This is the absolute worst time of the year, thought Rose Weasley as she walked down the corridor shivering. It was Christmas time at Hogwarts and she was miserable. The Gryffindor-Slytherin quidditch match was tomorrow and the teachers were piling on the homework.
"Why all the girls have to wear skirts for uniforms even in the winter is completely absurd. I think it's sexist. Girls can wear pants, they're so much warmer. Make the boys wear skirts see how they like it!" The redhead muttered to herself. She turned the corner and ran into something solid and warm. "Oh bloody hell!" Rose dropped the pile of books that had been balanced precariously in her arms.
The solid warm thing laughed. She now recognized as her friend Scorpius Malfoy. "Well if what they say is true, you may have inherited your mother's brains but you also got your father's mouth." He bent down to help her pick up her things.
She just glared at him. He laughed at the look on her face.
When they had gathered all her books she turned and stalked away from him. "What's the matter Rosie?" He asked easily falling into step beside her.
"It's winter." She said as thought it was the most obvious answer in the world.
"What's wrong with winter? It's snowing, and it's almost Christmas." The blonde said with a smile that definitely wasn't inherited from his father.
"You know why I hate it. It's too cold! Just because you're cold-blooded doesn't mean you have to walk around bragging to the rest of us how much you like the cold harsh winter." Rose shook her curly hair out of her eyes as she turned to look at him.
"Well you don't have to take it out on me. You'd think you would be warm all the time. I mean you do look like your head's on fire." Scorpius still joking with her.
"Oh that's really original too bad someone told me that this morning Scor." She turned to stomp off to Gryffindor tower only to be pulled back flat against Scorpius' chest. He caught her and kept her from falling.
Instinctively the two friends looked up and saw what they both were dreading. The famous Hogwarts enchanted mistletoe. Rose groaned and turned to face her best friend. "So should we just get this over with?" Her cheeks grew redder and redder with each word.
"Um yeah I guess we should. Unless there is any other possible way to get out of this." He ran a hand through his hair. "Usually it won't let you leave until you kiss someone but I heard…"
He never got to finish rambling as Rose grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his lips to hers. It took him a minute to respond to the kiss. As soon as he started to pull her closer she pushed him a way and turned bright red.
"Um bye." With that Rose walked off to Gryffindor Tower.
"Scorpius? You alright? You look like you've been confounded or something." Albus Potter said sitting next to his friend in the Slytherin common room. Scorpius looked unusually pale. He muttered something to low for Al to hear. "Come again? Come on mate what happened?"
"Bloody mistletoe! That's what happened!" Scorpius stood up and started walking to the sixth year dorms. "I'm going to bed." Al just sat dumbstruck trying to figure out what happened.
That night Scorpius couldn't get her face out of his head. He had been in love with her for a while without her knowing. Now he couldn't help thinking about the kiss under the mistletoe. Her hair smelled like vanilla and she tasted like strawberries.
Meanwhile in the Gryffindor girl's dorms Rose lay staring at the ceiling. Would this change their friendship? Why can't she stop thinking about him? The way he rambles when he's nervous and how he always slows his steps down to walk with her because his legs are twice as long. How he has a smile that seems like it's just for her.
The next morning Scorpius and Al walked in the Great Hall and sat across from Rose. The three had their quidditch robes on already. Each time Rose and Scorpius would look at each other they would blush and look away. Al studied both of them curiously. They were way too quiet, and then all of a sudden it hit him.
"Wait a minute Scor, you two under the mistletoe! That's what happened isn't it?" Al didn't even try to hide his excitement at the fact that his two best friends may have realized how perfect they were for each other.
Rose just got up and walked over to where the rest of the Gryffindor team was sitting.
It was a tie game. Rose and Scorpius had each scored most of their team's points while Albus and James each searched for the snitch. It seemed like Rose and Scorpius were taking out their frustration with each other by playing rough. They tried to shove each other off their brooms and stole the quaffle from the other countless times. Finally James and Al both dove for the snitch. James came out with it in his hand. Gryffindor had won! Rose ran over to hug her cousin with the rest of the winning team.
Al and Scor stood and watched while the Gryffindor stands slowly empties onto the field. Then they saw a certain red head running over to them through the snow. Rose threw her arms around Scorpius' neck and kissed him with all the pent up tension she could. He wrapped his arms around her and responded immediately. Al rolled his eyes and muttered, "It's about bloody time."
As they broke away from each other, they were both flushed and smiling. This has to be my favorite time of year! Rose thought as she kissed him again.