Scorpius Malfoy was accompanying his new girlfriend, Rose Weasley, on a walk around the Hogwarts grounds. She lead the way and did most of the talking.
"So then, I threw the serving spoon at his head, spot on I might add, and Mum got her knickers in a twist and started going on about being lady-like again and was like, 'Are you seventeen or seven?' and I said that if James was going to act like a prat, then why should I act like a lady? She said that wasn't the point, but I don't really care, she's never going to do anything because she knows that James is a prat and had it coming. Honestly, he is going to get it at Christmas, after mailing me that exploding toilet seat from Uncle George's shop."
He ran his hand through his hair and let it fall to the side. His fingertips grazed hers, it could have been an accident. She knew him better than that and firmly laced her fingers through his, giving him the reassurance he needed.
"You don't need to ask," she stated as if for the hundredth time, looking still straight ahead.
He felt his cheeks get hot, but smiled slightly without knowing he was doing it. She continued telling her story animatedly, and he watched her talk. He was good at that and couldn't make a fool of himself when she was talking. He liked that they were stepping with the same feet, and knew that she would scoff or roll her eyes if he told her.
A few days ago, he had tried to bring her flowers. She had said he was nauseating, but quickly added that he was still very sweet and shoved them into a vase in her bedroom. He should have known that she was worth more than a few yellow and red flowers. He had decided it would be more trouble than worth if he told her that the flower shop had a chart of flowers, saying that yellow leading to red petals symbolized friendship in the flower world.
"But really I do miss the prick, it's not as fun teasing Albie and Hugo without him. I ought to send him something from Zonko's, don'tcha think? Maybe I'll ask Headmistress Mcgonagall to help me send him a Howler. We've both spent enough time in her office, mostly the both of us, for me to know we're her favourites. She doesn't act it, but I doubt she'd turn down the chance to get back at James for all the trouble he caused here."
The sudden flick of her exaggerating her point by raising her hand forced his head back away from her and and his arms to rise protectively. She rose an eyebrow.
"D'you just flinch? What am I gonna do? Beat you?" She had stopped walking, placed her hands on her hips and looked at his blushing face for an answer.
"No! Well, uh...maybe...a little bit." His eyebrows rose together in the middle and he pulled his lips into a grin that he hoped said 'I think you're really pretty.'
"Do I..." she placed her hand on his shoulder and pulled him down to her eye level. "Scare you?"
He didn't need to answer as she had pulled him into a kiss. One of the great things about having a girlfriend, he noticed, was kissing her, and because he was a fairly awkward teenage boy, he was perfectly fine with that.
"Sometimes," he answered honestly. She gave him a rare laugh, grabbing his hand and pulling him along.
"Come on, we may have places to be. We'll never know if no one can find us," she paused, and gave herself a second to think. "I might be okay with that."
He walked beside her, confident in himself. He felt a firm hand hit the curve at the back of his head, pushing him foward slightly. She was stronger than she looked, but it didn't surprise him.
"What was that for?" He turned to her confused, and... well, mostly confused.
"I never said I wasn't going to hit you."