A man was chasing me.

I screamed, running as fast as I could, shooting curses at him as I ran. He dodged all of them, and yelled my name loudly.

I recognised the man, well boy to me, that had raped me in sixth year. I couldn't even say his name. I thought we had been in love, but all he wanted was sex, and he didn't respect me or care what he had to do to get it.

He finally caught up with me, and grabbed me, choking me. I whimpered and closed me eyes.

"You know what happens next." he hissed in my ear.

I screamed and opened my eyes.

I woke up screaming and looked around. I was in my personal bedroom, a perk of being head girl. Everything was tidy like it normally was, the Ravenclaw colors shining in the moonlight. I sobbed. I hadn't had one of those bloody nightmares since summer.

I heard footsteps bounding down the hall. Great, Malfoy heard me and is going to see me like this. He'll probably just tell me to shut must he hate me when I liked him so much?

Bracing myself for his nasty remark, the door slammed open.

"ROSE WHAT'S WRONG?" he yelled right in my face, running to my bedside.

What? Still trembling, I managed to stutter,

"Uh… I uh… I'm sorry I-"

"Rose." he cried, his voice filled with fear. "I woke up and heard you screaming, are you alright?" he said, whipping the tears from my face.

"A nightmare." I said, still hyperventilating.

"What was it about, Rose?" he said quietly, climbing into my bed and sitting next to me.

Too shaken to stop him, I told him everything. I don't know what possessed me to do it, whether it was the terror from the nightmare, or the fact that I had never told anyone and needed to for so long, or the fact that I was freezing and not thinking straight.

"Please don't tell anyone." I finished.

He didn't say anything, just wrapped his arms around my frigid body and pulled me close to him.

"I'll kill him." he said gruffly.

"Please." I replied, "Don't do anything."

"I won't, I just can't believe this." he said his voice quivering.

Thats when I began to come back to the real world.

"Malfoy, are you crying? Why? Wait. Why didn't you just tell me to shut up, and why are your arms wrapped around me, and why, why-"

And just like that his lips were on mine. I was lost in an intense, passionate, emotional, breathtaking kiss. I felt the wetness of his cheeks, and melted at the emotions he felt for me.

"That's why." he breathed. I brushed off his tears with my cold hands.

"When-?"

"Since first year, when our parents swore we would hate each other. Rose, I know we haven't ever been friends… but I was trying to convince myself that I didn't like you, that I didn't want you, and then… that I didn't love you. So I teased you and taunted you and for that I will be eternally sorry. But I fell in love with how you bite your lip when you read, how your hair blows in the wind when you play quidditch, how you always have something to say back to me when I'm an arsehole, and how you always manage to surprise me every day we walk through these halls. That amortentia1 potion? Yeah, mine smelled like roses."

I had stopped shaking from the nightmare, it was all in the back of my mind, all that mattered was the boy in front of me, that I had loved since first year, that I smelled in my potion, that I couldn't stand because he outsmarted me, that had the perfect smile and the cutest concentration face, and the deepest story and darkest eyes.

"I love you, Rose Weasley. Please say something."

He paused in anticipation, waiting for me response.

"I love you too, Scorpius Malfoy."

I could see his face melt when I said that one statement, and he let out a breath and pulled me closer. His expression remained concerned.

"What can I do for you, with this… situation?" he said softly.

"Just stay with me." I replied.

1 A potion that smells like the person you love.