A/N: This is a one shot I've had on my mind for the last year or so, but never really thought it was finished just right. Then I realized that I was never going to like the ending, no matter how many times I've re-written it. Honestly, I'm not sure if you'll like it because the plot drags quite a bit, but there's lots of detail and side thoughts from our favorite Next Generation Weasley-Granger (which is just a long-winded way of not saying Rose, lol). Hope you get at least some enjoyment out of my obsessive love of these two figments of my imagination! :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing, especially all the wonderful wizards, witches, and magically supernatural world that J.K. Rowling has spent so many years creating.

Itch

Once, many years ago, when Rose Weasley was a mere tyke of a girl, she stumbled upon an obscure patch of poison ivy while visiting her Muggle grandparents. She'd been enjoying the bleak London sunshine as best as possible, when she'd tripped over something nonexistent (she was her father's daughter, after all) and landed on her bum in a shrub of poison ivy. The inconspicuously white dotted leaves had caused six-year-old Rose to fall into an unbearable fit of itching and scratching and burning pain for what seemed like hours before her parents found her and were able to perform the correct healing spells to make the terrible stinging stop. This wasn't a memory Rose was fond of, as it always unceremoniously brought back phantom itches. It was also one she could not help, but remember whenever she thought about a certain young man fate had spitefully placed in her life, knowing that this itch could not be cured with a simple flick of the wrist and twitch of her wand.

-.-.-.-

It's funny how once an itch begins, you can never quite remember how it started. This itch, which was more like a curse, came in the form of the unfortunate Weasley lack of charm that blossomed significantly whenever her personal case of poison ivy came around in her thoughts, her dreams- or if she was painfully lucky- in person.

There were various forms the itch could take. Sometimes it was like a tickle in her throat, fending away any intelligent remarks she'd hope to impress him with, making her look like a choking mute instead of the brilliant witch they both knew she was. This had happened one time in particular in Fourth year, when they had been partnered together for a Herbology lesson, Rose was indecisive on whether or not she should thank or kill her precious Uncle Neville in that moment. There she'd been, Rose Weasley, top of her class, heir to two-thirds of the golden trio, and she couldn't even form a coherent thought, much less an intelligent sentence. All he'd said was "Beautiful day, huh?" and she'd stuttered back a wimpy "Uhh-huhh" like a petrified first year. He'd pushed his long blonde strands out of his face so his eyes could stare at her curiously before continuing with the lesson. Then, when he'd asked her to pass the fresh soil, she'd done so so eagerly, momentarily forgetting her dominant clumsiness, that she'd spilled it all over his deep green robes like the inept oaf she felt like. He had courteously ignored her blunder, simply vanishing away the mess and acting casually like it had never happened, the only evidence Rose's furious blushing and his teeny tiny amused smile as, thankfully, the rest of the class had been otherwise preoccupied. All the while, it felt like a feather had somehow crept its way towards Rose's throat, cruelly tickling her nerves and stealing her words. Oh, how she hated that darn itch.

Sometimes, the itch had come as a bad case of nerves. It seemed that whenever anyone so much as mentioned his name, an itch developed in the lower corner of her abdomen like butterflies battling their way against her insides. This nasty little itch resembled a stomach bug, making Rose feel like a weak Dementor against his glorious Patronous. Every time she heard or saw or thought his name, Rose felt like throwing up whatever she'd eaten that day. This itch stole her breath and strength whenever he was near her, surreptitiously sucking her very essence from within, but this time he was the Dementor unknowingly taking its Kiss. How he came to have this power over her, Rose could not say, but he did and this itch made itself more pronounced with each shy smile he would send her way, each time his melodious voice carried over to her, stomach churning in appreciation at each hearty laugh. Every time he was near, she could feel him, the itch signaling her to his presence, her nerves burning with awareness. Oh, if only he could be the cure as well as the prognosis.

