Lily Luna Potter strode through the corridors, engrossed in her Defense Against The Dark Arts textbook, the rest of her books and folders kept in her other arm. She only looked up from her reading when her bookish cousin Rose Weasley dropped her immense load of text books after tripping Scorpius Malfoy's foot.

Rushing to her cousin's aid, she exclaimed,

"Malfoy, you prick! At least try to be a gentleman!" Lily piled some books in her arms.

Rose clenched her teeth in anger and embarrassment. As she gathered her items, her long auburn hair fell in her face. She tucked the frizzy bunch of hair behind her ear, and quickly glanced up at the the Slytherin that had tripped her up in her race down the corridor from her clingy friend. Luckily, he had retired to the Ravenclaw tower before her little tumble.

The pale Slytherin was starting at her, his cold grey eyes cutting through her. He stood there dumbly. not offering any help. an unfathomable look in his eyes. Lily stood up indignantly, a few of Rose's books cradled in her arms.

Rose quickly followed suit, her eyes downcast, looking at the scattered books lying on the stone floor. Lily huffed,

"Rosie, you know you're my favorite cousin, but I honestly can't spend another second around this rude jerk!" Lily spared a single glare at Scorpius, then click-clacked down the corridor after pushing the books into Rose's arms.

"Ouch that really hurts Lils!" Hugo, Rose's brother, called after Lily, her red hair swishing as she flipped him off over her shoulder. Hugo passed her a book, then walked off disdainful, apparently believing himself to be over helping his older sister.

Rose tucked her coarse hair behind her ear again before looking back at the young Malfoy. He was still staring at her, but as a few Slytherin pulled up to laugh at the spectacle, his gaze turned disdainful.

"I can see from your hair that you're a Weasley and a Granger from that bush you call hair." He spit at her. She had tried to believe that the tripping was an accident, but this was just too much.

"Look, Malfoy-" But he cut her off.

"I'm afraid I can't say my father speaks quite highly of you." he said, eliciting a few laughs from the crowd that had gathered. Insulting her, she could take, but her parents? That was below the belt. Grabbing the wand out of the inside pocket of her robes, she prodded him in the chest, causing him to take a step back.

He smirked and stared into her eyes once again, his pale ones somehow unnerving her almost black ones. A chorus of "Oooooooohhh!" came from the rather large gathering around them.

He smirked at her again and opened his mouth to cockily say,

"I don't believe you can curse me. Half mudblood, half blood traitor, I'm surprised they even let you in through the gates." A huge wave of laughter and groans went through the crowd.

Rose mustered her courage. 'Calm down, Rosie, this is why you were placed in Gryffindor. Prove yourself.' Narrowing her eyes, she said through clenched teeth into the silence surrounding them,

"You see Malfoy, that's where you're wrong." She drew back her wand.

"Stupefy!"

The red light blasted out of her wand and hit him in the chest, sending him flying back into the far wall of the corridor. Screams, gasps, and laughter echoed in the unlucky corridor. Rose triumphantly scooped up the troublesome books that had started it all, and started to turn, but a voice caught her off guard. Malfoy's weak voice echoed around the now-quiet hall.

"You'll have to do better than that, Weasley. If you've forgotten, we're third years. I seriously doubt you can take me out."

The group of Slytherin girls fawned over his "courage and heroism." He wiped a small drop of blood off the corner of his mouth and staggered over to her.

"Nice job, Granger." He smirked, then leaned in from behind her and whispered into her ear as if it was meant to be private, but in actuality, everyone could hear, and said,

" Though I have to deduct points. That ass is definitely not up to standard." All the boys laughed wildly while the girls looked around in confusion. What would she do now?

Rose seethed, feeling his hot breath on her ear and side of her face as he laughed along with them, drunk on his power. She took a step forward, and as the crowd watched, she dumped her load of books on the ground as Malfoy looked on in confusion. Her intent became quite clear when Rose swiveled around and took him out. As her fist, fueled with anger, connected with his face, the light left his eyes and he crumpled to the ground.

The crowd rioted. There were people screaming, jumping up and down, some in shock, and others clapping.

Rose watched in satisfaction, then horror as he fell to the ground. She smoothed her hair.

"Accio books!" They flew into her arms, and she tried to quietly slip out and go to lunch, but no luck.

"MRS. WEASLEY! MR. MALFOY!" The potions teacher, Daphne Greengrass, stormed onto the scene. The crowd immediately dispersed, leaving an ashamed Weasley, and an unconscious Malfoy. With a flick of her wand, she revived Malfoy and sent them to the headmaster.

As Rose recounted the story, she realized that is she went over the "bad ass" part, Malfoy would risk expulsion. For some reason, she felt. . . Bad for him? She smoothly skipped over that part and said that she was overwhelmed by the crowds, and when they receded, Malfoy was on the ground.

She felt his eyes flick up, trying to meet hers, but she didn't skip a beat. All she did was encircle his wrist with her thumb and pointer finger to tell him to go along. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him jump slightly and color invaded his pale face. She let go and went back to her story.

Headmaster Bobbin regarded the two flushed and excited teens over her interlocked hands. She nodded slowly once.

"I see. . . Next two nights, you have detention with Hagrid, and you're banned from Hogsmeade for a month. You may study instead. Fair enough?" They nodded quickly and exited.

Outside of the office, Malfoy turned to look at her, suddenly reminding her of a young child confronted with his wrongdoing. Rose stifled a laugh as he sighed.

"Look, I don't know why you covered for me, but thanks, Weasley. And, maybe a truce for now?" He held out his hand. Surprised by the change in his demeanor, she took it. It was rough and calloused and sent flutters up her arm. Why? Rose didn't want to think about that right now. They stayed like that for a moment before shaking once and letting go and partnig ways.

"See you tonight!" Rose called out! That Slytherin presented a few riddles. Her mother's daughter through and through, she tried to figure him out while getting ready.