A/N: Hello Scorose lovers! Before the story starts I'd like to say thank you to Christopher Oliver for suggesting the name, I think it works perfectly! Enjoy the story everyone (:

Rose was curled up in her favourite armchair in the furthest corner of the Hogwarts library, her head buried in her new First Edition copy of 'Hogwarts, A History'.

With all of the stress and worries of 5th Year, she just enjoyed these quiet moments spent alone in her favourite chair.

Suddenly she became aware of a sound approaching through the aisles of bookcases. Footsteps. They grew louder until they eventually stopped a few feet away and a familiar, intoxicating scent clouded her senses.

'Oh Merlin NO! Don't look up Rose, don't look up. ROSE WEASLEY DON'T YOU DARE LOOK U-'

"Weasley," came a smooth silver-tongued voice.

She lifted her head and made sure to wear her most perfect scowl. "Malfoy."

He was leaning against a book case only a few feet away, his flaxen hair hanging in his silver-blue eyes and his muscles on full display in his black t-shirt and casual jeans. Damn him for being so gorgeous.

"I believe you're in my spot," he remarked with a smirk. His grin only grew wider to reveal a set of pearly white teeth, when her blue eyes flashed dangerously and she tossed her glossy red curls over her shoulder. She looked so beautiful when she was angry.

"Your spot? Excuse me, but I was here first," she retorted, perking an eyebrow at him and standing up to place a hand on her toned hip.

"I believe you're mistaken Weaselette. You see, this chair here happens to be the best. Therefore it has to be mine," he smirked. He knew fine well it would tick her off, and oh how right he was.

"And WHY is that Ferret?" she cried exasperatedly. "Oh wait no let me guess: you're descended from Merlin? You have an incorrigible God complex? You're secretly the Minister of Magic?" she asked sarcastically.

"Close," he shrugged. "I'm a Malfoy. I need the best spot to study - how do you expect me to be top of the class in Potions AGAIN if I'm not comfortable while studying?" he asked with a mock-innocent voice.

"I don't expect you to. That's my job," she snarled back at him. She'd forgotten she needed to study for that Potions test. She couldn't let him be top of the class for the third time this year!

"But surely you'd give up the chair to a student who needs it? You're not even studying!" It was then that Rose caught sight of the thick Potions text book grasped in his hand.

"I don't need to study to beat you - it comes naturally," she smiled at him.

"Not according to the last test results it doesn't."

It had been like this all year between them. Constantly trying to outshine the other one, trying to make the other look better - all in an attempt to get the other to admit their feelings first.

Rose sighed. Clearly that wasn't going to be happening tonight. She didn't care how sinfully good he looked or smelled, or how intelligent he was, or how brilliant he was at everything.

She had had enough.

"I'm going to give you one last warning Malfoy. Get. Lost."

"Ohhh someone's feisty today," he teased playfully. "What's got your wand in a knot Weasley? Nobody asked you to the Valentines Ball yet?"

"Actually, I already have a date," she smirked and had to bit her lip to contain her laughter when his eyes boggled out of their sockets.

"What? Who?" Well this put a spanner in the works. He had been wanting to ask her.

"Why? Are you interested?"

"N-No!" he stuttered. "Would you care if I was?"

"N-No, not at all!"

There was an awkward pause for a second. That was before Scorpius let his curiosity get the better of him again.

"But just out of curiosity who are you taking?"

"Someone," she shrugged and got the satisfaction of seeing his curiosity peak.

"Someone...real?" he asked in an attempt to be witty and not let his panic show.

"Of course it's someone real! He's wonderful, and smart, and handsome, and-"

"Imaginary. There's no one like that at Hogwarts," he insisted as he crossed his arms. He was furious. She was supposed to be thinking all of these things about him! Not someone else!

"Oh yes, there is. If you know where to look," she replied as she stared intently at him. He almost melted under her gaze and in that moment Rose really thought that he was going to cave in first and ask her out.

That's when something clicked in Scorpius's head and he caught on to her game. So she was trying to make him jealous was she? 'Well,' he chuckled to himself, 'Two can play that game darling.'

