Talking Into The Night:

A/N: So... here's a little oneshot on three nextgen guys, talking about girls and stuff... Well, this sounds lame. But read on... hopefully, it won't be too bad...

The three boys sat on their respective beds in the Slytherin fifth year dormitory, listening to the ever-persistent sound of the lake above their heads. Five years of living underneath the lake had made them pretty good at guessing what the weather was like up above, and right now, if the loud swash-swash-swash of the water above their heads was anything to go by, there was a raging storm outside.

"I'm bored," muttered one into the dark.

"Shut up, stupid," hissed another, "We don't want to wake everyone up, do we?"

The third one seemed amused. "'s'okay, Markus, I cast that spell my dad taught me, remember? Muffaleto ?"

Markus Zabini stuck his tongue out at the black-haired, green-eyed boy who had just spoken, and then, remembering that he couldn't see him, whispered "lumos" and repeated the gesture.

The first, blonde boy glared at them both. "I'm still bored," he declared, throwing himself back on the pillows. "And I can't sleep. Let's talk."

"Kay," shrugged Markus. "Whaddya wanna talk about?" All the three boys sat up in bed.

"Quidditch?" suggested Albus Potter.

"Girls!" exclaimed Scorpius eagerly, "way more interesting than Quidditch!"

"That's not completely true. They're about equally interesting," said Albus, shrugging.

"Only because half the girls in the school are related to you!"

Albus glared, his green eyes flashing in annoyance. "Not half... less than half."

"Lame comeback, mate," chuckled Markus.

"And you know it," added Scorpius, sneering the famous Malfoy sneer.

"Whatever," said Albus, changing the subject, "Marie Finnigan – the Hufflepuff fourth year is cute..."

"Mmm," agreed Scorpius dreamily, with a wistful look in his grey eyes, "But Priya Thomas from Gryffindor- year 7 is smokin' !"

"Amanda Wood, year 7, Ravenclaw."

"Nah, Mark, her identical twin, Anne Wood, year 7, Gryffindor."

Scorpius chuckled, before continuing, "Greta Martext, year 6, Slytherin."

"Oh, yeah, she's... ahem... curvy..." commented Markus.

"Hell yeah!" agreed Scorpius. "Continue, Zabini.."

"Hmm... Grace Adamson, year 5, Hufflepuff..."

"Mellissa Chang, year 4, Ravenclaw..."

"Why do Potters always fancy Changs?" asked Scorpius, snickering.

"I don't fancy her!" protested Albus, turning red, "I just think she's hot, that's all!"

"Sure, Al," said Markus, raising an eyebrow.

Scorpius grinned, and then asked, "How come she has her mother's name?"

"She decided to keep it instead of her father's after her mother got divorced," replied Albus automatically. "What? Aunt Ginny knows the Corners pretty well, you know. She once went out with Mellissa's dad... And my dad once went out with Mellissa's mum..."

"That, and you're a gossip!" laughed Markus, as Scorpius continued, "Jane Avery, year 7, Slytherin."

"Rose Weasley, year 5, Gryffindor," said Markus, getting two loud "WHAT?"s from his friends, along with disgusted expressions.

"My cousin? asked Albus, at the same time Scorpius asked, "His cousin?"

"Sure, guys, how many Rose Weasleys are there in this school?"

"But- but- but-" spluttered Albus, dumbfounded, "She's my cousin! She isn't hot! She isn't even cute! She's my baby cousin Rose! How can you like her?" His expression suddenly changed. "Rose Weasley is off limits, get it? All my cousins- and my sister, for that matter- are out of bounds."

Markus raised his hands in defence, "Sure mate, I didn't say I wanted to go out with her, I just said she's hot, that's all."

Albus nodded curtly. Scorpius however, seemed annoyed and horrified. "How can you like her?" he exclaimed out of the blue, "She's ugly, she's stupid, she always beats me in class which is bloody infuriating, she's annoying, she's as flat as a board, she had disgusting hair, she's just-"

Markus cut him off, "It seems like someone has a little crush..."

