If you are reading this - hello! :D
I posted a few of the many ScoRose one-shots I have sitting about on my laptop and everybody was so so nice and supportive and asked for more (I believe Abigail Thalia La Rue threatened to hate me?) Well, you won't have to hate me, because here's another one. (Unless you don't like it, but anyway...)
I loooove ScoRose, and I love writing this. I hope you enjoy it.
Edit: Oops, I changed Sarah's name and didn't even notice! Thank you to those who pointed it out! :D
That one week was all it took to bring us together.
Monday
"The Goblin Revolution not only paved the way to the 745 Goblin Law but also allowed other magical creatures to view Goblins in a new light-"
As the sunlight poured in through the sixth floor window of the History of Magic classroom, Professor Binns droned on. I was the only one in our class who gave any inclination that I was listening, my head bent over my parchment and my pen furiously scribbling across the page. I knew Al would ask me for my notes when it came to exam time (and then not revise from them), but for now he was simply trying to solve a Rubik's Cube under the desk.
Jane Richards, one of my best friends, was inconspicuously playing noughts and crosses with Lysander Scamander, Lorcan was twirling some of his hair around a pencil and staring out the window, Oliver Manson was passing notes to his girlfriend, Paula, who was sitting only two desks away from him staring at her blank parchment as if willing notes to appear before her whilst her friends sat around her and gossiped quietly. Scorpius Malfoy sat on the desk three away from mine and to my left. He was looking at Professor Binns, at least, but I could see him muttering lyrics to an old song under his breath. The rest of the class were engaged in similarly useless activities: braiding each others hair, subtly playing snap, passing notes and doing late homework from every lesson but the one they were currently sitting in.
"-In addition, Centaurs and Giants made up the majority of the opposing group who led the attacks on Goblins between the years of 739 and 744-"
The bell for the end of lessons rang, bur nobody in our class even budged: we had been timetabled a double period of History of Magic. Thankfully, Professor Binns had finished his half of our lesson.
"Homework will be a three thousand word essay on how and why the Goblin Revolution started, due in on Thursday's lesson.
There were only a few students able to contain their disappointment at the prospect of homework, the rest groaned and complained loudly as Professor Binns left through the blackboard.
Scarcely a few seconds had passed before Professor Chang entered the classroom, balancing a large pile of marked homework in the air with her wand. She took over the lesson.
She was strict and her entrance into the room silenced everyone. Even Al placed the Rubik's Cube in his bag, lest it was confiscated and added to Filch's 'inappropriate and dangerous items' list. Again.
And you don't want to know how he got it back the first time. Trust me.
The gossiping stopped and most of the class were forced to focus their full attention on their work, taking as little notes as possible, but taking them nonetheless.
"Professor Binns should have reached the events of 762? No? Great! Can't trust that ghost with anything…" Professor Chang took a few moments to grumble about the nuisance that was Professor Binns, then continued with the lesson. "Okay, so where did you get to?"
The classroom was quiet and the sun still streaming in, enough for Darius Finnegan to get up and open the window. I could feel the heat scorching my back after not too long and was forced to take off my jumper. The heat of the room made it easy to relax and sink into a peaceful state, listening to the calming qualities of Professor Chang's voice.
About fifteen minutes into her talking, she began to repeat what Professor Binns had been saying before, so I placed my quill down and relaxed my hand.
Don't look at him, don't look at him, don't look at him.
I focused on opening my hand and then closing it to relax the muscle. Out of the corner of my eye I could just about see Scorpius put his quill down too. Leaning back slowly in his chair, he stretched his arms over his head. As usual, I also leaned back, slowly so as not to attract the attention of the others in the room.
Our eyes locked and we smiled at each other behind the other student's backs (tentatively on my part, adorably on his). He winked at me. I couldn't help but blush in return and turn back to my parchment.
And that was it.
Once a week in History of Magic we would have this short, sweet, oddly confusing moment together. Yet we had hardly spoken ten words to each other in all the years we had known each other.
Something nagged at me this time, something seemed different, but I didn't know what.
Tuesday
The castle was known to be eerily quiet after eight o'clock in the evening on weekdays. Candles would burn in their brackets on the walls whilst the light outside dimmed slowly and tranquillity seemed to creep over the grounds.
There was nobody about as the sun set today, most students either relaxing in their common rooms or in the library finishing up homework.
The sound of my hard Quidditch shoes tapping against the stone corridor floor was loud and echoed, almost covering the sweeping sound the end of my broomstick made as it dragged along the floor behind me.
Wearing my muddy, uncomfortable Quidditch Uniform, I knew I must have looked a state. Al had knocked me off my broom by accident when he made a swipe at the bludger with his bat. I was too close, going for the bludger too, and his bat collided with my arm, throwing me off my broom and slamming me into the mud, thankfully, only a few feet below. Luckily, I was completely fine, despite the protests of Jimmy "Hypochondriac" Highlander, who had repeatedly insisted I go to the Hospital Wing, just in case I had unknowingly hit my head or sprained an ankle.
