I originally intended this to be a one-shot, but then it came out much longer than I thought it would be.
Please Review!
He was perfect the first time she saw him. Not a single hair out of place, his clothes falling perfectly from his body. His pale skin was smooth, and his eyes were shallow grey orbs that held no emotion. He seemed completely unobtainable. He had been standing on the other side of the platform between his parents, both of whom appeared cold as well. They were a family, but not an emotional one. Nothing like the family behind her. Her mother hand pulled her into a hug, and she turned away from the blonde boy. She didn't see him after that, but she hadn't forgotten all about him. All she knew were the tears down her mother's cheeks, and her father's advice concerning Quidditch. Not a single thought about that perfect blonde boy was in her mind as Rose Weasley turned to her cousin, her best friend, and together they counted the steps away from the warmth of their family and towards their new school, Hogwarts.
Scorpius Malfoy was his name. She learned it when he was sorted in Slytherin, though she doubted whether or not that was his choice. The Sorting Hat sat for a while upon his head as though debating which of the four houses the boy should enter. After she read Hogwarts, A History, she knew the Hat often debated with the students between the house they wanted and the house their nature belonged in. Her uncle, Harry, of course, had personal experience with that matter but he had never said much other than the Hat took preferences into consideration. She quickly forgot about Scorpius Malfoy once she was sorted into Gryffindor and took her seat beside Albus and James. Only a few more years before Lily and Hugo joined them, and soon the five would never be separated.
He came into her thoughts once more when she walked into her Potions class, finding only one seat available. It was the seat beside the flawless blonde boy. With a smile, she approached the table and sat beside him, expecting at least polite small talk, but he ignored her except for the few times their interaction was crucial for the outcome of their potion. Though she did not like the way Scorpius Malfoy conducted himself, she tried not to let him bother her. It was only one class, and she would soon run out to find Albus, and the two would talk and find their friends. Scorpius Malfoy would be forgotten once more, until Potions the very next day.
During their free time, Albus and Rose would sit by the lake. It was a quiet place where the two could simply talk. Occasionally, Rose would see Scorpius Malfoy seated beneath the shade of a tree nearby, sometimes reading, other times just staring out at the dark depths of the lake. "He's a bit of a loner." Albus had commented when he caught Rose's gaze lingering on Scorpius.
"What makes you think that?"
"He's got no friends."
"He has friends, Albus." Rose replied as she turned to him but the boy only shrugged. Before he could respond, James had flown into their view then floated a few feet off the ground as he looked down at them.
"You won't believe what just happened!"
"You didn't prank somebody, did you?" Rose sighed heavily, and judging from the widespread grin across James' face, she didn't need his answer to confirm her doubts. "You're going to get so much detention this year." She warned as she stared up at her cousin, who rose an eyebrow down at her.
"Just this year?" Albus commented and the three broke into laughter, not one noticing Scorpius Malfoy only twenty yards away. He could not imagine anything odder than the three laughing at the lake side, completely unaware of their surroundings. It was as though they had simply slipped into some other world only they were allowed entrance. The Professors angrily storming in their direction went as unnoticed as the wind picking up the stray pieces of parchment from Albus' bag and carrying them towards the still waters of the lake. It wasn't until the Professors finally did reach the three did they finally seem to rejoin the reality everyone else was a part of, but even then, the conducted themselves as though very little mattered beyond them.
A few weeks had passed before Scorpius and Albus engaged in conversation, but to any third party, their conversation appeared as odd as James, Rose, and Albus appeared to Scorpius. Albus was absolutely carefree, his hair a mess atop his head, his shirt untucked, and unbuttoned at the top. His tie was nowhere to be found, but that was because he simply gave up on learning how to tie it after James had undid the knot he'd hoped would last the duration of the school year. Scorpius, however, was neat and perfectly in order. His blonde hair was slicked back, his shirt straight and wrinkle free. His robes falling perfectly around his shoulders. Nothing was out of place on the Slytherin boy, and it appeared as though Albus had nothing out of place either for the disheveled look he wore was what he aimed to have.
"I used to have that broom." Scorpius' voice was overly confident, but Albus didn't care one way or the other. "But my father bought me a new one for the school year."
Albus peered up from his broom and looked at Scorpius Malfoy, one eyebrow noticeably higher than the other. "You ride a broom?" He asked skeptically, then watched as Scorpius' face twisted in defense then in anger.
"Yes." He answered sharply.
