Author's Note: This is a story I wrote quite a while ago (three years ago in fact) as part of a bigger story that never got completed, however I find that it works perfectly as a cute little one shot, as long as you ignore all the slight and not very noticeable references to the wider story. Either way, I hope you have a lot of fun reading this rather silly and fluffy little story, as I remember having a lot of fun writing it.
When the Sun Shines Brightly.
Springtime came and went with, rather surprisingly, very few surprises. The flowers that bloomed across the Hogwarts grounds and deep into the Forbidden Forest were rich in colour and filled with the sweet scents of nectar and pollen. Once or twice, students had seen glimpses of young unicorns peeking their shy, silver faces through the dark trees of the Forest, their legs still weak and spindly. No longer did a dark cloud seem to lurk over the castle and bathe it in misery; for now, all was well, and that was how Scorpius and Rosie wished it to remain.
On a particularly sunny day, with not a single cloud in the bright blue sky and not a single care floating through anyone's minds, the pair made their way down to the Lake. With some coaxing from Scorpius, Rosie had been tempted out of the Library and endless OWLs revision by the promise of a picnic by the still waters and, though she hastened to admit it, the mere company of her friend.
"Where exactly is this picnic?" Rosie asked as, hand over her forehead to block the blazing sunlight, she scanned the fields surrounding the Great Lake with those penetrating sapphire eyes of hers, desperately searching for a checked blanket and a woven picnic basket. She had seen them many times in old Muggle movies, and had always thought them incredibly romantic. Realising her thoughts, she blushed and turned to face Scorpius.
"Oh please, do you really believe I'd risk leaving a picnic in plain sight of all those hormonal, adolescent squids?" He said with a laugh, tapping the side of his satchel bag, "No, it's all in here, safe and sound, away from prying tentacles."
"Did you use a shrinking charm?" Rosie asked, a deliriously sly grin playing across her lips.
"Of course I did, how else would I have been able to-" Scorpius stopped abruptly, his eyes widening, as they so often did, as he realised the true meaning behind Rosie's words and her badly concealed laughter. "I see what you're trying to do. I think you'll find that I am perfectly able to perform the counter curse. It was one of the first things I learnt how to do."
"I still think I'm better at it." Rosie said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Really, now? Want me to shrink you and see how well you do in making yourself full sized again?" Scorpius said with a typical Malfoy sneer. He pulled his wand from his pocket and pointed it at Rosie's forehead, smiling devilishly.
"You absolute and utter twat, Malfoy!" She said, screeching and ducking away from him, trying to hold in her laughter. "I bet you're too chicken to do it."
"Oh, you really want to bet, do you? I'll hold you to that." He said, grasping his best friend from behind and tickling her with his long, slender fingers until she was in a heap on the floor and begging him for mercy. "Well, I've got you right where I want you..." He said, "Oh, and don't call me Malfoy, Weasley."
Growling, Rosie grasped fiercely at Scorpius' neck, laughing triumphantly as she latched onto it, pulled herself to her feet, and raced off, her long skirt billowing behind her. Scorpius rolled his eyes and chased after her as she yelled back, "And don't call me Weasley, Malfoy!"
"Why? Do you prefer to be called 'The Weaselette'?" He asked as he caught up with her, trying to pull her down by the shoulder, "Damn, Weaselette, if you didn't have so much hair, this'd be so much easier." He grumbled, though there was a trademark Malfoy smirk across his face.
"Let's stop here." She said, stowing Scorpius's wand into the pocket of her summer cloak. Rosie sat down, legs crossed, the stormy expression on her face trying to mask the hysterical laughter she felt bubbling in her stomach. "And definitely do NOT call me 'The Weaselette', you irritating... Mountain troll."
"Mountain troll? Oh, how original, ginger nut."
"Vampire."
"Carrot-top."
"Norwegian pixie."
"I hear you like to sing Celestina Warbeck in the girls' showers in the morning."
"What?" She demanded as Scorpius took a seat next to her and pulled the small picnic basket from the depths of his bag.
