I own none of these characters. This is also a one shot. Although I'm considering doing one for all the Potter/Weasley children. We'll see. Hope you enjoy.

If there was one thing that Lily had always loved about the Ministry of Magic it was the gleaming black stone floors, and the way the hurried footsteps of the witches and wizards made a symphony of noise. Lily sat at the base of the fountain waiting for her father, but her eyes were scanning the mass of witches and wizards for someone else entirely. She knew she shouldn't be looking, and she knew that he shouldn't even be here. People always noticed him where ever he went, and he was likely to raise more suspicion loitering around the Ministry of Magic. She finally spotted him leaning against one of the columns, she could have sworn she had just looked there and noticed no one, but there he was.

Lily forced herself not to jump up and run to him. She waited smoothing her skirt, and then with a certain air of practiced absentmindedness, she stood. She walked towards the column, making sure that she took her time, and followed the flow of the crowds until breaking away. She went around the other side of the column, making sure to stay in sight so that she could see when her father approached.

"I'm sorry, Lil. I didn't mean to get mad at you like that," Scorpius Malfoy said from behind the column.

"I know, Scorpius. I didn't mean to yell at you like that. You know my temper gets the best of my sometimes," Lily said willing herself to not turn around and fling herself into his arms.

"I know you're tired. I am too," he said quietly after moments of silence.

"I wish things were different," Lily said quietly.

"They will be soon. We'll figure out what to do soon. Promise me you'll come tonight?" he said the notes of urgency and tenderness were laced in his voice.

"I promise," Lily whispered.

"I need to go before your dad gets here," he said his voice growing closer. She felt his hand reach out and touch hers. His hand felt for the ring that he had placed on her hand some time ago. It had remained on her right ring finger, they were still to afraid to confront their families by moving it to her left. "I love you, Lily," he breathed close against her neck.

"I love you, Scorpius," Lily wrapped her hand tightly around his. There moment was broken quickly as Lily spotted her father striding toward her. Scorpius dropped her hand and disappeared without a word.

"Hi, dad," Lily said leaving her place by the column. She spotted a flash of white blonde hair and knew that Scorpius was making his way towards the fireplaces.

"Hi, Lil. How was work?" Harry Potter asked his youngest child. As Head of the Auror Office, he saw little of his daughter who was a member of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

"It was good. We've got a lot of work involving the Quidditch World Cup coming up, so we'll stay very busy," Lily said as they made their way to the fireplaces. As they waited their turn Lily caught Scorpius's eye. He looked down and drew her gaze to where his hand showed two fingers. They would meet in two hours. She gave a small nod and turned back to what her father was saying.

"Think you'll have to do any traveling? Mom would probably love to tag along with you," Harry said. Ginny was excited that this was Lily's first year participating in the organization of the World Cup. Lily personally thought that Ginny always wished that she had followed in Ginny's footsteps and tried out for the Hollyhead Harpies.

"I'm sure she'll want to wait and just go when Al plays in the World Cup, and not follow me around while I meet with government officials," Lily said. Al had made the English national team as their seeker and the chances of making the World Cup were looking extremely favorable.

"Just a thought," Harry said as he stepped into the fireplace. "Godric's Hollow," he uttered and vanished into a swirl of green flames. Lily followed him, her stomach turning as disappeared.

The sun was just going down as they made their way through Godric's Hollow and toward their home.

"I saw Draco Malfoy today at the Ministry," Lily said. Not true, she had no idea where Draco Malfoy was today but she had most certainly not seen him at the Ministry. Her father rarely talked about his history with Draco Malfoy but it was coming to a point where she had to know.

"Being his usual useful self I'm sure," Harry said absentmindedly.

"I'm not sure what he was doing there. Probably something to do with the World Cup," Lily said leading him on.

"Well he played while we were in school,"

"I didn't know that," Lily said surprised. The few times she had seen Draco he didn't seem like one for sports.

"He was seeker for Slytherin," Harry said.

"Scorpius was never interested in Quidditch at school," Lily said without thinking.

"Is that so?" Harry asked.

"Well I mean he just wasn't on the team," Lily said backtracking. Had she made it sound like she and Scorpius talked about how he wasn't interested in Quidditch?

