Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in the following one-shot because I am not J.K. Rowling no matter how often I wish I was.
Rose came into her sixth year Ravenclaw/Slytherin potions class late and sat down next to her partner hoping her tardiness went by unnoticed. The good news is that Slughorn made nothing of one of his best students being late. The bad news being that she is still partnered with the dreadful Scorpius Malfoy. She used to almost enjoy potions when she sat next to her cousin and best mate, Al (no, he is not in Ravenclaw, his being sorted into Slytherin was more surprising than her being a Weasley that was sorted into Ravenclaw instead of Gryffindor). But Slughorn just had to assign seats so students would actually pay attention in class and just had to put Rose next to someone who could keep up with her. She would have been fine with this if that someone was not Scorpius bloody Malfoy.
Al, being one of his best mates, tells her Scorpius is not so bad and she should try to get along with him but that is only because he does not understand what exactly her problem with him is. In their first four years of Hogwarts Scorpius and Rose were rivals, naturally, considering the feuds between their parents in their school days and their ongoing competition for top marks in all of their classes. For those first four years Rose would classify her feelings for Scorpius as pure hatred. Rose spent her time with him in their fifth year in the following order: noticing that Scorpius had become very attractive over the summer, he was tall and toned from Quidditch and his white blonde hair fell perfectly around his aristocratic face but Rose still hated him (or thought so). Later into the year she discovered that hatred was something else, she would call it a passion back then but that still did not explain the blinding fury that hit her whenever he got a new girlfriend or the immediate relief upon hearing they, inevitably, split. By the end of the fifth year, after constantly turning to mush when his grey eyes met her brown ones, she admitted to herself that she loved him and now that it was out there (not really considering she was the only one who could know) she would be able to fix the problem.
That was all her unrequited (yes unrequited, meanwhile Scorpius has a new girlfriend every week) love was to her: a problem. This kind of thing does not happen to people like Rose Weasley, logical, calculating, observant people like her do not pine after bloody man-whores who go out of their way to make her life a living hell and she refused to be the first. Her plan was to graduate Hogwarts at the top of the year, get a high ranking job in the Department of Law Enforcement at the Ministry, and then, maybe, make time for love, the only part Malfoy should play in her plan is getting beat out when she graduates at the top of her class. Rose had every intention on getting that plan back on track even if it meant, despite his best efforts, never talking to Scorpius Malfoy again.
"Your late, Weasley." A deep voice murmured, snapping her out of her reverie. She did not even have to look to her left to know who that voice belonged to, she cringed inwardly at how her entire being would instantly perk up at the sound of his voice.
" Whatever, Malfoy." She whispered back without sparing him a glance. Luckily they were taking notes today which meaning no interaction between them is necessary.
Rose went back to taking detailed notes on the Felix Felicis potion Slughorn as described it's effects and how to make it when suddenly a folded parchment was placed on top of her notes. (A/N: bold is Scorpius and italics is Rose).
S: What in the bloody hell is wrong with you, Weasley?
R: What's wrong with me? I'm not the one wasting the time of others by being a dunderhead who feels the need to pass a note that only makes sense to me.
Rose replied and passed it back, knowing exactly what he was referring to but entirely unwilling to let on. Hopefully he would get she was not in a chatty mood and leave her alone for once. But before she could even finish that thought the parchment was passed back to her with new writing on it.
S: Don't try to avoid the question, Weasley, I'm not daft enough to start arguing that I'm not a dunderhead and forget all about my previous questioning of your odd behavior. Now tell me why you have not looked me in the eye all year? Why have you not started any sort of argument with me just for the sport of it? Why is it that you've taken to ignore my existence when we both very well know you would very much like to put me, an, how would you say it, oh yes, arrogant prat in my place?