"Well who ever your date is they're not as good as mine," he announced proudly, back to wearing his self-assured smirk. She had gone back to reading her book in her chair, trying to act casual about everything. He almost laughed when she threw her book down on the ground and sprang up out of the chair.

"WHAT? Who are YOU taking?"

"Oh, just someone wonderful, and smart and beautiful and-"

"Cut the crap Malfoy. Who are you taking?"

"You'll just have to show up and find out won't you?" he called back to her over his shoulder as he turned on his heal and began sauntering back through the aisles on his way back to the Slytherin Common Room.

He hadn't planned on taking anyone else but Rose to the Ball, but now that he thought about it, he had the perfect person in mind.

"I'll find out before then," she growled and took out her Mums old Dumbledore's Army coin. "Lisa Longbottom," she began writing her message, "Get your arse out of those Green Houses and wait for me outside Ravenclaw Tower, we have a lot of snooping to do."

Rose packed up her things immediately and took off running through the aisles of bookcases and turned sharply to the left once she reached the doors to the library.

'I am so screwed! So, so, so screwed!' she screamed to herself.

And she was. All of that stuff she'd said about bringing a date - it was all made up! She hadn't planned on bringing anyone else but Scorpius, what was she supposed to do now?

The situation looked hopeless. It was Wednesday, the Ball was Friday night. She had two days to find a date worthy enough to drive Scorpius crazy and seeing as all of the drop-dead gorgeous ones had been taken she was struggling to think of someone she could go with.

WHO ELSE WAS THERE?

She had been focusing so much on thinking of someone that she wasn't paying attention to where she'd been running. And she collided with someone and fell hard to the floor.

"Ughhhh," she groaned after face planting the floor. She was vaguely aware of her books lying all over the floor but right now she didn't care. All she wanted to do was lie here and wallow in her own stupidity and self-pity.

"Well this is nice," a husky voice beside her remarked and she was up and off the floor before you could say 'Golden Snitch'.

"McLaggen! Why don't you watch where you're going?" she snapped as she rearranged her skirt and began picking up her books off the floor.

"Au contraire my little Rose petal, I think you'll find it was you who ran into me," Connor McLaggen smirked up at her from his spot on the floor. "I don't mind though, don't you think it was nice lying down beside me? Just as it should be?"

"The only way I'd ever be lying down beside you McLaggen, is if we were both knocked down by the Knight Bus at the same time," she responded in a dull voice. You'd think after three years of constant rejection he'd get the message?

"Oh baby don't be like that," he pouted as he pushed himself off the ground to tower over her. Of course he wouldn't get the message - he was a notorious Womanizer. How could she forget?

"I'm not your baby," she frowned at him before turning on her heel and continuing her walk back to Ravenclaw Tower.

"A man can dream can't he?" he chirped, walking alongside her and letting his toned and muscly arm brush lightly against hers.

"A man can yes. You however don't quite qualify for that," she responded, giving him a cautious sideways glance.

"Oh you're on a roll today babe, I love it when you insult me," he sighed as he gazed at her adoringly. He also couldn't help but notice how her skirt bounced around her thighs as she walked and it took all of his self control not to act on impulse.

"Would you also like it if I throw a brick at your face?" she asked sarcastically, not stopping her brisk walking pace. Honestly, was there any getting rid of this guy?

"That cut me deep Rosie," he said, placing a hand over his heart and trying to act sincere. Only when she scoffed at him and kept walking did he realize it wasn't working and he continued stalking her. He'd have to change his approach if he wanted to get anywhere. "So what's wrong?"

She looked at him then and gave him the best skeptical look she could muster right now. "Why would anything be wrong?"

"Oh nothing, it's just you're more deliciously tempting than usual and that only happens when you're pissed. So tell me, what can Connor do to make it all better?" he purred.