"Well I guess in some things he doesn't follow in his father's footsteps," Harry said as they reached their home. The comment reaffirmed Lily's fears, her father thought that Scorpius was just a reincarnation of his father. She followed her father silently to the door of their home.

"Hi Mum," Lily said as they entered. When Lily Potter looked at her mother she knew exactly how she was going to look twenty so years. They were the spitting image of each other, down to the very last dimple.

"Hello, darling, did you have a good day at work," she said coming over and giving Harry a quick peck on the lips and Lily a light hug.

"It was fine," Lily said and mounted the stairs to go to her room. She was nearly twenty years old and still lived with her parents. Al kept a flat in London and James was abroad "continuing his education" as he called it. She kept meaning to talk to them about moving to London but she felt they were reluctant to let her go. She was their baby. Lily went to her room and pulled out the mirror she had hidden in the bottom of her old Hogwarts trunk.

"Hugo," she said quietly to it. It took a moment for her red haired cousin to appear in the mirror.

"Lily," Hugo said with a sigh. "What am I covering for this time,"

Hugo was the only member of Lily's family who knew of her little outings with Scorpius. Lily didn't know why Hugo never told anyone about them. Maybe he was too afraid at this point of telling, of what kind of backlash he would get for keeping their affair a secret for so long.

"Just for a few hours," Lily said. She had conflicting emotions of guilt and love when it came to what Hugo was doing for her.

Hugo took a moment. She knew that he wanted to ask questions. He had given up on the questions about a year ago, he knew that she wasn't going to tell him anything. It hurt her to not tell him, Hugo had been her best friend since forever. She waited for what he always said.

"You can't keep doing this forever, Lily,"

Lily was silent. Hugo didn't know that she could keep doing this forever. She would do it forever if this would be the only way that she could see Scorpius. It would never been enough to her but it was better than having nothing at all.

"Just be home by midnight," Hugo said before disappearing from the mirror.

After a quiet supper, Al had promised that he would come but ultimately was too tired. Lily returned to her room. She looked at the ring on her right hand, it was charmed so that it would look like an ordinary silver ring to everyone but Scorpius and Lily. To them it was a single square diamond. Everything else was so complicated, that the ring was refreshing. Nothing outrageous, nothing that screamed for attention, just something simple. She switched the ring to her left hand. When it was on her left hand the charm disappeared showing the real ring to everyone, she always switched it when she went to see Scorpius.

"Mum, Dad, I'm going to see Hugo for a few hours!" Lily called from the threshold of her door.

"Don't be too late," her father called back.

"Send everyone my love," called mother.

Lily felt a moment of sadness, deceiving her parents like this. It was for the best she told herself. They weren't ready. She focused on the cozy room in her mind and with a pop she disappeared.

The country house had belong to Scorpius's great aunt Bellatrix Lestrange. She had left it to Draco's father who seemed to have one too many country estates and since graduated from Hogwarts Scorpius had occupied it. But they never met in the country house itself. Lily thought it was cold and empty. They preferred the gatehouse, where over the past two years they had made a home of it. The fire was already blazing when she got there and there were the forgotten plates on the table from Scorpius's dinner. She picked them up and placed them in the sink, slipping off her shoes and putting them by the door. She made her way up the stone staircase to the one bedroom the gatehouse had. Scorpius was softly snoring as she entered. She drew the curtains shut and shrugged out of her jacket.

Lily sat down on the bed next to him, brushing his long blonde hair out of his face. She had seen Draco Malfoy before and just like she and Ginny, Draco and Scorpius were the spitting images of each other. Lily was glad though that Scorpius didn't wear his hair slicked back like his father, he wore it long, sometimes he would put it in a small ponytail in the back. He was a girl when it came to his hair. Lily didn't notice that his snoring has stopped until his hand reached up and grasped hers. She smiled at him as he opened his eyes sleepily.

"I was up all last night thinking about you," he said quietly. "I was afraid you'd be mad at me forever,"

"I never stay mad," Lily said laughing. "You should sleep if you're tired," she said as she scooted so she could lay down beside him. He pulled her closer to him, formed a big spoon around her body.

"We only have a few hours, I don't want to waste them," he said kissing her neck.

