"Scorpius is looking at you," Dominique's frantic whisper was rather loud in my ear.

I jumped from the shock of it, then sighed impatiently. She'd made me forget what I was writing.

I glanced up from my homework and followed her gaze to the young man on the opposite side of the library, casually perusing the shelves of books in the 'Ancient Wizards' section.

His robe hung off his shoulders at an odd angle and his shirt was buttoned up wrong, but those in the library did not so much as gave him a second look as he passed them - the dirt across his face suggested he'd been out playing Quidditch and had hurried to quickly finish off some homework in the library before it closed for the night - hence, he'd look like a mess.

His pale blonde head was turned away from me, following his finger which trailed along the shelves of the books, suggesting he was searching for something in particular.

"No, he isn't," I muttered back impatiently, and extra quietly just to highlight to my cousin that I did not enjoy loud whispers directly into my ear.

"Well he was," she grumbled back, thankfully quieter this time. There was a pause so I went back to writing, sure that she had finally given up with trying to capture my attention, but, no less than ten seconds later, her bored voice sounded again. "Do you think I should get highlights?"

"I don't know. You look exactly like Victoire and she got highlights last summer that looked terrible-"

"Or maybe I should get a nose piercing?" She interrupted me, clearly not listening.

I sighed again and simply went back to writing my homework. I was used to wasting my breath on people - I was often overlooked or accidentally ignored.

"Eww, no," Lily slid into the seat next to Dom. I mentally kicked myself for choosing the table that I always sat at - it was so noticeable. "You with a nose piercing would look like Teddy with dull hair - awkward and just plain wrong."

"So what do you think I should do?" Dom became suddenly even more animated.

"Maybe just get it cut or something?" Lily supplied. I could just imagine her indicating a suitable length with her hands if I looked up from my parchment. "You've had it long for a while now."

"But I like it long," Dom sighed like it was the hardest decision in the world.

"Do you think that you could save this conversation for someplace more appropriate?" I asked suddenly. If I didn't shut them up now, they'd forget I was here and never be quiet. "I'm trying to finish my essay."

"And leave you here with Creepy Stalker Boy?" Dom joked. "Is that really what you want?"

"Creepy… who?"

Dom pointed Scorpius Malfoy out to Lily, who giggled as he walked across the room to the bookshelves behind us.

"Why's he Creepy Stalker Boy?" Lily asked loudly, evidently curious.

I shushed them. "Be quiet, he can probably hear you, you know!"

They ignored me.

"He keeps looking over at Rose," Dom told her.

"He does not, Dominique," I huffed. "It was just the once - you're just exaggerating. I hardly know the boy so why would he need to look at me?"

"He doesn't need to-" Lily started.

"Maybe he thinks you're pretty!" Dom squealed. I noticed Scorpius' hand twitch slightly as it ran over the spines of some dilapidated books.

"I've never even spoken to him before," I told them, starting a new paragraph of my homework. "I doubt he knows I exist."

"You're not that ignored, Rose," Lily laughed quietly.

"Professor Sinistra didn't know who I was today, Lils," I reminded her bluntly. "And she's been teaching me for seven years now. I'm her best student and she can't even remember my name."

"Okay, so some people tend to ignore you sometimes but that's probably just because you're quiet and-"

"I'd rather just go back to talking about people who I don't know than listen to your psychological theories as to why I'm ignored, Lily."

"Okay, so we won't bring up people you don't know," Dom agreed after a minute, probably just to appease me. "Starting with Scorpius Malfoy."

"Thank you," I muttered back, still looking at my parchment.

They obviously got bored because, a few minutes later, I heard them both leave. Their voices were still audible as they walked out the door, chatting away incessantly about Dom's haircut.

Did they not understand the need for quiet in a library?

Finally I was left in peace to finish my essay, only a small part of my brain wondering whether Scorpius Malfoy had, in fact, been looking at me…

No less than two minutes after they'd left and I'd started on my conclusion did I sense the presence of somebody taking their place next to me.

As their feet came to rest on my homework I mumbled quietly, in my best fake 'I'm so annoyed with you' voice, "What do you want?"

"Oh, don't mind me," The mirth in his voice was evident. "I'm just carrying out my Creepy Stalker Boy duties."

