For The Birds

[Lily Luna Potter]

Lily leaned against the edge of the open wall of the Owlery. Standing next to her was a beautiful white Owl. Lily petted it a few times before giving it a treat and sending it off with a letter to her parents. She watched as her owl Ice flew through the morning sky's. The sun was barley up. You could just see it beginning to rise to the east. With a sigh she straightened up and dusted her robes and headed down stairs for breakfast. Hopefully Ice would get her letter to her mother and father. Her parents where Harry and Ginny Potter. Sometimes it seamed like everyone wanted to be her friend just because of who her father was.

[Scorpius Malfoy]

Scorpius watched from the stairs, not sure whether he should go any further or not. He had done very well last year avoiding Lily, and most Potter/Weasley combinations in general, the exception being Rose...and by association, Hugo. He straightened his collar and approached the owls, as soon as Lily's footsteps receded. He didn't want to be deliberately rude, that kind of behavior had a way of trickling back to teachers in overheard student gossip, and the last thing he needed was lectures from home about cultivating a political climate more favorable to the Malfoys, though how he was expected to do this from school was anyone's guess.
He attached the parchment to one of the school owls and waited until it was a dot in the distance before turning around. Seeing the area was clear, but for some shuffling near the stairs, he left Owlery to head back to his dorms.

[Lily Luna Potter]

Lily had stopped at the bottom of the stairs to tie her shoe. She had nearly tripped coming down the stairs. She had seen Scorpius go up right after her. She knew that he had bean avoiding her why she didn't know. Her cousin Rose liked him well enough and her father told her not all Slytherins where bad. She should give him a chance at least. She wished Rose was with her now. It would make her feel more comfortable about confronting Scorpius. As he came back down she stood and put a friendly but nervous smile on her face. "Morning Scorpius sleep well?" She felt like an idiot. Sleep well? What a time to get tongue tied. Dad said Scorpius looked allot like his father at this age. He wasn't bad looking for a Slytherin.

[Rose Weasley]

Liked him 'well enough' was far from the actual feelings the built in her heart. It was more a mix of annoyance than like. Snakey bastard could never come to terms that she was naturally in all ways better than him, and that he should do nothing less than worship her like the rest of the brainless gits For her fathers sake, she feigned a neutral friendship to keep him from endulging her in hours worth of conversation relating to Malfoy's demise and what she could do to ensure that. She had made that mistake before and learned well from that experience. Keeping to her stead, she had just come in to notice a rather unpleasant picture. Her naive little Lily in the snakes grasp..

"Sleep well? Why wouldn't he with his imported bed from Sweden?" she inquired with a pleasant smile that crossed her face. She looked to Lily with a look that read something like 'wtf are you doing here with this guy?'. Really... it was beyond her how anyone could stand being around Malfoy longer than a few seconds.

[Lily Luna Potter]

Lily heard footsteps behind her and looked up to see her cousin Rose. She did not look happy at all. She was a little taken back at the look of disgust and surprise on her face. Se was confused she thought her cousin would be happy to see her being polite to Scorpius. They always seemed to be hanging around one another. She never heard her speak bad of Scorpius. In fact she thought Rose had a crush on Scorpius. But after the expression on her cousin's face she guessed not. Her eyes darted over to Scorpius to see if he noticed Rose yet. "Well isn't this a small world. I was surprised to see Scorpius her and now you. It is strange how all of a sudden you both chose to come to the owlery at almost the same exact time." Her eyes darted from one to the other. Maybe Rose's facial expressions where a lie to make her think there was nothing going on. But it was to much of a coincidence for them both to be here at the same time. Was she stumbling upon a secret make out place? "Shall i leave you two alone?"

[Hugo Weasley]

Hugo could not help but overhear the conversation as he ascended the stairs to the owlery. He was only able to pick up bits and pieces of what Lily said, but it didn't matter because only one thing was able to register in his brain...Scorpius. He was absolutely thrilled and horrified at the same time. After a series of deep breaths and a quick hair, teeth, and wardrobe check Hugo managed to pull himself together and continue up the staircase.
"Hey Rose..Lily" he smiled warmly at his sister and cousin. He directed a long cold stare at Scorpius before attaching a letter to one of the school owls. "You guys should come and have breakfast with me and Dominique. She seems a little off lately. The company might do her some good." He made sure to brush his shoulder against Scorpius as he approached the two girls.