"We'll have years," Lily says as she relaxed into him.

"Ah but it won't always be us. Soon we'll have very small Scorpius Juniors and Lily Juniors who will need our attention. We have to make the most of our time," he said and she could feel his grin against her neck.

"I don't think I ever agreed to the name Scorpius Junior," Lily said smiling. She could imagine it all so easily.

"Scorpius is an excellent name. Very strong, powerful name. I'd say only the best people are named Scorpius," he said reaching to pull her blouse over her head. She lifted her arms to make it easier before turning in his arms to face him. He was quiet for a moment, "You're so beautiful," he whispered before he kissed her.

"What if your parents disown you?" she asked when he pulled away.

"It won't matter,"

"But they're your parents,"

"It won't matter, I'll have you instead,"

"What if my parents won't let me?"

"You'll do it anyway,"

"What if it's just us?"

"We'll make our own family,"

Lily was quiet for more than a few moments, and Scorpius studied her face. He hadn't lied when he said that she was beautiful. She was so beautiful that the thought of losing her made him more afraid than she would ever know. He meant it when he said that he didn't care about his parents disowning him. Part of him thought that his mother would never allow his father to do that, but he didn't know if they would speak to him ever again. He had made them proud in his own way, doing well enough in school, being accepted into all the right social circle. Social circles that did not include the very famous Potters. He lived off of his trust, from his family money that neither he nor his father nor his grandfather had worked to amass. The fortune had always just been there. He was fairly sure that he would be able to keep the country house if they disowned him, it was in his name after all. He would take care of her, he wasn't entirely useless. He had just never gotten a job because he had never needed one. He would do anything for her.

"It isn't fair that we have to chose," Lily said after a while, her hands making their way towards the buttons of his shirt.

"No but it shouldn't matter. We've chosen one another, that's all that matters,"

Lily woke to sound of someone climbing the stairs. Her instincts and muscles froze.

"Scorpius someone is here," she said as quietly as she could. He woke instantly his hair wild around his face.

"Quick into the bathroom," he said

"My clothes," Lily hissed but it was too late the door to the bedroom opened. Hugo stood before them.

"Oh my god," Lily said putting a hand on her chest where her heart threatened to burst out of her chest. "Hugo, you scared us," she said her voice wavering from the left over adrenaline.

"I scared you, Lily? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Lily had never heard Hugo so angry. Immediately the fear that she felt returned. What time was it?

"It's five in the morning, you were supposed to be home hours ago. Your dad woke up in the night and went to make sure you returned home from cousin Hugo's. Imagine his surprise when you weren't in his bed, and when he came calling imagine my mum and dad's surprise when he claims you had come over for a visit." Hugo practically yelled. He turned around so that his back was facing them. "Get dressed, I'm taking you home. You can come up with your own excuse of where you were I'm done covering for you,"

"Hugo, I'm sorry. I feel asleep," Lily said scrambling to find her discarded clothes.

"Oh you've obviously done more than sleep," Hugo said just loud enough for both Lily and Scorpius to hear.

"Watch it," Scorpius said in a dangerously low voice. He slipped back into his pants that he found on the floor and handed Lily her shirt.

"Oh don't even get me started on you, Malfoy," Hugo said with his back still towards them. "You're part of the problem,"

"Hugo, don't," Lily said finally righting her appearance.

"No, Lily, I think I will," he turned to face them. He marched straight up to Scorpius, who was still bare chested, although one or two inches shorter than Scorpius, Hugo didn't seem intimated. "You keep her hidden away in this place. Not even bothering to take her up to that mansion you have on the hill. You're a coward and good for nothing. Especially not good enough for my cousin," he spat.

"You know nothing!" Scorpius yelled at him. "I am willing to give up everything for that woman, don't you ever condescend to tell me that I not good enough,"

"And when were you planning on doing this? You've had her for years, I've never seen you do anything noble in your life. You're whole family is a bunch of cowards. You think a Potter would ever marry a Malfoy," Hugo didn't back down.

"I would and I am," Lily pushed in between them. "You've just proved all our fears," Lily said a tear running down her cheek.