Was he serious? He wanted her to spill her problems out to him? Where would she even begin? She had no clue where to start snooping to find out who Scorpius's date was. If she was so perfect then Rose would need to completely re-plan her outfit to steal the attention. She had no idea on how to find a date that would make Scorpius jealous. Someone so nauseating. Someone so self-assured and someone so handsome that would make the other girls jealous too a-

Hang on a minute.

She stopped walking suddenly, and only when Connor realized he was walking alone did he look around before jogging back to stand in front of her.

Rose studied him. He definitely had the whole 'nauseating' thing down to a fine art. Everyone hated McLaggen - especially the guys, and Rose knew for a fact that Scorpius loathed him. He was incredibly self-assured, nothing could penetrate that ego - not even three years of constant rejection. Mind you, it didn't help that he'd shagged half the girls in Hogwarts because they all thought he was 'oh so sexy'. 'Oh so annoying' was more like it. And as much as she hated to admit it, he was hot. Not Scorpius's level of hot - but she still couldn't deny it. With his shaggy beach boy haircut, sandy coloured hair, deep green eyes and slightly tanned skin he was known as Hogwart's Heartthrob. Next to Scorpius and her cousin James of course.

The more she thought about it, the more probable it seemed that this could work.

"Connor," she purred his name, taking him thoroughly by surprise as she moved closer to him and began batting her eyelashes.

"Y-Yes?" he stammered. The way she was swaying from side to side was causing her skirt to flounce around again and that little flirty smile of hers was making his heart beat faster. Oh he wanted her so badly.

"Do you have a date to the Valentines Ball?" she asked in an overly sweet voice. "N-No babe, I was o-only wanting you."

"Do you want to go with me?" she smirked at him, fully aware of how crazy she was making him go.

He blinked at her. He'd finally worn her down? About bloody time! It'd only been three years! "Sure - I mean yes, I mean definitely."

"Ok, bye!"

Connor hadn't realized she was gone until she was halfway down the corridor, sprinting back to Ravenclaw Tower.

He found her goodbye kind of weird, but did he particularly care? HELL NO! He was FINALLY taking her out on a date! Now she would make an excellent prize for him. He walked off with his usual swagger, smirking triumphantly to himself and began making plans in his head about how he'd sneak her back to his dormitory after the dance.

Rose didn't stop running all the way up the winding marble staircase to Ravenclaw Tower. She had managed to ditch one problem off her list, but she still had two more.

"Merlin, what happened to you?" Lisa gasped as Rose rounded the last corner and came into view. She was panting and gasping for air from all of her running.

"McLaggen," Rose breathed, leaning against the stone wall and trying to get her breathing under control.

"CONNOR McLaggen? What does he have to do with this? Oh God, he hasn't been stalking you again has he?

" Rose shook her head at her best friend and gave her a certain look. Lisa gasped - being able to read her mind perfectly.

"You didn't."

"I did, but that's not the least of my worries. We have a lot of work to do before Friday," and with that Rose answered the riddle to get them into the Ravenclaw Common Room and the pair went up to Rose's room. Yes. They definitely had a lot to do before Friday.

"Rose! You look amazing!" Lisa gushed as Rose stepped out of the adjoining bathroom to her dormitory. Her room mates were busy getting ready in other rooms, giving Rose and Lisa plenty of space to get ready.

"Thank you Lis! Wow you look great too!" Rose remarked, taking in Lisa's beautiful dress, it was the sweetest thing she'd ever seen.

It had a heart-shaped neck line and was all dusky pink lace and gossamer around the boddess. It hugged her petit frame perfectly around the chest, before poofing out and falling down to her knees. The way it seemed to float made her look so graceful and with her golden blonde ringlets draped elegantly over her shoulders she looked like a fairy princess.

Lisa blushed, drawing attention to her large emerald eyes. "Thanks, but you look better. I love what you did with the dress!"

It was true, Rose looked stunning.