"Want to know how I know that? That's because I bought a pair of extendable ears and I use them to see what you're singing each day. Nice rendition of 'You Knock me off my Broomstick with your Quaffle Heart', by the way."
"You utter creep!" Rosie shrieked.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Scorpius laughed, "Roxanne told me,"
"Oh, she doesn't what's coming for her! And anyway, according to Albus, you spend more time in the bathroom than him, Hasnain, Sean and Terrence put together! What are you doing in there, plucking your pubes?"
"Rose Weasley, I am disgusted to see such a thing come out of your innocent mouth!" He said in mock disappointment, "And anyway, if I really wanted to, which I do not, it would not take that long, thank you very much."
"So what exactly do you do?" She asked, raising a dainty auburn eyebrow.
"Hair like mine takes time and care to look this good." He stated.
"What, pubic hair?" She said, a stream of giggles erupting from her mouth.
"Weasley, you dirty girl. I mean the hair that grows on the top of my head." He said, running a hand through his smooth, gelled blonde hair.
"Are your pubes that colour?"
"What, do you want to see?"
"Ew, no!"
"Then why did you ask?"
"I wanted to see your reaction. It was quite hilarious. Your cheeks are an awful shade of purple, you know. I really wish I had a camera."
"I hate you, Weasley."
"I return the sentiment, Malfoy." She replied curtly, before glancing at the picnic basket that lay tiny, dejected, and forgotten on the picnic blanket Scorpius had somehow managed to lay out during their scuffle. "Now, let's see just how much better I can do this. You take the side with the dessert, I'll take the sandwiches."
"You've got yourself a deal, ginger nut."
"If I do it better, will you call me Rosie instead of Weasley, The Weaselette, ginger nut, carrot-top, raggedy Ann, or any other mean and stupid ginger-related name?" She asked, glaring at Scorpius suspiciously.
"Fine, but only if you stop making fun of any of my body hair, pubic or otherwise, and spend less time in the Library and more time in the real world." he said, winking at her.
"Hey, I do happen to have a social life! I just choose to spend my spare time in the Library rather than in the bathroom doing Fudge-knows-what." She said, poking her friend in the stomach, "And, if it hadn't occurred to you, we have our OWLs this year and we need to be prepared!"
"Oh, come on, I don't study and everyone knows we're pretty much neck-and-neck. That's what this competition is for." He said. Rosie nodded and reluctantly handed Scorpius back his wand.
Faces screwed up in deep concentration, they muttered the counter curse, flicking their wands in swift, precise movements. Immediately, Rosie's side grew to exactly the right size with only a slight pop. Scorpius's side, however, continued to grow until it was at least double its original size, leaving one disgruntled teenager, one hysterical teenager, and one hilariously mismatched picnic basket.
"Alright, well, perhaps it's not entirely accurate..." He trailed off before bursting into laughter that harmonised with Rosie's perfectly. Under the warmth of the sun, and the gentleness of the breeze that caressed their skin, life for Rose and Scorpius seemed, at long last, to be in complete and utter bliss.
"Completely off-track would be a more accurate description." Rosie giggled as she pulled open the larger side of the hamper and gasped at the mouth-watering chocolate cake, twice its original size, oozing with chocolate butter cream icing and dotted with glace cherries soaked in firewhisky. She sniffed appreciatively.
"Well I guess having the cake this size can only be a good thing... If we don't finish it there's always Hugo, Albus and Lily. They could eat a hippogriff between them if they really wanted to!" Scorpius laughed as he pulled out a dainty platter of sandwiches and set them on the ground.
"Oh, wow, cucumber sandwiches, how very patriotic." Rosie said as she plucked a sandwich from the selection and popped it, whole, into her mouth.
"We- Rosie, must you eat like a complete pig? And what do you mean, patriotic?" Scorpius asked, raising an eyebrow as he nibbled the edge of a cheese sandwich, making sure he did it with the highest etiquette contained within him just to spite Rosie.
The remainder of the meal passed in companionable silence as the unlikely pair watched the rippling lake and the picturesque mountains surrounding their beloved school. They did not even mind when one of the cheekier squids reached out a tentacle and snatched away the last of the cucumber sandwiches.