Albus laughed as he held out his broom to Scorpius. "Well, alright. You look as though the wind might mess up your hair. But give it a go. Let's see you fly then."
Scorpius stared at Albus, dumbfounded by the words. It amazed him. Albus' carefree nature, come what may attitude was a harsh contrast to his over bearing mother. Though his father was a bit more relaxed, he did have his moments, but nothing compared to the Potter boy simply handing over a rather expensive broom to somebody he hardly knew, let alone trusted.
Then he smiled. A real smile, not the smirk that usually appeared without him noticing. His shoulders dropped and he reached out for the broomstick. He liked the overwhelming feeling Albus radiated. It was one of calm relaxation. A feeling where it ceased to matter what blood status one might be of, let alone the many other worries Scorpius had been taught during his childhood. It took a few more casual meetings with Albus, then with Rose, but eventually Scorpius started to understand how they viewed the world around them.
Though the three had little in common, they were all children of war heroes, but that meant radically different things to Scorpius than to Rose or Albus. And even to James who slowly started to accept Scorpius as easily as his younger brother had. They had been raised knowing the world was a much safer place, and after the threat of war their parents had faced, a silly Transfiguration or Potions Exam meant very, very little. Though they wanted their children to succeed, not one would wish the hardships or difficulties they faced on their children.
To Scorpius, it was something to live up to. As though he had to prove himself as a Malfoy. It was not the attitude carried by the Weasley girl or the Potter boys, for they were perfectly content to be simply James, Rose, and Albus. Scorpius, however, was determined to be a Malfoy.
As their second year of Hogwarts came, very little changed. Albus and Rose's families had not been expecting to hear of their friendship with Scorpius, but the news was not surprising. With James and Albus together, it was hard not to like the two. And where ever they were, Rose was not too far behind. The Malfoys had nothing to say on the matter, but that had been because Scorpius never told them about the company he kept while at Hogwarts. Not only were they Potters and Weasleys, they were three Gryffindors. He was a Slytherin, but a Slytherin by choice. The fact that the Sorting Hat wanted to put him in Gryffindor had been kept secret as well.
The only thing that made their second year any different from the first was James' frequent trips to Hogsmead. As a third year, he left fairly often, leaving Albus, Scorpius, and Rose to themselves. Though his absence was noticed, it made no real difference. James had been the last to accept Scorpius, and therefore the least trusting of the Slytherin. Either way, Rose, Albus, and Scorpius carried on through the year just the same, with or without James.
That year, Scorpius performed at the top of his Potions class, beating even Rose. She, however, sailed to the top when it came to Charms or Transfiguration. Albus' academics were nothing to brag about, but he became the second youngest to join the Quidditch team, the first spot still held by his father. Though Scorpius enjoyed Quidditch, and could often be found flying with Albus while Rose sat below reading or watching, he was not good enough to join the Slytherin team just yet.
That, however, wasn't something that bothered him. On the days he was too tired or too lazy, he sat lakeside with Rose while Albus practice overhead. Sometimes they sat in companionable silence, both reading or working on their studies. Other days they spoke or played games. Scorpius' upbringing had left him ignorant of the fun Muggles could have, but as Rose taught him card games, they quickly forgot Albus flying around them. Sometimes Albus would join them, but other times he would leave the two to get lost in their world. It seemed odd to him, for he vaguely could remember Scorpius saying the same thing about the two cousins, but even at twelve, Albus knew the relationship between Rose and Scorpius was nothing like his relationship with Rose.
Their third year was when the bigger chances had started to happen. James was fourteen, and rather interested in the opposite sex. Though his brother and cousin were also changing, he was the one who often disappeared with a girl, usually a Gryffindor, but after some advice from Scorpius, he managed to catch the eye of a Slytherin girl nearly every boy in the school eyed. His absence was hardly noticed this time as the three third years continued their friendship. It seemed James was far more interested in his fellow classmates than the three, but they didn't seem to mind.
Their third year had been the year Rose had beaten Scorpius at a Potions, but he had excelled at Charms to make up the difference. Albus found an interest in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but it came second to his Quidditch. Scorpius had made the Slytherin Quidditch team as well, and at every Slytherin game, Rose and Albus cheered for the Slytherin House, except for games against Gryffindor. The opposite held true for Scorpius. There was only one game between Gryffindor and Slytherin which Rose and Scorpius had missed.