Before, her dress had been plain and simple, so as not to distract anyone from her eye-catching make up. But after her encounter with Scorpius the other night she'd made her own additions to it. It had the same heart-shaped neckline like Lisa's, was tight in all the right places and had a mermaid style flair at the bottom. Also following the theme of Valentines Day, it was Lipstick Red. Rose had been worried that the colour would clash too much with her hair, but on the contrary, it complimented it perfectly. Her hair was that darker shade of red, closer to Auburn than Ginger and so if anything it made the dress look even better. Her curls were pulled to one side and pinned in place, to fall over her shoulders as an elegant pony tail.

Even Rose had to admit, she'd never felt this good before.

"Thanks Lisa," she smiled and it was her turn to blush as she sat down on her four-poster bed to get her black stiletto heels on. "So, any idea yet on who Scorpius is bringing?"

Lisa who had finished putting on her own shoes and was reaching for her bag, paused and shifted awkwardly from side to side. "Not really. I asked Sabrina Zabini, and apparently he went to the Owlery about an hour after he got back from the Library. That's it I'm afraid," she shrugged and opened the door for a dejected Rose Weasley to step through.

"The Owlery? What could he possibly be going to the Owlery for on a Wednesday night?" she asked aloud as she and Lisa descended the staircase into the bright and airy Common Room.

"I have absolutely no idea - maybe he was sending something to his Mum or Dad?" Lisa suggested, following Rose out of the room and into the bustling Hallway.

"They're in Paris for Valentine's Day," Rose sighed, taking care with her dress when walking down the Grand Staircase. "If he was sending anything to them wouldn't he just Floo it to them?"

"Perhaps - or maybe it was to his dat-" Lisa clamped her mouth firmly shut at that and began mentally slapping herself.

"It's ok Lis you can say 'Date'. It's probably true actually - but why would he need to send anything?"

"Maybe to make sure she was still coming? That's if she doesn't go here..."

As they reached the bottom of the staircase, the noise from the Entrance Hall grew louder with each step, to the point where they had to shout to each other to be heard.

"I don't think she does! I think if his date went here, we'd know about it by now!" Rose called to Lisa as they maneuvered their way through the crowd of couples.

"Well we'll find out soon! Have a peek inside! See if he's there yet!"

Rose took Lisa's advice and cracked the doors open ever so slightly to have a peek inside.

The Great Hall looked magnificent. It had been modeled after a romantic night in Paris, and so there were well-trimmed trees - actual trees - scattered around the Hall to make it look like a park. Two-seater benches sat underneath the canopies of green leaves. It was dimly lit, with old-fashioned oil lantern lamp posts surrounded the dance floor, in the centre of which was a white gazebo for the band to play in. Fairy lights hung in strands above the circular tables with white tableclothes, and glass hearts floated through the air. The moonlight filtered through the enchanted ceiling, creating the perfect atmosphere for the night.

She got so lost in the beauty of it all that she got such a fright when she felt someone slink their arms around her waist from behind.

"Well don't you look ravishing?" Connor purred in her ear and she whirled around to face him.

"Bloody hell McLaggen! Can't you cough or rattle a chain or something?" she gasped, trying to calm down.

"Oh I'm sorry if I gave you a fright, it's just I couldn't resist it. You look so sexy-"

"Oh look I think we're going in now!" Rose remarked, greatful for the distraction as the doors opened of their own accord and couples began pushing past to get in.

Connor was feeling a bit put out, but nonetheless, offered his arm to Rose and made their grand entrance.

The entire Hall gasped when they walked through. Not only because of how brilliant they looked - Connor with his best black Dress Robes on and his hair combed nice, and Rose in her dress - but because it was...THEM.

Nobody ever thought they'd see the day when Rose Weasley would finally give in and agree to a date with McLaggen. Had Hell frozen over?

They walked to the centre of the couples that had congregated around the gazebo in the centre of the Hall, where McGonagall was waiting to start the dance.

"Miss Weasley, and Mr McLaggen! Good to see you...Together?" McGonagall greeted, also surprised. It was a well known fact that Miss Weasley hated Mr. McLaggen. Just like her mother before her. It was then that McGonagall realized all eyes were on the young couple and in order to not make it too awkward, she began her speech.