And every time her skin tingled and itched in response to his presence, an undeniable reddening of her skin would accompany it. It didn't matter that Rose was in the middle of the most absolutely mundane action in the world, such as reading a book (which is how many would find her, no doubt), the second she heard him speak, laugh, or felt his presence invade her own private bubble of rationality, her skin would become flushed, soft tinges of pink blossoming instantaneously. Sometimes, if she was reading and just managed to glance his way across the room, there would be a pale, barely imperceptible shade of pink in her cheeks, the itch not so annoying yet. Other times, if they were in the same classroom or group, there was an easily noticeable, but hardly un-Weasley like itch on her cheeks and arms. She would feel the itch as if it were a flame at a distance, giving warmth, but not burning- not dangerous, yet. The worst of times, however, were when he was so close Rose was absolutely sure that his silver grey eyes became a mirror to her own soul. When they were this close, the itch became unbearable, the lack of distance adding fuel to the flame burning beneath the surface. It felt like every nerve was ignited by dynamite on dry straw, devouring her skin to the point where her cheeks looked more like ripe red apples, no longer a part of her flesh. This itch consumed her body, making her far more noticeable than she ever wished.

Regardless of the form of the itch, it succeeded every time in its goal: humiliating Rose while at the same time making her painstakingly sensitive to the blonde-haired mystery who relentlessly visited her dreams. Without fail, every night he floated through as if he belonged, staking claim over all of her thoughts, her mind, and in those private moments, even her body was out of her control. It unnerved Rose to no end, but what could she do? She wasn't even conscious and, yet, he still managed to win. It wasn't logical, even more so since it's been four months since they'd graduated, since she seen him last, since she'd felt that insufferable itch. And yet, the second she saw him, felt his undeniable presence, the butterflies were let loose, all her words stolen and her skin burning in an old, familiar greeting…

-.-.-.-

This was the longest Rose had ever gone without seeing him and she feared what her reaction might be. Right after graduation, she had spent a month with her Muggle grandparents, who had been so excited to have her visit without the worry of the upcoming school term or exams. Her parents and Hugo had stayed for almost two weeks, but had to get back to the 'real world' so Rose enjoyed a stress-free vacation like she'd never had before. Once it was time for her to check back in with reality, she had missed Scorpius' annual week-long stay at the Burrow, but was anxious as to when she would see him again. She knew he was now traveling Europe with a cousin of his, a graduation present from his parents that he had been excited about for months. She also knew from Al, that he wouldn't be returning until late August, which was right before his 18th birthday and when he would start his Auror training with her father and Uncle Harry.

Which brings us back to the present- Rose making her way to her cousins and friends through the crowded bar. Mystify had opened a few years ago and quickly became the after-work hotspot for young witches and wizards. Although she wasn't a fan of clubbing and socializing in general, Rose had been friends with Scorpius ever since he and Albus were sorted into Slytherin together. Since then, the two had been close mates, the shy, inquisitive son of the boy who lived mashing well with the quietly confident grandson of a former Death Eater. And that was one of the things that made Scorpius Malfoy the most fascinating to Rose- his utter confidence in himself. He was never cocky about it (like she'd heard his father had been), but he knew how to carry himself, and those around him, with a self-assured attitude a person couldn't help, but admire. Which is surely what helped him gain such admirable positions of authority, such as Prefect and Head Boy. Not to mention working his way into the hearts of several young witches. Everyone knew who his family was, but when you're talking to Scorpius- not that Rose had many an occasion to do so, but it was easy to forget his last name and just enjoy spending time with an intelligent, funny, interesting and unfairly handsome young man.

