Chapter 2:
It was safe to say that I had never felt this good. I had woken up really early the morning of valentines day and raided my beauty cupboard. It consisted of all the normal things a girl would possess, you know, mascara, foundation, perfume the usual suspects except this morning there was something totally unusual in my cupboard. Something completely unlike me. Sleak-easy. I sighed happily running my fingers through my now dead straight hair, I had never gone straight before. I had never been asked out by Scorpius Malfoy before either. Another tingle of excitement went through me, I was still in shock. Anyway, back to my morning story, I had straightened my hair and decided to braid a little bit and pin it to the side. I then proceeded with make-up and outfit. Make up was easy, outfit... not so easy. Dress? Skirt? Shorts? It was all too hard. Finally after a lot of deliberation, I chose a small floral dress, leggings and a purple cardigan. Simple but cute, words quoted from one of my room-mates.
OK I admit, I'm stalling. Yep, I'm standing at the door to the school. Scorpius just below me, and my stomach is clenched so tight I can hardly breathe. I think, maybe reciting my morning a few thousands times before moving is a good idea. Hah. No. Not funny. I can't bring myself to do it. What if this is all in my head? But it can't be, I heard them. Stalling, stalling, stalling! OH, CRAP NOODLES! I don't think that's a word, Rose? Oh Merlin. I see him looking around, waiting for me as we arranged and as I was about to run over to him, something stopped me. I was so nervous. My hands started to sweat and shake, my stomach twist and even when I tried to shake it off it wouldn't go away.
I let out a breath, he goes to sit down a bench and as he turns, spots me. I hold my breath. Ugh.
"Rose!" he said waving, he ran up the stairs to join me. "Hey, I thought you weren't going to show then" He laughed a little. I didn't. "Wow. Your hair looks great, I've never seen it straight before." He ran a hand through my ginger hair, and I shivered. "You alright?"
"Yeah, it's just this February chill" I said, not meeting his eyes.
"Well, take my coat" he said, handing it out to me. My heart soared in my chest, he had never given me his coat before. I knew it would be the right thing to decline but I couldn't help myself. I shrugged on the coat, murmuring a thanks. This was stupid, I shouldn't be nervous! He's my best friend and soon to be more. Why should I be nervous? He looked at me and grinned showing his perfect teeth, and I smiled back. What was there to be nervous about? I hugged his coat closer to me, it smelled distinctly of Scorpius my favourite smell. We started to walk down to Hogsmeade making small talk. I was loving every second. We had always gone to Hogsmeade together, as friends, but this time was different.
"You know, I think I need a nickname for you."
"What?" he said, smirking.
"Well, you call me ginger ninja" as I said this he made his ninja move and I laughed. "I need to call you something."
"Well, how about, Scorpius- The Great" he said, posing one hand pointing into the air, the other holding his chin. I giggled, shaking my head.
"No, that sounds stupid. How about..." I said, thinking. "Potato"
"Just... Potato?"
"Yeah" I said, confidently.
"Why?" he asked, on eyebrow raised.
"Because you have the same number of brain cells as a potato" I said, laughing.
"Oh, you are so going down!" he said, coming up to me. I tried to stop my laughter, but I couldn't hold it in. He was slowly edging towards me, and I was backing away giggling. Although at the same time, my heart was racing. "You better say sorry for that!" he said, smirking.
"No way spud"
"Spud?"
"Another word for potato"
"That's it!" he said, as his hands shot out and he began to tickle me. He knew I was extremely ticklish. Evil Spud. I squirmed and laughed, begging him to stop. I couldn't breath as his hands mercilessly tickled.
"I'm sorry!" I shouted, and just like that he stopped and I could breath. But I was surprisingly disappointed. The air felt cold around me when he backed away, I knew I must have been flushed, I could feel it. How embarrassing. He smirked at me as I gathered myself together. My heart was racing, and hoped he couldn't tell how much I enjoyed that.
"That's what you get for hurting my brain cell's feelings" I smiled, he smiled back. Just a simple smile for him was enough to warm me up. We carried on walking for a little and I could see Hogsmeade approaching. I glanced around me as we entered Hogsmeade, all the store were full of Hogwarts student buying various items. I looked over to Honeydukes, which was overflowing and I could smell the sweets from here. Suddenly my wrist was grabbed and I was pulled back.
"What's up?" I said, as Scorpius stared straight ahead of him a blush creeping up his cheeks.
"Well, you know last week?" he said, meeting my gaze. How could I forget?
"Yes, when you asked me about Valentine's Day?" I said, my pulse already quickening again.
"Yeah, well why I asked you was because I want to ask someone out" He said, but my mind was going hazy. It was going to happen. Now. "I wanted to ask out... Vanessa."
WHAT? My heart dropped, like a leaf just pulled off of a tree. My face must've showed because Scorpius eyed me cautiously.
"And I had to ask you about it because I was worried what she would say no because we're mates and then I looked like such a dork and-" But the rest of his ramble faded away. How could I have imagined it? How could it have been all in my head? Everything made such perfect sense, up until now. The weird lunch conversation, Albus and Scorpius talking, him sliding a hand through my hair and the tickle fight. How could he be going to ask out Vanessa. Vanessa Tinkle. Who has a surname like that? Certainly no humans. Ugh. The perfect girl. Prefect looks, perfect grades, perfect clothes, perfect everything. I slowly turned to see her standing with a bunch of her friends, talking. How? I wasn't going to cry, not here in front of him. I sucked in my tears and looked up at him.
"That's great" I said, hoarsely. "You should do it" I faked a smile, and he visibly relaxed.