Content in the knowledge that I could finally return to my dorm and take a long bath, relax and then possibly sleep, I wandered slowly down the corridor, staring out the window at the beautiful, bright colours the sunset threw against the horizon.
The sudden indication of another pair of feet coming towards me came in the form of more echoes. I rounded the corner to find myself face to face with my ex-boyfriend, Luke Knatch.
The epitome of tall, dark and handsome, Luke was thus one of a group of guys who made up the 'Popular ones'. Today he was wearing a green sweater which highlighted his eyes painfully well and a pair of dark blue jeans. As always, the expression 'too cool for school' came into mind whenever I saw him. He was kind and honest, always the one to be first to offer help and last to give up on a task.
"Rose!" He smiled happily when he saw me. Picking me up and spinning me round like he used to, I felt a sudden pang of nostalgia.
"Luke!" I exclaimed, half anxious and half glad to see him. "I'll get mud on your clothes!"
"Oh well," he said breezily. "It's worth it. I was actually just looking for you."
"I was at Quidditch," I told him. Merlin, I must look like such a mess.
Attempting to be subtle, I raised my hand to the back of my hair and tried to flatten it down slightly. I knew there was mud across my cheek but I couldn't wipe that away without it being obvious so I unwillingly left it alone.
This was not how I wanted to look the first time I was alone with my ex-boyfriend. We had broken up less than two weeks ago, after nearly six months together. On my part, I had been in love with him as long as I could remember, and, sadly, I think I still was.
I hadn't learnt to let go of him just yet. Seeing him so happy and full of life filled me with an odd mixture of emotions, the most dominant of which was happiness, I think - I wanted the best for him - but it also caused slight resentment, which I squashed down into the back of my mind as quickly as I felt it - How could he be so happy so soon after our break-up? Did he ever love me?
They were selfish thoughts, really.
"I thought as much," He replied, placing me back on my feet and checking for mud on his clothes despite his earlier carelessness.
"What did you want to see me about?" I asked, trying to keep the incredible curiosity out of my voice… and the hopefulness.
"I just thought I'd tell you the good news," He grinned.
"You got that position at the Quiberon Quafflepunchers?" I asked excitedly. I knew just how much he had wanted to become their new Seeker.
"No, even better," He replied. "I asked Sarah Dodderidge out and she said yes!"
"Oh," I suddenly rolled back so that I was no longer on the balls of my feet, and my face went cold. It felt like I had just been slapped in the face.
Did our relationship not mean anything to him? We had been in love, hadn't we? He'd said we were in love. He'd promised we'd be together forever. I know I was naïve to believe him when he said 'forever' but I at least thought we'd be together a long while. Everything was going perfectly: we were happy, we knew each other so well and we could hardly ever stand being apart. Then… he became distant one day. Two days later he broke up with me. I had been crying myself to sleep the past eleven nights and dreaming of nothing other than his lovely green eyes and his voice whispering false promises to me through the darkness - they were more like nightmares.
It had only been the last night or two in which I had been able to sleep peacefully, but perhaps I had simply worn myself out with all the crying and studying I had been doing to distract myself from thoughts of him.
They say your first love is that one you never forget - well, I'm never going to forget how he shattered my heart.
Just the sight of him filled me with so mixed emotions I could hardly understand what I was feeling.
And now he seeks me out deliberately to tell my that he has a new girlfriend, a new girl to love? What kind of cruel person did that?
"Rose?" His eyebrow creased suddenly. "Are you alright?"
"Mm hmm," I muttered slowly, pinching my nose with my index finger and thumb. "I've just got a headache."
"I just wanted to be the one to tell you," He hurried straight back to the topic of his happiness. "I knew you'd be okay with it and everything, I mean, we've already broken up. You are okay with it, aren't you?"
"Of course," I put on a happy smile, trying my hardest to repress the strong emotions building up inside me. If Luke had ever known me he would have realised it was fake. "Of course I am."
Why did I have to avoid confrontation?
"Great!" He grinned. "You're such a good person, Rose. I know someday you'll make somebody as happy as Sarah makes me."
"Sure…" I managed to squeak out.
He hadn't even noticed I was finding it hard to breath.
"I better get going. Roberts gave me a detention for levitating Malfoy over the Astronomy Tower and scaring the life out of some of the First Years," He laughed heartily and then hugged me goodbye before hurrying back down the corridor, whistling happily to himself.
His footsteps and cheerfulness died away, along with the bliss you get from a first love. Eventually it was just me and the birds singing outside, the sun still setting and my broomstick laying on the floor in the middle of the deserted, silent corridor.