Ah, yes. Wasn't that the truth? There had been an undeniable attraction festering inside Rose for God only knows how long. It didn't make sense to her why she liked a wizard she could barely form two sentences around. Yet, she couldn't deny that she probably knew a great deal more about him than many of the lovely young females at Hogwarts. He'd spent so much time around her family, and therefore plenty of time around herself, that she couldn't help knowing that his favorite color was blue, he had an irrational fear of scorpions, played Quidditch to bond with his father, still sent his mother St. Valentine's day cards because they made her smile, absolutely loved to learn, and was becoming an Auror because he wanted people to know that he was always going to do what he believed was right. All these little details, combined with everything she instinctively felt towards him made it impossible to even pretend that he could be unattractive. Even with this insufferable itch, she had so many avenues to get to know about Scorpius, she tried not to let it bother her that she didn't really know him personally.

"Oi, Rosie! We were wondering if you'd show! It's almost time for Al and Scorpius to get here," James said in greeting as he hugged her and gave a familial peck to her already reddened cheek. She hated to be late, but had spent so much time debating whether or not to come that it had truly been out of last minute desperation that she was able to make it at all. Of course she wanted to see Scorpius and wish him a happy birthday, but it had been so long she wasn't sure how her body would respond to him. And the last thing Rose wanted was for him to feel awkward on her birthday, which is the feeling she was 99% sure that he felt whenever walking away after interacting with her (because there was no way that it could be considered socializing). But it was like an invisible twine was tied around her heart and she couldn't prevent this masochistic draw she had to him.

Going around the table, Rose said hi to everyone as if she hadn't seen most of the group last week at a family dinner at the Burrow. But it was always nice to see family, especially when they're the only real friends you've ever had. Penny Longbottom was chatting it up with Lorcan Scamander as she waited for Albus, whom she'd been dating for two years. Lily was next to Lorcan's twin Lysander, but she wasn't sure if their relationship was on or off currently. Hugo and James were too busy living up the single life to bother having girlfriends, but Rose was willing to bet her brother was going to cave soon if the flirty repartee he was sharing with Danielle Thomas, Lily's best friend, was any indication of his feelings. Teddy and Victoire were out on the dance floor, enjoying a free night without the baby.

Nobody made a big commotion about Rose being there, making her glad she had chosen to come tonight, her anxiety suddenly seeming silly. Scorpius was just as a much a part of her family as Rose was and being here to celebrate with him was natural, even if it was as nothing more than a friend.

While making her way to the seat next to Hugo, a tingle shot down her spine as James sprang up, shouting, "Happy Birthday, mate!" at the top of his lungs, surprising Rose and making her trip over the chair. Landing awkwardly on her side, she was glad no one had seen her fall, eyes too focused on the birthday boy. She pulled herself up hastily, brushing off invisible pieces of her pride while getting her act together. She turned around to see that everyone else was either going to the bar for a drink or onto the dance floor, effectively leaving her a quivering mess in Scorpius' presence.

Although he had to of spent ample amounts of time in the sun, his skin was as pale as ever, but his hair seemed a little lighter and longer, falling into his eyes a bit like those guys on the boy band posters she'd seen at the Muggle grocery store. His grey eyes were twinkling in amusement as they assessed her in all her Weasley glory: unruly, flowing red hair, wide dark blue eyes, and all that perfectly pink skin. She held onto the back of the chair for dear life as he diminished the few steps between them, the closest they'd been since an uncomfortable hug at graduation.

"Hi, Rose," he said, the timbre of his voice exactly the same as she remembered in her dreams and still capable of making her feel flushed all over. He flashed her a devilish smile, almost flirty, and completely unnerving as he asked, "Are you okay? I was going to offer you a hand up, but that ginormous lot of a family of yours is so hard to get through. But I see you're standing fine now, so I guess you didn't really need my help after all, huh? I can't deny that I'm glad that there are some things a diploma can't change."