"Thank you all for coming tonight! I wish you all the very best of fun. I should remind you all that Professor Filch-," she gestured to the ancient caretaker who was standing by the refreshments table wearing a large red polka-dot bow tie,"-Will be guarding the punch bowls. We don't want a repeat incident of the last dance now do we? You should also bear in mind, that should any of you become extremely drunk at any after parties or during the course of the night, you will not be given any of Madame Pomfrey's Hangover Potions! She ran out of them the last time," McGonagall frowned at them all and was aware that a few students groaned. "Now, it gives me great pleasure to welcom-"

The doors to the Great Hall opened once more, cutting off the Headmistress mid-sentence.

"Sorry we're late Professor," Scorpius apologized as he entered the Hall, looked as dapper as ever in his black silk dress robes, his hair slicked back and wearing his typical Malfoy smirk.

"It is quite alright Mr. Malfoy, you're just in time. If you and your date would kindly make your way to the dance floor with everyone else?" McGonagall asked, to which Scorpius's grin only grew wider.

"Of course. It's alright, don't be shy," he called back to someone in the Entrance Hall.

Rose held her breath, and stood on tip-toe to try and get a better look at who his date was - but she simply couldn't manage it. She was aware however of several people gasping and then a chorus of murmurs breaking out throughout the crowd.

Even McGonagall seemed surprised and gaped at who ever it was for a second, before composing herself and clearing her throat. "Yes well, without further a-do I'd like to welcome tonight's entertainment. Students, I give to you the Wrocking Warlocks!" and with a wave of her wand, the disillusionment charm that was covering the band was lifted and they began playing an up-beat new song of theirs.

The second the couples began dispersing and moving around to dance, Rose took off, pushing people out of the way and shoving Connor aside to find Scorpius and his date.

She found Lisa staring open-mouthed at something over by the refreshment table on the other side of the crowd.

Rose followed her line of vision, and her jaw hit off the ground too.

"WHO IS SHE?"

"WHO IS SHE?" Rose cried again, in complete disbelief. This couldn't be happening.

But it was. Rose had been completely upstaged.

By whom you may ask?

A Veela. But not just any Veela. A tall, leggy, blonde Veela who was all over Scorpius like a rash.

Rose didn't think it was possible for someone to glow. I mean ye, her Aunt Fleur had a little sparkle thing going on - but THIS girl was going like a light bulb! Every turn of her elegant neck, every contour of her hour-glass shaped body, every flick of her fair wavy hair...it all caught the light of the oil lanterns just right.

It was plain to see that she worked out, not just because her figure was like a damn Super Models, but because her dress didn't leave much to the imagination.

This girl, who ever she was, had chosen to wear a dark green silk dress. The fabric clung to every curve, and with the scooped-neck that was INCEDIBLY low, it was obvious that she was very well equipped in that department. She had a slit at the side of her dress that went all the way up to her thigh, and show cased her legs perfectly.

Ye - she was basically every guys dream.

"Babe what's wro- Well HELLO THERE," Connor gasped as he found what everyone was staring at and he too, fell under the strangers spell.

"OI!" Rose retorted, snapping her perfectly manicured fingers in front of his face.

"Oops sorry Baby, it's just - wow - I mean errr...You wouldn't happen to know who she is would you?" Connor asked, a million chat-up lines running through his head as he eyed his new target. She looked sinfully good. No- That was an understatement. Hmmm, she was obviously a Veela...did Connor know how to say anything dirty in French?

Rose glared at Connor before turning back to scowling at her competition.

"No freaking idea," she admitted. But who ever she was she was tossing her perfect hair over her perfect shoulder and laughing her perfect tinkling laugh as she leaned against the punch table and show cased her perfect legs. Something inside Rose snapped. Her magic pulsing through her veins began causing the air around her to stir and whip her hair as she eyed her rival.

"No. I have no idea who she is. But I'm going to find out."

"Is she still watching?" Scorpius asked with a smirk, as he poured Isobel a glass of punch.

"Like a 'awk," Isobel Devereux replied in her strong French accent, and then laughed as though Scorpius had just said something funny.

