"Happy New Year, Rose!" Alice said, installing herself next to Rose on the sofa.
"Happy New Year, Alice," Rose replied, her voice soft. Rose sat with her knees pulled to her chest and her hands circling a bottle of Butterbeer protectively.
"You look upset," Alice stated, scooting forward on the sofa to look at Rose's face.
Rose turned her head to meet Alice's aureate eyes and she offered Alice a half-smile, "I'm okay," she said lightly. Twin crimson kisses adorned Alice's cheeks and Rose wondered idly if they were from Constance Parkinson.
Alice eyed her skeptically, "I know you're not okay, Rose," she whispered and Rose held her breath, hoping Alice would choose the option Rose wanted, "but I won't push it," Alice rested a hand firmly on Rose's knee, "because you know that you are entirely free to come tell me anytime. Literally anytime."
Rose nodded, relieved Alice wasn't pressing the matter, "I know."
Alice smiled but the smile was somber and Rose found herself wishing it would go away. She felt Alice slip a slender arm around Rose's shoulders and pull Rose into her. Rose leaned her head on Alice's shoulder and took a deep breath. It didn't feel like much of a new year yet.
Alice squeezed Rose's shoulder once more before letting go, "Do you still want to stay? I can walk you back to your common room if you'd like, since it's so late."
"Oh, I'm okay getting back on my own," Rose assured her, "I doubt anyone is really in the corridors right now anyway, what with all the parties happening."
"Okay, if you're sure," Alice said warily, she wasn't entirely sure how upset Rose was.
"I am," Rose smiled for effect, "Besides, I'm guessing those lipstick marks are from Constance," Alice blushed, "and I know you've liked her for a good month and a half now so I think you should try and find her instead of walking me to my common room."
"If you insist," Alice said, "See you tomorrow," and then she was gone into the crowd.
Rose sighed to herself before taking one more sip of Butterbeer and then setting the bottle on the table. She stood up and straightened her shirt, brushing away invisible dust. Rose took a moment to look around the Gryffindor common room, 'You could have been here,' she thought to herself, 'surrounded by warm colors.' Instead, Rose resided in a tower lined with white marble, bookshelves, and sapphire linens. It was fine though, Rose didn't mind the cold marble much, she thought it rather beautiful sometimes. She only sometimes wished for the warmth of Alice's Gryffindor common room.
Rose weeded through warm bodies to find her way to the exit, bumping against very publically active couples and drunken students who thought they were dancers. She burst from the room with a deep breath of the clear air outside. Upon closing the portrait-hole, she found the Fat Lady eyeing her.
"Hello," Rose said, as she tugged her dad's old Weasley jumper over her head.
"You're leaving terribly early," the Fat Lady said simply, smoothing her painted dress.
"I wasn't feeling too well," Rose said honestly.
"Ah, feel better then," the Lady said, "and if you see your Longbottom friend, do tell her that I am exhausted of all the parties these Gryffindor's throw. I hear she's on their party-planning force."
Rose smiled humorously, "I'll let her know."
The Fat Lady nodded appreciatively at Rose and then Rose was walking down the corridor, her feet carrying her on a familiar route. A turn here, a shortcut here, and many stairs later, Rose arrived in front of the Ravenclaw entrance.
The bronze eagle stretched to life as Rose approached, "What is the truth?"
Rose thought for a moment before responding, "Truth is a concept."
The eagle solidified and the door swung open, allowing Rose to take a breath of relief. Answering still made her nervous, despite this being her sixth year of it. She entered the common room as quietly as could be managed, her shoes echoing against the marble flooring.
The common room appeared empty, something that didn't surprise Rose considering the occasion. She stepped towards the central area where a fire glowed kindly and made towards a lavish blue settee. The glowing stars were sprinkled generously across the ceiling, mimicking the outside sky exactly, and Rose found herself smiling as she noted the constellation of Cancer, her own sign. Upon coming around to the seating area, Rose nearly jumped at the sight of a blond boy reading on the exact settee she had planned to capture.
The boy, now startled, looked up at the sound of Rose's gasp, "Rose?" he asked, shoving his falling glasses farther up his nose.