Rose gulped, audibly. Of course he'd seen her fall. Out of everyone who could have, it had to have been him. It made perfectly unfair sense in the twisted mind of who ever ran the universe. She managed a weak smile in his direction, answering with a dry chuckle, "Yeah, of course I'm fine, Scorpius. It's all a part of my daily routine, you know? Haha…"

"And how is life? Your daily routine taken you to the Ministry yet?" he inquired, obviously aware of her post-graduation plans to intern with her mother at the Ministry of Magic. She knew it was unhealthy, but it made her far too giddy that he knew about something she had a passion for.

He had unconsciously taken a step closer to her and it made her feel a bit light-headed, so she attempted to sit down again, motioning to the empty seat next to her as she sat. Scorpius was quick to sit with Rose, who had butterflies dancing a tango in her intestines while her face was inevitably nearing likeness to that of a tomato. Her lungs were struggling to work as she gave a rushed answer, "Ah, yes. I did. I started a few weeks ago, although I haven't really done too much "work" right now. I do mostly research on the effectiveness of the Equal Wizarding Laws of 2000 and other such bills that affect the rights of all magical creatures, especially in the pursuit of justice."

Her words hadn't been eloquent, but they were there, which was a miracle in itself. The most she'd ever spoken to Scorpius before had been during the holidays a few years ago when everyone was involved in a quick game of Quidditch. He had recently injured his foot and wasn't playing and since Rose could barely walk across the floor, she had never given much effort into learning to ride a broomstick. They had somehow ended up sitting next to each other and making silly comments about her family for the 45 minute game, which turned out to be, unsurprisingly, the highlight of her holiday break that year. It was the easiest she'd ever conversed with him; probably because he had talked to her without actually paying too much attention to her, and Rose had simply followed his lead. She felt like herself and it had been glorious, unlike now, where she felt like a spastic bundle of nerves waiting to explode. Being this close, she could literally breathe Scorpius in (as disturbing as it sounded, it was possible). He was looking at her so intently, listening and nodding, making her wonder briefly why talking to him had been so difficult before.

Rose had placed her hands atop one another to contain the electricity coursing through her veins, but raised them to her mouth as she remembered why she was in a club in the first place. "Oh! Happy Birthday, Scorpius! I'm so sorry! You're listening to me go on and on about my lame work while I hadn't even wished you happy birthday!"

Scorpius' chuckle accompanied his answer. "S'okay, Rosie. I knew you'd get there eventually. And I could never think anything you did was lame," he said, a slight pout playing on his lips. He was just too cute for his own good. If only he had thrown in one of his infamous winks, she could have died a happy woman that night.

Another awkward laugh escaped her lips before she could stop it, no doubt another side-effect of this wretched itch. Her eyes pinched close in embarrassment as she took his teasing as lightly as possible. She had always been the shy, quiet bookworm type that second-guessed everything, obviously no match for Scorpius' confident and easy-going attitude. She knew that most people thought she was unexciting and a tad boring, especially when in comparison to her parents and the grand adventures they'd had at her age. She didn't take risks, except with new books. She hated being the center of attention, even if it was only to honor her grades. Most people outside of her family didn't care enough to get to know the real Rose, so they assumed she was a stuck-up, pretentious know-it-all. She tried not to let it bother her, but she had always wondered what he had thought of her all those years in school together. Did he think she thought she was better than everyone else, too? Did he consider her just as dull as all their classmates had?

At her laugh, Scorpius frowned, a real one that made Rose squirm in her annoyingly uncomfortable plastic chair and wonder where the heck her family and friends had gone off to. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, she heard Victoire squeal in her one-eighth Veela way and looked up in time to see Scorpius get attacked by her cousin and then his, because wherever Victoire was, Teddy was never far behind. As soon as she let Scorpius go, her husband followed right after in giving his birthday wishes.

