But that's not even a costume." She protested.
"So? It's black. And spooky. You're the one who took the cop-out option."
"An angel isn't a cop-out. A cop-out is putting on a black suit and calling yourself spooky."
"You don't even have wings."
"Only other angels can see them, mate."
Scorpius breathed forcefully out his nose, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance. "Rose, look. You gave me ten minutes to pull something together, so this is what you get. Now, you need to hush up. And watch the third stair from the top. It squeaks."
The youngest Malfoy grabbed her hand, pressing a finger to his lips in a silent warning. Together, they slowly walked out of his room in the Manor, looking down the hall to make sure Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy didn't catch them. Thankfully, the thin strip off light under the master bedrooms door was long since put out. As the pair of teenagers crept out of the old house, Rose held in her breath. This was probably the biggest rule breaking excursion she had ever had, being out on Halloween after dark. Scorpius thought she needed more adventure, but if Rose was being completely honest, she would have preferred to stay at home. Adventure made Rose's palm sweat and her knees shake.
"Hey, Scorp?" She whispered as they reached the double French doors. "Where are we going?"
The shadows hid his features well, but Rose could still see the very outlines of Scorpius' face. He was very handsome, following in his father's footsteps in that respect. But it was his eyes that were different. So extraordinary different. Their bright cobalt blue shone, alight with mischief.
"Trick or treating." His voice was raised just barely above a whisper, yet even he couldn't hide the glee in it. "It's this Muggle thing, you see, children go 'round house to house-"
"Yes, Scorpius, I know what trick-or-treating is. But why don't we just go to The Longbottoms' party? You know, because we aren't children anymore." She pushed open the oak doors, stepping into the chilly air. "It will be fun."
Scorpius pouted. "I don't like parties, Rosie."
"And right now, I don't like you." She turned back to her mate's house. "Lets' just play a few rounds of Exploding Snap, then call it a night, eh?"
"Just one house?" He pleaded. "One house. Then we can go home."
Rose sighed. "Fine. Lead on."
He grinned, pulling her hand behind him, and began to run as Rose tried her hardest to keep up. "This it is Rose!" He shouted into the night. "Your first big adventure. This will go down in history."
"That's bloody fantastic." She said, panting. The pair raced down the winding landing to the wrought iron gates, separating the Manor from the rest of the world. Scorpius pointed his wand at the lock, emitting a brilliant flash of light. Sharing a quick glance, the two Ravenclaws darted through the gates and down the lane, Rose's curly red hair going everywhere, and Scorpius laughing.
The first house they reached was dark and completely empty; the second seemed to have the party of the century inside. The third belonged to an old woman who had no candy but instead a wall of stuffed dogs. They left her alone very quickly. It wasn't until the eighth house did they find someone who was normal enough that they didn't fear for their lives.
Scorpius reached out; knocking sharply three times, time stepping back. Rose rocked back and forth on her heels, as the muffled sound of footsteps moved around the house. It was only a moment later when the door swung open, revealing a tall man who, judging by his graying hair and thick spectacles was in his fifties.
"Oh Halloweeners!" He cried merrily before Rose could utter the custom 'trick-or-treat.' "Don't get many around here-"He paused, looking down at them. "Aren't you two a little old?"
Rose flashed her best people-pleasing smile. "That's what I tried to tell him, Sir."
Scorpius laughing, patting Rose on the shoulder. "One may always be young at heart, Sir."
The man grunted. "Keep telling myself that, but it doesn't make me walk any faster." He studied Rose and Scorpius for a minute, before giving in. "Oh, alright." He turned around, fetching a tin of sweets from the front hall table and giving them a handful each. "How's Hogwarts? You two would've just graduated, yeah?"
Rose's eyes widened in shock. "H-how did you know?"
"Well, for starters, I'm a wizard me self. I can also see the boys' wand sticking out of his pocket, now can't I?" Scorpius hurried to shove his wand further into his breast pocket, a blush spread around his neck. "Well, either way, you lot have a nice night. Quite right, being together, I must say."
But this only made Scorpius blush more, as he stammered out an explanation. "We-we're not- I don't..." And the only thing Rose could do was become exceedingly interested in her shoes.
He nodded, sending a pointed look at Scorpius. "Or course you're not, laddie. Have a nice night then."
The air, as Rose and Scorpius left the house back the way they had come, was colder than before. An uncomfortable static had filled the space between them, and after several attempts at saying something to only to make eye contact with each other and look away, Scorpius finally spoke.
"This candy is rubbish."
"You're rubbish." She countered.
He chuckled, shaking his head. "You don't really believe that, do you?"
"At the moment," Rose started, shivering in the cold. "At the moment you're the one with the coat, so I don't think I'll be saying anything bad about you."
Scorpius stopped in the middle of the lane, shrugging his overcoat off his shoulders, revealing a dark purple dress shirt. "Here you are." He said gruffly, swinging the thing around Rose.
"You don't have to." She said quickly, smiling anyway.
He stuck his hands in his pockets, looking at his feet. "You're cold, Ro. It's gentlemanly. Plus, I fancy you so why would I let you be cold." He mumbled, scuffing his feet on the gravel road.
"What?" She asked, not being able to hear him.
"I fancy you, Rose." He looked down in shame. "I'm sorry but-"
She had cut him off, pressing her mouths to his fiercely, threading her fingers through his blond hair. Scorpius felt warmth spreading over his body, even in the night air. He held her waist against his, and kissed him back with all his might, deciding if this was a dream like most of the time when he kissed her, he might as well enjoy it.
