Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of the characters in this chapter. not trelawny, not rose, not al and especially not scor. Though I would like to own his daddy XD and rose's daddy too. Dron, anyone?

Chapter 1: In the Beginning

Scorpius

I'm not goint to lie to you-in the beginning, I never thought of Rose Weasley as anything more than just a friend. I mean, she was Al's cousin, she was off limits, right? So I couldn't understand why it was impossible to get her out of my head.

I guess it all started in 3rd year-which just so happened to be last year-, in Divination. Trelawny had us reading each other's tea leaves. I was paired with Rose, as usual, for she was my only friend in the class-I wasn't as popular back then.

I wrapped my hands around her cup and peered inside. What I saw shocked me, made my breath catch in my throat. There, at the bottom of her cup, were gritty tea leaves that seemed to spell out my name.

"Well? What's the verdict?" Rose leaned forward, trying to see around my hands. Her dark red curls-at least a shade or two darker than that of the rest of her immense family-swept forward with the motion. "Am I destined to die a horible, painful death?" Her lips slowly spread into a smile at the thought, as if to say "yeah, right!"

I shook my head to clear it, turning back to my book. Rose's leaves looked nothing like the black and white illustrations on the page, and I coudn't find any shape other than the letters of my name. I had absolutely no idea what to make of it. Did she like me? Were we destined to be together? Did I even like her that way? All those questions and more raced through my mind.

"Hello? Earth to Scor! Are you in there?" She rapped my head twice. "Is my future really that bad? Wait! Don't tell me! Am I going to end up a stay-at-home mom?" A shudder passed though her, as if the thought terrified her, as if she knew she was meant for more.

I cleared my throat. "Um-" Of course my voice cracked. Because nothing else more embarassing could have happened when I was talking to this girl who I now maybe had feelings for. "I can't really tell, Rosie." -Rosie? Where in the bloody hell did that come from?-"There's all this gunk at the bottom."

I guess I figured playing dumb was the best way to get out of telling her what I really saw. I wasn't sure how she would react if I had. Hell, I wasn't sure how I'D react if I had.

"Oh, you are so THICK!" she huffed, clearly perturbed. "That 'gunk' on the bottom is what you're supposed to be reading! Honestly! How did you ever get into Ravenclaw?"

"If you're so smart, why dont you read MY leaves?" I snapped. I was hurt by her words. How did I get into Ravenclaw? Because, obviously, the Sorting Hat saw my potential. Because I inheritted my mother's brains, not my father's, though his weren't as bad as they could have been. Or maybe it was becasue I asked not to be placed into Gryffindor-I didn't think I could live up to the legend.

Rose mashed her lips into a thin line and studied my cup. Her big brown eyes opened wide in wonder, but clouded over just as quickly.

"You're going to win the Quidditch Cup for us this year," she simply said, placing my cup back on the table with a clunk.

"Is that really all you saw?" I was curious-did she see herself like I saw myself in her cup?

"Do you think I'm lying?" Her tone was like a slap to my face; it actually stung. I watched in silence as she all but threw her things into her bag, clearly aggitated.

Before I got the chance to ask her, or to even try to repair our possibly broken friendship, Professor Trelawny dismissed us. Rose flew out the door, probably trying to get away from me as fast as possible. Could I really blame her?

I shook the thought from my head, effectively bringing myself back from the past-daydreaming was pretty much an everyday occurance for me lately. I was sitting in the common room, at one of the study desks situated in the far left corner. My back was to the wall, my front facing the entire room. On the table in front of me was the Charms homework I was definately NOT paying attention to, thanks to Rose.

My eyes followed her graceful, slender form as she fluttered about, her hair trailing behind her-what I wouldn't give to run my fingers through those gorgeous mahogany locks. She was visiting her many, many friends, giving each of them only a little bit of her time. Some would say she had too many friends; everybody loved her-I mean, who wouldn't? But she did her best to get to them all. She hadn't been my way in about an hour or so.

"You've got it bad, mate."

The voice came from my right. I turned my gaze from the lovely redhaired goddess of my dreams-slowly, reluctantly, I might add-, to her gangly, blackhaired cousin, Albus Potter. I met Al on that very first train ride to Hogwarts. We became best friends pretty much on that very day. So of course Al knew about my feelings for his cousin. Actually, I think everyone in their family knew-except Rose, herself. But I still brushed his comment off.

"What do you mean?" I asked, moving my attention to the homework I had been trying-and failing miserably-to finish. When Rose was in the room, it was as if nothing else mattered. It was probably by sheer luck that I managed passing grades in class.

"Rose," Al said, with a knowing grin. He nodded in her direction, bringing my attention back to her once more. "You like her."

I felt my face growing hot. My fingers clenched into fists. "No, I don't!" I answered too quickly, and hoped that Al hadn't noticed. "She's a friend. We're just friends. Nothing more. And there never will be anything more. Because I DON'T LIKE ROSE WEASLEY!"

I was met with silence-well, with the occasional croaking of a frog or purring of a cat. Every single pair of eyes in the common room were on Al and me, jaws nearing the floor. I cursed the heat I felt spreading across my cheeks. Mouths were gaping, as if I were standing there nude, waving at people...with no hands.

"Murder me, Al," I whispered.

so...this is my second attempt at a rose/scor fict. let me know what you think! any comments? critiques? I really wanna get some feedback before I write chapter 2. But I definately have an idea for it! so hop to it peoples!