Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters…

Chapter 1: A normal evening at the Gryffindor comonroom, maybe this wasn't one

It was a normal evening in the Gryffindor commonroom of Hogwarts School for witchcraft and wizardry. The birds were chirping, the stream was flowing…Oops! Sorry, wrong scene.

The fire was crackling, and the sound of students talking and laughing was making the room vibrate. There was the intervening sound which sounded suspiciously like a blast and Rose Weasley shut her book in annoyance.

She stood up and proceeded towards the direction of the sound, making sure to avoid tripping over the various books that were scattered on the floor.

"What is going on here? Potion brewing is restricted to the Potions classrooms in the dungeons. If I see one more attempt at blowing up the commonroom, I assure you, you will not be so lucky as to escape with only a weeks' worth of detentions"

She returned to her place on the couch, her irritation persisting, hindering her reading. She closed the book and brought out her homework (which was not due for a fortnight, just though I'd tell you), taking notes from one of the books that had the comforting aura of a warm, soft pillow.

There was a commotion by the portrait hole and two figures appeared, guffawing.

One was Rose's own cousin Albus Potter; with his partner in crime aka her rival, Scorpius Malfoy.

"What are you two doing here? The Slytherin commonroom is seven floors below"

"Ah! My dear cousin! I come to visit you and you wound me with such words! Scorpius, quick! Catch me before I fall"

They made a big ordeal of it, eliciting the attention of the rest of the commonroom.

"Cut the drama. Which one is it?"

"What?"

"Which essay is it you want to copy?"

"Don't flatter yourself so much, Weasley. Albus here wanted to meet his cousins and I was dragged along"

"As if I'd believe you and your pathetic attempt at a lie, Malfoy"

He did not dignify her with a response, instead opting to lounge on the couch she had been occupying before the commotion had disturbed her. Annoyed, she turned to her cousin, who was looking at her with the oh so familiar pleading look.

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"

"Don't waste my time, Al. Which essay is it?"

"The Charms one. You know how I suck at it"

"I distinctly remember you telling me the same thing a few days back about the DADA essay. I need it for tomorrow, by the way"

Albus looked sheepishly at his cousin, but it went unnoticed by her since she was busy immersing herself in searching for her Charms essay. While she was so engaged, Scorpius was busy ridiculing the concept of homework and what he called 'obsessive addictive reading disorder'.

She bit her tongue to stop herself from uttering a few choice words about certain blond haired bigheaded Slytherins who thought they were above the natural course of education.

Scorpius, unaware of the internal turmoil taking place within her which was most likely to affect the length of his life, continued commenting on the partiality the system gave to bookworms.

"I mean, homework is something that no student likes to do... well, except that one, but she's a bit of a loony. So, why torture the students with something they'd much rather not do anyway"

Albus finally noticed the death inducing glare Rose was now throwing in the direction of his friend. Deciding his friend's life was worth more than a Charms essay, he stood up to leave.

"Never mind, Rose. I'll just get it later. Let's go, Scor"

"What's the hurry, Al? You seemed quite anxious to meet your cousin here?"

Scorpius made himself quite comfortable on the couch, with no intention of moving anytime soon. He was thoroughly enjoying riling Rose up, and he wasn't one to give up on such entertainment. Al flopped back, knowing the cause was a lost one. He only hoped there would be enough witnesses alive to determine who murdered who.

"Rose appears to have a lot of work to do"

He tired one last time to save the world from the annihilation that was Rose Weasley's wrath.

"That? I'm plenty sure it's not even due this school year"

"Somehow, it's past my comprehension how my homework is any of your business Malfoy"

"I think it's a common cause when the Head Girl is setting a bad example"

He sat up from his position, interested now that he had managed to get a reaction from her.

"We can't have the first years getting all their inspiration from the Head Boy's frolics now, can we?"

"I see nothing wrong with taking a break once in a while"

"Depends on your definition of 'once in a while'"

"I'd bet you'd never be able to take one"

"Is that a challenge Malfoy?"

"As if I'd waste it over a Weasley"

His face was smug and so…conceited that she had to hold one of her hands with the other to restrain herself from giving his ridiculously handsome face a punch. Scorpius could clearly see that she was incensed enough to accept any sort of challenge.

"What about a bet Weasley? You stay away from a book, essay, whatever kind of academic tool for a whole week"

"Piece of cake. What do I get in return?"

"Your pick. If you win, that is"

"Alright. Let me think"

Afterall, you don't get an open offer from a Malfoy everyday!

"A Christmas dinner" she said decisively.

"That's the best you could come up with? If I'd known you were interested in me taking you to dinner…"

"Not so fast, Malfoy. Not just a Christmas dinner. A Christmas dinner at the Burrow. You should accompany me"

That had him hesitating. A dinner at the Burrow was equal to a lifetime worth of embarrassment. Not that he did not get along with the rest of her clan. But he was sure they'd have a field day if he got caught among them all alone.

"What do I get out of this?"