"Thanks for taking a night out of your holiday to come Cuz, it really means a lot," he smiled at her.

Yes - you read that right - Scorpius had brought his cousin along as a date.

"Ah c'est fines mon cousin," she grinned back.

Shortly after Astoria and Draco married, Daphne Greengrass moved to France with her own husband, a member of the ancient French Pureblood family, the Devereuxs. No one was quite sure how it happened - perhaps it was the Veela blood that ran throughout the Devereux family - but Daphne had given birth to Isobel, who was part Veela. Although you wouldn't think it by looking at her, she looked like a full Veela with her glowing skin and stunning looks. She was on holiday from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and was staying at Malfoy Manor with her parents.

She was Scorpius's only cousin, and the two were extremely close. When Scorpius had written home, asking her to pretend to find him irresistible for one night, she accepted almost instantly. Anything to help out her favourite cousin.

She turned back to scan the Great Hall for the girl her cousin was determined to make his own. She was truthfully very pretty, and Isobel couldn't wait to drop this whole charade and finally meet her. Scorpius hadn't stopped talking about her since Wednesday in his letter.

But the girl was no where to be seen. "She's gone," Isobel announced and took the glass of Punch from Scorpius's outstretched hand.

"She's probably sulking. She's bound to cave in sooner or later!" Scorpius reveled in his triumph. This was all going exactly according to plan.

"Aslong as I don't cause too much troub- Oh la la! 'oo is that?" Isobel asked, a coy smirk playing on her red lips as she eyed something in the crowd. Scorpius, being the protective cousin, followed her line of vision and was glad he was leaning against something otherwise his legs would have buckled.

"C-Connor McLaggen? Yo-You can't be serious!" he managed to say inbetween violent splutters as he choked on his drink. Indeed, Isobel was eyeing Connor as though he were a new toy. Her eyes were alight with the prospect of a challenge, especially when she saw how the other girls were looking at him.

"Isobel, he's bad news. Stay away from- OH MY MERLIN! SHE BROUGHT MCLAGGEN AS HER DATE?" Scorpius cried, before he began howling with laughter. He saw the way that Rose dragged Connor up to dance, casting a quick glance over to Scorpius to make sure he was watching. "OH THIS IS BRILLIANT!" he exclaimed in between loud guffaws. Isobel only blinked at him, and was glad the music drowned most of the laughter out. "Isobel - the plan's going to work," he assured her, wiping a few tears from his eyes and straightening his dress robes. "Would you care to dance?"

"I'd love to," she smiled and let Scorpius lead her on to the dance floor.

Rose had thought that bringing McLaggen up to dance was the best way to make Scorpius snap, but when she saw him drag that- that GIRL - up to dance she found she was the one that was snapping. Like a twig.

The way he and her danced around the floor, it was like watching professional dancers. They were so graceful as they spiraled and turned around each other.

It was certainly better than Rose and McLaggen swaying from side to side.

"LISA!" Rose hissed as the song changed to a slow one. "LISA!" she hissed again and was happy when she caught her friends attention and she and her boyfriend danced over beside Rose and Connor.

"Find out who she is?" Rose begged.

Lisa nodded and reached up to kiss her boyfriends cheek before making her through the crowd. She approached the dancing couple hesitantly, and acted as though she were looking for someone when she 'casually' bumped into them.

"Oops! Sorry I was looking for- Oh Scorpius how are you!" Lisa cried, a bit too enthusiastically.

Scorpius grinned back at her and Isobel simply smiled. "Lisa, it's nice to see you. I'm fine thanks, what about yourself?" he asked politely.

"Wonderful! And erm - who's your date?" she asked, trying to act nonchalant about it.

Scorpius and Isobel looked at eachother - Isobel unsure of what to say and Scorpius grinning. Oh this was too good. "If Miss Weasley would like to know who my date is, why doesn't she simply come up and ask me herself?"

Lisa openly gaped at him, while Isobel had to bite her lip to stop herself from giggling. This was all very entertaining.

