The Hogwarts corridors after curfew were spooky; no animated conversations amongst the many students wandering the halls, no teachers making sure everybody was staying in line, no sunlight streaming through the wide, arched, windows. Instead, there was complete darkness, every step taken emphasized by the utter silence, and, since the moon had completed it's cycle, there wasn't even the slightest sliver of moonlight to guide Rose Weasley about the chamber.

Rose was scared out of her wits. Never before had she broken a major school rule- of course she had a few minor infractions on her record, such as throwing a pencil at Albus during muggle studies and talking to friends during class, but she hadn't ever entirely ignored regulations. Her black shoes tapped far too loudly with each long stride she took. It had been 15 minutes since she had left her little homework nook- it was out of sight to everything, and Rose doubted even the teachers knew about it. She often went there to do homework or be apart from her large group of family and her few close friends. It was there that she had dozed off tonight, and now, with the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room in sight, Rose began to quicken her pace, arriving there in seconds.

The entrance to Ravenclaw Tower was not a portrait hole, exactly, but an elaborately decorated tapestry, with an entryway behind it that would open only with the answer of a riddle. Rose pattered over to it and glanced around nervously as the swirls running across the tapestry shaped themselves into beautiful, lightly glowing cursive.

If you break me
I do not stop working,
If you touch me
I may be snared,
If you lose me
Nothing will matter

Rose tugged a strand of her auburn hair as she thought long and hard about what it was asking. She was just thinking that she might walk away, find a place to hide nearby for a little while, and wait to come back for another riddle. But as soon as she turned her back, the answer popped into Rose's mind straight away.

Whipping back around, her head followed by a rush of curls, the girl stated with confidence, "My heart." The letters slowly drifted apart and back to their original pattern, and when Rose heard the quiet sliding of stone behind it, she threw the fabric back and rushed inside, sighing in relief at not being caught. All she wanted to do now was trudge up the stairs to the dormitories and collapse in bed. The grandfather clock by the fire told her it was nearly midnight, far too late in Rose's opinion.

As she stifled a yawn and dragged her feet past one of the lush, velvet couches, Rose noticed something strange. The fireplace was still lit- dimly, but enough to illuminate the area up to the nearest sofa. Most of the time the house prefects were sure to put it out after everybody was upstairs, so why would they have neglected it tonight? Rose was unable to resist her curiosity and peered over the couch, discovering a figure hunched over, head in hands. She recognized the boy, though she had never really spoken to him.

It was Scorpius Malfoy, a fellow 6th year. Her father had warned her to stay away from him when she was a first year, due to their family issues, but hadn't entirely listened. Rose didn't purposely stay away from Scorpius, they just never really interacted, and she found that she didn't mind- in fact, it made her quite relieved. She wasn't disobeying her father, but she also wasn't allowing what had happened in the past become a hindrance in her life.

"Hey... Malfoy?" Rose inquired, sitting on the arm of the sofa and gently placing her hand on his back. He jolted upright, his startlingly grey eyes widening as he did so. Malfoy brushed his blonde hair out of his eyes and leaned back instead, once he recognized Rose as a student, not an attacker.

"Hey..." He murmured. "You're Rose, correct? Rose Weasley?"

"That's me." Rose told him with a smile, slipping off of the arm and gently lowering herself onto the couch next to him. "Why are you up so late?"

Scorpius's face fell, and it was only then that Rose realized just how red his eyes were. The whites of his eyes were completely pink and red, and they wouldn't be that bloodshot simply because one stayed up until midnight. As he lowered his head back to rest in his opened palms, Scorpius said, "It's complicated."

"I'm listening."

Though he appeared hesitant, the fair-haired boy opened his mouth and began to speak. "My mother has been diagnosed with cancer... It's a disease that's so far incurable by both Muggle and Wizard healers. I got an owl today about it... she's going to see a Muggle doctor tomorrow, and a healer the next week. So far, Muggle doctors have actually made more advanced steps towards fixing these kinds of diseases. But you know, she's my mum..."

Rose hadn't noticed exactly when it happened, but at some point one arm had wrapped around Scorpius, the other, gently rubbing up and down his nearest arm.

"You can cry, you know."

"I don't cry in front of people."

Rose gave a reassuring smile. "I'm not 'people'. I'm just Rose. And I won't tell."

Scorpius locked eyes with her for a few seconds before the tears he had been holding back overflowed. He turned his head away, refusing to look her in the eyes again, all the while focusing on her slender arms around him.

The grandfather clock tolled five times, gently waking Scorpius from his slumber. He kept his eyes closed, confused at why he was awoken by the clock- one could scarcely hear it from the dormitories.

"That's right..." Scorpius thought to himself, "I must have fallen asleep after I came down last night." He decided that he could probably go upstairs and fall asleep in his own bed for a while longer, and opened his eyes, shocked at what he found.

He had fallen asleep upright, leaned against what he had assumed was the side of the couch. But now, looking down, he realized that his head had been resting upon an auburn nest of curls, belonging to none other than Rose Weasley, a girl to whom he scarcely spoke. Scorpius couldn't help but notice how pretty she was, even while sleeping, and gently attempted to get up without disturbing her.

Scorpius was unsuccessful.

As soon as he had lifted his body from his seat Rose's body slipped to the side, startling her awake. She glanced about frantically, before noticing Scorpius before her.

"Good morning..." Rose said, stretching her arms out in front of her. "What time is it?"

Scorpius was, as it was commonly known, fairly shy. He had several close friends with whom he was truly himself, including Albus, but with virtually all other's (mostly females), he was dreadfully shy.

That's not to say girls didn't find him attractive- they were always gushing over him.

"Um... it's just past five..." He said a near whisper, glancing at his shoes.

"Alright." She stood and brushed her skirt down. "Maybe I'll get another hour or so of sleep before going down for breakfast. So I guess I'll see you around?"

"Sure."

"Alright." Rose smiled, looking up at the tall boy and grabbing his hands. "I really am sorry to hear about your mother." And with that, she left for the girl's dormitory.

Scorpius was rooted to the spot and he could feel his cheeks turning pink.

"Bloody hell..."

So, how was it? This story is rated T for a reason, so just be wary of that in coming chapters. Please don't favourite or subscribe without reviewing! I'll try to have the next chapter up after end-of-term exams! Also, check out my ongoing story, "Rose's Week of Woes"! Thanks for reading!
Truly Yours,
ToTrulyBe