"Scorpius?" Rose responded as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the common area.
He nodded, "What are you doing here?"
"I came back from a party, what are you doing down here? It's gone past one." Rose said, checking her watch.
Scorpius looked at his own watch before his eyebrows rose, "Oh. That it is. I honestly hadn't noticed," he said sheepishly.
Rose sat down on the pouf across from him, "What are you reading?" she inquired, a common question in Ravenclaw Tower.
Scorpius held up the cover for her to see, "An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms."
"Ah," Rose said, smiling slightly, "A light read."
Scorpius grinned back, "Yeah, I always read light during holiday," he said, "No, but seriously, this thing is giving me a headache. It's like, I think I've got the language peculiarities down but then there's so many different excerpts and, for some unknown reason, each of these eighteenth century wizards writes a little differently."
Rose nodded sympathetically, "Have you read Transformation Through the Ages yet? When it says 'through the ages' it actually adheres to the manner of speaking for each age. It's bleeding awful."
"Ah, Rose," Scorpius said, slinking down in the settee and resting the book on his face, "Why do we do this to ourselves? We could be reading books like the ones Alice reads but instead, here we are, reading text that should not be read by sixteen-year-old students." His voice is a low mumble from under the book pages and Rose finds herself smiling fondly as she knows he can't currently see her.
"No idea, Scorpius," she said and it really did seem to be true because all she could focus on was the steady rise and fall of his chest, "no idea."
He pulled the book off his face and placed it on his chest, "How was it?" he asked, turning his head to face her.
"How was what?" she questioned, slightly thrown by the abrupt subject change.
"The New Year's party."
"Oh, it was okay," Rose replied, her voice growing quiet.
Scorpius quirked an eyebrow, "Something happen?"
"No."
"Rose. I know you're lying."
"Okay."
"I won't push it," Scorpius said.
"Thanks," Rose mumbled, "Alice said the same thing."
"I'm going to assume she also said you could tell her anytime?" he asked.
Rose nodded.
"Same goes for me," Scorpius said, his voice soothing like waves lapping at a shore, "Though I hope you already knew that."
Rose nodded again and then opened her mouth, letting the words fall off her tongue before she could stop them, "It's kind of dumb, I think, but, I don't know, I was sort of hoping maybe I'd get a New Year's kiss this year," she glanced up at him, "I know. It's stupid."
Scorpius shook his head, "No, I don't think it's stupid at all. I thought about that too, you know, about me."
Rose looked at him questioningly, "But you're… Good-looking. You could easily kiss someone."
"And you're beautiful, Rose," he replied easily, "What a backwards world, huh? Neither a good-looking boy or a beautiful girl can get a New Year's kiss."
"Yeah but, oh well, there's always next—" Rose started to say.
"I would kiss you, Rose," Scorpius said suddenly, his voice more confident than usual.
Rose faltered, "What?" she asked, her eyes widening.
"I would kiss you," he said, quieter this time, "if you let me, I would kiss you."
"So kiss me," Rose breathed and then Scorpius was leaning across the few inches of space between the settee and the pouf. He kept leaning and Rose felt her own body lean towards his.
And then Scorpius Malfoy pressed his lips to her own and Rose could have sworn, a thousand galaxies lived and died in that kiss. The hand he had on her cheek stammered out stardust and the hand Rose had on his leg drew sparks from his jeans.
Rose didn't ever want it to end, Scorpius' lips reminded her of a fireplace, warm and comforting. He was so gentle when he kissed her, his mouth slowly pressing against her own over and over again, finding a new angle each time. It was sweet and young and she thought, in a fleeting moment, that even the Milky Way would be jealous of how many stars flared between them.
When Scorpius finally drew his lips away, he touched his forehead to Rose's. His breath came out in soft puffs that made Rose want to wrap him in her arms. She looked up at his eyes and giggled.
"What?" Scorpius asked, his smile goofy and, Rose thought, adorable.
"Your glasses," she said, "They're all… Askew."
"Oh well," his smile grew, "It was worth it."
Rose smiled back and for the first time in quite awhile, it felt real.