I couldn't help but laugh with him as I scratched out a line from my essay.

"Well, do you think you could you do it without getting so much mud on my homework?" I smiled as I spoke.

"Sorry," he replied cheerfully as his trainers disappeared from view. I felt the table balance back to the way it normally was and knew that he'd placed his feet back on the floor - where muddy feet belonged.

"Do you not change after practice?" I suggested to him, my words implying I was disgusted with him but my tone telling him that I was only joking.

"Hey!" He defended himself, and I could just imagine him running a hand through his hair like he always does when he's nervous, self conscious or being defensive. "Somebody told me to hurry over here so that she wasn't sitting on her larry for the whole night whilst she did her homework."

I grinned to myself. He was so overly gallant sometimes.

"But it looks like I didn't need to come after all," He continued. "Because your cousins were here to keep you company."

"Believe me, I was trying to get rid of them from the second they sat down," I muttered absentmindedly, correcting my spelling on a few words.

"And here I was, taking time out of my busy schedule to come sit with you while you did your homework," he added. "You know, I literally ran over here."

"You didn't have to come," I muttered quietly after a moment, finally looking up to face him, suddenly guilty for making him feel that it was compulsory to join me.

"Don't be silly," He smiled back sweetly after a moment. "Of course I came."

Scorpius Malfoy's whole demeanor changed when we were alone. He was kind and friendly and open. He listened to me and I listened to him, which suited us well because we both knew what it was like to be known by everyone around us, but not really known… if that made sense.

Everyone at Hogwarts could say who he was, but nobody knew his hobbies or aspirations. As for me, I guess I just had an unmemorable face. That's why we really became friends in the first place - we just noticed each other.

I smiled back at him.

His eyes were the most startling shade of green I'd ever seen, and I'm not just saying that because it's what is expected from Hogwarts Heartthrob. They were a… sea green and the frame of beautiful blonde hair around them, along with his pale skin, made them stand out even more.

I felt myself almost falling into his eyes - I mean, if that were possible, of course - for a few long seconds.

Then we both blinked back to reality.

"How's your day been?" He asked it like it was the most natural thing in the world as he pulled out a piece of parchment and quill from his bag.

"Same old stuff," I sighed. "Professor Sinistra forgot who I was again… oh, and apparently I have problems, according to Albus and Roxanne."

"Mental or social?" He asked, his voice implying he was genuinely curious, but also amused.

"Both," I grumbled.

"Oh, plus," he grinned back jauntily and sarcastically.

"How about your day?" I asked as I handed over my essay for him to copy. He knew I wasn't just being polite, I was truly interested.

"Same old stuff," he repeated, grinning. "Actually managed to answer a question in class today without feeling like I was going to throw up."

"Oh, plus," I mocked him, but smiled back to soften the blow.

There was silence as he started copying out my essay. I liked the silence with him - it wasn't simply because he'd forgotten I was here, it was just comfortable.

"Did you really think I used to ignore you?" He suddenly asked me, breaking the silence. He didn't look up and I could tell it was because he wasn't good with conversations about feelings.

So he had heard me earlier.

"Well, yeah," I tried to laugh, to make the conversation into a joke, but he wasn't having any of it.

He knew all my games.

"This is not a joke, Rose," he snapped. "It actually hurts to know that you think I was just like everybody else before we… you know, properly met."

"I'm sorry, Scorpius," I smiled weakly. "But I just assumed you didn't notice me because we never acknowledged each others existence."

"I suppose," he sighed. Then he gave me a playful push.

I fell off my chair and onto the floor next to him with a thump.

We were both laughing.

"Scorpius!" I scolded him. "You meanie!"

He just chuckled back. "Who says 'meanie' anymore? It's not even a word."

"It is too!"

"Well it shouldn't be!" He laughed. "I mean, what self-respecting seventh year- no, person would ever use it as a-"

I pulled him down onto the floor with me as my revenge, cutting off his rambling. He made to sit up but had fallen slightly under the table, so his head slammed into the wood of the large desk.

Our laughter doubled.

"Will you just shut up?" Some boy yelled from nearby, poking his head round the corner of a bookshelf.

