Rose Weasley swung her long auburn hair over her right shoulder and narrowed her eyes, desperately scouring the pitch for a glimpse of the snitch. Slytherin were really on the offense today and Ravenclaw were losing, badly. She needed to find the snitch. This match was pivotal: if they lost this, they were out for the season.

Suddenly a flash of gold caught her eye and she made to dart in the direction of it, but found her path blocked by none other than Scorpius Malfoy. Of course he would beat her to it. Much as she hated to admit it, that boy really did have a sharp eye. He was a brilliant seeker. She leaned forwards until she had sped up sufficiently to be level with him.

"Back off Weasley – I saw it first" he hissed, nudging her slightly with his shoulder in an attempt to throw her off course. It didn't work – Rose had excellent balance.

They both sped up and followed the course of the snitch for a few minutes, arms outstretched, neither one successfully managing to overtake the other. Rose inched forwards infinitesimally and could feel the wings of the golden ball brushing against the tips of her fingers, when she felt Scorpius move from her right so he was positioned right in front of her, shouting something unintelligible. In a split-second, he had suddenly disappeared. Rose closed her fingers around the snitch and allowed a brief sense of victory to flow over her before she floated to the ground and – against her better judgement – looked around, almost worriedly, for Scorpius. She located him on the far end of the pitch, clutching his arm and surrounded by people. Ignoring the cheers from the Ravenclaw side of the crowd, she rushed towards him and fell to her knees by his side.

Why am I so worried about him?

I hate him.

I hate him.

I definitely, without a doubt-

"What happened?" The words left her mouth before she could stop herself. She spoke softly, unable to keep the concern from her voice. It was if – cliché as it was – there was no one else there. She could hear Madame Pomfrey fussing in the background, and Slytherin's crowd jeering, but all she saw was a pair of grey eyes looking up into her own concerned blue ones. For a second, her breathing slowed and her heartbeat quickened. For a second it was just her and him, their gaze locked on each other, an intensity passing between them which was so deep it scared her a bit. Then he opened his mouth and the moment was gone.

"Well it's pretty obvious, isn't it? I saved your sorry arse from a bludger which was heading right for that pretty face of yours. Classy move, stealing the snitch off me after I so chivalrously moved in front of you" He sneered, replacing the brief vulnerability he had shown on his face with a look of pure dislike.

"I didn't-" Rose began, before deciding she didn't need to justify herself. Not to him. "Come on, we both know I would have caught it either way. It was nice of you to 'save' me, though. I didn't have you down as the gentlemanly type"

"Oh really?" He looked almost intrigued. Almost. Mostly he looked irritated. "And what type did you 'have me down' as?"

She paused, pretending to think deeply. "Hmm…Self-righteous arsehole?"

"You're so transparent, Weasely. Don't lie to yourself. We both know you're secretly in love with me."

"Sod off" Rose snapped, wondering why she even bothered to come over in the first place. He was so infuriating.

"Well if it's so unlikely, then why are you even over here, looking at me with those big, blue concerned eyes of yours?" The expression on his face was far too smug for her liking.

"I don't know why I am over here, actually. Any concern I felt for you has conveniently disappeared because I've suddenly remembered what an idiot you are"

Rose got up and dusted herself off, before stalking over to the other side of the pitch, where her team members were waiting. When she was a few paces away from him, however, she turned and, after a brief hesitation, smiled.

"Thanks, though"

Despite himself, Malfoy also found himself smiling, though he would later convince himself that he was dazed because of the anti-pain potion he had been given by Madame Pomfrey.

"Yes, Rosie!" Exclaimed Albus, picking up his cousin and twirling her around in the entrance hall.

Rose eyed him suspiciously once he had set her back on the ground.

"May I remind you that I just won a quidditch match against your house and your best friend broke his arm in the process?"

"Can't I just be happy for my cousin?" Albus smiled, though Rose detected something else behind his apparent joy.

"Oh bloody hell, don't tell me you're back with Amelia again."

Amelia Bones was Rose's best friend and one of her five dorm-mates. She was relatively shy, blonde, and immensely pretty. The majority of the boys in the school drooled over her, but she was usually completely oblivious to their attention. Except, of course, in the case of Albus Potter. They had an on-again off-again relationship which usually ended because Albus had been an idiot, as per usual, and started up again – despite Rose's repeated pleas to her friend to stay away from her cousin – when he used his endless supply of charm to win her back.

"I don't know why you'd say such a –" He was cut off by Amelia running up to embrace Rose, before subtly slipping her arm around Albus' waist. Rose raised her eyebrows.

"Okay, fine, we're back together. Sue me." He winked at Rose, then turned to peck Amelia on the cheek. She blushed and looked down, not wanting to meet the judgemental gaze of her best friend.

"I will say nothing. You both know how I feel about this." She sighed, resigned, and moved to locate her other best friend and cousin, Louis Weasley. She spotted him on the other side of the entrance hall, but before she could push through the crowd of jostling students to meet him, she found her path blocked, for the second time that day, by Scorpius Malfoy.

"That was a quick recovery, it's barely been an hour since the match" Rose exclaimed, surprised to see him. Did she detect a hint of excitement in her voice? No, the victory must just be going to her head.

"Well I'm a big boy and didn't want to spend any more time than was necessary in the infirmary"

"How did you convince Madame Pomfrey to-"

"I can be very persuasive" He winked at Rose and moved past her to reach Albus. He acknowledged Amelia then engaged in animated conversation with his best friend. Rose shook her head. She would never understand the friendship between the two of them – they were so different. Albus was all warmth and light. Scorpius, well, he wasn't warmth and light, that was for sure. There was something about him that was dangerous and unhinged, but vulnerable at the same time. He could be so cold, but sometimes-

Why am I analysing Scorpius Malfoy in such detail?

"Hey, Rosie" Louis' smile lit up his face and his clear blue eyes sparkled with pride for his best friend. He held up his hand to high five her, which she reciprocated.

"Lunch? You can fill me in on the match, I had a transfiguration assignment so I missed it-" Louis continued to speak, and Rose pretended to listen, but she had turned back to look at the crowd, searching for a particular silvery-haired boy with a defined jawline. She didn't have to look for long – for some reason he was seeking her out as well. Their eyes met and for a second they shared the same intensity that had passed between them on the pitch.

"Rosie? Are you listening?" Louis laughed and waved a hand in front of her face.

"Of course I am. You were telling me about…" She faltered, her expression apologetic.

"Oh, don't worry, it wasn't that interesting" He pretended to look hurt and she slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"Sorry, sorry, do carry on with your enthralling story about the library, I'm listening."

But as Louis launched back into his spiel about not being able to find the right book for his transfiguration assignment, Rose wasn't really listening. She found that her mind was occupied by thoughts of a certain steel-eyed, arrogant, ridiculously attractive boy. A boy who she thought she hated. And she wasn't quite sure why, but she couldn't get his face out of her mind.

Rose shook herself. She was nothing if not sensible. And thinking about Scorpius Malfoy, other than to think about her dislike for him, would be a very un-sensible thing to do.

And yet she found herself doing so.

Before she went to sleep. In her sleep – he haunted her dreams. As she walked to potions. As she searched for a book in the library. His infuriating face just kept edging its way into her mind.

What was happening to her?