Rose read the note and had to focus all of her willpower towards not being elated that Malfoy has noticed her withdrawal from their rivalry. She had to come up with a good lie, one that would not only be completely believable but also get him to leave her alone once and for all. This was the perfect opportunity for her to get her plan back on track. Or you could tell him the truth. A small voice nagged at her from the back of her head. Rose blatantly disregarded it. No way could she tell him the truth. She simply could not tell Scorpius Malfoy, that she could not look him in the eye or else she would immediately get lost in the so many shades of gray his eyes mused. She would not tell him that she has not started any arguments with him because she would surely lose control and tell him everything on her mind including what she felt for him in the heat of the moment. And she both could and would not tell him that ignoring his existence because that was the only way to ignore those dumb slags that ripped her apart inside just by being with him, the way he regarded her (either as someone to make fun of and argue with or not at all), and most importantly, those unspoken feelings for him.
R: Has it occurred to you that I simply no longer give a bloody crap about whether or not your opinions are right or wrong, Malfoy? Has it occurred to you that I have grown tired of and therefore out of our childish feud?
She decided the best lie to go with would be explaining that she didn't care about him. She decided against telling him she hated him because that would not explain her actions whatsoever. Besides, not caring was her goal, might as well start somewhere (even though a lie of a note passed to Malfoy himself was not much of a somewhere at all). His next reply was passed back with the slightest bit more force but since she barely noticed that she decided to barely regard it and judge his reaction based on his reply.
S: You wound me so, Weasley. Except for the fact that you are lying, of course.
R: Whatever you want to think, Malfoy. But would you mind thinking to yourself? I would much like to get back to taking notes.
S: Oh please, the knowledge of you reading the textbooks several times before the year begins is as common as the knowledge that you along with the rest of the Weasleys are ginger.
R: Either way I would like to be instructed from Slughorn himself, there is a reason they don't just give us textbooks and send us on our merry way. And not true, my cousin Victorie is blonde.
S: Do I spy an argument from you? And my apologies to you and your blonde cousin, Weasley.
R: No, you spy nothing and apology not accepted. Now do me a favor and sod off, Malfoy.
S: And if I don't?
R: Annoy me enough and I'll tell whoever the hell your dating this week about your sudden need for my attention.
Rose cringed when she ran through her mind once more what she already wrote and passed. Hopefully he would not detect any jealousy there.
S: I don't need anything from a Weasley, it is simply fun to provoke you. And, hmm, is that some jealousy talking (or writing) for you?
Just her luck.
R: Well you do take your birds on the stupid side so I'm sure she won't understand that. And in your dreams, Malfoy.
S: Well it's a good thing she doesn't exist. And more like my nightmares, Weasley.
With that last note potions was over and it was time for her free period. A free period she would have to spend trying to pry her thoughts away from the boy who seemingly cared when she withdrew but hurt her with six simple words when she gave in and paid him the slightest attention. Without bothering to write a witty reply and pass it back, Rose gathered her things and stormed out of the classroom, crumpling the parchment and throwing it in a nearby wastebasket on the way out. Her fast pace was not slowed by anything, not even when she heard that dreaded voice call " Weasley, wait!" Unfortunately, Malfoy, is faster and stronger than her which would make it quite simple for him to catch her and drag her into an abandoned classroom, which he did.
Rose made it a point to focus on the wall behind him instead of his face.
" Look at me, Weasley." Even if she wanted to, she was pretty sure she was frozen to that spot.
She did nothing, she said nothing so he just took her lack of a response as a response.
" I'm going to have to do all of the explaining, aren't I?" He asked, making her curious enough to lift her head to meet his eyes for a brief second and then look to the floor to avoid getting lost. He took this as a nod.
He pulled a crumpled up piece of parchment out of his pocket, she only wondered for a second before realizing it was the notes they passed during potions class.
" When I wrote " What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" I was trying to ask why you lost your fire, and keep in mind before we continue our current conversation that if you give me the right answers I'll give you what you've wanted for awhile now in return." He baited her, after years of practice he knew just how to get her attention.
" And what would that be?" Rose interrupted and leaned back for the on one of the desks in a way she hoped looked casual but really she needed support. Even she could hear the edge in her voice. He couldn't possibly know how she feels, after everything she has gone through to hide it.
