A/N: Hello dear readers! This is my third entry for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition! Even if you aren't involved with the competition, I really hope you enjoy this read! And to the judge...well, I hope that this doesn't bore you to death!

Round: 3

Team: Wigtown Wanderers

Position: Chaser 3

Main Prompt: Write about your OTP dealing with a physical illness. The OTP of mine that I have chosen for this is Scorose!

Optional Prompts:

1. (dialogue) "What have I done this time?"

2. (word) accept

9. (phrase) crystal clear

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, this wouldn't be published on FanFiction! It would be an official short story with viewership hitting MILLIONS.

Enjoy!

"MALFOY!"

At that angry word, Scorpius Malfoy, who was making his way to the Great Hall after breakfast, immediately composed himself into the perfect image of innocence.

"What have I done this time?" he turned and asked, pretending to have no clue what she was talking about.

He knew from past experience that Rose Weasley absolutely loathed that expression of sweet cluelessness.

Which is why he did what he did, of course.

Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy shared a mutual relationship of rivalry and loathing that was legendary throughout the entire school. Every fellow sixth year of the two had been witness to at least one verbal or magical spat between them.

Surprisingly, though, they weren't always at odds. Just sometimes, when one – usually Scorpius – grated on the other's nerves.

Scratch, that, they fought rather often, and everybody knew that.

But none of them knew that Scorpius liked a great deal of things about Rose: she was fiery, intelligent, outspoken, kind, adorably clumsy, and, well, beautiful.

But that didn't mean he fancied her.

And he wouldn't ever fancy her.

She loathed him.

And he loathed her.

Right?

But anyways, Rose was very, very angry about something, and Scorpius was to blame.

Oh, goody.

"Malfoy, you made me–"

At that point, Rose broke off in a fit of coughing.

Scorpius now felt a little concerned. He walked over to Rose to examine her a little more closely. Was she sick or something? Because he hadn't done anything to literally make her sick. Figuratively make her sick of him, yes, but not the coughing-and-temperature-and-misery-but-off-from-classes type of sick.

While Scorpius pondered this, Rose almost coughed straight in his face, rudely interrupting his thoughts.

And that was when he was realized that she was probably sick.

But, as far as he knew, he had no part in this.

Did he?

Luckily, Rose seemed to have recovered, meaning that she could answer his question. Or maybe not so luckily, because, well, Rose seemed particularly angry, meaning that his ego, and possibly his handsome features, would end up tarnished. But still, he decided to hear her out.

"Malfoy, remember that potion you slipped into my drink?"

"Huh?"

"Stop that innocent act. Albus told me."

Albus Severus Potter should have been fearing for his life right then.

"Which potion?"

Rose rolled her eyes and muttered something about him being an "insufferable prick".

"The potion that was supposed to make my hair fall off?" Rose prompted impatiently.

How did she know what the potion was supposed to do when nothing had happened? Oh, right, Albus.

"Oh. How did that make you sick?"

"I dunno! You fed me a faulty potion and now I have a fever!"

Scorpius caught sight of the bright eyes and the rather flushed cheeks, both of which he had previously thought were signs of her anger. And he recognized the fever's trademark hoarse voice, which he had just assumed was a result of all her shouting.

"Oh, okay then. Well, I have to go meet Albus in the Great Hall now. Bye, Rose."

Rose rolled her eyes and stormed off, muttering something about "no manners whatsoever" and an "inconsiderate pig".

What was wrong with her? He hadn't done anything rude!

Pondering the oddities of Rose Weasley, Scorpius made his way to the Great Hall for his daily delicious breakfast.

But he couldn't exactly ignore her because, well, they were going to the same place, meaning that they were a almost walking together.

"Mate, you have a problem."

These words greeted Scorpius as he seated his tall frame across from Albus at his usual seat at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall.

"What?" Scorpius responded, rather bewildered.

"You," Albus began, "are going to watch over Rose until she gets better."

Now Scorpius felt even more confused. "You're joking, right?"

"Nope."

"Mate, you know I can't do that."

"And why not?"

"Because she's transforms into some sort of terrifying monster whenever I enter her line of vision!"

Albus sighed. "Mate, you got her sick."

"But she'll get even more sick if I try to help her! She'll get sick of me!" Scorpius protested.

"Can you see what she looks like right now? And she's planning on going to classes like that!"

Scorpius turned and craned his neck as he searched for Rose, who was seated at the Gryffindor table. Once he caught sight of her, he begrudgingly agreed with Albus; Rose was much too sick to be going to classes.