I stood still, containing myself, for a full ten seconds, then exploded.
"Good? Good?" I shouted hysterically at the empty corridor, throwing my arms about. "I'm a 'good' person? What kind of an imbecile says that?"
I kicked my broomstick across the floor, smashing the ends of it into pieces and ruining my chances at escaping to Quidditch for the next few days. I was furious, crushed and bitter all at the same time.
"Who do you think you are! You… you… you thoughtless, self-righteous, controlling, manipulative, selfish little boy!"
In my anger I whirled around and punched the stone wall of the corridor, smashing a bracket and sending the ablaze candle flying, almost knocking out the person who had turned into the corridor.
"Whoa, anger problems!" He burst out, seemingly without being able to stop it, and jumped from fright. He picked up the candle by his feet, promptly burning his hand, and then put it out and set it down on the windowsill closest to him.
"I do not have anger problems!" I yelled at him, before coming to a complete frozen state as I realised who I was screaming at like a mad woman. "Scorpius?" I asked gently.
"Rose?" His eyes widened as he took in my ruined broomstick and connected it with the flying candle. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I muttered, hurrying to pick up my broom and intending to make my escape.
I hardly knew Scorpius, but this little episode would greatly reduce the number of times he will now wink at me in History of Magic. And I had quite looked forwards to those moments.
I felt a soft hand gently take hold of the bare skin of my upper arm as I turned to leave. He spun me round.
"Your hand… it's injured," he spoke softly and as if he sincerely was worried.
"My hand?" I asked, confused. Then the pain kicked in. "Oh, Voldemort! That's painful!"
I tried to shake the pain off, but after a few seconds realised that that action would simply cause further pain. Tears started to spring from my eyes.
"Calm down, calm down," Scorpius pulled me closer to him to inspect my hand. "Just breath slowly while I see if I can fix it."
"But it really hurts," I whined pathetically.
"Just think of something else," He suggested patiently as he held it up to the light. "Like how beautiful the sunset is, or the way grass moves in the wind, or the smell of the restricted section of the library." He gave me a cheeky smile when he saw my incredulous look. "Don't pretend you haven't been in there."
"Just don't tell anyone," I pleaded desperately.
He chuckled and the sound was the most genuine thing I had heard in a long time. "I promise I won't tell. It'll be our secret."
For some reason I knew Scorpius would keep his promise.
Before I could say anything or break away from the intense eye contact between us, he moved his fingers gently and I winced.
"I guess I found the problem," he smiled apologetically. "I think you broke it."
"I suppose I deserve that," I sighed.
"For punching a brick wall? Actually, I would say a break is lucky," He smiled. "We better get you to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey can fix it properly."
"But I'm allergic to Skele-Gro!" I protested as he went and picked up my broom for me, shouldering it.
"It looks like you've got a long healing process then," He teased. Surprisingly, I didn't mind him teasing me.
He walked me to the Hospital Wing, chatting easily about the History of Magic essay, the new Chaser the Holyhead Harpies had recruited this week and the time he had broken a toe by tripping over the stairs at home.
Anyone would think we'd been friends for years.
As soon as we entered the Wing, Madame Pomfrey saw us. After only a few seconds it became obvious she knew Scorpius well and he stayed whilst she bandaged up my hand.
"Shouldn't you be in detention, Mr Malfoy?" She smiled as he sat on the empty bed beside me, swinging his legs back and forth and whistling loudly his own version of the Hogwarts Theme Tune. "I heard about your Astronomy Tower adventures this morning. I had to treat three poor First Years for shock."
"I managed to shoulder the blame onto Knatch," Scorpius responded casually. My heart faltered at his name, but then resumed normal pace without either or them realising the pained look on my face.
"I can't imagine you had to do much to shoulder the blame," Madame Pomfrey continued. "That boy is bad news - always leading the poor girls along, always too brutal in Quidditch, always hiding up here to get out of lessons and never apologising for wasting my time. He's a bad influence on you, Scorpius."
Strangely, I did not find it unnerving to hear Luke spoken of in this way. For now I was content with hating him and news that finally somebody thought he was a bad person was a comfort right now, even if it did seem so contrary to everything I knew about him. I had never heard somebody talk badly about him before.
Scorpius made no comment and said no more about Luke the rest of the evening. Indeed, he hardly said a word until he walked me to the portrait of the Fat Lady and was obliged to bid me a 'goodnight' and told me to look after my hand.
I was curious as to whether we would ever speak much again, or whether we would continue with this newfound acquaintance.
Wednesday
Having a broken hand was possibly the most annoying thing ever. I couldn't write, I couldn't play Quidditch, I couldn't slap my cousins hard enough for annoying me about it and I couldn't forget why I had punched the wall in the first place.
