Title: All's Fair in Love and Quidditch
Gift For: Rotae
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley bond and fall in love while at Hogwarts thanks to their mutual devotion to the game of Quidditch. Family politics and the pressures of playing professionally, however, eventually threaten to tear their relationship apart.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Language, Angst
Word Count: 1820
Lyrics/Quotes Used: "The caterpillar does all the hard work, but the butterfly gets all the publicity." - George Carlin
A/N: Written for the livejournal 2010 SMRW_FICAFEST exchange. Rotae asked for Rose and Scorpius in Ravenclaw as best friends who fall in love. I had a really hard time coming up with a believable plot about BFFs that turn into something more because in most of my rl experiences it's usually just ½ of the friendship that is in love and the other half is all WTF? So I was forced to steal my plot from the movie Love and Basketball. I also stole probably half-a-dozen lines from the film, too. I also stole borrowed names of many supporting characters from some of my favorite fanfics. A great big hug and lots of kisses goes out to queenb23more who agreed to beta this for me. Also a big thanks to birdseyeview for not crushing/cursing me for turning this in so late.

Part 1: The Snitch is Released

Rose caught sight of her blond-headed housemate hovering at the edge of the pitch. He had a broom in his hand but was just standing there, looking unsure. As a first year herself, she realized that it could be intimidating to come out for a fly and find a group of students already on the pitch. However, he should just pluck up and either come over and speak with them or fly elsewhere. You didn't get anywhere in life just standing on the sidelines.

Rose's attention was called away from her indecisive housemate by her cousin James' words. "You have to play, Lucy. We won't have even teams if you don't."

"I don't care," Lucy pouted. "I only came out to be supportive. I brought a book to read. Besides I'm rubbish as Keeper."

"It doesn't matter," Dominique said. "We won't get mad if you let the other team score a few goals."

"Yes, you will," Lucy replied hotly. "You guys always get mad. You say you won't care, but once you're up in the air, everyone starts taking the game seriously and gets pissy if someone doesn't perform well."

Rose looked back toward the edge of the pitch. Her housemate was still there. While her cousins continued to argue with Lucy, Rose, sick of the delay, yelled across the pitch. "Malfoy, do you know how to play Keeper?"

He nodded.

"Are you any good?" she shouted.

"I'm alright," he called back in reply.

"Alright is better than Lucy. You can be on Dominique's team," she yelled, pointing to her willowy, redheaded cousin.

Scorpius nodded again, mounted his broom, and flew up toward the north-facing goals.

"Rose!" Al hissed as he grabbed her sleeve and gave it a tug.

"What?" she replied in exasperation, breaking free from his grasp.

"That's Scorpius Malfoy; the kid your dad said not to get friendly with!"

"I know who he is, Al. He and I are housemates after all."

"What about your dad?"

"Dad didn't know we were going to need a Keeper, did he?"

"Well… no."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"This is just a family pick-up Quidditch game. It's hardly a matter of life or death."

"For shame," Rose replied with a frown. "It is never ijust/i Quidditch." She then mounted her broom and joined James in the starting Chaser position.

Rose started off playing great. She was fast, accurate, and tough. These characteristics made for an outstanding Chaser, according to her Aunt Ginny. Rose was also a good judge of her competition, easily able to size up their strengths and weaknesses within a few minutes in the air. Since she already knew all about her cousins' abilities, she focused on Malfoy and soon determined that he was much weaker guarding the left hoop than any other. She, therefore, directed about two-thirds of her shots toward that hoop. Her team had quickly gone ahead and the inevitable inter-family taunting had begun.

"Louis, if your arm was any weaker, you'd be a Billywig."

"Fred, you fly like a drunk Hippogriff."

"Apparently Victoire is only worth a shit on a broom when Teddy is around to give her pointers."

Rose wondered if Scorpius was feeling left out of all the taunting. She scored against him again.

"Great shot, Rose!" James shouted.

"It's easy when the opposing Keeper thinks there are only two hoops worth guarding," Rose replied, smirking widely at Malfoy and causing her teammates to laugh.

Unfortunately, soon after Rose's comment, the game's momentum began to change. Roxanne's Bludger hits became deadly accurate, causing both James and Rose to drop the Quaffle or have their heads knocked off. Dominique then scored three goals past Victoire by suggesting that Teddy was probably engaging in lots of 'adult' activities with the more experienced women he was meeting in Auror training.

Perhaps worst of all, at least to Rose's way to thinking, Scorpius began playing better. He made some spectacular blocks, leaving Rose feeling robbed of the goals that should have been hers. Although he didn't mock her, Rose's cousins on the opposing team weren't as considerate.

"Rosie, how's it feel to finally meet a Keeper who realizes you are mortal?"

"What's wrong, Rosie? Is the Quaffle too heavy for a little firstie?"

"Rose is just distracted by playing against a boy who she isn't related to."

Rose's temper flashed hot, but it wasn't until Scorpius finally got into the swing of things and taunted her as she approached the hoops that she lost control and sent the Quaffle straight towards his head. A sickening crunch sounded when it made contact with Scorpius' nose. Rose's stomach clenched in horror as she watched him tumble off his broom and fall toward the ground.

