The Night of the Sting

By ShellCottage

Scorpius Malfoy was a lonely person. He had always been. It was some sort of defense mechanism to the rare case he was brought up to be. Draco Malfoy, the boy's father, used to come home every night from his work at the Ministry just to complain at how much hate he received. Scorpius remembered it quite clearly, his father's shaking hands as he opened an anonymous Howler, as he cautiously walk down the street with his hood over his blonde hair. He always held Scorpius's hand really tight when he was little, and he always grabbed his shoulder as he became older.

Scorpious Malfoy was a lonely person, not by choice, but by costume. There he was, sitting in the hallway between Potions and Charms classrooms, watching as the students went by through their days, completely unaware of the former Death Eater's son in the corner. His fingers brushed his blond hair away from his eyes. He needed a hair-cut. Actually, he hadn't notice his over grown hair until Rose Weasley pointed it out in Herbology. He was paired up with her, and they were silent for awhile, and then Scorpius made a remark about her freckles, and then she said: "Well, at least I comb my hair."

He had been thinking in cutting it out since that time. That way, Scorpius would be able to make a simple remark to her about her freckles without her making fun of his hair. He stood up from the bench and walked to the kitchens with a slight hope of taking a bath in the dorm's bathroom and going directly to bed to avoid thinking about Rose.

It had been that way since fifth grade. She laughed and he listened, she walked and he looked, she smiled and he melted away. It was his father's fault. He had told him tales about the Golden Trio as a kid, and by chance or by destiny, or by whatever reason there was to be, Scorpius had the chance to actually see them in his first year in the Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross. At first he admired her for being Ron's and Hermione's daughter, and later on, he admired her because she was always the first to answer in class, or the first one of her grade to made it into the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

It was at Charms of his fifth year, that his feelings for Rose became more than admiration. She had developed quite well during the summer, her breasts became fuller, and her hair became wilder. She was becoming a beautiful melody he couldn't stop listening to. It was with no warning when it hit him. He was watching her talk (giving an answer of some sort) when he thought: "Maybe is because I love her." He had talked to her only a couple times before, and yet he irrationally thought that was it, he had nailed it, right on target, that was exactly why he was so dreamy lately. And he was completely in love with her from that day on.

"Hey." There she was, in the corridor that led to the kitchens and the Hufflepuff dorms. She was stunning, and yet the same as every day.

"Hey. I was thinking in cutting my hair."He said.

"Oh, that's nice," She enclosed a strand of his hair in two of her fingers and twisted. "you need it."

They had talked, sometimes for hours at a time. He was a lonely person, and she liked feeling lonely with him. There was no meaning to it. Scorpius was one of the many, many friends she had. And yet, he was the only one with whom she didn't have to fake a smile all the time. He was comfortable, and sincere. She was a bit randy, and naïve. But still, they both felt like talking about nothing once in a while.

"I know, you said it in Herbology."

"Well, you do. It's not my fault that you always look like a bum."

"Yes, I forgot I was talking to Miss Rose "tidy" Weasley. You know you like my scruffy appearance."

"Oh, no. I'll never like that. I like my men clean and ready, if you know what I mean."

"Funny, Weasley, I'll remember that when Ryan McAdams asks me for advise in how to enamor you."

"Ah, did he really use that word? Enamor? Please, tell him to go away. I don't like it when he tries to kiss me in the hallway. You know he started cornering me at the Common Room. Albus kicked him in the arse last night. That little jerk was trying to feel me up."

"I thought you had no problem with guys trying to feel you up."

"Don't be silly. I like being felt up, but only by the guys I have feelings for. Maybe that's why only Ian Sommers had done it, and he was my boyfriend at the time."

That wasn't true. Scorpius was about to remind her about that time in the Owlery that they had broken curfew so he could teach her all the names of the constellations. They had been lying down in the brick floor looking up to the sky. Their hand brushed, and suddenly they were holding each other. Rose rested her head in his shoulder, and then she kissed him. He moved his lips to her neck, and then his hands were cupping her breasts and her teeth were biting down her lower lip. And when he thought that after two years of being in love, she was going to give in to his feelings, she said: "Sorry, I guess I got carried away. But we're friends. You probably won't like me, and I probably won't like you either." And she was still Ian Sommers's girlfriend at the time.

"Just don't let too many guys do it, alright?"

"I would never."

"Go on to dinner, Rose, the tables would be empty if you don't hurry."

"Yes, you're right." And she gave him a peck on the cheek, and walked down the corridor to the Great Hall.

"Oi, Scorpius," she called before turning left and out of sight. "I do still remember the Owlery."