So guys, I'm back hoho. This is a three shot and AU, but the places still have the same name (: I'd like to thank EWWBD for helping me translate this (I'm Brazillian so English is not my first language). Thank you very much (:

I hope you enjoy and pretty please, leave a review, it means a lot ^.^

DISCLAIMER: HARRY POTTER DOESN'T BELONG TO ME!

Rain wouldn't stop pouring down in that particular summer afternoon. We're in fucking London, what did you expect? Scorpius Malfoy thought to himself, his head resting against the cold window, the flat's living room reflecting on the glass. His blond, almost white hair was ruffled, the grey eyes fixed on the falling rain drops and the lips forming a smirk that had been there since the previous night, when he had finally accepted what he had taken years to do. He could finally welcome the thought of being in love with Rose Weasley, the daughter of one of his father's 'enemy' back in the days. Scorpius was seriously considering to thank his best friend (and Rose's cousin), Albus Potter, for introducing them, even though their relationship hadn't been very fluid at the beginning. Not only because their contact was forbidden, though. Scorpius and Rose were rivals in everything back in school: grades, sports, friends, popularity. They couldn't spend one day without bickering, finding flaws even when there was none. Everybody thought their quarrel would be over once they graduated from Hogwarts.

They couldn't be more wrong.

Even though they didn't meet with the same frequency, they had friends in common and, one way or another, they ended up in each other's company more times than they wished for. The fights were still there, they couldn't help each other. That's how they felt comfortable. It is, until things got complicated.

The Three Broomsticks was Albus Potter's favourite pub, which was why he had chosen to celebrate his 21th birthday there with his girlfriend, Alice Longbottom, his closest friends, Scorpius Malfoy, Aden Zabini and Owen Nott, and his cousin Rose Weasley. Besides the gift, though, Rose had brought another surprise. Her new boyfriend Elliot McLaggen who, to top it all, wasn't in Scorpius good graces back in school.

They sat around the table and ordered some drinks. Incredibly enough they were having a pleasant conversation, although the blond couldn't ignore the glares McLaggen kept shooting him. Scorpius maintained the 'poker face' but, inside, he just wished he could beat the fuck out of him. Only because he's a motherfucker, he thought. This has nothing to do with Red Weasel, nothing at all. He kept saying this goddamned mantra in his head but the sight of Rose with that fucking strapless black dress that left her legs bare and her red hair pulled back in a messy bun made his head spin.

At the end of the night, after Zabini and Nott had already left, Scorpius was proud to say he had controlled himself. He was sober and hadn't punched anyone. He was so focused on getting his coat to leave he almost didn't notice how drunk Elliot was.

"Come on Eli, let's take you home, huh!" Rose tried to persuade him, but the boy was so intoxicated he didn't even know the trash that was coming out of his mouth.

"Go home and do what, Rosie? Not shag, I'm sure, since I haven't got any since we started going out. Maybe those rumours in Hogwarts were true, huh. Maybe you really are just a damn prude and don't want anybody to know. Guess I'll have to keep going to Dana Brown to have some fun, after all."

Nobody was expecting that, of course. Silence filled the pub, since Elliot had started shouting at some point of his 'speech'.

Scorpius felt his face heating with rage and clenched his fists.

"You know, pal, that's not something you should say to your girlfriend," said the blond as calm as he could, trying not to lose control.

"Yeah, that's what you think?" he kicked back, challenging Scorpius, hands flat on the table.

"Well, yeah, that's what I and I'm sure, the whole world, think." Breathe, Scorpius, breathe.

A mad look appeared in Elliot's eyes and, out of the blue, he got Rose's arm and slapped her face.

That's it, he's going down.

The following moments were blurred. Scorpius could hear screams but had no idea what people were saying. He only remembered punching that goddamned excuse of man square on the face and being punched back. He could feel hands trying to hold his arms, but he was in such an adrenaline rush he could only see red. The motherfucker could punch him hard, but Scorpius punched him twice as harder.

His limbs were weakening but he still could beat the fuck out of that guy once more. Preparing to break his nose, Scorpius lifted his right arm and, as he was lowering it to his final destination, he felt the most delicate hands hold him. Surprised, he looked up and saw beautiful blue eyes looking down at him, tears refusing to leave those orbs. Slowly, he opened his hands, feeling his knuckles hurt, and let Rose put his arm down, still holding it. With help from Albus, Scorpius got up and sat on the chair, watching while some guys from the pub helped Elliot up. He couldn't help but grin a little seeing his face, blood coming out of the wounds.

Rose had come back from the cloakroomwith her jacket on one hand and his on the other. He assumed he had dropped it during the fight.

"Get up," she said, without looking at him.

"What? Why?"

"I said get up!" she repeated, ignoring his questions, turning to look at him, her eyes puffy and red.

"WOW! Don't need to put your knickers on a twist, Red. For Merlin's sake!"

Once he was up on his feet, Scorpius followed her out of The Three Broomsticks, being welcomed with the cold wind from mid July. With the corners of his eyes he observed McLaggen getting inside Albus car, his face contorted into an ugly mug, but he wasn't sure if it was because he was really mad or if his face had become like that after those punches. Looking ahead of him, he was surprised to see Rose had stopped and was glaring at him, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Are you done staring or should I give you a few more minutes?"