Teddy and Victoire sat down next to Rose, whom they also said hello to, before ripping into Scorpius about his summer travels- what he enjoyed the most, things that had inspired him, and a million other questions before the night was over. They had spent their honeymoon in France two years ago, but hadn't ventured too far into Muggle Europe like Scorpius had. He talked about the beautiful ancient buildings, the variety of art and their mediums, museums and theatres, and foods that were considered delicacies, but were truly gross. Eventually, while he was spinning tale after tale to the enraptured couple, everyone else made it back to the table at some point and took turns sharing about their summer. All, but Rose that was. After hearing about his incredible summer and the literally magical places he'd been, she knew her lazy summer with her grandparents and helping her family wouldn't interest him in the least. The few times he caught her eye throughout the conversations, though, she felt like he wanted to hear what she had to say about whatever the topic was. A feeling she always thought she'd imagined, yet every time she was around, he would look at her so inquisitively, she felt like unburdening all her secrets to him. Fortunately, her family was used to her lack of voice, knowing that if they really wanted to hear what she was thinking, they just had to ask her privately. Rose Weasley wasn't known for sharing her feelings publicly, which made her stand out to those that mattered- there was a level of trust so rare in a young wizard.

The hour was growing late, their group slowly getting smaller and before she knew it, only Rose, Albus, and Scorpius were left. Teddy, Victoire, James, and Penny all had early mornings, while Albus and Scorpius wouldn't start training until the Hogwarts term began, and Rose had brought plenty of scrolls home to research without needing to go into the office at the regular hour. Lily, Hugo, Danielle, Lysander, and Lorcan all went home to finish packing since they only had two full days of summer left.

This made Rose remember many times when she'd been with the two, simply listening to them talk, strategize, or just make jokes, without needing to say a word for them to know she was there. Of course, they didn't need to know that the reason why she never spoke was because she wasn't physically able to; Al and Scorpius just understood that this was who she was and never expected her to be different.

When it became difficult for Rose to keep her eyes open and she was going to graciously bow out for the night, Albus brought up a topic that caused her eyes to pop open, curiosity pushing sleep to the far recesses of her brain for the moment. Looking at his friend with a smirk, Al asked, "So when're you gonna find a girl, mate? I kept thinking you were going to finally give in and go out with Amethyst last year, but you held out, man. It makes a guy wonder who you're waiting for, eh?"

At the mention of Amethyst Brown and her relentless attempts to get Scorpius to make her his girlfriend for the past three years, Rose let out a groan, which made Al smirk and Scorpius shoot her a playful glare her way. "Hey, you know how she is, Al. She was so clingy and talkative, telling me all this stuff I needed to know about her family and crap. And that was when I was blatantly ignoring her. I don't get it, what she thinks I'm so great for, but I'm really glad Dave Fletcher finally got the guts to ask her out because I was so close to petrifying her just so I wouldn't have to hear her voice again!" he exclaimed, clearly reliving his frustration at the psychotic girl who'd deemed herself suitable for Scorpius back in fourth year.

Rose and Albus smiled at the evident relief in their friend's voice at the mention of his 'saviour,' a one Dave Fletcher who was brave enough to take on the annoying witch. Al sat up and leaned forward on his clasped arms on the table, giving Scorpius a "cut-the-crap' look that worked wonders on guilty underclassmen, but not quite as well after seven years of exposeure. "But you were never interested in anyone else at Hogwarts? I mean, there were hundreds of girls surrounding you every day, Scorpius. It couldn't have been easier to get yourself a girlfriend," he replied.

"Come on, man; we've talked about this before," he said, giving Albus his own look of exasperation. "You know it's more than having girls available. It's about the availability of the right girl."

His answer piqued Rose's interest far more than it should have, especially since she now knew there was no way she could have been the girl he was interested in. She had been obviously (and painfully) single all seven years at Hogwarts, mostly because guys mistook her quietness for haughty intimidation. Without even realizing the words were being spoken, she asked, "And what girl have you been waiting for?"

Rose's eyes widened in shock when she realized what she'd done, Albus and Scorpius looked at her with surprise. It wasn't like her at all to pry into other people's business, especially his. She never wanted to know more than she felt entitled to since she was too nervous to ask him herself. Or so she thought. The words had flown out of her mouth quite easily, as if asking him personal questions was second-nature.