By the time lessons had finished on Wednesday and the sun had set I was ready to cry. I mean, I had been crying at lunchtime, hurrying to the girls bathroom to drown out my own sorrows with Myrtle's but I hadn't had time to really cry.
I saw Luke with his arms round Sarah at lunch time. They were kissing outside his Charms class. The emotions I had felt the night before flooded back almost as strongly and it was only the memory of Scorpius telling me to 'Calm down' that really did make me calm down - he hadn't known why he needed to say it to me, but he hadn't pried.
Seeing them together was horrible. It made me feel so worthless, so used and so discarded. I was at my lowest point of the day yet when I traipsed into the library at eight thirty, dragging my school bag behind me and searching desperately for a table to sit on and mope.
James, Louis, Molly and Roxanne were sitting at a table near to the door and I couldn't escape their notice.
"Rose!" Louis waved me over and I obligingly went.
"Hey guys," I tried to sound cheerful, but I wasn't up to it. None of them noticed.
"What happened to your hand?" Roxanne asked suddenly, placing down her quill. Molly looked up too.
"I, err… I punched a wall," I told them truthfully. I was a useless liar so I might as well tell the truth.
"Why?" James asked, worried.
"Oh, it was an accident…" I knew they could tell I was uncomfortable because none of them pointed out just how unlikely accidentally punching a stone wall would be.
"I hope you heal soon, Rose," Molly smiled encouragingly.
"Thanks," I muttered, too stubborn to accept the good thoughts with enthusiasm, and left to find a quiet table, one hidden in the back between bookshelves.
I dumped my bag and tried to find the correct book on Goblin's I was looking for - I might as well add to my essay if I had time to. It only took me a few minutes to find the book but, with my hand bandaged in plaster, I was having difficulty pulling the book off the shelf.
After a few seconds it became obvious I couldn't even wedge the book I wanted out of the bookshelf and my anger rose again.
I slammed my good hand into the book, shoving it harshly back the centimetre or two I had managed to move it out and causing the whole bookshelf to wobble slightly.
"Stupid book!" I muttered bitterly under my breath.
When I turned around Scorpius had made himself comfortable at my table, his feet resting on the desk and his hands casually behind his head. He was grinning widely.
"Why is it that I'm always angry when we meet?" I sighed tiredly.
"Beats me," He smiled. "How's your hand?"
"It hurts," I admitted. "But I'll live. Thank you again for helping me."
"No problem," Scorpius waved off my thanks, but not ungraciously.
"How did you know it was broken?" I asked after a moment of hesitation.
"I want to be a Healer. Broken bones are the easiest injuries to recognise," He replied casually. "What do you want to do after Hogwarts?"
"Oh, I'm going into the Ministry," I responded determinedly. He gave me an impressed look for knowing what I wanted to do with my future. "My granddad used to work in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes and that's what I want to do too. I feel close to him when I experience how he worked."
"Not to mention it's probably the most exciting job in the Ministry."
"That too," I smiled.
I took my seat opposite him and regretted it a moment later when he opened his mouth and said, "I heard Knatch has a new girlfriend."
I could feel my face harden. "Yes."
"Sarah Something… from our Care of Magical Creatures lessons, I think."
"Yes."
"And they're acting all loved up all the time," He continued, his tone expressionless so I had no idea where he was going with this conversation. I knew he was up to something, not just bringing up this topic to create idle conversation. He wouldn't do that. I only wished he'd stop talking.
"Yes."
"And you only broke up with him a week ago."
"Twelve days ago," I snapped.
He was silent for another minute. We simply stared across the table at each other: his expression oddly curious and mine determinedly rigid.
"I'm sorry," He breathed quietly. His face was full of pity - it was humiliating.
"You're sorry?" I snapped again. "He used me, snapped my heart into tiny pieces and trampled all over my dignity and you're sorry?"
"Rose, I haven't-"
"You shouldn't get involved in things you don't know anything about, Malfoy," I said. "And you certainly shouldn't pity me. Just because you're a Malfoy you are not better than me, got it?"
It was a low remark, but I was angry and sad.
"I-"
"And he broke up with me."
Before Scorpius could move I snatched my bag from under his feet and stormed out of the library.
I didn't want his pity.
Thursday
"Come on!" Scorpius pleaded with me from across the Gryffindor table at breakfast the next morning. I raised my copy of the Daily Prophet higher so as to separate us even more.
"Go away, Malfoy," I snapped.
I had been in a bad mood all night and all morning. Between the love of my life getting a new girlfriend and feeling utterly humiliated and patronised by a new friend, plus the fact that none of my family members or best friends had even noticed my despair until this morning when Scorpius had hurried over to me to act as a suppliant.
"I said I'm sorry," He continued.
Currently, we were attracting the incredulous, disbelieving looks of practically everybody in the hall who knew who we were - Malfoy and Weasley. And the news was spreading to the younger years - What was a Malfoy doing apologising to a Weasley? How, in the name of Dumbledore, were they even friends?