Scorpius had fallen from his broom during a practice, and though the Healer had cleared him to play a week later, at the last minute he declared that he did not feel well after all. Though he liked to play, Albus loved the game in a way Scorpius never would. To Scorpius, risking his health for a silly game was ridiculous. As he sat in the, otherwise empty, Hospital Wing, he could vaguely hear the screams and yells from the Quidditch pitch, but his attention was interrupted when he heard footsteps entering the Hospital Wing. He strained in his bed to see around the corner, but moments later, Rose appeared at the foot of his bed, wearing her red Gryffindor colors.
"What are you doing here?" Scorpius questioned as Rose sat on his left.
"I didn't want to watch Albus destroy your backup seeker. I'd never hear the end of it." Rose answered and the two laughed. "So instead, I thought I'd come keep you company."
The smallest of smiles appeared across Scorpius' lips as he watched her dig into her pocket. When her hands came into view once more, he realized she'd brought a deck of muggle playing cards and had started to shuffle before he even responded.
"Thank you for coming." Scorpius said softly and Rose nodded softly as she started to deal.
"Of course. I didn't want you to get lonely here. Albus has more than half the school watching him." Rose answered as she peered up at Scorpius, his eyes staring intently into hers. Under the intense gaze, she turned away, forcing her eyes to focus on her cards.
Nearly two hours passed as Scorpius and Rose talked and played games. Over their laughter, they had not heard the distant cheers of the victorious Gryffindor team. By the time Albus had reached the Hospital Wing, to gloat the victory, more so than check on his best friend, Rose and Scorpius had fallen into a deep conversation in which nothing around them could remotely pull them back to reality. They had not even heard Albus' loud uneven footsteps as he walked into the Hospital Wing. As he reached Scorpius' bed, however, he paused, and for a moment he simply watched as he gauged whether or not to leave. For a moment, it had fallen quiet, but it seemed only Albus noticed. Scorpius and Rose stared directly at one another, Rose now seated on the edge of Scorpius' bed, her body turned to face him. When Scorpius reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind Rose's ear, Albus turned and left.
By fourteen, the three had taken Hogwarts by storm. Everyone knew who they were, and though they had made their share of enemies, they made mostly friends. All of this had been overshadowed by James' obvious distrust in Scorpius leading to him furthering himself from Rose and Albus, who stood by Scorpius despite the loss of friendship with James. Instead of James, Lily and Hugo joined the three more often, despite the age gap.
Lily had been placed in Ravenclaw, and often found herself wondering if the Hat had made the right choice. He was fourteen, and she was twelve at the time Scorpius assured young Lily Potter that allowing the Sorting Hat to choose her House was not as bad as she thought. As she peered up into his silvery eyes, she envied Rose for her close friendship with the charming Slytherin boy who seemed to understand the pressure of a family who had only ever been sorted into one House.
"What House did the Sorting Hat want you to be in?" Lily asked curiously, her bright blue eyes matching the silvery shine in Scorpius'. He laughed as he looked down at her as they walked through one of the many corridors of Hogwarts. It was a ritual they had started, for Scorpius had one free period while his many Gryffindor friends had classes. To pass the time he lounged in one of the courtyards. After a few weeks, he realized he sat in a place where Lily Potter could watch him from her second year Potions class. When the class ended, she joined him, and together they walked to the Great Hall for lunch.
"I can't tell you that." Scorpius laughed but Lily remained determined.
"Come on," She reached out and her small fingers wrapped around his wrist. With his growing body and her smaller frame, her fingers did not wrap completely around his wrist. "It'll be our little secret."
Scorpius narrowed his eyes at the young Ravenclaw. He knew Rose's secret. Rose was supposed to be in Ravenclaw too, and he had long suspected that Albus argued with the Sorting Hat about not joining the Slytherin House. He had never admitted it, but Scorpius had spoken to Albus for hours at a time, as many best friends would. He always noticed the way Albus' eyes flashed at the mere mention of the Slytherin House. It used to bother Scorpius, but he soon came to realize that he was in the Slytherin House in name only. His heart laid with his Gryffindor friends, save young Ravenclaw Lily, a little girl whom he always had a soft spot for from the moment he set his eyes on her red hair.
"Our little secret?" Scorpius repeated as he stepped towards her, his tall frame towering over the young girl.
"Yes." Lily breathed out, and Scorpius grinned as he looked around at their surroundings. They were already late to lunch, and so nobody was around to watch the exchange. He bent down to her ear, his lips nearly touching her flaming locks.
"The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Gryffindor."
