#descry

Lily had finished Hogwarts two years ago and had no idea what she wanted to do. She'd interned with her mum for a few months, but she just didn't love writing enough to do it for a living. Then, at her mother's insistence, her dad let her tag along a bit, to see if maybe being an Auror like her brother Teddy would catch her fancy. It hadn't - both her dad and Teddy were relieved at that. James had stepped in at that point, took her to work where he designed brooms, and while it was cool to see the process, Lily was bored after a few hours. Finally, Al had taken her on a couple of Muggle university tours, but Lily is pretty sure that Al finding his girlfriend, Ellie, while in university has a lot to do with his enthusiasm for continuing education.

She'd shadowed just about everyone in the family, and come back feeling more lost than she had when she'd walked off the Hogwarts Express for the last time.

And so today, with the old DVD of Romeo and Juliet in hand, Lily went back to her parent's home. Her parents had gone on a week-long holiday and Lily realized two nights into it that it wasn't quite as much fun as she thought it would be to have the big house to herself. It probably would have been more fun if she'd had friends to have over, but all of Lily's friends from school had long since moved on in their lives, leaving Lily to fend for herself.

Lily had seen other productions of Romeo and Juliet, and this one had only taken liberties with the setting, putting it in a slightly more modern scene, but that had led to the one scene that really stuck out to her. The scene where Romeo and Juliet find each other on the other side of the aquarium at the Capulet party just felt so...

So natural, organic, the way it should be.

Lily had dated at Hogwarts, had even thought she was in love for a while, but since leaving Hogwarts she'd more or less fallen off the train. She'd looked into some of the Muggle dating apps, but she felt like such a baby on there. She wanted to meet someone on the other side of a fish tank and let something special grow. She envied how Teddy and Vic, and Jamie and Allie, had found each other in Hogwarts, had known it was right, and now were living their happily ever after.

Lily just felt so alone.

So after turning everything off in the house's Muggle room, the room where the TV and smartphones and laptops worked and we're protected from magic, Lily went to bed, trying to figure out what she'd do tomorrow. Lily usually watched Dom's little girls, but Dominique and her husband had taken the family to France and so Lily was out of a job for the remainder of the week. As she slipped into sleep, Lily decided she was going to get an aquarium, just like the one in the movie.

The next morning, Lily rolled back the crazy a bit and settled on simply getting a fish. Nothing too exotic, and nothing magical, she just wanted something that would help her feel a little less alone, remind her of the scene she liked so much from the movie, and she wasn't sure her parents would go for a surprise cat or dog when they got home from their holiday. But a fish, that would stay in her room and wouldn't randomly start talking to them and would stay contained in its bowl seemed like something she could pass off alright.

It didn't take too long to locate a local pet store and Lily set out with a bit of a spring in her step.

The store was decently large and Lily happily wandered around the whole building looking at the different supplies they had for dogs and cats, hamsters and guinea pigs, reptiles and amphibians, and of course, fish.

It was when she made it to the rows of fish tanks full of different species of fish that she felt like she was being watched. But she didn't notice anyone paying attention to her when she looked around. Lily tried to brush it off, she'd grown up with the wizarding world's most suspicious member after all - and for how many people had tried to kill her dad, she didn't blame him. So she went back to focusing on finding a fish.

Lily stopped in front of several smaller tanks all labeled 'Betta Fish' and grinned. This was exactly what she wanted! The beautiful long fins looked like the skirts she'd seen in pictures of Spanish dancers. She was caught up reading the description when a face appeared on the other side of the water.

Lily blinked and looked closer at the smiling man standing opposite of her, he looked familiar, but it couldn't be...

"Lysander?"

"I thought it was you!" Lysander grinned and then proceeded to crawl under the aquariums to be on the same side of the aisle as her.

He then pulled Lily into a hug. "How have you been, Lils?"

"I, alright," Lily didn't remember Lysander being one to hug much and the contact shocked her, "but what about you?"

"I've been great!" He released the hug but kept his arm around her shoulders. "Are you busy? I'd love to catch up and I know a place just over the next street we could grab a cuppa and something to eat."