Albus burst into peals of laughter as Scorpius' jaw dropped. "Me? Have a crush on Weasley? You're mad! Mad, I tell you!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Stop laughing!"

"He he ha ha ho ha he!"

"YOU GUYS!"

"Ahahahahahahaha!"

"I DO NOT fancy Rose Bloody Weasley, okay?"

"Sure, Scorp, we all believe you..." chuckled Markus, before turning to Albus indignantly. "Hey, how come it's ok for him to like her but not me?"

"I don't like-" muttered Scorpius

"Because, Mark, you're a player, and we all know it," shrugged Albus

"Guys, I don't like Weasley and-" said Scorpius, slightly louder.

"Well, fair 'nuff, mate, but I'm still offended," said Markus, grinning.

"I think that Weasley is an annoying prat -" Scorpius' voice was becoming whiney.

"Oh all right, all right, sorry... but you do know that Scorp's liked her ever since he saw her that day on the platform, right?" asked Albus.

"What? No, I-" Scorpius protested.

"Well, duh! And she likes him to, doesn't she?" Exclaimed Markus.

"She does not like.." Scorpius sighed.

"Hell yeah! There both in denial," Albus said, grinning.

"Excuse me?"

"Tell me about it... have your other cousins guessed?" asked Markus, ignoring the fact that he and Albus were gossiping like third-year-ravenclaw girls

"Gosh, why do I even try?"

"Oh, yeah! Everyone in the family is waiting for them to get together! Well... except uncle Ron. And when Scorp and Rose start dating, boy is he going to be mad!" said Albus, his eyes twinkling with laughter, much like his namesake's.

"I can imagine! I was there at your family dinner two years ago remember, when Rose mentioned how cute Donald Davis was?" said Markus, chuckling as he remembered how Ronald Weasley had jumped up and demanded who Donald Davis was, so he could go and 'strangle that goodfornothing-'

"Who's Donald Davis?" asked Scorpius, looking very much like he would enjoy helping Ron strangle this Donald Davis.

"He he he... I'd almost forgotten that! I think that ever since then, Uncle Ron has bribed Madam Malkin into giving Rose robes two sizes too big for her, so you can't see any of her curves!" laughed Albus.

"I guessed... but I think Scorp here is glad... now he's the only guy who stares at her all the time..." Markus nudged Scorpius, who was looking on crossly. "Eh, Scorp?"

Albus chuckled and continued, as Scorpius spluttered indignantly, "Remember that time when we went to Scorp's place for his birthday party?"

"Last year?" asked Markus.

"Yep." answered Albus" And Mrs. Malfoy came-"

"-and asked us whether Scorpius had finally gathered the nerve to ask Rose Weasley out? Yeah, or to quote, 'Has my no-good son finally asked my future daughter-in-law out? Because if he doesn't hurry up, someone else will get her; she is quite a good looking girl!'"

Albus and Markus burst into laughter again, rolling around on their beds with mirth. When they finally wiped the tears from their eyes, they saw Scorpius Malfoy lying underneath his covers, with a pained expression on his face as he pretended to be asleep. When he heard the laughter stop, he let out a loud fake snore.

"Should we carry on annoying him?" asked Markus, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, poor chap, we'll continue tomorrow," smirked Albus.

Markus snickered. "Night, Scorp."

"Night, Scorp."

The two boys caught a glimpse of two stormy grey eyes glaring resentfully at them, before Markus whispered, "Nox", and the lights went out.

All was silent for a few minutes in the Slytherin boy's dormitory, except for the swash-swash-swash of the lake.

Then-

"Guys?"

"Yeah?"

"Hmmmm?"

"I think I... just might... possibly... fancy Rose Weasley."

So... d'you like it? If you did, Review! If you didn't, Review!