"Rose!"

At the sound of my name, I turned and sighed heavily, my shoulders low.

"Look who's talking," commented Ginger, one of my best friend. She and Lia, my other best friend, started giggling. "Malfoy! Can you imagine?"

Lia grinned. "Oh, I can imagine. He's desperately in love with our Rosie girl!" She placed a hand on her heart in a girlish gesture and stared off dreamily.

"Shut up." I elbowed them both, grinning back. Scorpius ran up, breathless, his silver-blond shoulder-length hair messy.

"Look, hey, um..." He blushed and twisted his hands. "Can I have, um, a word with you?"

I glanced a Ginger and Lia, both of whom were wolf-whistling and making remarks that made my face turn the same dark red colour as my hair. "Go on ahead, my Lady Rose," Lia called, as the throng of students entering Potions (dragging their feet and shoulders slouching, of course) pushed them away from me. "We shall await your return." They fleered and tittered.

Hooking my thumbs into the belt loops of my Muggle jeans I wore underneath my robes, I shrugged. "Sure, Malfoy. You'd tell me whatever it is if I wanted to or not, so I mind as well say yes and get it over with. Why is your family so bloody clingy?" I said.

"Erm..." I smirked in satisfaction as Scorpius struggled to answer me. "Never mind, just...let's go." He grabbed my arm and dragged me off, stopping when we had rounded the corner and entered a near-empty corridour.

"Where are we going? I'm gonna be late for class and you will pay, Scorpius Malfoy!" I shoved at his hand gripping my arm with a grunt, but he didn't budge.

He smiled, that charming smile so many of my mates had fallen for. "Just through here, Rose," he answered, lifting a tapestry to reveal a hidden alcove-like room. Enough dust to fill a pot the size of Hagrid poured down from the old rug. He gestured ostentatiously. "After you, my Lady Rose."

I rolled my eyes. "This isn't about a date again, is it? I told you, Malfoy, I hate you. I'm not just going to go on a date with you."

Scorpius flushed slightly, then took a deep breath. "Rose Weasley," his silver-gray eyes met mine and I couldn't break away, because I was trapped, "I promise I will not ask you for a date for the next whole week if you come inside."

"Oh? And give you a chance to stick your wand between my ribs and flash some pretty green lights? Sorry, Malfoy, but I'm not really in the mood to die. Class is in two minutes, thanks very little," I replied, smirking. I crossed my arms and raised my chin defiantly.

Scorpius frowned and shook his head, then whispered, "Look, Rose, I'd...I'd..."

"You'd, you'd?" I prompted, tapping my foot. What a waste of time this boy was!

"I'd do anything to make this work. I really would. Give up on the rest of the bloody world forever, or something, just for us."

I snorted, but I uncrossed my arms and took a step closer. "Make what work, exactly? I'm not giving in to you."

Shaking the tapestry slightly (another cascade of dirt fell), he grinned again and winked. "Come in and I'll explain. I don't want the whole world to see us, after all."

Hunching my shoulders in mock reluctance, I sighed dramatically and entered.

"That's it," he encouraged. He barely missed my fist.

"Smile all you want, Malfoy, because you've succeeded in one thing—making me late for class!"

Inside the cobweb-covered room behind the tapestry, it was small and cramped. Not to mention how dark it was. I think I saw something scuttle away when I came in, but I couldn't really be sure.

"I'm sorry about this place, but this can't wait any longer, and saying it outside—me, a Gryffindor, to you, a Slytherin—plus our families aren't exactly best friends...Well, you know what Hogwarts is like. Rumours go faster than fire. Any kind of fire," Scorpius said. He inhaled deeply and clenched his fists.

I gaped at him. "You're blushing, aren't you? This is about a date!" I spun on my heel and search for the opening in the tapestry; how had he lifted something so heavy so easily? That wasn't fair! Now I was trapped...ugh!

"No, listen—" He snatched me away and turned me so I looked into his face. "OK, so I'm blushing. But I promised you it wasn't about a date and it isn't. Really. I just want you to know...I want you to know that no matter how much my family hates yours or the other way around, I, um...I'll still love you."

My books and bag fell to the ground from my stiff, numb fingers to the ground and made a large thump! even though I knew it was coming. I stared at him, unable to move again.

He bit his lip. "Rosie, say something...please?"

I opened my mouth, closed it, and finally said, "Wow."

Scorpius blinked in shock. "I...Wow? That's it?" he demanded.

"Um...yeah!" I laughed and leaned down to pick up my books.

"Oh, let me get those, it was my fault you dropped them, anyway." He hurried to join me as I chased the heavy tomes through the dust. Our hands met, and we both stopped.

I giggled. "Just like all those movies, hmm?"

"Especially since I'm going to do this," he agreed, and those eyes turned my knees to jelly and my stomach began to flipflop. He cupped his hands around my face and drew me nearer; I started at his warm touch. A soft "shhhh" from him and I relaxed the tiniest bit. Tipping my head back, I let the few books I had collected slid to the floor again, smiling. But his lips caught mine before I finished it.

I couldn't breathe, but I didn't want to. Nor could I break away, like all my thoughts told me to do. This is wrong, of course, you bloody git, he's a Malfoy! You hate him!

Ha! Yeah, right. Like love could ever be wrong.

Up went my hand to settle on the base of his neck, pulling him closer. Take that, thoughts; I deepened the kiss!

It seemed as if I had been late for all my classes by the time he drew back. I never would have been able to end this, I swear it. Gasping, I tumbled backward.

"It's too much," I decided, speaking at last.

Scorpius frowned again. "What is?"

I waved my hand vaguely between us. "This. All of this. One minute I'm your worst enemy, pulling pranks on you with my friends—"

"Oh, so that was you!"

"—Avoiding you in every circumstance, when I asked the Sorting Hat to put me in Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin—because that's where I belong, right? I couldn't be in Gryffindor, because you're there—anyway, all those times...I hated you. At least, I think I did..." I put a hand to my head, feeling dizzy. "Damn it, Scorpius, you always did confuse me. I really don't know what to say!"

"Oh, no!" he gasped, wearing an expression of mock horrour. "Rose Weasley has lost her magnificent words!"

"That would be august, sublime, sumptuous, and grandiose words to you, Malfoy," I answered coolly, groping for a book to throw at him.

Scorpius stood up, brushing the dust off his robes. "Don't those mean the same as magnificent?"

It was my turn to look horrified, except I really was. "Of course not! They just mean similar things!"

"Right. Back on subject."

I got to my feet as well. "Oh? What more is there to speak of?"

He took a step closer. "Just the little matter of how much you like me?"

I snorted and laughed. "Most important matter, you mean."

"Yeah." Scorpius captured my hand and swept it up to his lips. I closed my eyes as he pressed his mouth against it.

As he let it loose, I said quietly, "Well, I just might...might love you back."

He beamed. "That helps. Now all we have to worry about is meeting in secret and our dear, wonderful, accepting, loving families."

I blinked. "Um... That was fast. We're just...what?"

Scorpius stole another swift, sweet kiss. "Hooking up. That alright, or are you gonna go all hard-to-get on me again?"

"You think I could possibly pretend to hate you when I can barely stand because I'm about to swoon? You better hold me closer; I think I'm going to fall," I said.

He obliged.

By the time I left the hidden tapestry room, I was very

late for class.

Thanks for reading! Please review. It would make my day.

This was inspired by the song Iris. If you haven't heard it, there is a link on my profile.

I love you all!

-Wings-