"That sounds great," Lily felt the eagerness bubbling up in her chest. She hadn't hung out with someone her own age in months.

Lily found out Lysander had been working in the family business of Magical Creatures the past two years. Lily envied him, as she did the majority of their old friends. They were living life while she was still trying to figure out where her life was going. But Lysander was living her original dream, and that made her a bit greener than she felt with the rest of her old friends.

"I'm so glad I ran into you," Lysander grinned at her again. "But enough about me, what have you been up to?"

Lily looked down at her tea. "Er, well, I help Dom out by watching her girls during the workday."

"Really?" Lysander's voice was full of surprise and Lily cringed.

She knew what he was thinking. When they'd been taking their NEWTS she had dreams of grandeur. But those dreams had fallen through before they'd even stepped on the train home.

"It's helping her out, and I really love her girls," Lily continued to stare down at her tea and now empty plate.

"Lily," he reached out and covered her hand with his and Lily almost turned her hand around to hold it, "I know it's not much, but Lorcan felt absolutely awful when it all fell apart."

Lily sighed, "I don't blame him anymore Lys. We had childhood sweethearts all around us growing up and I can see how he felt a lot of pressure to live that narrative. Not to mention that your mum is my godmother, and our relationship meant a lot to her and my mum. I just wish he would have been willing to say something sooner."

"You and me both," Lysander muttered.

She and Lorcan had dated their whole seventh year. They'd made plans to find a place together after they finished school. They were going to go on expeditions for Rolf and Luna together and see the world. Lily had taken to the field of magiczoolology with a passion, just like the Scamander twins and she'd wanted nothing more than to spend her life researching and learning and helping these creatures.

Until Lorcan admitted he didn't love her.

Lily had never been more grateful to be in different houses than him in her whole life. But in her heartbreak, she'd sworn off anything to do with magiczoology. It felt too painful and reminded her of everything she thought she and Lorcan had and what it had cost to have him admit that he'd never meant it when he said he loved her.

"It's alright Lys." She smiled, "I'm over it now and I don't hate him. I sent him an owl about a year ago when I finally gained some peace about the whole thing."

Lysander nodded as he moved his hand from hers to sip his tea, "He showed me, I'm glad you've moved on."

Lily chuckled and tried to ignore how cold her hands felt by grabbing her cup as well, "I've moved on in the sense that I'm over your twin, but dating is a pain in the arse."

Lysander perked up considerably before seeming to mellow in the same instant. "Yeah, you can't really meet someone taking care of a couple of toddlers."

"Or living at home," Lily admitted, a bit embarrassed to say it out loud but she'd always been able to talk to Lys about anything, even the relationship with his brother. That had been one of the hardest parts of the break up with Lorcan, she'd lost Lysander in the mess as well.

She'd never been able to get over that.

"We should hang out more," Lysander bumped her knee with his.

"I'd like that," Lily felt her chest warm.

"How about tonight?"

Lily thought his voice shook with the question, but his face didn't betray any nervousness.

"Sure," Lily felt the desire to reach out and take his hand but ignored it.

He didn't think about her that way, and she needed to not let herself start to think about him that way. She'd lost Lys once, she wasn't going to risk losing him again.

"Brilliant," Lysander's smile managed to grow wider. "I've got a few more shops to check in on for Dad and then Mum needs me to look over a paper for the Quibbler she's working on but after that I'm free."

"Do you just want to swing by my parents' place when you're done?" Lily stood and drained her cup.

"Perfect, I'll bring some takeaway," he walked with her to the pavement before pulling her into a hug again. "Merlin, Lils, I'm so happy I ran into you."

Lily let herself lean into him and wondered what changed to make Lys a hugger, he gave amazing hugs now.

"Me too," she smiled up at him, "I'll see you in a few hours?"

"You can count on it." And he rested his head on hers for a moment.

Lily was taken back by how different it felt to be wrapped in Lysander's arms to Lorcan's. The twins had always seemed so different to her, she never understood how people got them confused. And especially now, everything felt different between the two. When she'd been with Lorcan, his hugs always felt sweet, like a sugar quill. But Lysander's hug felt deeper somehow, almost possessive, and it made Lily's heart beat faster.

