Title: Plucking Up Courage
Category: Books - Harry Potter
Challenge(s): The Gemstone Competition by rosesbymidnight of the HPFC forum.
Prompt(s): Rose Quarts - Write about Rose Weasley.
Length: Oneshot – 1,168 words!
Rating: Teen for language.
Pairing or Characters: Hugo, Scorpius, Rose. Also mentions of Albus, Lorcan, and Lysander.
Thanks: To my amazing beta Kyla, who always remind me to paint a picture with my words, not just tell a story. Thank you Kyla!
Disclaimer: Though it pains me to say so, I do not own the rights to anything that belongs to the Harry Potter universe, nor do I make any money from writing about them. The only thing(s) that I can claim as mine own are the ideas and/or characters created by me that may be woven into the wonderful world of all that is Harry Potter. Everything else is used in the spirit of good-natured fun or naughty shenanigans. What can I say? I just like to play!
Plucking Up Courage
"You know, it's pretty obvious that you have some huge crush on my sister," Hugo Weasley stated dryly as he dropped his bag on the Slytherin table and plopped heavily onto the bench beside his best friend, Scorpius Malfoy.
Scorpius threw a mercury glare in Hugo's direction. Scowling he ground out, "Who says I have a crush on your sister, Weasley?"
Hugo rolled his eyes and snorted at his friend's prickly response, "Well, it's only obvious Malfoy. You're always watching everything that Rose does, like some lost puppy dog. Frankly, I don't know what is so great about her. She can be a right pain in the arse when she wants to be."
"Siblings are always a pain in the arse," Scorpius stated flatly, turning his gaze back to where Rose was studying with a gang of her cousins.
"How would you know? You're an only child, pretty boy." Hugo declared as he grabbed a goblet of pumpkin juice from the table and took a big gulp.
"Stuff it Weasley, it is common knowledge that siblings are a nuisance" Scorpius said. After a moment's pause he added, "I don't really watch your sister like a lost puppy, do I?"
Hugo shrugged, "Well, maybe not a lost puppy. But, you definitely keep an eye on her whenever she's around, mate."
Scorpius winced at Hugo's honesty. A sudden thought struck him. Glancing at Hugo he asked, "Do you think Rose has noticed?"
"I dunno, mate. She hasn't mentioned anything to me about it. But, she is sure to catch on. It's not like you're trying to hide it or anything." Hugo said, smirking.
"Oh shut it, Weasley." Scorpius bit out.
"Why don't you just tell Rose that you fancy her? It's not like she's going to have a laugh at you for telling her. She's not that sort of girl. Besides, if you don't mention it soon, it might be too late. From what I hear, Lorcan has an eye on her as well."
Scorpius scowled once more, "Lorcan? Isn't he that weird Ravenclaw bloke?"
"Uh-huh, that's the one. His brother Lysander is a good friend of Albus' and last week while we were playing quidditch, Ly told Albus that Lorcan was planning on taking Rose to the Halloween masquerade this year." Hugo quirked an eyebrow at his pale haired friend. "Didn't I mention it when we ran into each other in the Great Hall that day?"
Scorpius' scowl deepened and Hugo knew that if looks could kill we would deader than dead right where he sat. He fought a smile when Scorpius grumbled, "No Weasley, it must have slipped your bloody mind."
Scorpius suddenly pushed away from the table with a sense of purpose in his silvery eyes. Hugo had a fair idea of what Scorp was planning, but he still asked, "Where are you off too?"
"To talk to your sister," Scorpius answered in a manner that suggested Hugo was a simpleton.
"Go get her, tiger." Hugo teased, completely unaffected by Scorpius' tone.
Scorpius drew himself up to his full height and walked with determination to the Gryffindor table where Rose sat jotting down notes for homework. As he drew nearer to the table, his nerves began to kick in. If Hugo hadn't been burning holes into the back of his head, he might have changed course toward the Entrance Hall. Scorpius mentally scolded himself for even thinking about it. You're a perfectly respectable wizard, Malfoy. You come from a decent family and you've got no reason not to simply ask Rose if she wants to accompany you to the masquerade. Besides, if you don't ask her, that prat Lorcan will. Then where will you be? Watching somebody else dance with the girl of your dreams, that's where.
With that thought in mind, Scorpius sat down in a vacant spot beside Rose and spoke softly enough that only she could hear, "Rose, I...I...erm...well...that is if you want to...erm...I was wondering if you might accompany me to the masquerade next week?"
Rose turned surprised cerulean eyes on him as he stammered out the request. It was apparent that she hadn't been expecting that out of him. She smiled shyly as she brushed a lock of red hair behind her ear, "Really? You want me to go with you to the Halloween masquerade?"
Scorpius nodded with a small smirk playing across his handsome face, "I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't want you to come with me, Rosie."
Smiling with a rosy blush on her cheeks, Rosie said, "Alright, I'll go with you. But, only if you're asking me because you want too, not because Hugo put you up to it."
"I can assure you, Hugo had nothing to do with me asking you. If you don't believe me, ask him," Scorpius said.
Rosie simply shook her head and grinned, "I believe you. Alright, well I suppose I'll see you then. I'll be the girl with the mask."
Scorpius flashed a charming smile at her before standing up once more. "Alright then, I'll meet you outside of the Great Hall."
A confident smirk played across his pale features as he made his way back over to Hugo. It wasn't until Scorpius was nearly to the Slytherin table when he thought about what she said. 'I'll be the girl with the mask.' That was what she had said to him. Everybody was going to be in a bloody mask!
Scorpius dropped onto the bench beside Hugo with a frown. The fiery haired boy took in the expression on his face as said, "I take it that it didn't go very well?"
"No, it went fine, Weasley. Rose said that she'd go to the masquerade with me, but she didn't tell me what she was going as. All she said was, 'I'll be the girl with the mask.'"
Hugo burst out laughing. It sounded just like something that Rose would say. Still chuckling he said, "I'll try to find out what she's planning on wearing."
"Thanks for that, mate. Now you can tell that wanker Lorcan that he can ask somebody else to be his date," Scorpius stated with an arrogant smirk.
"Why would I need to do that?" Hugo asked innocently.
"Because you said that he was..." then a sudden thought struck him. Grinding his teeth, Scorpius said, "Lorcan wasn't even going to ask your sister to be his date, was he?"
Hugo stood up with a cheeky grin on his face, "Nope, he was planning on asking Roxanne. But look at it this way mate, at least you plucked up the courage to ask her out. Really, you should be thanking me for helping you."
"Weasley, I'm giving you to the count of three to get lost before I stand up and punch you square in the nose," Scorpius threatened darkly as he drummed his fingers on the tabletop.
Hugo just chuckled at his angry friend, grabbed his book bag, and made a hasty retreat to the Gryffindor table.