Scorpius recovered first, a faint smirk gracing his face although his eyes were a tad wary. He leaned onto the table to look Rose in the eye, head placed casually against his braced hand while his firewhiskey/minty/Scorpius scent filled her nose with each deep breath she took to calm herself. "Since when have my personal relationships ever interested you, Rose?" he asked.

There came that horrid laugh again, her face inflamed by his mere presence. Coughing slightly to get rid of that tickle, Rose's gaze shifted momentarily to Albus, who was looking at her with blatant curiosity. No help there, dear cousin. She leaned back in her chair, giving herself some thinking room to reconstruct the mush in her brain. A second later she answered in as steady a voice as possible, "Aw, come one, Scorpius. I was your easiest link. If I had known who you liked, I could have dropped a few subtle hints and when she knew it was you, I'm sure the girl would've left whoever the other bloke was in a heartbeat!"

The answer was pure brilliance, in an unfortunately heartbreaking truth. She was thankful that Scorpius had never made that realization because she would have hated being the one to tell the lucky girl that he liked her. Although, if it made him happy, she supposed she could force herself to grin and bear it. She could see Albus nodding his head from the corner of her eyes, but kept her attention focused on Scorpius, which was nothing new, but his expression had been… interesting. It wasn't what she had expected to see. She thought he would get a goofy grin at the thought that Rose could have helped him get to his girl, or nodding like Al because it made sense to get inside a girl's head with the help of another girl. Instead, his brow had painted a frown onto his face for only a second before folding flawlessly into that terribly appealing smirk he had perfected over the years for maximum 'swoonage' (those were his exact words in fifth year). Her own face contorted into one of confusion, trying to understand his train of thought as to what had made him so happy.

Right when she was going to ask Albus for some backup, her dear cousin muttered a curse under his breath because he was supposed to have left by now. He had to swing by Penny's for a real goodnight snog before she fell asleep- one that she had deemed inappropriate to do in public. Basically that meant some groping and heavy moans, but Merlin, she tried hard to keep that visual out of her head. Shuddering and blinking to rid the imagery in her head, it suddenly shifted from her lanky dark-haired cousin and sweet friend into that of a muscular blonde-haired devil and a frizzy red-headed klutz. She quickly opened her eyes to see her cousin's retreating backside as he left for better and greater things apparently.

Rose heaved a heavy sigh with the vain hope of ending the night without feeling any more ill at ease than she already did. But one look into those mischievously captivating eyes and she knew her prayers weren't going to be answered. She simply raised a brow in questioning before gently placing her head sideways on her folded arms, all of a sudden bone weary from the tense energy that had filled her body throughout the evening, but not wanting to let go of the handsome creature before her. The one who was currently looking at her with such deep concern, she knew he could break her heart if she listened to half the things her body was telling her. Scorpius pushed a stray strand of hair off her forehead, tucking it snugly behind her right ear. It was a move so tender she could hear her body screaming at her to kiss him or jump him, to do anything before he got a way. But before she could respond, he quickly pulled his hand back, explosives going off in its wake and a startled look on his face. Stupid hyper-aware body.

"I think we've both had enough for the night, Rosebud. Let's get you home before you fall asleep right here," he suggested, using the wretched nickname her Father and Uncles loved to call her.

Staring straight into his eyes, Rose noticed for the first time how tired Scorpius looked, though she wasn't surprised after all the traveling and celebrating he'd done. She sat up, placing her head in her hands and squinted her eyes at him, conscious of the fact she must be resembling her Aunt Ginny at the moment. Too tired to let the itch control her body anymore, Rose joked, "You're not just trying to evade the question are you?"

At the furrow of Scorpuis' brow, she clarified, "You know, about who your special girl is," an unintentional emphasis placed on special.