She tried to push that sensation away for the rest of the day. And after deciding that she'd pick herself up a fish another day, Lily busied herself by making biscuits the Muggle way and then cleaning it all up the Muggle way. But even with the distraction, Lily found herself wondering about the way Lysander had hugged her, had held her hand for a moment, had bumped her knee.

They'd been friends for their whole lives, but he'd never been one to touch her much.

Lily had to work hard to ignore the way his touch had made her breathless and to not keep replaying it in her head.

After what felt like another year Lysander stepped through the grate in the sitting room.

"Lils," he grinned when she walked in. He dusted the soot from the bag he was carrying. "I hope you still like falafel."

"You, you remembered?"

"Of course I remember," he pushed passed her toward the kitchen.

Lily followed feeling almost bemused.

"Here," he handed her her paper-wrapped falafel pita. "I had them put extra spicy sauce on it."

"Thanks," Lily took her dinner gladly, hoping eating would keep her from doing anything stupid. "How did it go at the other stores?"

"Good, I didn't find any magical creatures hiding, and Mum's article should be great." He bumped her knee with his. "But how was the rest of your day?"

"It, it was good," Lily grabbed a napkin, "I made biscuits."

Lysander perked up, "Really?"

Lily flicked her wand and brought the container over, "Grandma Weasley's ginger snaps."

"Merlin, Lils, these are amazing," Lysander grinned as he ate the biscuit in two quick bites.

Lily wasn't sure why she blushed and tried to hide behind her dinner.

They chatted easily after that as they finished dinner and snacked on the batch of ginger snaps.

"I've missed you," Lysander said quietly after the conversation had lulled for a moment.

Lily felt her heart rate pick up again. "I missed you too. Honestly," she looked down at the dwindling batch of biscuits, "after I'd gotten over everything with Lorcan, I was still sad that it had lost me you too."

Lysander was quiet for a moment before grabbing her hand. "Let's go sit on the sofa."

Lily felt his touch like a steaming mug of tea, warm, comforting, secure, and she followed willingly as Lysander pulled her into the sitting room.

"Lily," he sighed as she sat next to him, "I'm not lying when I say that I'm happy I ran into you, I'm so happy, but Lils, I don't want to go back to where we were before."

"Lys..."

"Hold on, let me explain, I'm going to lose my nerve if I don't do this all at once."

Lily nodded him on, trying to keep from smiling at one of their old arguments. He always argued that as a Ravenclaw he wasn't as inclined to jump headfirst into unknown territory. Lily always brought up his mum to shut down his excuses.

Lys took a deep breath, "I suppose I should start at the beginning. In fifth year I started to fancy you. But I told myself that our friendship was more important and so I ignored it. I didn't let myself do anything to encourage those feelings, and I didn't tell anyone."

"Not even Lorcan?" Lily frowned.

"Contrary to popular belief, twins don't always share every single detail of their lives with each other." Lysander smiled at her. "But that backfired on me in seventh year when Lorcan came over to my table during lunch one day and told me he fancied you and was going to ask you to Hogsmeade. I couldn't very well tell him to bugger off and let me have a go, so I kept quiet. I kicked myself royally when you two went official and started making plans to spend your lives together, but when Lorcan called it all off, I felt responsible, like if I had been willing to tell him I fancied you back in fifth year, maybe he wouldn't have asked you to Hogsmeade in seventh."

Lysander's tone had shifted dramatically to a seriousness she'd never heard before.

"I hated thinking that you were in pain because I'd been a coward."

"Lys..."

"I'm almost done," he cut her off. "I've determined I won't be a coward when it comes to you anymore though. I'm glad I ran into you because I want to ask you for a chance at what I've wanted for four years. I know it could be weird since Lorcan and I are identical but as much as I loved our friendship, I can't be only your friend anymore. I want to build us into something more."

"You're not identical."

Lily heard the words before registering that they had come from her mouth. Her mind was racing so fast her brain had allowed words to happen without preview. But the statement was true so she ran with it.

"I've always been able to tell the two of you apart, you aren't identical to me."