My family were frozen in their last positions - Al's spoon inches from his mouth, Lily 's hand mid-way through brushing her hair, Dom's mouth wide open and Lucy staring over the top of the most recent copy of Witch Weekly.
Another purpose of the newspaper was to cover me from the stares. It was creepy.
Scorpius and I had only been talking to each other since Tuesday, we hardly knew each other, yet I felt as if I were having an argument with a close friend. Perhaps that was simply because I felt bad about snapping at him when he did not deserve it.
"Do you want me to say it again? Because I will, but it won't be the same. I didn't mean it how you took it-"
"-Of course-" I muttered sarcastically.
"-I just wanted to… let you know you can talk to me. I mean, after I almost took a metal bracket to the head I think I'm entitled to ask how you are?"
"I suppose you are," I agreed bitterly, turning the page of the newspaper to emphasise my eagerness to end this conversation.
"Look, I know your family hate me and everything, but I don't want to just leave you thinking of me as an arrogant, egotistical idiot."
I sighed, slamming my newspaper down onto the table, causing a few pieces of cutlery to rattle and a few people to jump. "Why are you even bothering?" I asked genuinely.
"What?" He asked, slightly taken aback that I had suddenly started talking to him.
We were now inches apart: his hands were resting on the table and his face leaned forwards so that it was close to my newspaper.
"I… You know what? That's a good question, Rose…" He seemed to think for a moment. "Maybe 'cause you're, like, the coolest person I've ever met."
Well, that was certainly a step up from Luke's 'good'.
"I am?" I asked, a smile playing at my lips. Damn his flattery.
"And I'm the coolest person you've met, too?" Scorpius joked. I rolled my eyes at him.
Scorpius' head titled slightly and two figures came into view from behind him - Luke and Sarah.
Luke's arm was around Sarah and she was chatting away incessantly to him and the rest of their large group of 'Popular ones' who had been friendly towards me these past six months until thirteen days ago when they had returned to their usual policy of ignoring me completely.
Scorpius should have been with them, standing quietly in the corner and hardly speaking a word unless forced to.
Luke was having a heated argument with some of the other guys, the ones Scorpius was closest too. I could just about make out that he was asking why Scorpius was talking to me. He seemed annoyed that one of his friends had dared to be friends with me, especially Scorpius.
He could fuss all he liked - I really didn't care.
Okay, maybe I cared a little.
"You're meant to say 'Oh, thank you so much, Scorpius, for being my knight in shining armour and saving my hand when I stupidly punched a wall in my damsel in distress moment'… or something to that effect," He joked again.
"I still have one good hand, you know," I replied cheerfully. "I'll be punching more than a wall if you don't shut up and sit down."
He grinned and took a seat at the Gryffindor table opposite me.
Nobody knew what to say, so they didn't say anything.
Friday
The wind had picked up and the rain had arrived by Friday morning. At break time I slipped away from my cousins, knowing they were on the verge of confronting me about just why I was friends with Malfoy now and what gave me the nerve to think I could be. I really did not want to deal with it. Why should I have to justify all my friends to them?
I had arranged to meet up with Scorpius in the courtyard at the beginning of break. Being with him took my mind off of the almost unbearable ache in my chest and the very real pain in my hand.
He was fun.
At least Scorpius knew how to joke around. Lately it had seemed as if everybody's sole purpose was growing up - whoever was most popular or had the most expensive jeans was the coolest and therefore the most adult. But growing up was boring and petty. Nobody ever tells you that when you start secondary school - why is that? I suppose it's all part of being a teenager.
"You're going to fall!" I fussed as he walked along the thin, two metre high brick wall running through the middle of the courtyard.
He chuckled. "Relax, Rose, I'm fine."
"Well, okay… but if you- Oh Merlin!" I quickly exclaimed mid-sentence due to Scorpius losing his balance, his arms flying about helplessly. I was just on the verge of screaming or getting ready to catch him or running when he burst into laughter and straightened himself up easily. "You idiot!"
He simply laughed hysterically. "Lighten up, Rose!"
"What if you had fallen? You would have left me all sad and alone at your funeral," I pointed out jokingly.
"If I had fallen, Rosie dear," He teased. "I would have crushed you too. In which case we would have both gone to Heaven together and we'd never be alone."
"Stuck with you for all eternity?" I responded sarcastically. "Sounds great."
"It would never be boring," He defended, jumping down from the wall and almost crushing me.
"Watch it!" I laughed as he grabbed onto either side of my shoulders to hold me up and steady himself.
"Sorry!" He chuckled too and we moved to sit down on the bench nearby.
The wind picked up all of a sudden and the autumn leaves were blown about uncontrollably. I felt my teeth start to chatter and my body start to shake.
