarcastic, although a little did slip out.

"She's a feisty one." He continued and Scorpius wished he wouldn't.

"Mmm." He just answered, starting to think about his plan. Where would he take her he thought, Three Broomsticks? Probably not, although Lily would have preferred that he thought. It was Zenith; he would take her to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop.

"She just needs someone like me in her life, someone who can tame her." Duanne stared at Poppy's backside as she walked.

"Really mate?" He raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? Don't tell me that Maive isn't a spitfire in bed?" Duanne smirked at him and Scorpius stiffened in response. Scorpius just shook his head and walked fast to walk with Maive and Poppy. They had never actually slept together, he just didn't feel right with her even after all the advances she had tried to make with him.

"Sweetie," Maive grinned up at him and Poppy just gave him a mocking smile. "We were just talking about you."

"Great," so were we, he thought.

"Yes, where are you taking her Scorpius?" Poppy asked him with too much innocent in her tone and Scorpius glared at her.

"Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop," He said matter of fact and Maive squealed in excitement.

"I thought you hated that place." Poppy challenged him, she knew he was up to something and he wasn't ready to tell her just yet.

"I don't hate it," he stressed and tried to make her drop it. He really did hate that place.

"Whatever you say, I have to go find my cousin. Have fun on your date." She winked, and gave him a serious look.

"We haven't gone her since our first date." Maive cooed at him grabbing his arm as they walked into the pink and fluffy place. Maive pulled him over to a little table close to the fireplace. A tired dainty girl no more then 19 came over to take their order. Maive ordered for both of them to Scorpius annoyance, but he decided against saying anything because just then Zenith and Lily walked in. Scorpius saw the disgust flash on her face before she cleverly masked it from her face. Maive clearly noticing she wasn't the center of attention then took his face in both her hands and shoved her tongue down his throat, Scorpius fought the instinct to shove her off of him, he had never been one for public displays and Maive had always been. When the waitress came over she eyed him with disgust as she set down the tea and walking away. His eyes then wandered over to where Zenith and Lily were sitting, she was placing a light kiss on his lips. Scorpius downed his tea back in embarrassment and frustration, throwing a generous amount money down on the table before pulling Maive out of the teashop.

"What the hell are you doing?" Maive hissed as he pulled her out of the teashop.

"I have more planned darling," he mumbled forcefully, he knew he should try that he shouldn't be treating her like this. He wrapped his arm around her waist and this made her grin widen. He didn't know when this relationship had become what Poppy had called toxic this morning, but he knew it was.

He hadn't even noticed when he ran into someone, an apology in his throat until he noticed who it was.

"Oi! Malfoy! What was that for?" Zenith shouted at him letting go of Lily's hand Maive clutched to his arm tightly, not out of fear but out of claim.

Scorpius decided that he didn't want to speak to Zenith, knowing set him off more, "I've seemed to upset your prince." He smirked at her and Lily's eyes looked murderous.

"Snake," She hissed through her teeth and then he heard her mumbled under her breath, "Zenith, it's not a big deal, let's go."

"I was talking to you!" Zenith shouted at Scorpius, ignoring Lily completely and Scorpius wanted to push him further for that.

"And I was clearly talking to Potter over here." Scorpius said simply and winked at Lily, and she returned it with a glare.

"Clearly you don't know your place Malfoy," Zenith growled at him and Lily tried to pull him away from the fight. Scorpius took a small step forward so he was right in Zenith face.

"Zenith, that's enough." Lily mumbled again and Zenith once again ignored her and shrugging her off. Scorpius smirk grew wider.

"You really should listen to Potter, she's smart. I'm not worth risking your reputation over." Scorpius heard Maive scoff beside him, and bent down to whisper in her ear.

"He's always had an overgrown ego, the size of a hippogriff," Which made her giggle, and Scorpius want to roll his eyes; she already knew this from experience.

"We'll settle this on the pitch." Zenith growled and grabbed Lily's hand as he stormed off. What a coward, he thought, he really did back down easily, this was hardly any fun.

"See you!" Scorpius gave an animated mocking wave to Zenith and Lily glanced back quickly, their eyes met for a second and his heart sank, she looked at him with severe hatred. When they had got back to the common room and it was only Scorpius and Poppy left around the fire as it normally was.

"So are you going to tell me what that was about today?" Poppy asked lightly, scribbling in a notebook. Scorpius shook his head, he wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her, just yet. "It's obviously not for Maive's enjoyment or yours for that matter, you hate that bloody pink teashop." She causally looked up from her notebook to look at him from where she was sitting in the black armchair so Duanne didn't feel the need to sit beside her.

"I don't hate it," Scorpius mumbled,

"You once called it the teashop that would suffocate you with lace." She raised a slight eyebrow at him as he chuckled.

"You're going to be mad at me Pop," She shifted uncomfortable on the couch.

"I highly doubt that, I might call you an idiot, but do carry on." She teased still scribbling in her notebook. Scorpius felt like he was going to be sick, he hadn't actually admitted it to himself and now he was going to admit it to his bestfriend.

"I think I may like someone else," He mumbled very quietly, and Poppy didn't saw anything for a minute but made no movement other then scribbling. Scorpius began to grow worried at her silence. "It's – Potter, it's Lily," he bite his lip and waited for her to make a noise.

"Well it's about bloody time you noticed you idiot." Poppy finally said and he stared at her with shock.

"Of course I knew," She rolled her eyes putting down her notebook and going to sit beside him.

"Does anyone else know?" He felt sweaty and his heart began to race, running his fingers through his hair.

"No, don't worry stud, everyone else is oblivious. I just know you." She chuckled, "Lily doesn't know either."

"Obviously," He snorted, Lily just thought he was the biggest git around and he never gave her any other reason to not believe that.

"Well what are you going to do Malfoy?" Poppy smirked at him, seemingly very proud at him for coming to the conclusion about his feelings himself.

"I don't know," He sighed.