[Scorpius Malfoy]

Scorpius sighed resignedly when Lily noticed him. There was no way out of it, he'd have to have a conversation with her. He was about to answer, when he heard a familiar voice answer first. He couldn't hold back the smile that began to spread across his face when he heard Rose. This was it. Today was the day. He was going to single her out and ask her...to breakfast. Not a date. Too soon for that. Rose had already gotten off to a snarky start, though he loved that about her, her sarcasm reminded him of his father's a bit. Smart, and pretty, and quick, and the object of a slight crush that had been developing since he met her.
But once again he was cut off. Hugo, the ever annoying presence that seemed to be the one obstacle between him and Rose suddenly showed up at exactly the wrong time. For Scorpius.
Somehow Hugo had managed to brush against him as he passed, though there was plenty of room to get by. Scorpius glared at the younger boy, who clearly needed a lesson about manners, timing and privacy. His jaw almost dropped when Hugo beat him to the punch about breakfast, and he swallowed hard to cover it. What the hell? Who cared about Dominique, she's been a moody bint since term started, and was Hugo glaring at him? Ignoring all common courtesy, he glared back, and moved closer to Rose and Lily.
"Well...I really needed to talk to Rose over breakfast, Hugo. Besides, the prefects don't like us mixing at the tables. I'm sure you could manage to talk to Dominiqe between classes." He grinned smugly at the Hufflepuff who was the bane of his attempted social life, and focused on the girls. "Rose, I really need your opinion on something. I was hoping we could discuss it before class today. If you don't mind helping out, I know a quiet place where we could eat and discuss this, you're so much better at Potions than I am, and helping your fellow students does reflect on your chances of getting prefect...." his voice trailed off, clearly appealing to her ambitious, pro-active side.
"And of course, we'd make sure to send yousomething extra sweet to go with your breakfast, Lily", he smiled down at her, effectively excluding Hugo. Interfering little bastard badger.

[Rose Weasley]

That brat... instigating a situation that had no meaning at all. She was just.... Damn. What was she doing again? Rose searched her mind for an answer but the only thing that popped in her head was the git Malfoy and her formally naive-now-turned-brat Lily. She was glad Hugo appeared at the right moment, a second longer she might have just pulled her dear cousin by the ear and dragged her down the hall. But from there, things only got stranger and stranger and she soon began to regret not sleeping in... despite how uncharacteristic it was of her.

"..." Rose's eyes narrowed at Malfoy, skeptical at these strange changes of heart. For starters, he wanted to have her opinion.... and even went as far as admitting her expertise in the matter. There was a mixed feeling inside her that began to well up and cause discomfort... which she could only interpret as one thing. This was a set up. It had to be! Why else would Malfoy want to isolate her from her friends? Why would he pretend he needed help with something. For all she knew, he was plotting her demise, trying to humiliate her by causing some type of prank that involved kidnapping her, drugging her and then making her the laughing stock of the school. Hell no would she be caught falling for that trap. Still.. she had to keep her composure.

"Malfoy," she began, just saying his name brought an unpleasant taste to her mouth "Did you forget what house you were in? Or did you just assume you had special priveleges above everyone else because of it?"

[Lily Luna Potter]

Lily smiled to Hugo and was about to tell him thanks but she needed to talk to Rose when Scorpius began to talk again. She listened carefully. It was true that Rose was quit well in Potions and she herself had bean planning on asking her for her help and was about to say so When Rose replied. Lily figured Rose was shy and a little nervous about being alone so she took a step forward and smiled. "I am sure my cousin meant are you sure you will not get in trouble for this? I know others from other houses have gotten together for a meal but better safe than sorry. Also would you mind if I joined? I needed to ask for Rose's help as well. Like you said she is brilliant in potions and I am falling a little behind." She looked innocently at her cousin. She than turned to Hugo. "Maybe you and Dominique can join us as well be like a study group over breakfast."