"Haven't you got a coat?" Scorpius asked all of a sudden.
"L-left it in-n-n my d-d-d-dormitory," I managed through chattering teeth. I could tell he wanted to laugh at the sound of my stuttering by the cute twitch of his lips.
"Here," He said without hesitation and unzipped his own coat. I have to admit, it did look warm.
"D-d-don't be s-s-s-tupid, Scor-r-r-," I gave up with the end of his name.
"You'll freeze. Let's at least go inside," He suggested, rising to leave.
I placed my hand on his leg and he froze. "No! My family will corner me in there."
"Well then you're going to have to wear my coat," He pointed out sensibly, sitting back down close beside me on the bench and wrapping me in his coat with himself.
We sat together inside the one coat, both laughing over how we could hardly move without the danger of almost knocking the other one over.
All of a sudden we were quiet. There had never been any awkward conversation between us - I think we had skipped that bit during the shock of when I had almost hit him in the face with a burning candle on Tuesday evening.
It was a comfortable silence, only interrupted occasionally by Scorpius' quiet chuckle as my teeth chattered.
Slowly the teeth chattering stopped, possibly due to body heat and not because of the weather - that was still dull and wet.
"I think I can hear your heartbeat," I breathed quietly after a while.
"Can you?" He asked. I moved my head to look up at him, his face not far from mine, and smiled.
His heartbeat quickened at my smile.
I panicked.
What did that mean?
"No," I lied calmly.
I didn't tell him the truth. I didn't know what the truth meant.
Saturday
The first hour of Potions Club had been almost unendurable.
None of my family members had chosen to attend the extra-curricular club and Scorpius had been busy on a trip to the Ministry, visiting his father. I had sat on a table by myself, stirring a potion countless times and willing myself not to look up. I knew Luke was looking at me. I knew it.
Relief came when Scorpius entered the room. There was an awkward, uncomfortable moment when he could have turned towards Luke's table, like he had been doing for the past few years. Instead, he came and sat beside me.
"Where's Rebecca and Nathan?" He questioned me about the whereabouts of the two Ravenclaw's usually on my table.
"Both ill," I muttered, staring determinedly at my potion.
"So you've just been sitting on your own all Potions Club? You didn't just leave?" He asked curiously, a hint of guilt evident in his voice.
"Yeah," I sighed.
I was about to say more, perhaps tell him about Luke's stares, but he interrupted me. "If you stir that any more it's going to-"
The potion exploded.
"-Explode," he finished.
I looked up at him with orange gunge stuck to my hair and burn marks across one eyebrow (which was luckily still in place). The whole club went deathly silent.
Scorpius laughed.
"Think that's funny, do you?" I asked mischievously. Plunging my hand into the substance I slapped a large dollop of it across his face and on top of his head.
"Not the hair!" He fussed. "Not the hair!"
"You and your hair!" I laughed. "You're much too assiduous with it."
Before he could complain we were interrupted and reprimanded by Professor Higgs, then told to clean up after ourselves.
By the time the club came to an end I was in a much better mood.
Too bad that it didn't last long.
Scorpius had to get to Prefects Rounds so he hurried away and I was left alone. I deliberately made sure I was last to leave the classroom, and detoured into the bathroom to clean myself up, so that I didn't run into Luke or Rachel or any of the others. I had nothing against Rachel - it was just painful to see her now that she reminded me of how much Luke had manipulated me into thinking he'd loved me. I'd wasted six months of my life and my first love on him.
I entered the cold dungeons corridors to complete silence. For a few minutes I was content in the knowledge that I was the only one walking these corridors, then I saw him.
Luke was leaning again the wall near the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. Just like Tuesday, he was wearing a sweater, only this time it was red, and high-brand jeans.
I pretended I didn't care that he was there, even though my heart still skipped a beat when I saw him.
I got almost level with him before he even considered I wasn't going to stop and talk.
"Rose," He called to attract my attention.
"Oh, hey, Luke, didn't see you there," I responded, forcing myself to be cheerful. "Are you waiting for someone?"
"I'm… waiting for you, obviously," He smiled. "I used to always wait for you after lessons, remember?"
"When we were dating," I reminded him frankly. I wasn't going to play his games. "But we're not dating now. You're dating Sarah."
He must have heard the bitterness in my voice - I had recently come to realise that it had always been there since we had broken up - but now it was masked by strength. I saw something flicker behind his eyes - Shock? Pain? Regret?
Love?
Don't even think about that.
"Oh… Sarah," He didn't sound so pleased.
"What does that mean?" I asked without being able to contain my thoughts.
"Me and Sarah… we haven't really got a strong bond, you know? Like the one that we had. We were… we were inseparable… constantly together. Do you remember?"
Nah, I have a tendency to forget months at a time, including, oh, the love of my life and how he broke my heart…
"Of course I remember," I spoke curtly.