Scorpius waited for Lisa to reply, but she was positively speechless. She hadn't been expecting that. She vaguely registered that she was nodding, and then turned in a daze to walk back to Rose - Scorpius and Isobel just started dancing again.

"WELL?" Rose asked eagerly, desperate to know who the beautiful stranger was.

On the way back Lisa had been trying to figure out what to say, before deciding that honesty was the best policy. She braced herself.

"H-He said if you want to know who she is, you should ask yourself."

Rose simply stared at her dumfounded before releasing a shrill cry into the air.

"THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT!"

"Now Rose - think before you do anything stup-"

"Don't you dare say 'stupid' Lisa Longbottom! The way I'm feeling right now I'm not going to do anything 'stupid', I'm going to do something 'murderous'!" Rose cried and once again the anger coursing through her body caused her magic to go haywire and stir the air around her.

"Hold her back!" Lisa cried and dived to grab Rose's ankle while Lisa's boyfriend, Martin Creevey held her by the shoulders.

"Rose? What's going on?" Connor blinked at his date, completely bewildered as to what was causing all of this. Rose's anger seemed to fizzle out as she remembered that Connor was completely out of the loop.

For the first time in a long, long time, she felt like a horrible human being.

"C-Connor I- I'm sorry...I shouldn't have asked you to come tonight as my date," she sighed as she turned around and walked up to him.

"Why?" he asked, unsure of whether or not he wanted to know.

"Well I- I sort of used you to make somebody jealous-" she saw how his eyes bulged at that and it only made her feel worse,"-I'm sorry! I know it was cruel, and I know it was mean and I hope we can still be friends..." she finished in a rush.

Connor blinked at her. "As in 'friends with benefits'?"

"No. Just friends..."

"Oh..." he seemed to ponder something for a minute, looking disappointed. "Sure then! Bye!" he chirped and then practically skipped off to a group of older girls by the benches.

Rose blinked after him. "Well he bounces back fast," Lisa remarked and Martin only laughed.

"I guess," Rose sighed in relief, glad that she'd sorted that out. That was when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eyes and her determination set back in.

They were still dancing. Scorpius and Isobel. But it wasn't a dance that matched the music, it was a classic waltz and they looked just like a Prince and Princess. Princess 'oh look at me I'm freakin perfect' and Rose's Prince Charming.

Rose seized this opportunity while Lisa was distracted by Martin to stomp through the crowd and disappear in the throng of dancing couples.

The song changed again and Isobel and Scorpius slowed down with their dancing until they were swaying from side to side. This meant that they were both able to look around the hall.

For Isobel, this meant that she was able to look over Scorpius's shoulder and see Connor flirting with a group of girls. Her jealousy peaked, but she wasn't going to freak out too much over it. She'd get him sooner or later.

Scorpius just enjoyed the moment. That was until he looked over the top of Isobel's head to see various couples being shoved out of the way, one couple after the other. What was going on?

He almost burst out laughing when he saw a familiar head of Auburn hair fast approaching, and the last couple was pushed aside roughly to collide with another.

Rose Weasley stomped up and only when she was close enough did Scorpius stop swaying from side to side to arrange Isobel so that she was standing beside him, smiling away happily.

"You wanted me to come and ask you myself, so here I am. Scorpius, who is she?" Rose snarled, casting a dismissive look to Isobel who had to cover her mouth to disguise her giggle.

"Why Weasley, if I didn't know better I'd say you actually cared!" Scorpius chuckled and only smirked wider at her when she seemed to growl and stomp her foot childishly.

"Cut the crap Scorpius! Who is she?" she demanded to know again. Why wasn't Scorpius shaking in his fancy little shoes right now? And why in the name of Merlin's Hairy Arse Crack was this bimbo smiling at her?

"Rose Weasley," Scorpius began light-heartedly, "I'd like for you to meet Isobel Devereux, my cousin."

Scorpius wished he had a hidden camera to capture Rose's reaction. It was priceless. Pure Quality.