Lysander nodded slowly but remained silent.

Lily felt like her whole body was on overdrive. Her mind raced with questions and her heartbeat felt erratic as she tried to get control of her breathing.

"You never touched me because you fancied me." Was what she finally managed to blurt out.

Lysander frowned, "I suppose I didn't touch you, did I? You're probably right, but I don't know if my fifteen-year-old brain knew that's what was going on."

"I like you touching me," Lily internally cringed. She was waxing stupid as opposed to eloquent in all this. "I mean..."

"So, this would be alright?" Lysander cut her off and took her hand in his, interlacing their fingers.

The sensation of their hands intertwined left Lily breathless and she nodded at Lysander to keep from embarrassing herself further.

"And this?" Lysander brought his other hand to her face and tucked her hair behind her ear.

Lily swallowed as her face burned at the brush of his fingertips.

"I spent all afternoon trying to convince myself this wouldn't be how you felt." Lily whispered, "I told myself I was imagining it and would ruin everything if I let myself dwell on it."

Lysander leant closer to her, his breath mingling with hers, "I've never been as close to hating my brother as I was when he kissed you in front of me, but I hated myself more because I wasn't brave enough to act before he did."

Lily felt her breath lock in her chest as Lysander brought his hand back to her face.

"Lys," she managed to whisper but nothing else came out as the last of her breath left her.

Lysander moved slowly, his fingers brushing her cheek, down to her chin, before tilting her face up and dropping his lips to hers.

And like magic Lily could breathe again.

Lysander's kiss had started soft, but the moment she'd responded positively he'd taken control, and Lily felt herself melting into him. He kissed nothing like his twin. Where Lorcan had been more willing and interested in Lily having control, Lysander took the driver's seat with confidence, and Lily felt her whole body surrender to him.

He pulled back just a fraction, "When do your parents get home?"

Lily's head was barely functional as she parted her eyes to look up at him, "Sunday."

Lysander grinned, "Always did like Sundays," and then he brought his lips back to hers and Lily gave full control to him. It was a liberating feeling to give someone the reins and simply enjoy the sensations, and the more she enjoyed, the more he seemed to respond.

"Lily," he pulled back again after some time, panting slightly, "is this a yes?"

Lily cursed her brain's inability to function as she blinked. "What?"

"Do you want to give us a chance?" Lysander's smile went just a touch smug.

Lily gave his shoulder a gentle shove, "I'm only saying yes if you can wipe that smug look off your face."

Lysander's face immediately went neutral, "Better?"

"I don't want to think about how you can do that," Lily laughed before linking her arms back around his neck, "but yes, I want to do this."

Lysander crashed his lips into hers as Lily fell back against the arm of the sofa. She wasn't sure how long they snogged on her parents' sofa but at some point, the old clock chimed that it was midnight and Lily was certain her hair was a rat's nest from Lysander's hands playing in it.

"Do you watch the girls this week?" Lysander asked as he rested his head against her chest.

Lily smiled, "They're in France for a few days."

"Want to come with me on a little expedition? It's just three days in the Highlands and I was going to go alone, but if you wanted to go..."

"Yes," Lily felt the excitement build in her, "When?"

Lysander moved his head to kiss her chest before looking up at her. "I'm supposed to leave in six hours."

Lily laughed, "Was your plan to go hide in the Highlands if I shut you down?"

Lysander blushed, "Well the exhibition has been set for a few months, but I definitely had decided it was a good way to escape if you told me no."

Lily ran her fingers into his hair and along his neck, "And now it's an excuse to have me all to yourself?"

Lysander pushed up and kissed her, "I've waited four years to have you to myself, Lils, I'm going to take every opportunity you're willing to give me now that you're mine."

"Well, then I guess we should get my stuff packed," Lily murmured back as she arched up into him.

"In a moment, I'm researching right now," Lysander smiled against her. "I want to learn every sound that you make when I kiss you."

"I'm not one of our creatures, Lys," Lily chuckled.

"You're right," Lysander pulled back and locked her gaze with his, "you're the only creature that actually matters."

This time Lily took control long enough to pull him back down to her lips before melting into him as he continued his research.