When he pulled back, Lily was beaming up at him, her eyes wide and shining. He only laughed and shook his head as he turned and started to walk down the hall. Lily caught up to his side, but he hadn't seen the admiration in her eyes as she stared up at the young man who could be everything to her. As they entered the Great Hall, he sought out Rose's company, completely unaware of the girl beside him who'd just formed a crush on him.
Nothing was the same at fifteen. Though Lily had certainly grown up, her curves becoming slightly more apparent beneath her school robes, Rose had taken the majority of the spotlight. Her curves had become impossible to not to notice, and her hair had become far more manageable. Her expertise in Charms had seen to the end of her mess of busy red hair. Albus' shoulders were broad, and his years of Quidditch practice had started to show on the young man's body. Scorpius, though taller than Albus, was not as broad shouldered. He was lean and agile. When wearing their school robes, Albus appeared far more athletic and built than Scorpius, but Rose knew first hand Scorpius was not nearly as fragile as his pale skin made him appear. The three had spent the summer swimming in the lake near Albus' home, and every once in a while Lily and Hugo would join. James steered clear, even if it meant avoiding his own siblings.
Lily quietly excelled at nearly every subject. She had trouble with Potions, which Scorpius attributed to her constant staring out the window the year before. While the shy girl denied it vehemently, she blushed until her cheeks matched her hair. Scorpius grinned at her before he laughed and continued to walk with her until they reached the lake side where Albus and Rose were sitting. As they reached them, Scorpius' attention went to Rose, leaving Lily casted to the side until her brother asked her about boys.
She bitterly noted that the boy conversation was the only one during which Scorpius paid any attention to. It only made her blush even more as she forced herself to say she did not like a single boy.
"Well, that's good, but I meant have they come to you?" Albus asked and Rose rolled her eyes as she shook her head. Her straight red hair moved around her shoulders as she moved, her brown eyes staring at Scorpius.
"Albus, don't be so ridiculous. It's perfectly fine to have a little crush." Rose was speaking to her cousin, but her eyes never left Scorpius' intense gaze. She knew he hadn't meant for his piercing silver eyes to stare at her so intently, but it was something that happened more often than not. "She's thirteen. I trust you remember our third year."
Rose and Scorpius laughed at the same time but Albus remained solemn as he stared between them at Lily. She hadn't noticed, however, for her blue eyes were stuck on Scorpius. Then Albus' gaze saddened. He saw the cold storm coming, far before it was to hit.
Lily was his darling sister, and though he would never admit it, she was his favorite sibling, just as he was her favorite brother. He did not have the heart to tell her the romance between Scorpius and Rose had been impossible to stop. Over the many years they'd spent together, he'd watched it grow, and despite their abilities to attract the favor of those around them like magnets, they remained loyal and at each other's side. He, however, did not want to see his darling sister with anyone other than Scorpius Malfoy. At least he knew Scorpius inside and out. He knew for a fact Scorpius would never intentionally hurt Lily, despite his favor for Rose instead of her. With anybody else, Lily's heart would be on the line, and it was risk Albus was not willing to take. With just a few bumps in the road, the end of the school year came.
Sixteen was almost the same as fifteen, but it was far more intense in every aspect. Scorpius and Rose were inseparable, and for the first time Albus felt as though he did not belong. Hugo had made other friends, and though he and Lily remained close, Lily preferred to spend her time with Scorpius, Albus, and Rose. Only Albus could see why.
Christmas that year had been like nothing before. With Scorpius' friendship with Albus, Rose, and Lily, he was invited to spend Christmas with the Potter-Weasley extended clan. After a few letters home, explaining the invitation from a fellow pure-blood Slytherin to spend Christmas with him in the states, Scorpius made it to the Potter household. Only Rose knew the truth, but she only knew because he'd accidently given her the letter when he'd meant to return the Transfiguration essay she let him copy.
"Your parents have no idea, do they?" Rose asked, her voice soft, barely audible. Scorpius turned towards her, but not after he shoved her Christmas present beneath his pillow.
"What do you mean?" He asked as Rose shut the bedroom door and walked towards him. She sat on the bed before him, only a few feet between them.
"They have no idea that you're friends with us. That you basically spend all your time with Gryffindors."
"Lily is a Ravenclaw."
"That's not the point." Rose replied to his attempt at lightening the moment, but she had not smiled at all. "They don't know anything, do they?"
"What do you want me to say?" Scorpius responded with a heavy sigh. As she turned, a lock of hair fell from her messy bun, and he had wanted to push it back but he stopped at the look in her eye.