"We were so great together, Rose," He spoke gently now, taking a step towards me and brushing a strand of my hair behind my ear. "We used to know everything about each other, like our favourite sport or magazine or what we wanted to be when we left Hogwarts-"
Those are all things I knew about you.
Never, in a million years, did I expect him to say what he said next.
"-like how you want to work in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes because that's where your grandfather worked."
"You… you remembered," I couldn't help but smile. "I can't believe you remembered that."
Maybe I did mean something to him…
"I remember a lot, Rose," He took another step towards me. "Your favourite colour is red, you like to watch old movies and you love your brother so much you'd do anything for him. Look, I guess what I'm saying is that… I want to give us a try."
"You want to get back together?" I asked and, even though I tried to stop it, a small bubble of excitement built up in my stomach.
"I want to try," He smiled sweetly. "You know, until we're sure it'll work and can tell everyone."
Before we can tell everyone?
What. A. Jerk.
Something finally twigged in my mind. The last metaphorical tendon binding us together snapped. He no longer had any hold over me. I was certain all the love I'd had for him had been rendered completely inactive now, even though I still knew the feeling and I would still have some love for him for as long as I could imagine, it was immobilised - it was simply there and I could live with it. It was no longer potent - I could love somebody else one hundred times more than I loved him.
"'Try'? You don't even want to be with me properly? Publicly?"
"I'm just being cautious, that's all. We might as well give us a try and see how it turns out, yeah?"
"You want to give us a try?" I snapped. If he couldn't tell I was angry, he was about to realise it.
"Well, of course, Rose," He said patronisingly. "I'm still dating Rachel. I can't just break up with her for you." He laughed condescendingly. "What if we don't work out?"
"Then you end up with no girlfriends and you're not a lying, cheating-!"
"Aww, come on-"
I shoved him away from me with my good hand, holding up the one in plaster. For one glorious moment he flinched, evidently thinking I was going to hit him with a Plaster of Paris wrist.
It's not a bad idea…
No, Rose.
Tears formed in my eyes. "I loved you."
"You-"
"Shut up! You don't talk now, I'm talking for once. I loved you. I really, truly loved you. You know that soppy head-over-heels type love you see in fairytales? That was me. I would have… I don't know, jumped off a cliff, if you had only asked me to. You had so much power over me," I gave a mirthless laugh. "I was even more of a fool than you are. There was a time when I thought that the planets were aligned to match you, like your friends still do. But you aren't anything special. You're just a little boy who needs to grow up and take responsibility for your actions. Sort out your life."
I turned to storm away, tears now running down my cheeks. I may have come across as a strong, independent person, but it came with the side effects of crying.
I'd finally said it.
"Rose," Luke grabbed my hand forcefully and pulled me back. "I love you."
I had to fight back my sobs now. Here was the guy I had fallen naively in love with, head over heels in love with, the guy who had broken my heart, and here he was telling me he loved me too.
Part of me believed him.
A larger part knew the truth.
He was a liar.
I was strong enough now to know that.
I took one deep breath to steady myself and wipe the tears from my face, even though they kept falling, then I yanked my arm out of his tight grip, taking my heart with me.
"Go to hell, Luke," I spat.
Sunday
"I am so proud of you!" Scorpius laughed, spinning me round as we wandered towards the Kitchen's late Sunday night.
I had not had the strength to tell anybody what had happened between Luke and I the night before, and nor, it seemed, had Luke. No rumour had got round to me yet about his spin on the event. I only prayed he didn't have the nerve to twist the story too much.
I had just finished telling Scorpius the truth though.
I had to tell him.
Putting me back on my feet, he grinned at me again. "He deserved it. Finally somebody has the guts to tell him how it is."
"What do you mean?" My eyebrows creased. "You guys are best friends. Why would you want Luke to get 'told how it is'?"
Yes, the last part of my sentence had been made in air quotations and, yes, it had been partly to mock Scorpius' choice of words, but it was still a serious question.
"Come on, Rosie," He smiled wickedly at me. "I hate the guy. He's always getting me in trouble and he cheats on his girlfriends. You're more of a man than I am for standing up to him."
I laughed, then became serious. "So how did you become the one with the 'bad boy cheating on all his girls and causing trouble' reputation whilst he gets away with it?"
"I suppose I just took the fall for him," he sighed.
We'd reached the kitchen portrait by now. Tickling the pear, we entered to find the House Elves busy cooking food and setting out cutlery for tomorrow's breakfast. Scorpius and I took a seat at one of the few tables reserved for students too busy to make meal times.
"And now you're the quiet one," I smiled as I made myself comfortable.
"Just for the record," Scorpius smirked. "I never cheated on my girlfriends."
"I never thought you did," I grinned back.