But that didn't mean that he would care for her. Why was Albus so adamant on having him cater to her whims for the day, anyway?

He couldn't possibly know of Scorpius's secret affections, could he?

But Albus had always been a schemer. He always knew everything.

"C'mon, Scorpius. If you don't, I'll tell your parents that you like Rose.

Scorpius grew slightly perturbed, but still replied with a "no."

"Mate, if you just take care of her for one day, then I'll do your homework for today."

Now that was an offer Scorpius didn't want to pass up on.

Which meant that he would have to agree.

And so Scorpius said a reluctant affirmation.

Albus's resulting smirk was terrifying. "Excellent," the smug boy responded, looking particularly excited about this.

What had Scorpius gotten himself into?

"Oh, and mate, the password to the Gryffindor Tower is 'delirium'."

As Scorpius walked away, dreading the day in front of him, and yet feeling sort of happy about it, he almost missed Albus's evil grin.

"Rose! Hey, Rose!" Scorpius called after the girl in question, slightly breathless.

She turned to face him, and Scorpius, now a foot in front of her, caught sight of her tired, feverish state.

It almost made him reach out and give her a hug.

Almost.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

Scorpius realized that he had no clue what to say to her regarding this affair.

"Um."

She raised an eyebrow, telling him to continue.

"Well."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for this, Malfoy."

"CanIcareyouday?"

"What?"

Scorpius sighed, bracing himself. "Can I take care of you for today?"

She stared at him, completely nonplussed.

And then she started to sway a little, overcome by dizziness.

"Rose? You alright?" Scorpius caught ahold of her hands in an attempt to steady her.

And then she fainted onto him.

He sighed. It was going to be a long, long day.

At least he got to miss out on classes, thanks to Albus's guilting/blackmailing/bribing skills.

He pushed away the thought that at least he'd be spending time with Rose Weasley.

"Malfoy?" Rose looked at him blearily through her fever-induced haze, propping herself up on the numerous maroon cushions, pillows, and blankets Scorpius had piled her cozy couch with. "What're you doing here?"

Looking up from the homework he had busied himself with, Scorpius exaggerated a highly affronted facial expression. "Taking care of you because you're sick and because your cousin is very persuasive."

She squinted at him, the kind of look that clearly said, "I am doubting you so much right now."

"What's in it for you?"

"I get to miss out on classes, and Albus'll do my homework for me."

"Ah. That explains it."

"Yeah."

"Scorpius?"

"Yeah?"

"I accept your offer."

That made Scorpius look up and crick his neck. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're not being a pain like usual, so..." she trailed off, shrugging.

"Thanks?" Scorpius responded, slightly awkwardly, rubbing his neck.

"But," Rose continued sharply, "one toe out of line, and I will not hesitate to hurt you with my magical abilities."

Feisty even when she was sick, Scorpius thought.

But he needed her warnings. Rose could and would hex him into oblivion if he did anything wrong. In fact, it was a surprise that she hadn't already done so.

"I will keep that in mind," Scorpius replied with his trademark smirk.

"Well, I'm going back to sleep," Rose declared, gently laying her head back down. "Thanks," came a muffled sound from the pile of pillows.

Scorpius went back to doing his homework.

And the he realized that he wasn't actually doing his homework, and that he was staring at the sleeping figure of Rose Weasley instead.

He mentally scolded himself for being such a creepy stalker.

But in that one moment, two things became so very crystal clear to Scorpius Malfoy: Rose Weasley was beautiful, both physically and mentally, and that he sort of fancied her.

This was so embarrassing.

But he couldn't do anything about it, so he just went with it.

Besides, there were worse people to like. Rose Weasley was a pretty good choice.

With that on his mind and a slight smile on his face, Scorpius turned his attention to his half-complete Transfiguration essay.

Scorpius, having dozed off while doing his homework, didn't realize when Hugo Weasley, accompanied by none other than Albus Severus Potter, entered the Common Room.

So Scorpius really did not appreciate the rude awakening of Hugo screaming, "Bloody hell!" at the top of his lungs and Albus sniggering in the background.

Nobody was all that surprised – trust Albus and Hugo to spread a rumor like wildfire – when, the next day, Scorpius caught the same illness that Rose had been incapacitated with.

In an overly cliché romantic gesture, he dubbed it lovesickness.

But it was all good because Rose had agreed to go to Hogsmeade with him next weekend.

A/N: Annnd scene!

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Lil' Quill