"I hope things stay like this forever." Rosie admitted as the pair sauntered along the water's edge side by side. Scorpius nodded in response and, feeling completely at ease, took Rosie's hand in his, loving its warmth and softness. He peeked at her and, through her wild tangles of scarlet hair, could see her blushing and smiling to herself.
"Hey, Scorpius, want to know a secret?" Rosie asked, gazing at Scorpius expectantly. The couple stopped right by the Lake as cool, gentle waves rippled calmly over their bare feet. "Well, alright, here goes..." With the skill of someone with a true prankster for a cousin, she got a hold of Scorpius's waist and pushed him into the water.
"WEASLEY!" He screeched, "You complete and utter freak!" He yelled, rubbing icy water from his eyes. He was now gasping for breath and scrambling about inelegantly, trying to pull himself to his feet.
"That's what you get, Malfoy, when you lose a bet against me." She said, towering above her friend as he tried to get to his feet, without any success. Feeling bad for him, Rosie offered her hand, which he took with a malicious grin before pulling her into the water.
"That's what you get, Rose, when you mess with the almighty Scorpius Malfoy." He snickered.
"You complete bastard, Malfoy." She muttered, as she pushed the hair that had plastered to her face away from her deep blue eyes, watching Malfoy with an annoyed grimace. "I guess I should have seen that one coming."
"I'm rather surprised you didn't, Rosamund; your wit does not seem to be on true form today. It's all that studying, it's making you boring." He said as, after much fussing about and splashes of water, he heaved himself to his feet in the shallow pool of water.
"Studying makes us all better people." She replied sharply, "And don't call me Rosamund!"
"Hey, you said I shouldn't crack the ginger jokes - you said nothing about old lady names, Rosaline." He said, yawning as if the conversation were boring him. Taking Rosie's arm in his own, they dragged each other to shore, laughing and joking without a care in the world.
"You know, Malfoy, in all my time at Hogwarts I've never once seen you step foot inside the Forbidden Forest. I've done it. Albus has done it. James and Fred have done it so many times I think we've all lost count. Merlin, even Lily's done it once or twice. What are you so afraid of, Malfoy? All the big bad ghosts?" She giggled and poked him in the stomach a few more times.
"Well, Rosa, you are about to find yourself proven completely and ashamedly wrong." He said in a determined voice as he pulled on his shoes and marched towards the Forbidden Forest, dragging Rosie behind him who was shrieking with laughter.
"You're completely barmy in the head, do you know that?" Rosie asked as they crossed the boundaries of the Forbidden Forest. A chilling breeze swept across their wet skin, causing goose bumps to break out on their arms. "It's a shame we left our cloaks over by the Lake, I'm bloody freezing."
"Wait, hold on, Rosemary," Malfoy said, taking his wand in his hand and causing a blast of hot air to flow over Rosie and warm her up, though it made her hair even more voluminous than it usually was, "Good God, Roseanna, have you never heard of hair gel? You look like a First Year!"
"Actually, Malfoy, I use it most of the time. Now you can just relish in my hair's natural and frizzy state." She retorted, glaring daggers at the tall, blonde boy who was attempting not to collapse with laughter.
"Frizzy? Natural?" He asked, raising a perfectly pointed eyebrow, "Rosina, your hair is like a nest. Wild creatures could reside in there and you wouldn't have a single clue. You've probably got a whole tribe of heliopaths living in that mane."
"Malfoy, has anyone ever informed you of just how much of an insufferable git you are?" Rosie asked as, warm, dry and just a little frizzy, she treaded carefully through the moss-carpeted forest.
"So many times I think I once believed it was my middle name." He responded with a wink of his stone-grey eyes. "You know, it's not too bad in here... Not yet, at least." He mused aloud as a glittering group of fairies floated past his head and dived into a large patch of tulips that wavered in the cool breeze. "It's sort of pretty, even." He said, trailing off in thought.