She'd been glaring at Isobel furiously up until he'd said the word 'Cousin'. Then her expression completely changed. Her scrunched up eyes grew tens times their actually size - honestly, Scorpius thought they were going to pop out of her head. Her jaw, which had been clenched relaxed as did her fists and they came up to cover her mouth - which was opening and closing repeatedly like a codfish.

"Y-You're cousin?" she asked incredulously. She can't have heard that right.

"That's correct," he clarified for her in a really slow voice, as though he were speaking to a child.

"Oui," Isobel chirped and extended her right hand out to shake Rose's. "C'est un pleasure to meet you Rose."

Rose shook her hand in a daze, completely shocked. Well she looked like a right idiot then didn't she?

Suddenly her mood changed again. She wasn't angry, or happy or curious or anything. She was mortified. She'd just made the biggest idiot out of herself infront of Scorpius, as well as being blatantly rude to his cousin.

"I-I have to go..." she breathed into the tense air as she felt tears being to prick at the corner of her eyes. She turned quickly and tried to make it back through the crowds when she felt someone grab a hold of her hand.

Connor sat on a bench a little ways away sulking. He hadn't been able to get a single girl to dance with him since Rose had taken off.

He was considering just going to bed when he felt the bench move as another person sat down on it.

'Oh fuck me, not Filch again,' he sighed inwardly but when he turned to see who it was he almost passed out. It wasn't Filch.

Far from it.

It was that girl - Scorpius's date!

"Bonjour," she said with a coy smile as she scooted closer to him on the bench. "I'm Isobel, what's your name?"

"C-Connor," he stuttered. Was he dreaming?

"Well Connor, would you like to dance?" she asked standing up and giving him an eyefull of her legs before extending a hand out towards him.

He simply stared at her for a minute, and blinked a few times to make sure this wasn't a fantasy or anything. When he was sure it wasn't, he grinned at her and stood up.

"MERCI!"

"Rose, don't go," Scorpius asked as he turned her around to face him.

"Why not?" she managed to ask past the emotional lump in her throat. Her cheeks were bright red, and her eyes were watery, and Scorpius thought she'd never looked prettier.

"Because I'd like it if you danced with me."

She blinked at him. "You want to dance?"

"Yes, are you dancing?"

"No. Are you asking?"

"Maybe," he shrugged with a smile. "So are you dancing?"

"No-Well-I mean...don't you think I'm a nutter?" she asked, her voice shaking a bit.

He chuckled and pulled her close to cup her cheek. "Rose Weasley, you are...completely barmy," he saw her face fall and he held onto her tighter. "No let me finish Love. You're as nutty as a fruitcake sometimes, you always act first and think later, but that's one of the things I love about you. I love that you're the only person in the world who can keep up in a verbal sparring match with me. I love the way you bite your lip when your nervous, like you're doing now," he chuckled. "I love that you're intelligent, I love that you have a big heart. I could go on, but most of all I love you - simply for being you.

" He finished with a smile, and felt an immense weight being lifted off his shoulders. He'd waited so long to say that.

"Y-You called me Love," she said with a watery smile as she looked up into his stormy silver eyes.

"I did," he smiled.

"You s-said you love me," she said, her voice cracking again.

"I do. And I always will," he grinned. This time it wasn't tears of sadness that threatened to fall, it was tears of happiness, and Scorpius wiped away each one with the pad of his thumb before pulling her in for a tight hug.

She hugged him back, and when she pulled away she spent a moment just gazing at him before reaching up and planting a sweet kiss on his lips.

The first kiss. The moment they'd been waiting for for so long...and it was better than they could have imagined.

They pulled apart, both grinning at each other. Scorpius bent down and gave her one more kiss before wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Now, how about that dance?"

A/N: I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who read the story – including all of you on the HP page on Facebook! I hope you enjoyed the story, I had no plan for this whatsoever, so I'm glad it's been such a success. Reviews make my day, so if you liked it, disliked it, have some tips on how I can improve my writing, I'd be extremely grateful if you would let me know!

- Charlotte 3