"I'll be lenient and let you choose Malfoy"

"A date. Just you and me"

"Uh! But since that would never occur, deal"

"Make sure you pick your nicest outfit, Weasley"

He shot before he began dragging a dumbstruck Albus Potter out of the commonroom. Albus waved one last time, glad that the fight had turned away from a mass explosion.

Rose sighed and looked back at her book that was practically begging her to pick it up.

"No cheating Weasley"

That had her straightening up. She was nothing if not honest and sincere.

"I don't cheat, unlike some people I know"

A few days, just one actually, later:

One day, twenty hours, eight minutes, forty five seconds…

That's how long I have been resisting my urge to throw the bet in the bin and pick up a delicious book. Yes, I do call books delicious. Make what you can of it.

So you probably can imagine my frustration when the very cause of my agony appeared before me, smirk and stuck-up expression intact.

"How are you faring Weasley? Ready to surrender?"

"I'm doing quite well Malfoy. Fantastic, in fact. Imagining your face when I win the bet. You poor thing. I feel almost sorry for you"

"Seems you have been left without a catalyst"

He sat down beside me, and I immediately moved a step away, in voluntary reaction. His smirk widened.

"So my presence still affects you. Hmm…"

"Just making sure I stay well away from the devil" I assured him complacently, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. His head was bloated enough to suffocate the entire world already.

"Ah…you punch holes in my heart with your words, Weasley"

"I think it's safe to say you have no heart to butcher"

"That might give you points for the best guess Weasley"

"Pity I couldn't care enough about your points"

"How's the patrol timetable coming?"

"What's with all these unconnected questions Malfoy? You'd better be careful or people might think you actually wanted to talk to me"

"I'm sure no one at Hogwarts is that deluded"

"The timetable is coming along just fine. I finished it a few days back and you can have a look at it if you want" I said and rummaged in my book bag for the elusive piece of parchment.

"You sure you didn't do it after you took the bet?"

"I am not a cheat Malfoy"

"Just making sure. Nothing to get so worked up about. Oh! You put us together?"

Seeing him fight a smirk I said in a clipped tone, "You think I'd have resorted to it if I had had any other choice?"

"I could think up a few reasons…"

"And I have no need for hearing your rubbish"

I cast another longing look at the book beside me. It really was torture for me to resist a good book. I heard a chuckle from behind me, and turned around to see the now blatant amusement in his eyes. I was just about to give him a piece of my mind when I stopped myself.

Patience was a virtue. It would all be worth the trouble when he'd have to face the Weasley's all alone. I'd never run out of things to torment him with in the future.

"What are you thinking?"

"Your face…"

"Ah! I knew you were just in denial!"

"…when you'd have to face my family at Christmas" I finished with a triumphant grin, seeing the smirk on his face falter. Only for a moment though.

If I hadn't been sitting that close and paying him my attention, I'd not have noticed the expression come and go. Not that I was observing him or anything. I moved a step away from him, as if to prove my point to myself.

"As if I haven't faced them before!"

That was certainly true. We Weasleys had been wary to the point of rudeness when Albus had brought Scorpius to the Potters'. James and Lily had already accepted the strange bond between their brother and the blond but Aunt Ginny had flipped. Uncle Harry on the other hand…

I shook my head at the thought of my incomprehensible uncle. My incomprehensibly compassionate Uncle Harry. He had welcomed Scorpius without any inhibition, seeing it probably as a sign of a truce between the pureblood obsessed wizards and the others, like us.

The end of the war hadn't been the end of Uncle Harry's selflessness. It had become so much a part of him that it had become second nature to him to place what was right before what he liked. He had given Voldemort a last chance, for heaven's sake! Or that's what I had heard from my Mum. And then, Malfoy had opened his mouth and charmed his way into the Potters' life. So much that Aunt Ginny all but considered him family now.

Of course Dad had been the wariest, but he had to please himself with the fact that he atleast didn't have to act all chummy with his life long enemy.

By the time I had pulled myself out of my musings, Sc…Malfoy had resigned to just sitting silently on the couch, watching my expression for any sign that I was back from my thoughts.

"Decided to join the living again?" my irritation at his comment was the foremost in my mind, all thoughts of his friendliness with my family pushed to the backstage.

"Atleast I don't look like a vampire!"

He smirked again at that. Not that he hadn't been smirking before. It was like the difference between seeing through a veil and without it. My annoyance mounted so much that my heart was speeding up, ready for a fight.

"Ah! The albino remark, again! That's getting old, you know?"

"Are you quite done inspecting the patrol schedule? I need to put it up"

"Okay!" he shrugged as he handed me back the piece of parchment, his hands barely brushing against mine as he did so. There was no need for him to do that and a surprising jolt shot across my arm.

"See you at…eight?"

"Sharp"

"I'll be waiting for you"

It wasn't so much the words as the manner in which he said it that made me growl at his retreating form. That infuriating smirk was the last I saw of him before he left me in peace.

A/n:Review!