L*O*V*E*&*Q*U*I*D*D*I*T*C*H

Rose fidgeted in her chair. She'd come to he hospital wing to apologize to Scorpius right after dinner. The apology had been offered and accepted, and she could now return in good conscience to her common room, but she still felt guilty. "You don't look like someone who's been knocked off his broom by a Quaffle to the face," she told him.

He shifted in the bed and stared at her. "What do I look like?"

Rose cocked her head to the side. "Like someone who got a hold of a bad Puking Pastille," she paused, "well, except for your chin."

Scorpius reached up and touched the deep gash that ran down the center of his chin.

"Madame Patil said I'd have a permanent scar."

Rose nodded. "Louis tried to fix it with magic but buggered up the spell. Are you mad?"

He shook his head. "No. Darren O'Hare, who played Keeper for the Kenmore Kestrels, had a similar scar on his chin."

"Did he get it playing Quidditch?"

"Yeah, during his third year as Captain of the Irish National Team. Apparently, it was some sort of payback for having invented the Chaser Hawkshead Attacking Formation."

"You know a lot about Quidditch history."

Scorpius shrugged. "I'm going to play professionally someday. I want to be Keeper for the Tornados just like Merwyn Finwick."

"I'm going to play professionally, too. I'll play for the Harpies just like my Aunt Ginny."

"Ginny Potter put up some good numbers during her first three seasons. Still, she wouldn't have stood a chance against Finwick."

"Says you."

Neither spoke for several seconds. Finally Scorpius broke the silence. "You don't have to sit with me."

"Do you have any family or friends at the school you want me to fetch?"

He shook his head.

"Then I'll stay."

"Okay."

They were quiet again. Rose started to get restless. It wasn't in her nature to enjoy long drawn out silences. "We could discuss Ravenclaw's chances to win the Quidditch Cup this year."

"Pointless."

Rose raised an eyebrow and just stared at him.

"Ravenclaw's frontline is pathetic. They couldn't hit the side of Gringotts with a goblin."

Rose giggled. "The Beaters are good."

"You can't win the Quidditch Cup with just Beaters. Still things will pick up once we make the team."

"You think you can take the position away from Chas Chambers next year?" Rose asked.

Scorpius frowned and looked unsure for the first time. "Probably not. Twelve year olds don't typically make good Keepers. Not enough bulk to do a really effective job guarding the hoops."

"I'll make it."

Scorpius nodded. "Within three years, Ravenclaw will be unstoppable on the pitch."

"I like how you think, Malfoy."

A pleased smile covered Scorpius' face. "Thanks, Rose. I… um… like how you play."

Two days later, Scorpius was finally well enough to join his housemates for breakfast. As soon as Rose saw him, she picked her plate up from the table and scooted down the bench to join him. "Guess what."

He blinked and looked around at the number of people gazing at them. Ever since arriving at Hogwarts, he'd been a bit of a loner with no particular friends. Rose, on the other hand, already had tons of mates in Ravenclaw and spent loads of time hanging out with her Gryffindor cousins. Undoubtedly, everyone in the Great Hall was wondering what he'd done to deserve attention from Rose. She hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Guess what," she repeated.

"What?"

"I get to try out for Chaser."

"How? I thought you had to be a second year to get on the team."

"Normally, you do. But my Aunt Ginny wrote me and told me that sometimes exceptions are made."

"Really?"

She nodded. "I got permission from Flitwick to try out, but he warned me that I probably won't make it."

"Sure you will; you're really very good. I've only seen the Ravenclaw team practice once, but I'd say you could easily take the shine out of at least one and maybe two of the current Chasers."

Rose grinned. "I think so, too, I was just trying to be modest."

Scorpius smiled. "It must be great to have your family so supportive about your playing."

She made a face. "It's really only my aunt who cares. She thinks I've got lots of talent and has shown me a number of tricks and strategies. I guess my dad is proud, too. But he doesn't want me to go out for the team early; he worries I'll get hurt."

"What about your mum?"

"She hates the game and thinks it's a waste of time. If it was up to her, I'd be a swot who just worried about classes all the time."

"She sounds like my dad."

"He doesn't like Quidditch?"

"Oh, he likes it well enough. He played while at school, but he doesn't want me to put all my Gobstones in one bucket. He keeps telling me that it's important to be well-rounded, to keep my options open, and to network."

"It's annoying. Why can't parents understand that when you have a calling, you have to pursue it?"

Scorpius shrugged and fell silent.

"So will you help me?"

"Help you?"

"Get ready for the try-out. I could really use someone to practice with over the next few days."

When Scorpius didn't immediately respond, Rose plowed ahead. Being part of a large extended family had taught her that you had to push for what you wanted. "Why don't you want to practice with me?"

Scorpius eyes widened. "I didn't say that!"

"You didn't say you would either."

He sighed. "I'll help. I'm just jealous that you'll be playing at least one year before I ever get a chance to be on the pitch."

Rose frowned. "We can keep pickup matches going on Sunday afternoons with my family, and I'll teach you all the Ravenclaw plays and strategies as I learn them. I won't let you fall behind."

Scorpius appeared to be considering things very carefully. Rose didn't mind, she'd do the same thing in his position. Finally he spoke. "Alright, we'll be in this together."

She grinned. "Straight to the Quidditch Cup."

TBC