This was written for Morghen's "Phobia" challenge over at the Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges Forum. My phobia was Myrmecophobia, the fear of ants.

This is also my first time writing any stand-alone one-shot with Scorpius, much less with it hinting at Scorpius/Rose-a new ship I'm testing out; let's see if it floats! (Bad pun, I know, but bear with me; I like to think I'm funny.)

Review? :3

-Jackie

Of Toxin and Oddities

"Good afternoon, class!" The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Astin, announced. "Now if you're wondering why we're meeting in such a location-," (they happened to be in a dingy, unused classroom in the dungeons near the Slytherin common room), "—it's because the Headmistress has informed me that students have been complaining about loud, wrestling-like noises coming from in here." Scorpius and the other Slytherins sniggered under their breath; they all knew this was the Slytherin snogging room. Professor Astin continued unaware of his joke.

"After poking around a bit I've come to know there's a boggart hiding in this desk that's causing the noises." He put a hand on the teacher's table at the front of the room, which wasn't as dusty as one would assume given the rest of the room.

"Seeing as how we've been learning about boggarts themselves and the spell that repels them, I'll only give you some brief reminders before we tackle it ourselves!"

Scorpius clenched at his robes nervously and rolled his wand around anxiously. He was remembering the time over the previous summer when he had helped his father destroy the boggart that had been living in the wine cellar. He clenched his teeth at the thought of the mammoth-sized ant that had appeared before him with its oversized poisonous pincers and soulless, beady black eyes. Scorpius scratched at the back of his neck, checking to make sure he wasn't breaking out in hives. He was very allergic to ants, something he had painfully discovered as a young boy after standing in a fire ant bed.

"You okay?" Rose Weasley whispered out of the side of her mouth. He didn't reply. "Malfoy?" She tapped him on the shoulder which pulled him from his memories. Scorpius gave her a sharp look, incredulous as to why she would touch him. She shrank back towards Albus who was flicking his wand and mumbling riddikulus.

"Now let's see," Professor Astin said after his review, clasping his hands before him. "Who to go first…ah! I see we have two prefects in here!" Rose straightened up while Scorpius rather wished he had forgotten to pin on his Prefect badge that morning.

"Ms. Weasley, why don't you go first? Just stand up here…that's it…and when I open this drawer and release the boggart, picture the comedic form of your fear and use riddikulus on it." Rose nodded as she raised her wand in preparation.

Professor Astin pulled the desk drawer open and a dark mass flew from inside, hovering before the Weasley girl. It quickly changed into a huge Hammerhead shark, throwing its odd rectangular snout from side to side threateningly. The whole class backed away except for Rose who stood frozen in fear, her wand still at the ready. The professor was about to step in when she regained her courage.

"Riddikulus!" The spell hit the monster, making the shark begin to hammer an imaginary nail. The whole class roared with laughter as Rose skipped happily back to her place, the shark reverting back into its dark mass in confusion.

"Very good! Five points to Gryffindor! Mr. Malfoy, next! Quickly!" But Scorpius didn't want to face the boggart, and especially not in front of his classmates. He couldn't move.

"Come on, quickly now!" Someone knocked him in the back (an enemy by the feel of it), and Scorpius unwillingly stumbled to the front, trying to keep his wand hand from noticeably shaking. The blob quickly shape-shifted before him, turning into his worst nightmare: a mammoth-sized fire ant.

This time the class didn't flinch in fear; in fact, some people laughed. But Scorpius hadn't noticed. He was too busy staring at its large and venomous pincers, hives beginning to creep across his body at the thought of their crunch. In his mind he was the young boy covered in ant bites being rushed to St. Mungo's as his throat constricted and blocked his breathing.

All around him things went black…

What woke him was the hoot of an owl. Scorpius opened his eyes to find himself lying in the Hospital Wing, his large eagle owl perched on the bed stand next to him.

"I'm sorry if he woke you," the nurse said, pointing at the owl. "But he flew in the window earlier and refused to give me his letter and leave." She placed a tray of food on the table, shooing the bird with her hand. "I'm afraid you've woken up too late to eat with everyone else, Mr. Malfoy, so you'll have to eat dinner here."

"Dinner?" Scorpius said, propping himself on his elbows. "How long was I out?"

"Oh quite a few hours; I bet that's why your parents wrote." The nurse motioned towards the owl. "It looks like your hives have gone away, but drink this just to be sure." She placed a small potion vial on the tray.

Scorpius was mortified; he had collapsed and suffered an allergic reaction in front of everyone, all because of his stupid fear of fire ants. Not to mention he had then spent the next several hours lying in the Hospital Wing over it.

Merlin, he was so dead.

The nurse walked back to her desk as a student entered. It was Rose Weasley, and she was holding a pile of what appeared to be school work.

"This is for you," she said without a greeting, placing it next to the owl that turned its head at her curiously. "Therese Nott is bringing the work from your other classes; this is just for the ones we share." Scorpius only nodded, reaching to untie the letter from his bird's foot.

"W-well I hope you feel better," said Rose, playing with her fingers nervously as she lingered. Scorpius gave her a bewildered look; a Weasley wishing good health on a Malfoy? It was absurd.

"Nice owl, by the way," she added nervously, as if hoping it would erase her words from before. Then without saying any more she turned and left, red hair disappearing through the doorway.

She hadn't teased him, nor had she called him names; nothing like he was expecting, seeing as how she was good friends with both James and Albus Potter.

Rose Weasley was odd, Scorpius decided; very odd indeed.

Your thoughts on my first attempt at Scorpius/Rose? I'd love to hear them! :)

-Jackie