It's 2AM in the morning, and she feels the cool wind slipping through the wildlife, the trees swaying slightly in the wind and the grass and the leaves and rustling and all she can think about is the spell that she couldn't quite learn.
"Incendio!"
Nothing. Her wand stays ever so cold, not even a wisp of smoke her cousin Albus had managed in Charms class. She gripped her wand tighter as she remembered the funny look Albus' friend, Scorpius, gave her when the class had ended and she was the only one who hadn't achieved anything.
"Incendio!"
She cries out, and there's a note of desperation in her voice, being a contender for Head Girl she can't afford contemplating giving up.
The smooth ink-black like water of the lake is reflecting the half moon sitting in the stars tonight, she stares at it's reflection in the lake for a moment and gives a start when she hears footsteps behind her.
"Rose?"
It's him - it's Scorpius - and she puts up all her walls, all her defenses up, because she can't stand the way he makes her feel: his ability to make her laugh so very genuine, the way his face takes a look of concentration as he mixes things in Potions, the way he talks with everyone as if he was extremely lucky to be conversing with them. She takes a deep breath.
"Yes?"
She can see he's confused as to why she's out here, at 2am in the morning, practicing a spell she can't quite perform by a deep, dark lake. His face is bathed in moonlight, and she can see the parts of his pale blonde hair where the light reflects it quite beautifully, a his steel gray eyes not at all menacing, but rather had a soft look to them.
"What are you doing out here, Rose? It's freezing - come back inside!"
"Oh, I'm quite alright. Just practising."
"Do you need help?"
"I...alright, I can't do the flame charm."
He's reaching for the hand in which she's holding her wand, and she can feel her heartbeat quicken, and he merely raises his hand so her's is also rising, and slowly turns her around so she's pointing the wand away from him, and with his other hand pulls her into a half-hug.
There's a moment of silence as they both contemplate each other - and he says softly,
"Say the incantation, Rose."
She takes a deep breath of the cool air, which now smells slightly of him, of cider apples and 2am spellwork and green, dewy, grass and she whispers,
"Incendio."
At once there's a small, but bright orange fire alight on the tip of her wand, and he drops his hand from his and smiles at him with his amazing, steel gray eyes, and she smiles back at him, her own chocolate brown eyes alight with excitement and he's pleased to see her so happy, and for a moment they forget he is Scorpius Malfoy and she is Rose Weasley and their lips meet and it feels like coming home.