"Why do you not tell them?" Rose asked softly. "Because we're Gryffindors? Or because we're Weasleys and Potters?" They both knew there was also a third reason, but Scorpius did not dare say the words while Rose hoped with everything in her heart that the blood status third option was not applicable.
"They wouldn't…. approve."
"Why?" Rose repeated and Scorpius shut his eyes tightly as he turned his head away from her. "Scorpius," Rose whispered his name. He felt the bed dip as she moved closer to him. Then he felt her palm completely against his cheek, pushing his face towards hers. Ironically, his lack of answer had given her the answer she sought, but it wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. She was a half-blood. He was a pure-blood.
"So, I'll never be enough, then?"
Scorpius' eyes snapped opened, not just at her broke voice but at her words. He reached up, one hand on her cheek, the other on her waist. "You'll always be enough for me." He answered in a soft voice as a single tear rolled down Rose's cheek. He moved forwards slightly, until their foreheads touched. "Don't do this, Rose. Please."
"Eventually, one of us had to say it." She answered, her voice still broken from her unshed tears.
"No," Scorpius answered, his hand finding the back of her neck. His fingers twirled in her red locks, and her eyes slowly shut as she let her head fall back slightly. "Why can't we just… be like this?" Scorpius breathed and Rose slowly opened her eyes once more as she peered into his silver eyes.
"We're not anything, right now, Scorpius."
"Albus and I are not anything, Rose." He responded and a dry laugh escaped her lips. "I think it's safe to say we're slightly above nothing." He breathed as he moved his head, his lips barely brushing against her cheek.
"We're friends who don't see other people."
"Well, isn't that something?" Scorpius responded, his lips at her ear, his hot breath reaching her neck. In addition to not having a response, Rose could not speak at all. The feel of Scorpius' lips dangerously close to hers, and to her skin in general, was more than enough to separate her mind from reality. The feel of his hot breath only intensified the feeling. Slowly, the two moved, both unsure of what exactly to do, but both had vivid pictures in their minds of what they wanted to happen.
Knowing Rose would never be the one to initiate anything, Scorpius fought the nervousness in his stomach and pressed his lips to hers. For a moment, their lips simply touched but before another moment passed, their passion released. Rose wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she moved to his lap, their lips never parting, never wanting to taste another. Finally Rose pulled for breath and the two simply looked at one another.
Scorpius reached up to tuck the lock of hair falling down her face behind her ear, and she smiled as she bent down and pressed their lips together once more. "Happy Christmas, Scorpius." She whispered in his ear before she climbed out of his lap and off of the bed.
"Happy Christmas." He answered softly. She smiled at him once more before she turned and started to walk back towards the door. "Wait."
"Yes?"
"Are… Are you alright?" Scorpius stood up and Rose walked towards him once more. As she neared him, he stepped forward, one arm outstretched to wrap around her neck as he stepped closer again. She pressed the side of her head against his chest, and could hear his heartbeat, feel his chest as his rose and fell again. "With… with my parents?"
"I guess." Rose answered but Scorpius pulled back to look down at her, his eyes staring into hers. It was one of those rare moments he meant for his stare to be intense. "I'm never going to like it, Scorpius, so you might as well accept all you're going to get." Her response actually pulled the corners of his lips into a smile as he looked down at her.
"Alright." He agreed before he pressed his lips to her forehead. Just as the silence started to comfort them, the door opened, and Rose had quickly pulled away, but a sigh of relief passes her lips when Albus stared at the two with cautious narrowed eyes.
"We-"
"I don't want to know." Albus stopped Scorpius who laughed as he nodded. "We're ready to open gifts down stairs."
"We'll be down there." Rose said and Albus had started to leave the room but he turned back.
"Uh… You should know…" Albus looked to Scorpius, every intention of telling him about Lily, but the words would not leave his lips. "The family is a little weird."
"He already knew that," Rose laughed and Albus nodded softly, not even a hint of a smile on his lips to at least appear as though he was joking along with her. Without another word, he left the bedroom, Rose following behind. "Coming?" She turned to Scorpius.
"Just a minute." He called and she nodded before leaving the bedroom. Reaching under his pillow, where he had stashed Rose's gift. He quickly finished wrapping it before he stuffed it into his pocket and started to head downstairs.
