"What's wrong?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. If there was one person who would noticed Rose's anxiousness, of course it would be him.
She continued browsing the candy laden shelves of Honeydukes. "Whatever do you mean," she stated flatly, examining a pack of strawberry flavored sugar quills.
"I mean, you haven't talked to me the whole way down from school, that's what I mean." His tone was bored, and probably slightly irked. She smirked at the thought. Annoying him was certainly a hobby she enjoyed.
She set down the quills and touched a chocolate frog. "I've been thinking, is all. You know, because I, unlike you, actually think sometimes."
"Ha, ha. Very funny. Care to elaborate?" He leaned against the wall.
Care to elaborate? As if. If Rose was smart enough to be in Ravenclaw, then she was certainly smart enough to know not to tell him exactly what she was thinking, especially as it regarded him and her and lips and words that weren't meant to be spoken in a candy shop. So he would just have to live with the curiosity, she supposed, because she certainly wasn't going to spill.
"Not really," she finally answered, glancing his way only to catch his eyes on hers. She looked back at the candy, as though corn syrup and food coloring were more appetizing than the look on his face.
"You sure about that?" he asked, trying to look calm, but Rose noticed the agitation in his voice and in the way his smirk flickered to a frown for a moment.
"As sure as anything, Scorpius," she replied, exasperated. They stared at each other for moment, challenging each other, and, at least on Rose's part, indulging in that face of his.
Finally, she turned back to the shelves, grabbed the strawberry flavored sugar quills, and pushed her way through the throng of kids to the cash register. After she paid, she turned around, only to be face to face with Scorpius.
"Watch it, you," she teased. "Other people have to pay, you know." She smiled, though inwardly she was very confused at the way he was staring at her. Why was he staring again? And what did it mean?
He moved out of the way, and, side by side as always, they left Honeydukes.
"That was nice," Rose tried, not sure what to say but wanting some conversation anyways.
"Yeah, I guess it was."
"You want a sugar quill?" she offered, laughing a bit. He rolled his eyes, for it was a common fact that he despised strawberry flavored anything.
"Fine then, I'll just have to eat them all myself." She tore open the plastic bag and pulled out a pink crystalline quill.
"Rose, face it. Something's up, and you know what always makes it better?"
"...Fattening foods?"
"Telling me."
"When has that made anything better? Last time I told you anything you just laughed." She sucked on the end of her sugar quill indignantly. Or, really, as indignantly as one can while sucking on something.
"You told me you thought Professor Patil was a lesbian! How could I not laugh, when everyone knows that she and Professor Nichols were found in a closet together?" He smiled broadly at the memory. Rose always liked to come up with theories, most of which had no way of ever being true.
"Well, Merlin, it was just a theory." They began walking down the cobblestone street, passing by friends and peers and shops.
"Oh, so do you have another theory you'd like to share?"
"You see, I have another theory, but I really wouldn't like to share it, thanks for asking." She smiled sarcastically.
Scorpius gave a little laugh. "Why? To personal to share with your best mate, is it?"
"Yes. Yes it is." Rose rolled her eyes and resumed sucking her quill.
"Oh wait- let me guess, is it about me?"
Rose stopped in her tracks, though she knew he was only teasing. She resumed almost immediately, but Scorpius didn't miss the falter in her steps. A blush crept up her neck and blossomed on her cheeks.
"Wait a second. It is about me?" True disbelief sparked in his eyes. Rose flicked her eyes his way for a moment, her mouth becoming a thin line.
"Well, yes. But that's all I'm going to say. Wouldn't... Wouldn't want to persuade the evidence, now would I?" Her breath caught a little, her speech too fast, worried she would say something she would regret.
"Persuade the evidence? But you've already piqued my curiosity, Rose, and you know I'm not going to drop this until it's satisfied."
"Scorpius, could you just leave it?" she retorted, a bit of an edge in her voice.
"Oh, yeah, like that's going to happen. You've known me for how long and you think I'm really gonna-"
"I said leave it, Scorpius." She was begging and demanding at the same time. Scorpius looked her way and decided he had best follow her instructions, because he really couldn't deal with a crying teenaged girl at the moment, and it seemed as though Rose would be one very soon if he didn't choose his words wisely.
"Sorry. You know I get a bit carried away sometimes."
"Yeah. I know. I'm sorry." Her voice was a bit of a monotone, and she chewed her bottom lip
They had walked back to the bench they had occupied so many Saturdays, the one out-looking the bustling little village. They sat at the same time, as was a custom. Rose rested her head on Scorpius' shoulder and sighed, dropping her partially-eaten sugar quill on the snowy ground.
"Scorpius?" she whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear.
"Yeah?"
"Kiss me."
And he did. And she responded, most gratefully. It was a chaste kiss, a sweet kiss, and one that was better than all the kisses Rose had ever dreamt about (and she had dreamt of a lot). They pulled away quickly, hesitantly, once again staring at the other.
"Scorpius?" she repeated.
"Yeah?"
"I think you've proved my theory to be correct."
He smiled, and then leaned in to prove it correct once more.
A/N So fluffy, I know. Too sweet to function, I would say. So... review? Yeah? Yes? Okay?
xx
Ali