"Sorry," I mumbled hurriedly, sobering up immediately.

"Touchy," Scorpius breathed into my ear and, try as I might, I burst into giggles again. The boy just gave Scorpius a dirty look before disappearing again.

"You're so bad," I breathed through my laughter, trying to quieten my giggles by burying my face in his chest. I felt it rumble as he chuckled too.

"I try," he joked.

"You know, it's funny," I told him, speaking my thoughts out loud as they came to me. "Here we are - two friends who came together because we were sick of being ignored - laughing over how some boy has just told us to be quiet."

"Why is that funny?" He laughed, wrapping his arms around me automatically.

"I don't know," I sighed. "It sounded different in my head."

"You're so strange," he teased me as he laughed.

"Duh," I grinned back. "Why else would I be sitting under a table with my secret best friend laughing about… well, about nothing?"

"Secret best friend?" He asked after a moment, a smile stretching across his face.

I shrugged in a 'what else' way and his grin widened. "You know me better than anyone else."

"Right back at you," he said gently.

I had the sudden urge to kiss him - which is not on my list of Top 100 Things to Do at Hogwarts, I promise you.

Then I heard Dominique's voice again, calling me from just round the corner and, in an ideal world, Scorpius and I would jump up, he would disappear as if we hadn't even been talking and Dom would find me finishing my essay and not suspect a thing…

Unfortunately, I didn't live in an ideal world.

So what Dom and Hugo, because he was also with her, really found when they (loudly) turned the corner, calling my name at the top of their lungs, was Scorpius Malfoy and I huddled under the table, his arm draped over me, with stupid smiles on our faces.

"Rose!" Dom gasped much more dramatically than was really necessary as I jumped, bumped my head on the table, and quickly managed to crawl out from underneath it.

Scorpius followed me, brushing down his uniform (not that there was any point because he was already untidy) and started to stuff his belongings into his bag as loudly as possible as I turned to Dom.

"Hey Dom," I smiled. "Hey Hugo."

"Rose…" she started again, eyeing Scorpius suspiciously. "What's going on?"

"Erm…"

"Don't tell me you're friends with Malfoy," she glared at him. "Please."

I caught Scorpius' disappointed, pitiful look as he turned to wordlessly go and I felt anger bubble up at Dom's words.

"Why can't I be?" I snapped, adopting a Scorpius-like tone. I was never good at yelling at people - he'd taught me well. "It's not like it is affecting you or my parents or anyone else for that matter. We can-"

"Did you even think about-"

"Stop interrupting me!" I shouted, literally shouted. Scorpius stopped as he made his way to leave us alone. "I'm sick of it. Scorpius and I are friends. End of story."

She spluttered with her words for a moment, evidently completely taken off guard. Hugo was silent.

"What's going on?" Albus asked, suddenly appearing out of nowhere with Lily, Roxanne, Lucy and Fred. If I hadn't been fuming at Dom I probably would have jumped out of my skin.

"She is friends with him," Dom glared at me now and pointed at Scorpius. She was so dramatic sometimes.

Scorpius opened his mouth, probably to apologise (he was a major pushover), but I stepped between him and my cousins.

"Do not talk to him like that. He is not a thing, Dom," I gritted my teeth. "He's a person."

"He's a Malfoy," Al commented, but he didn't sound disgusted like Dom.

"Hey, Rose, maybe I should just let you-"

"Stay where you are, Scorpius," I told him strictly.

"But-"

"Stay."

"Yes, mum," he muttered sarcastically. I saw Al's lips twitch into a smile - maybe not all my cousins would care.

"Scorpius and I are friends and I'm not going to hear a word you have to say against it because it isn't fair that you can judge me when you each spend half the day ignoring my presence anyway."

"We don't-"

"I bet none of you can tell me my favourite food?" I challenged them all suddenly, just to prove my point.

None of them spoke, they just all looked uncomfortable.

Beside me, Scorpius raised his hand like a child. I had to suppress a grin.

"Or my favourite band?" Scorpius' hand remained in the air. "Actor? School subject? Colour?"

Still nothing from them all. Scorpius bounced up and down on his feet.

"Scorpius, put your hand down, you idiot."