" To be left alone, of course." His voice took on a humorous tone as he watched her struggle for perfect composure.
" Well to give answers I need questions." Rose said slowly, like she was explaining this to a five year old.
" Who took your fight from you?" He went straight to asking.
She knew her answer immediately, her fight weakened when her love grew and practically died as her heart broke watching him date girl after girl.
" I stopped the quarreling with you because with maturity I realized it got no one anywhere, it was counter productive if anything." Surprised she was with how easily and smoothly her words formed yet another lie.
" Okay, Weasley, I'll accept that for now. When I said " You wound me so, Weasley" it was meant to appear sarcastic but oddly, in a way I meant it. I've grown to miss our rows. If I were to just leave your life, ignore your existence as you have mine would you notice? Would you care?" She gasped when he told her what his words meant and simply wondered why he would miss someone constantly nagging at him, telling him why he is wrong.
As for his question. It would be good for her and her plan if he did leave her life but she would most definitely notice and as for caring? A huge part of the heart that she has only recently heard pumping her want, no, need, for him through her veins would die, as simple as that. It would, despite what she told herself everyday, take her forever to even find hope of recovering if she could recover at all. But she kept her face straight and her guard up as she fed him yet another lie.
" Well you haven't given that one a try yet, so how am I supposed to know?" Rose answered, managing to make the words sound somewhat bitter.
" Good one. Now where was I? Oh yes, when I asked if I spied an argument, I was hopeful that I did. So I suppose, my only question for you here is would you like me to continue?" Scorpius again, surprised her, but not enough to delay her answer.
" It would probably be best if you didn't…." Rose started to say before she got cut off by him.
" Just answer the question, Weasley." Malfoy said warily, which slightly increased her confidence.
" Sure, why the hell not?" She spat back, not willing to let her curiosity show.
" Alright. When I wrote asking if you were writing out of jealousy I notice now that could have been taking as a taunt, but in reality I was just wondering. You are famous for your poker face after all, or you would be if not for the blush. So tell me, was it jealousy you writing your words for you, Weasley?" He asked, smirking at the said blush that colored her cheeks when he did.
" Even if it was, why would I ever admit it to you, Malfoy?" Rose asked with what was left of her pride and watched something snap behind his beautiful grey eyes.
"Maybe because I'm bloody trying to understand you! Maybe because I've admitted that I care, I've admitted that I missed arguing with you and maybe if you gave me one goddamn straight answer I would tell you why this is!" Just as quickly as it came the anger left his eyes and the yelling seized, unfortunately for Rose, the anger was replaced by deviating in his eyes. " Maybe I would tell you why you have never had a boyfriend."
" I know perfectly well why I have never had a boyfriend." Rose replied snootily in response.
Scorpius laughed an empty laugh.
"Do you now? Well go ahead Rose tell me why you've never had a boyfriend. This ought to be good." Scorpius said in reply, making her feel the need to stand up for herself, in love with him or not.
" I've never had a boyfriend because I have never felt the need for one. It seemed like a waste of time so I never sought one out." Rose replied, for the first time in this conversation she was confident in her answer, even though the way he asked the question implied she shouldn't be.
He laughed that same laugh again.
"Rose, you've never had a boyfriend before because Albus and I have been scaring off any guy who has wanted to date you since the fourth year." He said as if everyone knew that and she was clueless for not knowing. He watched her confidence weaken to nothing as he waited for her response.
" Why would you guys do that?" She asked in a small voice.
" Al probably does it because he is your cousin and feels the need to protect you or some shit." Scorpius replied, illogically hoping that Rose Weasley would be momentarily dense enough to forget that he mentioned himself also.
" And you?" Rose looked him dead in the eye and asked.
Scorpius sighed and decided there was no turning back now.
" Because, Weasley, I only insulted you so those beautiful brown eyes would meet mine with a fire in them that only I could spark, I only dated all of those seriously dumb girls to distract myself from the brilliant one I was growing to care about, and finally I helped Al scare about eight different guys off in the past couple of years because something inside of me was infuriated at the thoughts of another guy bringing those eyes to life, running a hand through those red curls, telling you how important you are and so much more while I couldn't." Scorpius replied and bravely looked at her to find the famous for knowing it all Rose Weasley, mouth agape, looking simply dumbfounded.