He laughed, evidently not believing me. "Yes you did. Everybody believed the rumours last year. I had to practically run to lessons to stop people yelling abuse at me down the corridor for 'cheating' on their sisters or friends."
I could tell he was ashamed of the rumours - anybody would be - and hurt by them. He stared determinedly down at the table.
"Scorpius," I whispered, placing my arm gently on his shoulder. He looked up. "I did not believe the rumours about you. I have always thought you are a nice guy. Besides, I had evidence."
"Evidence?" He was suddenly curious.
"Evidence," I repeated. "Some of your old girlfriends were talking about you in the girls toilets one day. They were saying, among other things, that you had never cheated on them. By that time the rumours had just taken off and there was nothing they could do for a while. You know what rumours are like at Hogwarts - they spread faster than news of Voldemort's death."
Scorpius was quiet whilst I asked a House Elf for two milkshakes. He was thinking obviously. I had sipped away half my milkshake, Scorpius' still untouched, by the time he spoke. I didn't mind the quiet - it was calming and comfortable.
He grinned mischievously at me. "What else were they saying?"
"What?" I asked, confused.
"You said 'among other things'. What were the other things?" He repeated. He was trying not to smirk.
"Erm…"
"Don't make me tickle you," And he was, indeed, getting ready to tickle me.
"Okay, wait, wait! I'll tell you!" I laughed. I was so ticklish, and he knew it. How had he learnt so much about me in such a short amount of time? "They said you were a good kisser."
"And how's your evidence for that going?" He joked.
I shot him a playful glare.
"None existent," I replied matter-of-factly.
"Didn't you quiz them on it?" He teased. "I thought Rose Weasley liked to know everything about everything?"
"I find primary evidence is better than secondary." He stared at me like I had just spoken in a foreign language. "It's better to do things for myself," I clarified.
"Ahh," He muttered, then his eyes seemed to widen a fraction.
"Relax, Scorpius," I burst into laughter. "I'm just messing with you."
"Oh…" He smiled weakly, then sipped his milkshake to cover up his awkwardness.
This time the silence was slightly uncomfortable. After a few minutes I had to say something.
"Look, Scor, if I've made you really uncomfortable then I'm sorry. I-"
He spun in his seat to face me, cupped my face in his hands and kissed me so suddenly that I was caught off guard and we both went tumbling off the bench and onto the cold floor.
"Sorry!" We both spoke at the same time as we tried to untangle ourselves. I avoided looking at his face so I didn't know if he had gone red, but I certainly could feel my own face heat up.
Scorpius continued to apologise for 'being a moron' over and over again.
"Scor! Scor!" I laughed, placing my hand on his chest and finally looking at him. "Calm down. Stop apologising."
"I really am sorry, though," he even looked as if he would blush. "I didn't mean to catch you all of a sudden. I just had to do something. You've been driving me crazy all week with your beautiful smile and your sparkling eyes and… I'm sorry."
I felt the grin spread across my face. "You said I'm beautiful."
"You are beautiful," He agreed, blushing but shyly meeting my eyes as we got up off the floor and sat back down, side by side, on the bench.
The House Elves bustled about us, a commotion in the far corner causing them to run continuously back and forth. We sat in silence whilst we finished our milkshakes.
Eventually, he couldn't stop himself from yawning.
I checked my watch. "I think it's time we started heading back now. Curfew's up in just under half an hour and I'll probably have to take the long way round the Charms corridor because of Peeves."
"I swear you know everything that happens around Hogwarts," He grinned as we thanked the House Elves and left.
"I suppose I pay attention. It's easy to memorise where the ghosts are because they hardly change their routine over the years."
"Who would have thought that Rose Weasley, goody two-shoes, would possess so much knowledge on how to break the rules?" He teased. "How you don't break curfew just for the sake of it, I don't know."
"How do you know I don't wander around the Castle in the middle of the night just because I can?" I smirked.
He laughed, throwing his head back, as we turned the corner and started to ascend the Grand Staircase. "Because I haven't once bumped into you."
I playfully shoved him sideways and he responded by poking me in the ribs, causing me to giggle. By the time we reached the seventh floor we were walking in straight lines again, close together.
The Castle was quiet, everybody probably back in their Common Rooms - Sunday evenings generally consisted of panicking students rushing to finish off essays at the last minute.
Scorpius' hand bumped against mine and, after only a slight hesitation, he gently took my hand in his.
I glanced sideways at him through my hair and smiled.
"You better kiss me goodnight," I warned playfully.
"I was planning to," He grinned back.
That one week was all it took to bring us together.
Did you like the Rose/Scorpius characterisations? Did the relationship seem realistic? What did you think of Rose? I think she's much more emotionally strong in this than some of the things I've written - I don't think I've specifically written her having been in love with anybody else before.
Anyway, enough of the rambling. Thank you so much for reading! I'd love to know what you thought? I promise it'll only take two seconds.