Rose stared at the bundle on her bed. The little, unoffending bundle that had wrecked so much havoc in her heart and mind since its mysterious arrival the day before. From the way she kept her distance, you'd almost think it was a bomb, about to go off at any second. And in a way, it was. It was certainly ticking, at least to Rose, ticking away her pride and her dignity.
"Damn you, Malfoy," she muttered under her breath, for yes, it was Malfoy. That much she knew. No one else would ever dare send her such an atrocious thing—thirteen coral-coloured roses, tied together with a ribbon that he'd stolen from her months ago—but somehow, he had always been something of a special snowflake in her life.
Finally, the bomb exploded.
"Lily!" Rose yelled. A curly ginger head poked into the dormitory.
"Finally gave in, I see," Lily remarked, flopping down on the bed.
Rose sighed and pounded her forehead with the flat of her hand. "Why me, Lil? Why me?"
Lily pursed her lips, as though really pondering the rhetorical question. "Well, let's see. It can't be because you tripped him on the train and he fell on his face, can it? It can't be that you two are constantly trying to kill each other on the Quidditch pitch, right? It can't be that—"
"That still doesn't explain why he'd give me these horrible things though."
Lily grinned at her. "So let's find out."
"Well, here you go," Lily said, setting down one last book on the table in front of Rose. "All the flower-related books the Hogwarts library has to offer."
Rose gaped at her. "Are you kidding?"
"Just think of that smirk, Rosie," Lily urged. "Think of that smug, self-satisfied smirk when you show up to class Monday without a clue why he'd sent you those."
Rose nodded. "Right. Think of the smirk. Think of the smirk. Think of the bloody smirk."
"That's the spirit! And while you're at it, d'you mind looking up something for lilies too?"
"What are you, a slave driver?" Rose shouted after her cousin, who waved merrily and skipped away. "Okay. Think of the smirk."
"Find anything yet?" Lily asked. Rose mumbled something. "What?"
"Arrgghmmffpp."
Lily leaned in closer. "What? Speak up!"
"I HATE HIM!" Rose screamed.
Lily patted her head. "There you go. Now keep looking. I'll help this time."
"Find anything?" Rose asked. Lily looked up quickly, a nervous expression forming on her face. "Well?"
"Well, you see," she began, "yes, I've found something, but I don't think it's got anything to do with your situation—"
"Let's just hear it," Rose said. "Nothing's got anything to do with my situation anymore."
"You—you're sure?"
"Yeah."
Lily gulped. "Okay...so it says that the colour coral means, um, desire..."
Rose fell off her chair. "What?"
"...and the number thirteen means..." Lily glanced up furtively.
"Go on," Rose said weakly.
"...secret admirer."
Rose fainted.
AN: Yay, silly Scorrose drabble :D
~Gella