His expression cleared with understanding, a smile playing on his lips. Nodding his head, he answered, "I'll tell you all about my special girl once we get you home." With that, Scorpius stood up, holding his hand out for Rose like the gentleman his mother raised him to be.

Far too unstable to trust touching him again, she simply pushed out her chair and started walking towards the door she had entered a few hours earlier, not needing to look back to see if Scorpius would follow. He was far too chivalrous to let a girl apparate by herself. And sure enough, a few seconds after she'd adjusted to the muggy night air, the man of the hour made his appearance. He stepped close to her again, his warm body far too near to her reactional one, overpowering her ability to think or speak for a moment. Wrapping his hands around her shoulders, Scorpius was about to twist his body when she put her hand on his chest to stop him.

Trying to ignore the pinpricks of sensation she felt at touching him (even with a layer of clothing between her fingers and his wonderfully sculptured chest… it was only one layer…), Rose looked intently at his broad shoulders to focus- which was as high as her 168 centimeters brought her- before asking in a soft voice, "Where are you taking me?"

Scorpius bent down, bringing his mouth close to her ear, his breath sending infinitesimal shivers down her back. He answered in an equally soft tone, amusement coloring the otherwise tender moment, "To your house, Rosie. The one you live in with your parents and Hugo."

Gathering the courage to look at his face with her reply, Rose was shocked by how close they were to one another. All it would have taken was a quick lift of her toes and her nose could have touched his; Eskimos kisses had never been so appealing before. She was sure her face, ears, and neck were visibly red by now from the extremely close proximity, but thankfully the early morning darkness hid the fire of her skin.

Her eyes darted back to the t-shirt blocking her view, his eyes too intense for her to focus on at the moment. Angling her mouth so that her breath would hit his body and not his nose, she stated, "But that's not my home anymore."

Rose didn't need to look back up to know that Scorpius' brow had lifted in surprise for the second time that night, at least in regards to something she had said. She could imagine the same look from earlier on his face, the combination of curiosity and amusement expressed because she had shocked him. It wasn't an unfamiliar face, she realized, her mind suddenly flashing several times over the years when he had given her the exact same look, but never acted on it like he had tonight. Like he was about to do again right now. He lowered his lips even closer to her ear, almost to the point where they were brushing against one another, his breath ghosting over its shell. This time he used a stage whisper to ask, "And where exactly is home for you, Miss Weasley?"

She almost lost it then. A whimper was threatening to break loose from her lips, but she held them together as tightly as possible. Taking in a shaky breath and eyes still trained to his blue clad shoulders, Rose answered, "I moved out. Wanna see it?"

"Yes, please," was all he said, keeping his head down and those delightfully dangerous lips exactly 2 centimeters from her ear.

With a slight nod, barely discernable in the black night, but all she could give at the moment, Rose moved her hands around his waist (trying not to think too much about the hard abs pressing against her thumbs). Holding onto Scorpius as tight as she could, she lifted her foot and twisted her body, dragging him into the suffocating blackness as she apprated them to her flat above Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

The pair landed with a soft thud, Rose instinctively folded into Scorpius' arms from the few seconds of travel. He held onto her an extra second longer than necessary, probably to make sure that she wasn't dizzy or about to fall; not at all because of how wonderful it felt to be wrapped in those strong arms…

Scorpius took a step back, eyes taking in the small, plain flat, and subtly bringing Rose back from her wistful thoughts. There was a couch and two armchairs around a book laden coffee table, a small kitchen with a two chair table, and three doors at the corner- one to an every need closest, one to the bathroom and one to her bedroom. Bedroom. BEDROOM! She stopped that train of thought before it could grow into anything lethal; did not need to be thinking about her bedroom while Scorpius was here.

Deciding the armchair was a safe place, she took a seat, unabashedly taking in his profile as he made a quick inspection of the flat. He turned back to look at her while making his way to the couch, throwing himself gracefully onto the worn sofa. Again, Rose was hit by how tired he must be and the silliness of seeing her home when he was minutes away from slipping into a deep slumber.

