Author's Note: Of course I don't own anything except the plot and the fact that I decided to make Rose the youngest and only girl. This means that Hugo is her older brother.
It tends to ramble. I'll probably changed quite a bit of it so it makes more sense and runs together better but let me know what you think. Criticism is always welcome.
* * * * * * *
Rose groaned as her mother slid yet another pile of papers towards her to sort. The redhead looked longingly out the window at the beautiful summer day she was missing out on. Hermione Weasley thought that making her daughter sit still inside at the ministry and help her work was a wonderful idea. Neither woman could remember what Rose was being punished for, but the teenager was more than willing to admit that it was painfully effective.
"Mum, how much more of this are you going to make me suffer through," Rose sighed dramatically pushing unruly curls back from her face. "After this you're making me go to the stupid Ministry fundraiser function thingy tonight. Isn't that going to be torture enough, I mean I have to be surrounded by stuffy old people for hours at a time!"
Hermione very nearly laughed when she saw her daughter's expression. It was so like the ones she used to get from her husband when they were in school and she insisted on studying some more. "I think you will survive Rose." With that the two went back to their separate piles of paperwork.
* * * * * * *
"Okay so the plan is that Scorpius will take the cloak and go to rescue Rose, Al and Hugo will be going to get Mick, and Joe, and I will go and get Fred and Teddy if he wants to come." James said to those gathered in front of him. "It's one of the last days of summer before you two go back to school, we have to make it count!" He was addressing his younger brother Albus and Al's best friend Scorpius Malfoy when he added the comment about school. The two of them, along with Rose, would be entering their seventh and final year at Hogwarts. James, Fred, Hugo, Mick, and Joe had all finished the previous year.
Their little group disbanded and Scorpius picked up Al's invisibility cloak. He then headed towards the fireplace where he would floo to the ministry.
* * * * * * *
Rose had given up hope, well almost. She tended to be a bit dramatic, a trait she inherited from her mother. She stood up and stretched then sat back down and smoothed down the bottom of her light green summer dress. Her mother made her dress nicely, in hopes that she could make a good impression on someone in the ministry.
"Rose, I need to go and take these folders down a couple of floors." Hermione stated simply on her way to her office door.
"No problem Mum, I'll just hold down the fort here." As soon as the door shut she laid her head down in her arms on the table in front of her. She didn't even hear the door reopen and shut.
"Rose." A sudden deep drawling male voice said somewhere near her elbow. The redhead jumped so much she nearly fell out of her chair. Scorpius pulled the cloak off laughing. "Calm down Red, you're going to hurt yourself."
She rolled her eyes, "So what exactly are you doing here Scorp?"
He put on his best mock-heroic face and said seriously, "I'm here to rescue you."
"Oh now I definitely feel safe." She replied sarcastically. Rose smiled and then shook her head. "So how were you the one chosen to come and get me on this oh-so-dangerous rescue mission?"
"I drew the short straw, and besides it is dangerous! If your mum catches us, or your Uncle Harry, or Merlin, what if your Dad saw us! I mean your mum is pretty scary when she's angry but she's nothing compared to your dad!"
"I guess you have a point." She conceded. She stood and walked towards the door with her friend. As they reached the door Scorpius threw the cloak over them both, he had to hunch over considerably since he was nearly 6'3". They negotiated the corridors without much trouble until they got to the lift. Rose's father and her uncle, the great Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, were waiting to get in. Rose looked up at Scorpius to question whether they should wait for the next lift or not. Scorpius simply pushed her slightly forward into the lift and then pulled her against him into the corner to avoid her relatives.
Rose tried to ignore the fact that she was pressed fully against the boy behind her and focus on her father's conversation. No matter how hard she tried, her heart still sped up and her cheeks flushed as the entire lift seemed to grow warmer.
After what seemed like an eternity they were able to escape the ministry altogether. Scorpius pulled the cloak off before they entered the street in Muggle London.
"Freedom!," Rose cried as she spun and danced around on the sidewalk drawing strange looks from the innocent bystanders. Scorpius simply laughed at the antics of one of his best friends.
He linked his arms with hers and said, "Your cousins are going to be wondering what took us so long. They are waiting for us in Diagon Alley." The pair set off towards the Leaky Cauldron.
* * * * * * *
It was late in the afternoon and the group had been wandering through the many shops in the alley all day. They finally all decided to sit and have an ice cream at Fortescue's. Scorpius couldn't help but sit and watch Rose eat her frozen treat. Her little pink tongue slowly slipping out from between her lovely pink lips to collect every drop of melted ice cream. His ice cream continued to melt all over his hand as he let himself remain distracted.
Albus cleared his throat, "Scorp you seem awfully interested in Rose's ice cream." Al smirked when his fellow Slytherin shot him a death glare from across the table. AL was the only person privy to Scorpius' secret love. He knew that since the very first time they met Scorpius had been head over heels in love with his cousin.
