Malfoy Manor, End of Summer Party
Scorpius Malfoy's family was hosting an end of the Summer party, and of course, his 2 best friends from his childhood, Nott and Zabini, were invited. He was in a deep discussion with them about Rose Weasley, the Gryffindor girl he's got passionate love feelings for, he asked no one in particular :
"Why does she hate me so much? I don't understand her behaviour towards me at all."
"Well, from what my father told me, yours did some pretty nasty things to her parents and immediate family, so I'm not surprised she reacted this way towards you." answered Nott ever-so-seriously.
"You think it's merely because of that? They're done holding grudges against each other ages ago, and besides, my father's changed a lot since he married mother." He retorted hotly.
"I know, but does she know that as well? I don't suppose so, that's why she's acting like that with you, Scorpius." added his best mate Nott.
"Why can't she see that my family and I have been redeemed and even helped in the war and all that?"
"She won't ever because she's always going to see you as a Malfoy. There's still bad blood between your family and theirs."
"Salazar's beard, thanks for your encouragements." said Scorpius with extreme sarcasm.
Nott and Zabini left him in peace for the whole night, because he was very upset about his love interest seeing him only as her enemy, and not someone she could befriend. At dawn, they rose up early to get their school supplies in Diagon Alley, using the Floo.
In Flourish and Blotts, he stumbled on her. He thought she was prettier than ever, and grown taller than last year. While he was daydreaming, he heard a faint noise of books falling. He got to her and muttered "Wingardium Leviosa" to get her books back into her arms, although, she said spitefully in return :
"Thanks but no thanks, Malfoy, I could have done the simple levitation charm myself."
"Say Weasley, I want to know the reason why you're always so mean to me?" He asked shyly.
She went out of the bookstore in a dash without even glancing at him.
On the Hogwarts Express
On his left, was Nott and his right sat Zabini. He suddenly got up and said :
"I'm starving, so I'm going to get some foods off the trolley. You want any?"
"No thank you, you go." They both answered together.
After a while, Zabini reappeared in their compartment, breathlessly. Both asked their friend :
"What's up?"
"The Potter brothers were nasty to me in the hallway, I had a little skirmish with them on my way back here. They told me to get you a message, Scorpius, and it's : 'If you ever go near our little cousin Rose, you're dead meat.'"
"I can take care of myself."
"But we'll get your back, just in case." Both encouraged him earnestly.
"Thanks guys, but nothing's going to happen to me. I'm a Malfoy, am I not?" He said boastingly.
At Hogwarts, Sorting Ceremony and annual Feast
Nobody was paying much attention to the old Headmistress Mcgonall's welcome speech to the first years nor the Sorting Hat, everyone older than them were too busy stuffing themselves with delicious desserts from the welcome feast. After they were all full up to there, they went to bed thinking of challenging spells and jinxes to be learnt the next morning.
Scorpius's second year proved indeed to be more difficult than his first, therefore he studied a lot harder than ever before, to get all "O's" on every test, as his father requested of him, to make him proud. For Rose Weasley, he tentatively tried to say "hi" to her again, but she shunned him coldly, not even bestowing him a slight glance. He felt shattered and empty inside and thought :
"Why? But why does she hate me so much? She didn't even thank me when I helped in Flourish and Blotts."
Plus, he also noticed that she started a competition in studies with him. She competed with him, never speaking to him civilly, always calling out his last name with ever so much spite. She spoke to him only when necessary. Other than that, his second year passed quickly, with his dream girl totally ignoring him in every way possible except her rivalry in schoolwork with him.
He once overheard one of her Weasley female cousin say to her, he didn't know her first name, and she was saying to her :
"You know, in my opinion, you're putting too much to heart your father's advice for Malfoy."
"You think I do?"
"And you know what else I think, I think it's because you've got secret feelings for him too, though you don't dare to show them as openly as he does."
"What? Are you crazy, Molly, you think he's in love with me? And I'm in love with that slimy git?"
"Yes actually, I do think it's why you're concealing your secret feelings for him, but I know, Rosie."
"Don't be absurd, Molly, I don't have any feelings for my enemy!"
"Say it louder, then?" Her cousin Molly Weasley challenged her.
"I. Don't Have. Any. Secret. Feelings. For. Malfoy. Whatsoever. And that's final." defying her cousin's ridiculously false claims.
"All right, as you wish. You're as obtuse as your mother, Hermione Granger Weasley."
What Scorpius didn't know that night, on the last one of his second year at Hogwarts, was that what her older cousin said to her bothered her all night long, and she didn't sleep a wink the whole night. The next morning, he saw dark circles under her eyes, baffled as to her reason for looking so unhealthy. If he knew it was him who caused her to be like that, he'd curse himself into oblivion, but would also be happy he was on her mind all night long. As he was trying to decipher why she was so tired, he got back home quicker than expected, dreading another summer with his cold father.