"Merlin's beard, Scor, I never knew you had so many layers. Anyway, not all of the Forbidden Forest is this peaceful, you big oaf. Just wait 'til you see all the nifflers. You'd better hide your watch." She said, stepping cautiously over the knotted root of a tree and nodding at Scorpius's glimmering silver wristwatch.
"Alright, whatever you say, Rosario. Anyway, those nifflers don't sound so bad, the name's almost cute. Just like your hair at the moment." He said, ruffling it until it appeared to almost stand up on end. "There, now these nifflers will see you coming from a mile off and run for their lives."
"One of these days, Malfoy I'm going to stick your wand whe-" Rosie was cut off by a distant roaring, followed by a herd of what looked like puffskeins wobbling past them on their short, stubby legs.
"Alright, Rose, perhaps it's not so pretty, maybe we should just, you know, head back and get back into the warmth of the sun and the safety of the castle and whatnot." Scorpius blabbered as the pastel blue puffskeins disappeared under a wild tangle of thick green brambles.
"Aw, is ickle Malfoy scared?" Rosie questioned in a patronising voice.
"No, of course not, I just-"
"You're scared, aren't you?"
"Maybe a little bit."
"A lot?"
"Yep."
"Come on, Scorpius, between the two of us we've faced far worse than a thing that chases puffskeins. Puffskeins are just slightly larger pygmy puffs. Lily even has that purple one as a pet, remember? Hey, come on, you've got me. It'll be an adventure." Rosie asked soothingly, taking her friend by the shoulders and meeting his stormy grey eyes. At that moment, they were like a raging tempest of emotions. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the forehead, which brought him back to his senses.
"Bloody hell Rosita, I didn't know you were capable of such human emotions. I thought you were just a studious shell of a person." Scorpius said, returning to his usual witty self. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he again took Rosie's hand and led her deeper into the Forest.
"Blimey, I'm surprised you haven't run out of names for me yet." She said as she tried to leap over a patch of bright orange flowers that seemed to hiss and occasionally dribble out a toxic green liquid that scorched the hard brown soil. She landed nimbly on the balls of her feet, and pulled her friend behind her as he neatly dodged a wad of toxic gloop.
"I admit, it is getting more difficult. I'll have to think of other names to call you soon, Rosina. Wait, I've called you that before…" He murmured as, still hand in hand, they picked their way slowly through the forest. Bangs and echoes still resounded through the trees, but none gave them such a start.
"Hang on, Scorpius, do you see lights?" Rose said as she scrunched up her eyes and peered into the Forest where, through the thickest of trees, she saw two minute spots of light that seemed to be growing slowly larger and larger. With the lights, she heard a faint rumbling sound, and clutched Scorpius's hand more tightly. Gulping, she turned and buried her face in her friend's chest as he tried to blow her hair out of his nose.
"I see it, and it's getting larger, very fast..." Scorpius said, trembling slightly from a combination of fear and his still dripping clothes. As it passed through a thick clump of trees, Scorpius finally saw that it closely resembled a car, though from the battered bonnet and its mud-coated exterior that it had resided in the Forest for many, many years. The roaring quietened to a low hum as the car approached Scorpius and Rosie with an almost cautious manner.
"Hey, Rosie, look, it's just a car, I highly doubt it's going to hurt us," Scorpius whispered in a soothing tone to his friend, who turned apprehensively around to face the car as it bathed her face in bright, fluorescent lights. The car grumbled softly and rolled forward a few inches until its bonnet came to rest beneath Rosie's outstretched hand.
"Oh goodness..." She mumbled, "Scorpius, I think I know who this car belongs to. Mum and Dad were having one of their old, soppy, reminiscing moments with us a while back and Dad mentioned that, at the start of second year, he and Uncle Harry missed the train and so drove a flying car all the way to Hogwarts."
"And you think this is that flying car?"
"It must be. Dad sent it went loony at the end of the journey and raced off into the Forbidden Forest, never to be seen again." She finished, grinning widely and examining the car. "I don't think we'll ever know what this car ever originally looked like." She giggled as she attempted to wipe some of the dried mud from its front windscreen. Suddenly, another shrill, piercing shriek echoed through the Forest. The car roared back and nudged at Rosie and Scorpius urgently.