But that's not even a costume." She protested.
"So? It's black. And spooky. You're the one who took the cop-out option."
"An angel isn't a cop-out. A cop-out is putting on a black suit and calling yourself spooky."
"You don't even have wings."
"Only other angels can see them, mate."
Scorpius breathed forcefully out his nose, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance. "Rose, look. You gave me ten minutes to pull something together, so this is what you get. Now, you need to hush up. And watch the third stair from the top. It squeaks."
The youngest Malfoy grabbed her hand, pressing a finger to his lips in a silent warning. Together, they slowly walked out of his room in the Manor, looking down the hall to make sure Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy didn't catch them. Thankfully, the thin strip off light under the master bedrooms door was long since put out. As the pair of teenagers crept out of the old house, Rose held in her breath. This was probably the biggest rule breaking excursion she had ever had, being out on Halloween after dark. Scorpius thought she needed more adventure, but if Rose was being completely honest, she would have preferred to stay at home. Adventure made Rose's palm sweat and her knees shake.
"Hey, Scorp?" She whispered as they reached the double French doors. "Where are we going?"
The shadows hid his features well, but Rose could still see the very outlines of Scorpius' face. He was very handsome, following in his father's footsteps in that respect. But it was his eyes that were different. So extraordinary different. Their bright cobalt blue shone, alight with mischief.
"Trick or treating." His voice was raised just barely above a whisper, yet even he couldn't hide the glee in it. "It's this Muggle thing, you see, children go 'round house to house-"
"Yes, Scorpius, I know what trick-or-treating is. But why don't we just go to The Longbottoms' party? You know, because we aren't children anymore." She pushed open the oak doors, stepping into the chilly air. "It will be fun."
Scorpius pouted. "I don't like parties, Rosie."
"And right now, I don't like you." She turned back to her mate's house. "Lets' just play a few rounds of Exploding Snap, then call it a night, eh?"
"Just one house?" He pleaded. "One house. Then we can go home."
Rose sighed. "Fine. Lead on."
He grinned, pulling her hand behind him, and began to run as Rose tried her hardest to keep up. "This it is Rose!" He shouted into the night. "Your first big adventure. This will go down in history."
"That's bloody fantastic." She said, panting. The pair raced down the winding landing to the wrought iron gates, separating the Manor from the rest of the world. Scorpius pointed his wand at the lock, emitting a brilliant flash of light. Sharing a quick glance, the two Ravenclaws darted through the gates and down the lane, Rose's curly red hair going everywhere, and Scorpius laughing.
The first house they reached was dark and completely empty; the second seemed to have the party of the century inside. The third belonged to an old woman who had no candy but instead a wall of stuffed dogs. They left her alone very quickly. It wasn't until the eighth house did they find someone who was normal enough that they didn't fear for their lives.
Scorpius reached out; knocking sharply three times, time stepping back. Rose rocked back and forth on her heels, as the muffled sound of footsteps moved around the house. It was only a moment later when the door swung open, revealing a tall man who, judging by his graying hair and thick spectacles was in his fifties.
"Oh Halloweeners!" He cried merrily before Rose could utter the custom 'trick-or-treat.' "Don't get many around here-"He paused, looking down at them. "Aren't you two a little old?"
Rose flashed her best people-pleasing smile. "That's what I tried to tell him, Sir."
Scorpius laughing, patting Rose on the shoulder. "One may always be young at heart, Sir."
The man grunted. "Keep telling myself that, but it doesn't make me walk any faster." He studied Rose and Scorpius for a minute, before giving in. "Oh, alright." He turned around, fetching a tin of sweets from the front hall table and giving them a handful each. "How's Hogwarts? You two would've just graduated, yeah?"
Rose's eyes widened in shock. "H-how did you know?"
"Well, for starters, I'm a wizard me self. I can also see the boys' wand sticking out of his pocket, now can't I?" Scorpius hurried to shove his wand further into his breast pocket, a blush spread around his neck. "Well, either way, you lot have a nice night. Quite right, being together, I must say."
But this only made Scorpius blush more, as he stammered out an explanation. "We-we're not- I don't..." And the only thing Rose could do was become exceedingly interested in her shoes.
He nodded, sending a pointed look at Scorpius. "Or course you're not, laddie. Have a nice night then."
The air, as Rose and Scorpius left the house back the way they had come, was colder than before. An uncomfortable static had filled the space between them, and after several attempts at saying something to only to make eye contact with each other and look away, Scorpius finally spoke.
"This candy is rubbish."
"You're rubbish." She countered.
He chuckled, shaking his head. "You don't really believe that, do you?"
"At the moment," Rose started, shivering in the cold. "At the moment you're the one with the coat, so I don't think I'll be saying anything bad about you."
Scorpius stopped in the middle of the lane, shrugging his overcoat off his shoulders, revealing a dark purple dress shirt. "Here you are." He said gruffly, swinging the thing around Rose.
"You don't have to." She said quickly, smiling anyway.
He stuck his hands in his pockets, looking at his feet. "You're cold, Ro. It's gentlemanly. Plus, I fancy you so why would I let you be cold." He mumbled, scuffing his feet on the gravel road.
"What?" She asked, not being able to hear him.
"I fancy you, Rose." He looked down in shame. "I'm sorry but-"
She had cut him off, pressing her mouths to his fiercely, threading her fingers through his blond hair. Scorpius felt warmth spreading over his body, even in the night air. He held her waist against his, and kissed him back with all his might, deciding if this was a dream like most of the time when he kissed her, he might as well enjoy it.
