Rose hated detentions. She barely got them, and when she did, they were never caused by her.
For example, the reason Rose was now wrapped up in her winter cloak and pulling on her hood, was because someone decided to drop extra beetles' eyes in her potion.
Earlier that day
"Hey Rosie," Albus just grinned when Rose glared at him for the use of that nickname, "could you pass the beetles' eyes?"
Rose continued to glare at him as she passed a handful over to him and Gregory, his best mate.
Albus smirked cheekily before 'slipping' his hand and 'accidentally' tipping all into Rose's perfectly brewed potion. Rose's eyes widened in shock and anger, "Albus I swear you will not wake up with all your genitalia tomorrow," she whispered menacingly, pointing a dangerous finger toward him, "you've gone one step too far, I've a right mind to just-"
Rose never got to finish her sentence because her potion chose that moment to explode and shower the class in a violet haze. Several people even erupted in boils in an instant allergic reaction.
"Weasley!" barked Professor Handle, head of Slytherin.
"Sorry," Rose whimpered, "but I didn't do anything it was-"
"Detention, tonight, I told you all specifically not to add more than three eyes did I not?"
The whole class intoned a fearful 'yes'.
"But sir, if you'd listened-" a voice began, surprising Rose.
"What is it with you Ravenclaws, can't even brew a potion properly and now you answer a teacher back; you will join Miss Weasley in her detention tonight."
A few minutes later whilst packing up, Rose found out who had been the one to stand up for her, however it was not in the way she would have liked.
"What were you thinking, trying to dobb me in were you?" Rose sighed at her cousin's angry tones. She turned to see Albus, flanked by Gregory, staring off Scorpius Malfoy.
"Well I didn't find it fair that you let Weasley take the blame for something you did!"
"Why the bloody hell do you even care, it doesn't involve you?" Albus took a step forward; Rose did too, hoping she didn't have to intervene because she really didn't want another detention.
"I'm just standing up for a fellow Ravenclaw," Malfoy looked down on Albus, "and I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave," and with that he turned and left, successfully rendering Albus speechless. Rose was impressed with his skill.
Rose walked past Albus, a scowl on her face, "At least he cares."
Eight o'clock that evening
As Rose sloshed through the rain to the greenhouses that evening, all she could think of was how much she was really angry at Albus right now.
Malfoy met her in Greenhouse five with a curt nod and a smile, "I hope we don't have anything too hard to do."
Rose blushed, smiling back at him; standing up for her today had done nothing to help her deepening crush on him.
He ruffled the back of his white blonde hair after he took off his hood, an embarrassed smile on his face, "Hey um Rose?" he asked using her first name.
"Yes?" Rose felt her heart beat intensify twofold as he looked down at her, his clear blue eyes piercing into her own brown ones.
"I was just wondering if-" the back door to the greenhouse banged opened violently with a strong gust of wind and Professor Longbottom bustled in with the breeze.
"Oh, I didn't expect to see you two here," he said, a sad smile on his round face, "ah well, I suppose you must have done something wrong. I won't keep you long though, there appears to be a storm brewing. I think just feed the mandrakes and you can go." He pulled his cloak tighter around him and with a parting kind smile left the greenhouse, sucking in another gust of wind.
"I'll um, I'll get the food," Malfoy muttered, scurrying to the store cupboard.
Rose raised an eyebrow, why is he so suddenly shy? "I'll find the spoons."
The mandrakes screamed relentlessly once pulled from their earth, but after a spoon of baby food was tipped into their awaiting mouths, they calm considerably. Scorpius didn't get another chance to ask Rose, (most of his courage was gone after a failed first attempt anyway) due to the earmuffs and deafening build up of roaring wind outside.
Finally Rose tugged off her muffs and snuggled back into her cloak, pulling up the hood as Scorpius copied. They both found themselves pausing by the door, untrusting and nervous toward the howl outside.
Eventually Scorpius unclasped the handle and let the door bang open, immediately they were covered in a hail of rainwater.
They pushed their way outside and in the general direction of the school, the dark shape looming ahead barely visible through the heavy downpour.
As the shape of the school got nearer, or at least Rose hoped it did, she began to feel the wind pick up dramatically, the pelt of rain hammering down on her practically rendering her hooded winter cloak utterly useless.
A sudden sharp combination of rain and air hit her hard on her left side, pulling her feet from under her and buffering her off the 'path' and down what now seemed a steep slope.
A curse left her lips but it was never heard over the wind.
Eventually she thudded to a halt, and as her legs folded painfully under her she felt the sharp incestuous pang tear through her ankle. Within seconds she could feel it swelling up, but she daren't move, too cold, too painful, too scared.
She was alone in the dark at the bottom of some steep incline with an injured ankle and to make matters worse the heavy wind and rain could still reach her here.
This is why me and detentions don't mix, I hate them!
What utterly shocked Rose most though, was not the feeling of being alone, not the ever growing pain in her ankle, but the sound of another body landing beside her.