" I don't get it." Rose said back, her voice barely a whisper. This was his opportunity to tell her to figure it out and leave, to escape whatever form of rejection she would surely throw at him if he stayed. But he didn't. He just laughed lightly at her weak words and persisted.
" Than you are the most daft genius I have ever encountered." Scorpius gave that terse reply, expecting her to comeback with an insult such as "insufferable git". But she didn't. She just formulated a few choice questions for this beautiful man in her mind before she voiced them.
" Why now? Why after all of the rows, slags, and guys you and Al supposedly scared off are you deciding to tell me all of this?" Rose wondered, if he loved her as long as he claimed why was this all just coming out in the middle of their sixth year.
" Because you've been ignoring me. Despite my best efforts I've been fading out of your life so quickly becoming absolutely nothing, no one to you. At the beginning of the year, I thought this could be good because I considered my feelings towards you a problem. A problem that could be defined by logic, fixed in a logical sequence, and, logically, forgotten. After seeing you but not having any sort of contact with you I knew this wasn't the case because love isn't logical at all, no feeling is really and it isn't something that needs to or can be fixed. So I decided to stop at nothing to get you to acknowledge my existence again and maybe grow to feel the same with time." He put it all out there for to scrutinize, dissect, pull apart, and take in word for word just as Rose simply does.
Rose realized he was right, about feelings having nothing to do with logic. And she also realized that as long as Scorpius was in the picture there was no set plan nor way to map out what would happen next meaning her grand plan was in ruins. But she didn't care at the moment, she didn't care because she was simply hung up on one word out of that entire speech he just gave.
" Y- you love me?" She choked out, even if he did clear up her confusion, she was still shocked as hell by this sudden news. She everything inside her simply lift, like a weight that was crushing her inside and out was removed.
" Yes." Scorpius replied, sounding as small as she has ever heard him and probably will ever hear him.
" You have ruined everything, Scorpius Malfoy!" Rose yelled, surprising the hell out of him.
" I expected a lot of reactions but certainly not being told I "ruined" everything! What in the name of Dumbledore are you bloody talking about?" Scorpius spat back at her.
" I had a plan and it was foolproof! I was going to be successful, I wasn't going to get distracted by anything! Then you came along and screwed me up! I didn't want to care about you! I started ignoring you because falling for you is probably the stupidest thing I've done, didn't even mean to do! And I, too, figured that it was just another problem I could solve but obviously not, especially not now since you have filled me with false hope!" Rose did just as she predicted she would: got into an argument with him and said everything on her mind.
"False?" Was the only question Scorpius could pull from that fit she just threw.
"False. I mean honestly how long would a romance last between us when you get bored after a week of seeing someone? Even if it did last how the hell would it survive our families? Our fathers? It just wouldn't be logical." Rose retorted, thinking he would be out of answers and they could put this behind them.
" Our families? Rose, why do we have to care? Like I said, love is never logical. What would any relationship be if it did not have its problems?" Scorpius replied, just dying for her to ask about him getting bored again, he had the perfect answer.
" What about when you get bored with me just like every other girl you've dated?" Rose asked out of insecurity, just as he anticipated.
" Weasley, the reason for me getting bored with every girl I've dated is because they were never you." Scorpius replied, his perfect answer sounding wary because to him it had become the most obvious thing in the world.
With those words Rose did something for the first time since ever: threw caution to the wind. When she did so, she moved in closer to him, looking to his grey eyes to only find sincerity before finally planting her lips on his. He was not at all hesitant to react to her, to wrap one arm around her waist, rest the other arm on her upper back as he ran a hand through those red curls he has always admired, and kiss back fiercely, placing years of love onto her beautiful lips. With that they knew their "problem" would never be solved but neither of them cared at the moment and probably never will care again.