"You didn't have to do that, you know? Make sure I got home safe. It only takes five seconds to apparate," she said, feeling guilty for robbing him of much needed rest.

Scorpius' eyes opened at the sound of her voice, seemingly content as he lay strewn across her Grandmother's old couch. He raised a brow and fixed his gaze on Rose as he answered teasingly, "You do know who your family is, right? Because I'm pretty sure every one of them would've been proud cut my balls and feed them to Buckbeak at the Start of term Feast if something had happened to you and I hadn't been there."

Rose's face flushed at the mention of his… body parts, but she couldn't stop the giggle that left her throat at the image Scorpius had conjured up in her mind.

Their laughter ended too quickly, sending her into an awkward look-everywhere-but-his-face moment. She had to do something to take them back to harmless territory.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Rose asked, standing up and walking to the kitchen, using physical distance as a tension reducer. She pulled two glasses down from cabinet before turning to face Scorpius for his response.

"You mean you haven't had enough tonight?" he asked, the trademark smirk barely covering the yawn he was trying to cover up.

She gave him her version of Albus' look and answered, "No, smartass. I meant would like some water to sober down so you could make it home in one piece tonight."

"Not that I really drank that much anyways, but sure. I'd like a glass a water," he said, that easy-going smile on his face reminding Rose of the boy she'd seen standing next to his parents at King's Cross so many years ago. She gave him a shy smile back before turning around to fill the glasses with water.

"So what is this place? It looks kind of familiar, but I can't seem to place it," she heard him ask from his relaxed position.

Concentrating on the jug in her hands so as not to overfill their drinks, she answered, "It's the flat above Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, but without all of Uncle George's useless junk. After spending a month with my mum's parents, I came here and cleaned up all the crap from here so that I could have my own space. It's tiny, but puts a roof over my head and gives me my own door with a lock that only I have a key to." Would miracles never cease tonight? Where was this freakish ability to speak to the Scorpius coming from? She decided not to question it just in time to hear his reply.

"Well, can't argue there. After spending a month and a half with my cousin Ophelia, I will never again under estimate the value of privacy. That girl has no boundaries whatsoever," he said, mumbling the last part, but Rose heard it, making her smile as she lifted the ready cups.

She brought one over to Scorpius, setting it on the table, while clutching the other tightly in her hand to steady her nerves. She wasn't sure what was going to happen next, but she had this feeling that he had wanted to say something all night. And who was she to deny him anything?

Taking a tiny sip from the glass in her hand, Rose watched Scorpius over the rim of her cup. He sat up, stretching his long arms over his head, teasing her with a peek at those aforementioned taut pale abs, before reaching for his glass. He downed half the water in one gulp, placing it back on the coffee table as he stood. Giving her another dazzling smile, his large frame moved around her furniture until he stood inches in front of her. "Thanks for celebrating my birthday with me, Rosie. I'm glad you're doing just as well as I thought you would after graduation."

Not wanting to waste time dissecting what his words meant or see him leave yet, Rose forced the words out of her mouth before she could over think them. "But you never told me who the girl you like is!"

Eyes wide as he moved even closer, her heart pounded in her chest with each centimeter of distance Scorpius lessened between them. He kept going until they stood toe-to-toe, noses mimicking the same position they had been in only moments earlier when preparing for apparition, but this time Rose couldn't bring herself to look away from those mesmerizing eyes. And this time his lips moved towards her face instead of her ear, their soft pink flesh pressing gently against her smooth, freckled cheek for mere seconds before he pulled back. He looked sweetly into her eyes as he spoke, his voice deep and sure. "That girl was you, Rose Weasley."

And in the span of two blinks he apparated out of her flat before she could even catch her breath.

Please tell me what you think! I value all thoughts! =]