"Rose!" Scorpius shouted over the wind, "Rose, please, Rose are you okay?"
Rose went to reply but a whimper left her lips as a gust of wind caused her to move slightly, aggravating her swollen ankle.
"Rose, what's the matter." In a second he'd taken her into his arms, turning her so his body buffered the main power of the wind.
Her tears were lost in the rain but she managed to say loud enough for him to hear, "I've done something to my ankle."
Scorpius looked strangely pained, "Come on, I'm getting you up to the castle, we cannot stay here!" and with that he lifted her easily and began to climb the slope. He made an exasperated grunt, "no wonder the wind blew you down here; you weigh more or less nothing!"
Despite the throbbing of her ankle Rose still found herself blushing, but the sudden rush of blood to her cheeks only made her realise how cold she actually was. One shiver was all it took for Scorpius to clutch her closer, sharing whatever body heat he had left with Rose.
Rose squeezed her eyes shut, her face pressed into his chest and her lip being bitten as if it would take away the pain from her ankle.
As Rose felt Scorpius level out the cold finally reached her ankle and thankfully the numbness made the pain so much easier to bear.
After what seemed like half an hour Rose heard the heavy clunk of the main front doors and the weather was abruptly cut off. She shivered in the sudden heat, her body unaccustomed to the change in temperature.
Eventually she looked up at her blonde saviour, his white locks drenched and stuck at various angles to his head, his hood long ago rendered useless too.
He coughed slightly then looked down at her, "I need to get you to the hospital wing," he found himself whispering for some reason, your ankle looks swollen."
Rose shook her head, "Please don't I was only out of there yesterday!"
It was true; falling down the stairs after Albus had shoved her jokingly had been mainly due to the 'clumsiness of Rose'.
"But Rose, I can't leave you like this; it's in a bad way." He pleaded, looking right into her eyes.
She found herself momentarily speechless as she gazed back into the warm blue. "No please!"
He huffed, slightly frustrated, "At least let me take you to the kitchen, I think we could both do with a hot chocolate," he smiled.
"Okay," Rose shyly grinned back, aware he was still carrying her, "You can put me down if you want," she said carefully.
He began walking, looking straight ahead, "No, I don't." he said quietly.
That doesn't make any sense? Rose thought, her heart began beating rapidly and she hoped he could not feel it with the closeness she was to him.
He adjusted his arms to take her weight with just one so he could tickle the pear, the house elves welcoming them instantly, not even questioning their late hour.
Scorpius settled Rose on the couch before the flickering fire and turned to the awaiting house elf.
"What would Mr Malfoy and his Weazy be wanting?" the squat elf asked.
Rose flushed and Scorpius stuttered, "Weasley, Rose isn't um, well she's not my, um, she's not mine…"
The house elf didn't notice Scorpius' uncomfortable stuttering and simply gazed at him with wide gleaming eyes.
Eventually Scorpius managed to say, "Could we have two hot chocolates and a blanket please?" Rose gave him a questioning look when he sat down beside her, "What?"
"Blankets?"
"Well you're still shivering and I'm pretty cold too." Rose noticed with a jump of her heart that he was sitting closer than normal on the large couch. "Listen, I'm um, sorry for what he insinuated."
He was looking awkward, something Rose was finding adorable, "I don't mind, don't worry." Rose shyly looked out at the fire, only startled out of it by Scorpius draping a blanket around her.
His arm stayed a little longer than necessary on her shoulders as he reached around her, Rose, suddenly feeling daring took advantage of this and leaned into him, keeping his arm there.
If he showed any surprise to her movement he didn't show it, instead just pulling her in toward him against the side of his body.
After a while Scorpius asked, "Are you warm enough?"
All Rose could managed was a content 'mm' as she let her head sleepily drop to his shoulder, hardly any thought as to whose it was.
Scorpius stiffened slightly before relaxing, a small grin on his face, "I'll take that as a yes," he pulled her closer, "You're tired, maybe I should get you up to Ravenclaw?"
Rose groaned, "Mm, I'm fine here I think." She moved her head to snuggled into his neck, her breath tickling his exposed skin, "I want to thank you for saving me, you should be in Gryffindor." Her words were slow and her eyes shut, but Scorpius knew she meant them.
"That's okay, I don't think I could have been able to force myself to leave you anyway." With Rose being hardly able to think properly, Scorpius took now as an opportunity to say things he wouldn't normally be able to.
"It was really nice of you," her eyes were still closed and her breathing was now deepening.
Scorpius took a deep breath then dropped his lips to brush them against her forehead. In her sleep induced state Scorpius saw the corners of her mouth turn up.
"Goodnight Rose," gently he let his head rest atop of hers, bringing his other arm to her waist to pull her more or less onto his lap.
"Night Scorpius," she whispered back.
Then sleep took Scorpius, with Rose Weasley asleep already in his arms.