"Thanks Rose, sorry I went all cryptic on you the other day I just didn't want to make a fool out of myself." But I didn't care about any of that. I just wanted it to be me he was asking out, not Vanessa. "Rose listen, I'm gunna go and talk to her, maybe I'll get lucky." He winked and smiled but I said nothing just nodded to my feet. I could hear his feet crunch in the snow as he walked away from me. "Hey, Vanessa!" I couldn't take it, I let a tear leak out. It was hopeless, I had read to much into it from the beginning. I'd created all of it myself. I couldn't bare to witness
the happy smiling faces of Hogwarts newest couple. I shrugged off Scorpius' coat and chucked it onto a nearby bench and ran. I found myself running down to somewhere I never would've thought of, it was an impulse- just like it was to run.
I watched as the Shrieking Shack came into view, my tears spilling onto my cheeks. I looked around me, the last of the winter snow melting away and some flowers coming into bloom.
Worst. Day. Ever. I couldn't stop it, I was all alone and Scorpius certainly wasn't bothered where I'd disappeared to, so I cried. Long and hard. I couldn't believe it. I had made it all up myself. I was sure he was talking about me. How could I have been so stupid. I wiped my cheeks with my sleeve, he was my best friend. How could he have feelings for me? This whole thing was so stupid, the way I'd created this image in my head, how I'd got all dressed up and the way Scorpius had tickled me and we had laughed together. My more tears formed in my eyes. I was humiliated. I would never be able to face him and Vanessa ever again.
XxX
I think I stayed on a rock by the shrieking shack for hours, because it was dark by the time someone found me.
"Rose?" I turned to a voice in the shadows. "Is that you?" the voice said, sounding surprised. I heard footsteps approaching and I watched as Albus came into view. "My God Rose! What the Hell have you been doing out here?" I felt him sit next to me, pulling me in for a hug but I just stared out into the night. My brain basically not able to function from the amount of crying I had done, and my heart probably shattered on the floor it was hard to reply to him.
"Yeah, I- um..."
"You have no idea how worried everyone is Rose, and Scorpius is close to jumping off the astronomy tower with the amount of stress he is putting on himself." I couldn't help the comment that slipped out of my mouth.
"Maybe he should go and cuddle up with Vanessa" I said, with spite. So sue me. "Then I'm sure he'll feel better" I stood up not able to face Albus with threatening tears about to burst forth. Again. I blew out a breath and saw the steam flow into the freezing night. I was freezing. I looked at my numb, red fingers and tried to wiggled my toes, but failed.
"Is this what this is all about?"
I just sighed.
"Crap, Rose you must be freezing." Albus pulled me in for another hug and this time I clung onto him. I felt his coat wrap around me, not much different to how Scorpius coat had felt earlier. I couldn't help the sob that escaped, why did this happen? I felt Albus pull me closer.
"I- I'm sorry" I cried as Albus wrapped his scarf around my neck and his hat was forced onto my head. I giggled tearfully as he pulled it over my eyes, but it soon turned back into sobbing possibly even harder than before.
"It's OK, look and if it makes you feel any better then she said no." I looked up at Albus my eyes wide.
"What? I thought she liked him!"
"She said no because they were better as friends, she just didn't see it working out or something like that." He smiled at me.
"Who would say no to Scorpius?" I said, almost to myself. He chuckled.
"Oh I can think of a few reasons." He slipped his hand into mine. "Now lets get back up to the castle before Scorpius dies from a heart attack." I giggled. We walked up to the castle and I told him everything that I'd created, I was embarrassed but I kept going because I knew I had to tell someone. How it was all in my head, that I'd listened to their conversation and took it completely the wrong way, everything. Albus just listened, I knew he wouldn't judge me. I loved Albus, he was amazing.
"So, I created all of it in my head." I sighed as we walked the corridors to Gryffindor Common Room.
"I'm sorry that happened Rose."
"Yeah, so am I" I said. "Please don't say a word to Scorpius" I begged him, grabbing both of his hands.
"I won't, I promise." I looked into his bottle green eyes, and I believed every word he said. "Now, are you sure you don't want to go and clean up first? Because, no offence, but you look pretty rough," I could picture it now, my straightened hair frizzy and my make-up running down my face from the tears, my face red and eyes bloodshot. I didn't care, I just wanted my bed. Seriously wanted my bed. It was late so everyone would be asleep, I had nothing to worry about.
"No, it's fine" Albus said the password and we stepped into the warm Common Room. I first thing I saw was Scorpius- the only person still awake it seemed- hands buried deep in his hair and his head hanging down. As soon as he heard us, his head snapped up and a look of pure relief crossed his face. He jumped up and was squeezing the life out of me so fast I could hardly see him move.
"Rose, what happened to you?" He asked, his arms wrapped tightly around me. I had to try so hard not to just confess everything, I couldn't. "One minute you were there and the next you were no-where!" he said, still clinging on. "I was so worried, you have no idea. I thought you'd been dragged into the forbidden forest by a blast-ended skrewt!"
"Scorpius" I said, gently pushing him away. "I'm fine." I turned towards the girls dormitories but he kept talking.
"Wait, why did you disappear so suddenly?" I could hear the desperation in his voice and it was all I could do not to turn around and tell him everything.
"Scorpius, just leave it!" I said, more aggressively than I had meant. I could almost feel his confusion.
"But Rose-"
"I'm going to bed" I said, before running up the stairs and launching myself into bed. I couldn't take this. My heart was being torn into shreds every time I looked at him. He didn't like me like I liked him. Ugh. That phrase just gave me a headache. I sighed and pulled the covers over myself. Maybe things would be better in the morning. Hah. Fat chance Weasley.
