Slytherin's Potter ( Scorpius Malfoy x Lily Luna Potter)

Part 74: Out with the old, in with the new

Lily stood beside a cauldron, waiting for it to begin to bubble. She turned the heat up a tad bit more, and then waited a little more.

"You know, it's nice to see you in here again, Lily. Even if it is on a Saturday," Slughorn commented from his desk. He was grading essays from the fourth years apparently. Lily had come down an hour ago, planning to do a little check up to make sure things were in order.

"I like being down here. Plus I needed a place to do this potion without people running in and out of the room," Lily lied.

"Well I'm glad to have you back here. May I ask what the potion is for?" Slughorn inquired.

"Oh, just curiosity. I'm trying to see if I can make an alternative potion. One that won't take as long to make," Lily told him. Finally, it began to bubble, so she turned the heat back down, and whispered a spell to make it stir. Then she began to cut a few roots, and add them slowly. "Sir, may I come back down here after I eat lunch? Just to check on this, and may add to it a little?" Lily made sure that her back was to him. Now was time to create an alibi.

"Of course! I don't mind at all. I might not be here though, we all have a staff meeting," the last part came out as an annoyed mutter.

"Is something wrong?" Lily asked innocently. "If I may ask."

"Oh, Professor Heyes wants us all to discuss a long and unnecessary list of subjects. It's just like the man to stick us with something like this, but then not be there to suffer with us," Slughorn said with disdain.

Lily grinned. It sounded like the staff really planned to stay for their entire "meeting" and go over the fake list. "Well, I might still be down here when you get done. You know how I can be when it comes to potions."

Slughorn chuckled. "It wouldn't at all surprise me if you outlasted that long meeting."

Lily sighed quietly to herself. She hated tricking and lying to her favorite teacher, but sacrifices have to be made sometimes. "I'll do my best," she teased. Lily carefully dropped her last root in, and then stopped the stirring, and finally turned the heat up a few notches. "Well, now I can only wait until the roots have mixed in before I can move on. I'm going to catch up with the others before lunch. I'll see you later, Horace," Lily said with a wave.

Slughorn smiled and gave a wave as well. "I'll see you after the meeting, Lily."

Lily left the room, leaving her things behind. She looked down at the watch on her wrist. They had Scorpius make a duplicate of Hugo's watch, just so that they could both see the time. And now, it would be ten minutes before the staff all met in the room, and ten minutes before Zack would begin to stall Heyes.

Lily had just come to the Entrance Hall when she, and other students milling about, saw a flying paper bird trying to come down the stairs. It clumsily dodged students, and was becoming labored in its movements when it finally dropped on the floor next to Lily. She leaned down to pick it up, and immediately opened it.

"HG has entered her dorm. Lou and HB went to dorm five minutes ago. No sign of Lu or D. RX is in the common room. - H"

Lily grinned with small victory. She understood Hugo's message easily. Rose was now in her dorm, and Roxanne was lurking about the common room. And Louis might now have Albus knocked out. But it worried Lily slightly that Lucy was nowhere around. But maybe Dominique had taken care of, since they both were missing. Again, Lily checked her temporary watch. Hugo should be meeting her down here soon with the things. That meant the fifth years would all be coming down to hang around the Entrance Hall and stairs. Lily looked around, and was surprised to see that most of the students around the hall were the fifth years. They were early.