"Hey, who do you think you are talking to me like this? I've just defended your honour, or some crap like that, and that's how you thank me? Does your mother know you treat people like that? And I still don't know where you're taking me. Where is Albus taking McLoser? I'll only go with you if you answer me this." Scorpius then crossed his arms as well, lifting an eyebrow, challenging her.

Taking a deep breath, Rose looked back at him and explained, "Albus's taking Elliot to his house and Alice will take his car, as I'm about to do with you. Taking you to your house, I mean." She showed him his car keys, then. What… How did she get those? Searching inside his pockets and finding nothing, he remembered he had left the keys on his coat pocket, and she had been the one to bring his coat to him. Giving an I can't believe you're driving my car look, he asked her.

"And how are you going to go home? You came with him, didn't you?"

"I'll take a cab, not a big deal. Are you satisfied now? Can we go?"

"Yeah, I guess so. See, that wasn't so hard, was it, Red?" Scorpius flashed her his best smile while she rolled her eyes at him.

"Get in the car."

During the whole ride, Scorpius and Rose stayed in silence, except when he told her his address and how to get there, neither one trying to initiate a conversation. The blond could notice that, now and then, Rose would look at him but, when he looked back, the girl averted her eyes and focused on the street ahead. She's even more beautiful when she's shy. Scorpius smiled at the sight of her face and her ears getting redder.

A few minutes later, they arrived at his apartment, Rose parking his car outside the building. She insisted on coming up with him to his flat so she could take care of his wounds. He tried to refuse the help, but she persisted and he couldn't deny his face was bloody painful. As soon as they got inside his place, Rose asked where he kept the first-aidkit.

"First cupboard in the kitchen."

Scorpius watched as she wandered inside and quickly made her way back, placing the box on coffee tableand sitting beside him on the couch.

The atmosphere was tense between them, mainly when she leaned on him to attend an extremely deep cut above his eyebrow. The silence was the only thing they could hear. A couple of minutes had passed when Rose decided to speak.

"You didn't need to do that, you know. I can take care of myself."

"You didn't do anything to stop him, and I wouldn't let that guy get away after slapping you."

"And since when do you worry about what happens to me, huh? Last time we met, you didn't even try not to irritate me."

Scorpius kept quiet for a little bit. Why did I open my mouth?

"It's just that you're my best friend's cousin. Albus never liked that guy either. You deserve someone better that that draft of mutant giant toad."

"And I deserve someone that…" Rose was amused. Where was he trying to get at?

"You need someone who's clever, because you can't deny Elliot had no brain at all. You need someone who makes you laugh, because everybody knows how much you like laughing. You need someone who challenges you, not someone who agrees with every single thing you do without even showing an opinion. You need someone who understands your passion for reading, who knows you prefer eating ice-cream in the winter and notices you're lying when you say you're not hungry, because you're always hungry. You need someone who makes you live, not only exist."

Scorpius looked directly into her eyes. Grey meeting blue. They were so close on the couch, the boy was taken by surprise when she threw her back on the rest of the couch and started laughing. The blond stayed there, completely baffled. What is her problem? Did she think he was kidding?

It took a while until Rose noticed she was the only one laughing, so she stopped and straightened herself on the couch. He was still looking at her with a strange – Was that hurt?- look on his eyes.

"Sooo… you weren't joking." It was more of a statement that a question, but she still wanted an answer from him. When none came, she decided to explain her behaviour: "The thing is that, huh, it was funny, you know, because it's you, the person that I like the least in this entire world, telling me what is the right kind of guy for me. I thought you were kidding. I'm sorry."

Scorpius ignored her apologize and only said she needed to keep going on helping him with the wounds. Her expression got sad, but she didn't say anything, only continued on her task.

When she was cleaning a deep cut on his bottom lip, Scorpius released a groan of pain, but Rose didn't care and kept on with her work, making him twitch his face and groan more.

"Be quiet!" she snapped.

"It fucking hurts! What do you expect me to do?"

"If you stay quiet, it won't hurt as badly."

Scorpius tried to get rid of her hold, but she was so close to him that, after a rough move, Rose ended up on top of him, her hands on either side of his body, their faces inches apart, their eyes drawn to one another by an invisible and inexplicably inviting force.

They didn't know how it happened but one moment they were looking at each other and the other, that magnetic power was non-existing. Their lips locked on a fierce and lustful kiss. One of Scorpius' hands moved to her waist, the other holding her head, his fingers tangled between her hair, keeping her in place. Minutes, days, years could've passed but they didn't notice, just kissed until air was missing.

Their lips moved apart and the only sound that could be heard was their broken breathing. Rose was stunned and, when she opened her eyes, she found his glued on hers, an exquisite shine on them. Widening her eyes, as if finally understanding the consequences of what had happened, she got out of his hold and put herself on her feet, gathering her purse, anxious to leave this place.

"I… I need to go home," she muted, going to the door.

"Rose," he called, desperate for her not to go. "Rose, wait!"

But she didn't pay him any attention and, quickly, left the flat. Scorpius didn't go after her. He knew her pride wouldn't let her look back. There wasn't much to do, really. Scorpius needed some time to himself so he could put his feeling in order. Only when he figured out what the fucking hell was happening to him, what was that goddamned tightness in his chest he felt when she walked through the door, he would talk to her and put an end on that discomfort.