He did as he was told, laughing all the while.

"Well… I think he's alright," Al suddenly announced, reaching over to shake Scorpius' hand.

"Me too," Hugo smiled, and Lily and Lucy joined him in his opinion by nodding.

"We don't do it on purpose, Rosie," Lily mumbled defensively. "Ignore you, I mean. You're just so easy to overlook."

"I know," I replied fairly. "I'm sorry for yelling, you guys…"

"Wait a minute," Dom spoke up finally. "I'm not okay with this."

"Oh, go back to talking about yourself, Dom," Lily snapped at her.

"Don't have a go at her," Fred was evidently on Dom's side as he glared at Scorpius. "You heard what the adults keep telling us. They have only one rule - Don't Become Friends With Malfoy."

"So sue me, Fred," I told him bitterly. "I'll do whatever the hell I like. Merlin, I'd even date him if I wanted to - regardless of what mummykins tells me to do."

"You wouldn't dare," Dom sneered at me like I was inferior (she tended to do that to people sometimes) but Fred, thankfully seemed like he was beginning to let it go and see how important this relationship was to me.

"Erm, seeing as it's just Dom who's having a hissy fit over this… can the rest of us go?" Al asked, indicating himself, Lily, Lucy, Hugo, Fred and Roxanne.

Dom just stood on the spot, fuming.

"Come on, Dom," Scorpius suddenly addressed her. "You know I'm not a bad person."

"But dad said that we couldn't be friends with him," Dom spoke to me instead.

"Well, you aren't friends with him," I pointed out. "I am."

She didn't have anything to say to that.

"And… just for the record," Scorpius added after a moment of silence. "I'm not a stalker."

Lily laughed.

I fake-glared at him.

"Real helpful, Scor," I muttered sarcastically.

"Like always," he grinned.

I playfully elbow barged him this time.

"Well, it looks like you kids are doing okay," Al announced as if he was the responsible adult. We all gave him 'Kids?' looks because he was, in fact, one of the youngest out of us all. "I'm out of here to find something better to do."

The rest of my cousins left too - cheerfully bidding Scorpius goodbye as they went.

Dom stayed behind.

"Dom…" I started again.

This was going to be a nightmare.

You couldn't order a meal with Dom without there being some huge drama over it.

"What?" She snapped. "You expect me to be all nice to you after you've just humiliated me in front of everybody?"

"I did?" I asked. What was she talking about?

"Obviously!" She complained again.

"When?"

"'Go back to talking about yourself, Dom'," She tried to imitated my voice but failed completely.

"That was Lily!" I pointed out, only slightly irritated.

"It… it was?" She looked anxious now.

I laughed, "Yes."

"Oh, well… right."

"So apart from getting me mixed up with Lily, are you okay about this now?" I redirected the conversation back to where it had started.

She looked to Scorpius, who just waved happily and smiled.

"Fine," She sighed. "But if my dad asks…"

"I'll tell him you fought until the grave," I nodded my head. She smiled and then left. I let out a long breath once she'd turned the corner. "What a nightmare."

"I like them," Scorpius told me truthfully, sitting back down at the desk.

"Why?"

"Why?" He clarified.

"Why?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Why not?"

"Well, for one they called you a stalker…" I laughed.

"Oh yeah, that is true…" He didn't really seem to care though, he was just joking. "But I need them to accept me."

"Why?"

"Stop asking that," He laughed, then continued. "Because I don't want to be beaten up when I kiss you."

"When you… what?"

"Stop saying-"

"I didn't ask 'why'," I pointed out. "I asked 'what'."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why?" He asked again.

"Okay, now I'm confused," I threw my hands up in the air to suggest impatience but I was smiling really.

Instead of answering he leaned across the desk, placing one hand on my homework (which probably smudged my ink) to steady himself and one on my shoulder, and kissed me.

When he pulled away, after only a short moment, I could only think of one thing to ask. "Why?"

"Don't start that again," he joked.

"Seriously," I muttered, half dazed. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Thought it was about time I kissed you."

"Well… thanks," I replied as he smiled back, taking my hand in his and casually turning back to his homework.

"Any time," He told me cheekily.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this short little moment. If you did, I'd be forever grateful for a review?