Hugo looked down to the hand that Lily had placed on his chest, the diamond glinting on her finger. He took a step back, his eye going round as he stared at them. Scorpius pulled Lily to him, enveloping her in his embrace. "Marrying Lily will be the most noble thing that I will ever do," Scorpius said quietly. He stroked her hair quietly and Hugo looked away suddenly embarrassed at this show of affection.

"You should go with him, your parents are worried," Scorpius said quietly once Lily had become calm.

"I'll come back tomorrow," she said glancing at Hugo. She had already mad up her mind that she would do this with or without Hugo. "I love you," she said touching his cheek and kissing him.

"I love you," Scorpius said turning them so that his back was toward Hugo, so Hugo wouldn't see as he kissed Lily with an urgency that scared him.

They broke away and Lily went over to Hugo, clasping his right hand. She gave Scorpius the bravest smile she could. Just as Lily felt the slight pull of Hugo's apparation, Scorpius yelled, "Lily, the ring!" and before he could think he grabbed her left hand and pulled away with them.

It was in this state that they landed on the Potter's kitchen floor with the new day's sunlight drifting through the kitchen. It would have been one thing if the kitchen was empty, it wasn't. It would have been one thing if Scorpius had been fully dressed, but he wasn't. It would have been one thing if someone had said something, but for what seemed like many hours Harry Potter, Ginny Potter, James Potter, Albus Potter, Hermione Weasley, Ron Weasley, and Rose Weasley said nothing.

Lily was finally the first one to speak. "I'm sorry I've worried everyone. There is no reason for all of you to be here," she said quietly. Scorpius willed himself to let go of her hand but she only squeezed it tighter.

"Oh I think there's a very good reason for all of to be here," James said standing slowly. Albus followed his lead.

"Stop. Don't," Lily said letting go of Scorpius's hand to stand in front of him.

"I should go," Scorpius tried to whisper in her ear.

"No stay, Malfoy. I think it's obvious we have something to settle with you," James said drawing his wand.

"Oh stop it will you," Lily said at the same time her mother said, "James put that away,"

Scorpius knew that there was no getting out of this situation. They had thought about this scenario a million times but this was not one that either of them had imagined. He knew that he had to do something, that this was the moment, even if everything seemed wrong about it. Scorpius stepped out from behind Lily and before she could grab him he approached Harry where he was seated at the kitchen table. He stared into the eye of the man who's name would live forever for all the right reasons. Where his own family name had become infamous for all the wrong reasons. "I know this is backwards," Scorpius began, "but my name's Scorpius Malfoy and I would like permission to marry your daughter. And if I can be honest with you, sir, if you don't give it, I'll do it anyway,"

There were audible gasps from at least three out of the four women.

"As arrogant as his father," Ron commented.

"Scorpius, you don't have to do this," Lily said approaching him and putting her hand on his arm to try and pull him away.

"Yes, I do, Lily," he said not looking at her. Ginny got up and walked around the table to stand beside Lily. Scorpius tore his eyes away from Harry as he saw Ginny lift up Lily's left hand.

"He means it," Ginny said quietly. She looked at Lily her eyes brimming with tears. Then she looked at Scorpius with more love than his own mother looked at him.

"Of course he means it," Lily said her voice cracking. "He loves me,"

"It's been there for years hasn't it? We've just never seen it," Ginny said.

"For years," Scorpius said.

He glanced at the faces that surrounded him. James and Albus seemed too stunned to take up any kind of wand action. Hugo still seemed lost in thought, maybe still thinking about what he had said back at the gate house. Ron and his family, seemed to be examining him, and he suddenly felt extremely naked under their gazes.

"Your family?" Harry said quietly.

"They know nothing. This wasn't exactly how we planned announcing it," Scroripus said. "I'm prepared to give them up for her,"

Harry seemed to be a little shocked at this statement. He stood and looked at Lily first.

"You could have told us, Lily," Harry began.

"We didn't know how," Lily said quietly, Ginny still grasping her hand.

"We'll it looks we'll have a Malfoy in the family, Ron," Harry said cracking a smile and then extending his hand to Scorpius. "Son,"

Scorpius took Harry's hand and reached out to grasp Lily's with his other hand. These families, they had always been connected. It had just taken them a while to find the good in the connection.