"I think it's telling us to get out of here." Rosie said as another cry followed the previous one.
"Well, I'm not going to refuse that." Scorpius replied as a third yell, sounding eerily close, pounded through their ears.
"We'll never get away in time, though!"
"We could always try and take the car; I think that's what it was trying to say."
"How will we be able to see anything?" Rosie whined.
"I don't think that really matters. Twenty years of living in the darkest forest for miles probably means you've got a pretty good sense of direction." Without another word, the pair flung open the doors and scrambled inside, buzzing with adrenaline as the car sped off through the dark and creepy forest.
Rosie screamed as something crashed against the back of the car, sending it spinning widely. Scorpius pulled the nervous redhead closer and cradled her in his arms as the car pelted through the woods at full speed. Finally, small rays of light began to break through the mud-splattered windscreen. The car came gradually to a halt and, without warning, flung the pair out into the glaring sunlight. Suddenly, the automobile backfired with a boom like a gun and trundled back into the murky depths of the Forbidden Forest.
Though he was not entirely sure of what he was seeing, Scorpius could have sworn he saw several pairs of glowing blood-red eyes staring at him from deep within the Forest. Blinking, he turned to face Rosie, who was shaking and sobbing hysterically with tears spilling down her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Scor, if it weren't for me that never would've happened and we'd be safe and sound but we're not and if the car hadn't saved us we'd probably be dead or McGonagall would find out and she'd expel us or disqualify us from our OWLs and... and..." She trailed off as a fresh set of tears sprung from her eyes like a waterfall.
Scorpius could not bear to see her so upset, and so, taking a deep breath, he gathered his courage together and crushed his lips against hers, wrapping his fingers in her wild tangles of auburn hair. The pair stayed like that for an unknown amount of time, pressed against each other under the slowly setting sun, the rippling of waves and the sweet song of birds their only soundtrack.
"Now, Rose Weasley, don't you ever feel for a second that that was your fault." Scorpius chided her, without really meaning it. Rose smiled her wide, flawless smile and wiped a tear from her red cheek. "It was me who dragged us into the Forest. Not you. And we made it out together, just you and me."
"Together. Is that what we are?" She asked him, gazing deeply into his eyes. Things had suddenly taken a turn for the best and Rosie found she could hardly keep her knees from knocking together with excitement.
"Together. You and I. I like those words." Scorpius said with a smile. For five long years he had loved Rosie, from friend, to enemy, to friend again and now, hopefully, to lover, "Merlin, Rosie, this is so weird."
"Tell me about it!" She agreed enthusiastically, blushing despite herself. "It's almost too weird."
"Too weird?"
"Yeah." She admitted, biting her lip.
"Hey, maybe I only kissed you to shut you up."
"That does sound like something you would do." Rosie agreed. "Friends?" She asked, holding out her hand. Scorpius shook it slowly before wrapping her up in a tight embrace.
"I don't think we could ever be anything less." He said, as, once again hand in hand, they trudged back up to where their picnic basket lay forgotten on the grass. Thankfully, it seemed that the squids did not have much of a liking for cake, and so Rosie and Scorpius still had something to please their greedy friends. Scorpius picked up the cake in one hand and shrugged his bag onto his shoulder.
"Maybe one day things'll be simpler." Rosie stated as she neatly folded the blanket and tucked it inside the picnic basket that she had just charmed to the correct size.
"And maybe one day I'll actually manage to outdo you." Scorpius said as he tapped Rosie on the back, yelled "You're it!" with all the force he could muster up and sprinted off towards the castle, attempting to carry the precariously balanced cake at the same time.
"Oh, keep dreaming, Malfoy!" She screamed as she hastily picked up the basket and legged it up to the front of the castle where Scorpius stood leaning against the doorway, a smirk on his face, his body glowing orange from the vibrant and fiery sunset. For Rosie, life could not have been more perfect as it was just then, and she eagerly anticipated an evening spent gorging on cake with her friends, her cousins, and most importantly of all, Scorpius Malfoy, whatever it was that they were.