"Do you want to try some Scorp?" Rose asked with a grin.
"Sure Rosie," Scorpius leaned forward as she held the cone out to him watching him as he neared it. Just as he was getting ready to taste it she jerked her hand forward, causing melted ice cream to cover his face.
The entire table erupted in laughter as the blond boy looked shocked. Rose laughed along with her cousins and friends but quickly sobered up when she saw the mischievous glint in Scorp's eyes. She became wary as he quickly stood.
Before she knew it she had been flung over his shoulder and they were moving towards the fountain that stood in the middle of the square of Diagon Alley.
"Scorpius Malfoy don't you dare put me in that fountain!"
"You started it Rosie, don't play with fire unless you want to get your fingers burned." With that he dropped her into the fountain.
Spluttering the redhead surfaced smiling. Before she knew it the rest of their party had joined her in the fountain. Rose found Scorpius and pushed his head under. The friends enjoyed their time in the fountain until Hermione Weasley showed up. They were all forced to return to the burrow and ready themselves for the Ministry ball they were forced to attend.
* * * * * * *
Rose had never seen the man before her in her life. He had been droning on about how fantastic it would be for her to work at the ministry in his department, which she had no idea what that was. All she wanted was to become a healer and not follow in her family's footsteps and work at the ministry. She was an individual, she was Rose. She sighed as she focused her attention once again on the old wizard in front of her.
Suddenly an arm wrapped around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You can thank me later." She was swept out of the room and out onto the balcony.
Rose turned and fixed her green eyes on her rescuer. "You know if you keep acting like you're saving me people might think you have a hero complex."
"That's all the thanks I get? I got you out of the ministry--"
"—You drew the short straw—"
"—I threw you in the fountain—"
"That was saving me?!?!"
"I was saving you from the heat Rose," He smiled at her skeptical expression. "And I also saved you from the most boring conversation you have ever had in your entire life."
Rose smiled and walked over towards the balcony's railing, "Well I don't know about that you tend to get pretty dull at times."
Scorpius moved to stand beside her, "Oh Rosie you wound me." He mimed an injury as she rolled her eyes. "Besides if you weren't such a damsel in distress all the time then I wouldn't have to save you."
"I resent that and you know it Scorp!" Rose began to get fired up. "Just because that is how it always is in stories doesn't mean that is how it should be. The world is sexist. I can do whatever I want even though I am female."
Smirking down at her he leaned his back against the railing. "I don't believe you, prove it."
Suddenly he found her lips on his as she stood on tip toes to reach his face. He tangled his hands in her hair as she deepened the kiss. Her hands were flat across his chest as her tongue sought his. He moved to pull her closer but she slowly pulled away causing him to lean forward in an attempt to stay connected. When their lips were barely touching Rose whispered, "Will you stop saving me now and admit that you have made a sexist comment that is completely untrue?"
"Not if this is what I get for it." He pulled her in for another quick kiss.
"What if I promise you that this will never happen again."
"Rose I will never save you ever again and I was very sexist. In truth it is men who need saving. Please help me Rose!" He said laughingly.
Rose tried to resist the urge to smile. "You are not in distress therefore I cannot save you." Seeing him about to interrupt she added, "Needing help with a situation in your pants definitely does not count."
He shut his mouth and rethought his strategy.. "Well actually I am a damsel in distress, well I'm not a damsel, but I'm in distress."
"Oh really?" She quirked an eyebrow at him. He really did look quite cute when he was thinking really hard.
"You see there's this girl. I've been in love with her since I first met her and now she's gone and kissed me and I'm afraid she'll never want to again. I'm afraid she won't want to go out with me now, because of some clichéd 'doesn't want to ruin the friendship' reason." Seeing the shocked expression on the redhead's face only egged him on. "You see I'm in love with you Rose and I don't know what to do about it."
Speechless at the sudden serious turn of the conversation, Rose though hard about what she would say. "Well at least you admit that you need help." She stated.
After waiting for her to elaborate and maybe confess her love for him he stared at her. "That's it? That's all you have to say to me?"
She smiled and moved closer to him, "Of course that's not it, I love you too Scorpius, I just thought I would let you sweat it out for a bit."
"You're evil you are," Scorpius leaned down to kiss her again.
* * * * * * * *
"Well we did well. I think this will be the start of a beautiful romance." James said to his younger brother and their friends gathered around. They had been watching the scene on the balcony from the doorway. Before arriving at the ministry they had confronted the young Malfoy about his love for their cousin. After telling him to grow a pair they gave him the pep talk of a lifetime and told him to go get her. This, they decided, was their doing, they wanted all the credit.
"Thank Merlin for Extendable Ears." Al muttered, "otherwise we would never have known if it was going well or not."
"Well I think the snogging was a pretty fair indication of success." Hugo laughed.
They boys walked away leaving the two new lovebirds to their own devices.