[Hugo Weasley]

Hugo resisted the urge to run his hands through the boy's gorgeous blonde locks. Goodness, even his arrogance was charming. It only took a moment for the love stricken Hufflepuff to snap back to reality. A normal person would not react kindly to such a condescending bastard, especially since he so obviously wanted to be alone with Hugo's sister. Why on earth would Rose help him with anything when it's so apparent to everyone that she dislikes him. Rose must have been questioning his intentions as well since she was so quick to release her inner bitch. He loved that about his big sister.

Lily on the other hand, was just clueness.

"I'm not a complete dunce, Lily. I don't need a dumb study group." he snapped. " And what's so wrong about eating with people from different houses? There isn't a rule against it. In fact, the Headmaster encourages inter-house mingling. If you don't want to eat with us just bloody say so. Don't make up stupid excuses." He felt horrible for being so mean to Lily, especially since he only did he because he knew he could. Hugo did everything possible to avoid Scorpius catching on to how he truly felt and putting on a tough guy facade was the best way he knew how.

"And when I want your opinion Sc--Malfoy, I'll ask for it." he added, for good measure. He wasn't sure if it was the right time to make a dramatic exit by storming out, so he stood in place a moment.

[Scorpius Malfoy]

Scorpius had enough. He had been polite and reasonable and it got him nowhere. For all of Hugo's protests that he wasn't a dunce, he wasn't so sure. In fact, all of the Weaselys he had met had matched his father's description. Rude, stubborn, and clueless, the exception being Rose. She alone seemed to shine among the masses of redheaded dunces and bring honor to their idiot clan. The last straw was when Hugo cut off what he was going to say and changed it.
"When you want my opinion what? What were you going to say just now? I think we all know, but I want to hear you say it out loud, Weasely" Merlin help him, if the next word out of his mouth was "scum", Scorpius refused to be responsible for his actions.

[Rose Weasley]

"Leave him alone." she ordered harshly, but caught herself quickly and adjusted her tone to a more neutral one to avoid an unwanted commotion "it was a slip of tongue" she stepped up between the two boys, assuring Malfoy. She didn't want Hugo to end up hurt, not that she would stand for Malfoy beating the snot out of him in front of her, But she couldn't always be there to protect him, and he had bum luck with his common room being so close to Slytherin territory. "It's an easy mistake to make with you involved now isn't it?" she took a stab at Malfoy. She didn't appreciate Hugo getting the heat of things, but he always seemed to say the wrong things at the wrong times...

[Lily Luna Potter]

Lily glared at Hugo. She had never bean angry with family before. But right now she wished more than anything she could but the bat boggy curse on him. Her mom had taught that to her it a couple of days before she went to Hogwarts for the first time. "I have no problem with eating with you or anyone else. I didn't say i did you threw words in my mouth. No wonder why you where put into such a pathetic house as Hufflepuff. You could never make it Slythering or Ravenclaw let alone Gryffindor. Your a worthless piece of crap. And i am ashamed to call you family right now." She was angry and knew she didn't mean half the things she said. but Hugo was being a royal jerk and Rose and Scorpius where completely ignoring her. She hated to be ignored. She turned to face Rose or Scorpius. her mouth opened to say something to them as well but she quickly shut it.

[Hugo Weasley]

Hugo gulped and suddenly found himself clutching the sleeve of his older sister. "I--I wasn't going to say a-anything. I just..." Talking big was one thing, anyone can stand up to someone and trash talk. Fighting on the other hand, was not something a small framed underdeveloped Hufflepuff was made for. Between Malfoy's threat and Lily's hurtful remarks, Hugo could not find the right words to express himself. Instead, he lowered his gaze and fought back tears.
Once again it was Rose to the rescue. Once again he had dug his own grave and it was up to his sister, a girl, to save his arse. Needless to say, he was horribly ashamed and wished he was in an entirely different universe.

"I'll just be going now.." he mumbled to the floor. He directed an apologetic glance at Lily and dashed off down the stairs.

[Lily Luna Potter]

Lily didn't wait for the others to say anything. She was on the verge of tears herself. She hated hurting Hugo. But he had hurt her first. "I should be going as well. I have much to do. Like I said I-I need to study for potions." With that she turned and fled. She ran down the halls and headed for the Gryffindor Common Room. It was times like these she was glad that Hugo and Rose where not in Gryffindor.