Around the tree, several presents were piling up. Near the fireplace, Hugo and Lily sat, each with a cup of hot chocolate in their hands. Albus and Rose sat near the couch while James and his new girlfriend sat off to the side. Harry and Ginny Potter were on the couch behind their son Albus while Hermione and Ron Weasley sat near James and his company. As Scorpius reached the bottom of the stairs, he noticed nearly everyone in the room had peered up at him, but he eyed the empty space on the other side of Rose. Lily, on the other side of the room, had moved over, opening a space beside her, but it went unnoticed by all, except Albus.
"Who wants to open first?" Ginny asked as Scorpius sat beside Rose, his silver eyes attached to her brown ones. It was almost the exact same moment as what had happened almost a year ago at the lakeside. Scorpius and Rose were stuck together in their own world while Albus looked upon his younger sister. She, again, had not noticed at all. Instead, her blue eyes were on the head of blonde hair.
The presents were passed out, despite the lack of attention from the four. James was thrilled when his father passed on the invisibility cloak. Hugo received a new chess set, the pieces struck from gold and silver. Lily held a package in her arms but it took her a few moments to turn to it and finally start to peel the wrapping from the outside. Despite the hurt in her eyes, she was rather delighted to receive a beautiful necklace from her parents.
"I got this one for you, Lily." Scorpius called out, for the first time looking away from Rose. He reached into one of his pockets to pull out a small package, wrapped in brown paper, before he tossed it across the room. With a wide smile, she caught it out of the air, then narrowed her eyes at him before she turned to the package and started to unwrap it. Her lips fell open as she slowly pulled the silver bracelet from the package. It was a chain bracelet but had a flat portion where her name was inscribed, two sapphires set into the silver, one on each side of her name.
"It's beautiful." Lily looked up at Scorpius who shrugged.
"You needed something Ravenclaw."
"Oh shut up." Lily replied, as she tilted her head down to put the bracelet around her wrist. She hoped the hair falling around her face would cover her blushing, but Albus noticed again. Albus opened the gift from his parents first, pleased, but not surprised, to find a new broom in the largest box beneath the tree. From Scorpius, he'd received a state-of-the-art practice snitch which returned to him provided he said the correct incantation. From her parents Rose was given the collected works of her favorite author, and soon after, Lily was the first to stand.
"I hope everybody's hungry." Scorpius vaguely heard somebody call out as everyone moved to the next room, ready for dinner, but Scorpius and Rose remained seated side by side. They weren't sure of how much time passed, but eventually Scorpius reached into his pocket and held out her present.
"It looks like you dropped it from the Astronomy tower." Rose chuckled as she took the gift from his hand, their fingers brushing gently.
"You interrupted me when I was trying to wrap it." Scorpius defended himself, but Rose kept laughing until she looked down at the gift. "It's a necklace." Scorpius said uncomfortably after Rose remained quiet for longer than he liked.
"I know that." Rose answered as she set the brown packaging down, pulling the silver chain out. With one hand she held up the single red rose pendant hanging from the bottom. "It's beautiful, Scorpius."
"It made me think of you."
"Oh really?" Rose replied, a smile on her lips. It mirrored across his as he took the necklace from her hands and reached around her neck to put it on her. Again, they were lost in a world that belonged solely to them. Even with Hermione coming around the corner to find them, they remained perfectly still, Scorpius' arms still around her neck even after the necklace was clasped shut. Rose's hands were on his arms, their foreheads pressed together. "I love it."
"Good." He replied softly. Despite their audience, though they were not aware of it, Rose leaned forward until their lips touched in a soft gentle kiss. Scorpius' hands moved to the back of her neck and to her cheek as her arms wrapped around his neck. When they pulled apart, Scorpius' thumb ran along her cheekbone as he genuinely smiled at her. Unsure of how she would respond, but knowing he had to tell her, he parted his lips, his voice soft a quiet, but loud enough to carry through the room. "I love you."
For anyone else, it might've been an awkward dinner, but Scorpius always had a knack of handling himself with grace in any situation. Despite Hermione, Albus, and Lily hearing the words meant only for Rose, Scorpius carried himself as though nothing had happened, except Rose returning his feelings.
When they returned to Hogwarts, their relationship provided enough gossip to keep the entire school bussing for much longer than either had expected. To them, and to Albus, it seemed obvious and bound to happen, but from the outside, they were still a Malfoy and a Weasley. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor. Two separate entities that did not mix. To Albus, however, they were two sides of the same coin.
Their seventh year and after Hogwarts is posted in the next chapter!