The wild mass of fiery curls bounces up and down as the small freckled body attached skips over to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. She stops in front of the door, squeezing the sickles she holds in anticipation. She loves going to the Parlour, and this is her first time going on her own.
She feels triumphant. So far, her first time going anywhere on her own is a success. She beams as she gets in line, right behind a blond boy just her age.
"Why are you so smiley?" The boy asks, not sounding at all his age but for the last word.
"It's my first time." The girl replies, smiling even more. She doesn't even care that the gaps left by baby teeth are on full display.
"Oh," The puzzled look is replaced by a similar grin, "I went on my own last week." Again he perfectly pronounces all the words, sounding more like a university graduate than a child. "What flavor are you choosing?"
"Vanilla." The freckled girl replies without a thought. She's been planning this for a while.
"Vanilla?" The grin turns to a look of distaste. "Why would anyone choose a flavor as boring as vanilla on their first time alone? Or ever?"
The grin slips off the girl's face as well. " 'Nilla's the best flavor ever! You can put anything on it, and it'll taste good. Take it back!"
"You can put anything on it and it will taste delicious?"
"Duh, that's what I just said."
"Even pickled frog spawn?"The boy smirks, triumphant.
The girl moves, and the boy flinches. He's half afraid she's going to punch him, and he doesn't know what he'll do if she does. His mother has told him never to hit girls.
But it's okay, because the girl only covers her mouth to keep from laughing too loud. She doesn't quite succeed, but he feels it's best not to point that out.
She's back to smiling again, once she takes her hand away. "You're funny, I like you."
"You are weird, but I suppose I like you as well." He offers his hand, just as he has been taught.
The girl stares at the hand, though she eventually shakes it. "I'm Rose."
"My name is Scorpius." He leaves out his family name, knowing by now that it can provoke harsh reactions.
He's also used to the laughter his given name causes, so he is surprised when the girl…Rose, who laughed at his insult, doesn't even giggle.
He means to comment on it, but she pushes him forward, and he realizes the line has moved up quite a bit since they started their conversation.
"Oops." Rose squeaks, her whole face red, as she glances at the slightly annoyed faces behind her. "So…" She asks him, "What flavor are you getting, Mr. Vanilla-is-boring? Sparkle Sherbet? Lemon Drop? Demiguise Tracks? Rainbow? Whistles & Cream?"
"Sparkle Sherbet is too blinding to taste like anything, Lemon Drop is for old men, and I'd rather not have my ice cream disappear, change colors, or whistle annoying tunes while I eat it. I am choosing strawberry."
"Strawberry?" Rose blinked. "And you said vanilla was boring?"
"Strawberry is a classic!"
"Vanilla was classic before strawberry!"
"At least strawberry tastes like something!"
"You can't put anything yummy on strawberry. Not cookies, or chocolate frogs, or ice mice, or caramel!"
"You can so put caramel on strawberry!" Scorpius loses some of his careful pronunciation in his anger.
She's about to yell back - what he doesn't know, because this girl is different than anyone he's ever met - and he'll never find out because they've reached the front of the line and Mr. Fortescue taps on Rose's shoulder.
"Ah, young Miss Weasley. Are you here on your own?" The old man winks at Rose.
Anger forgotten, Rose beams up at the shop owner. "Yep! I have my own two sickles too!"
"A special day indeed. What can I get for you?"
Rose starts to speak but then frowns. "You didn't ask Scorpius what he wants. He got here first."
Scorpius has a feeling Mr. Fortescue was purposely ignoring him. He glances at Rose and sees confusion on her freckled face as she watches the old man reluctantly turn to him.
"Terribly sorry." Scorpius can tell he's nothing of the sort. "What would you like to eat?" The smile the old man puts on is so fake that Scorpius wants to cringe. Why couldn't the young trainee girl be on duty like last week? She barely looked up from her magazine when he ordered.
He doesn't show anything. With a slight smile directed at Rose, he says, "A strawberry sundae with caramel, please."
The old man is silent as he charms up the dish. He avoids eye contact as he says, "That will be two sickles, Mr. Malfoy."
Scorpius wants to shove the sundae in Mr. Fortescue's face. As it is, he leaves it on the counter and storms out of the Parlour, because he can't stand seeing Rose hate him. Everyone does, once they know.
Why should it be any different with Rose?
He sees a blur of red curls out of the corner of his eyes. It couldn't be...it is. Rose is standing in front of him panting at him and…holding his sundae?
"You…owe me…a sundae." She breathes out. "Why'd you run off like that?"
He ignores the question. "Why did you follow me?"
"I wanted to see you eat this disgusting sundae, duh." She mock-shudders as she hands him the sundae. "I want you to say I was right."
Scorpius is confused, but he's happy. For the first time, someone doesn't care about his Malfoy-ness, and if all he has to do to keep that is eat a strawberry and caramel sundae, he will.
So he takes a spoonful, making sure the strawberry is coated with plenty of caramel before he pops it into his mouth. He swishes the icecream around his mouth, savouring the interesting flavor, letting it melt down his throat. He tries not to laugh as he watches Rose suppress a gag.
"It's not bad." He says simply, before scooping up another spoonful. "Try some."
Yes, he will eat strawberry-and-caramel for a chance at friendship, but he will not admit he's wrong.
Reluctantly, Rose tastes the tiniest scoop of ice cream Scorpius has ever seen, and her brow furrows. Angrily she glares, "It's amazing."
Especially when he's right.