A/N: Well, that was quick. After finally getting up the desire to finish the last entry, which, I will be honest, I knew where I wanted to go with but not quite how to get there, the magical machine in my head seemed to be stuck on "flood" and this started pouring out onto the page.
A little context: this takes place approximately six weeks after the last chapter, during which time some "serious shit", as Doc Brown would say, began happening at the school and a magical incendiary device kills a number of Ministry employees. Are the two related? Well, that's not important to these excerpts.
One last thing: Thanks for all of you who have added this to your alerts/favorites and to the (currently) two reviewers; all forms of feedback are appreciated!
One last, last thing: So I lied, sue me. Beware the fruit of Citrus limon. If you don't like such things, I won't take it personally, but I would call this one tasteful with no sourness whatsoever. Yes, I suffer from the pun disease.
Sorry for the long-ass note.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything related to it except copies of the books and movies.
First Night
As the December holidays approached, Rose grew more and more anxious. She had a plan to get to the bottom of the mysterious disappearances that had been happening of late, and thankfully, events had conspired to see that her behavior would not appear out of the ordinary. With her parents' twentieth wedding anniversary near the end of the month, they had decided to take a holiday to the south of France as a sort of second honeymoon. There had been much hand wringing on her mother's part, for they had always spent Christmas as a family and only to the forceful urging of Rose and Hugo had she relented. Her father never had an issue with it, as it would offer them some much-needed time away from the demands of their jobs to "reconnect".
Rose had let slip that they could just stay at Hogwarts for the duration, rather than burden any of the rest of the family, to which her parents had reluctantly agreed, her mother with quite a bit of suspicion. Having heard some of the stories of their youth, she figured that her mother was recalling her time at school. Nonetheless it was settled, and Rose and Hugo would stay the holidays. Albus had convinced his parents to let him stay so the pair would have some family with them during the holidays, and due to Uncle Harry's long hours investigating the Ministry attack there was little resistance to be had. Scorpius had managed to stay as well. Now the three of them could work on getting to the bottom of things.
After a week of searching through what had to be every book on mental magic, theories of apparation, memory charms, and Hogwarts itself, not only once but twice, the trio were no closer to tracking down an answer. Calling it a night, Albus left Rose and Scorpius in the library, the former looking through cross-references and the latter lost in thought. Before she realized how late it was, the sun had almost fully set behind the mountains outside the library windows. She pulled Scorpius from his reverie, and they made haste for their dormitories. But when they reached the staircase where Rose was supposed to go up and Scorpius down, he grabbed her hand and pulled her with him.
She protested only half-heartedly as the pair reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Scorpius muttered the password and ushered her inside. She had never seen the common room before, and it more than lived up to its reputation. The green walls, black leather furniture, and view out under the lake were breathtaking. It was cozy and warm, a far cry from what one would expect of being under a lake and, well, Slytherin. The room was empty and they found a nice seat by the roaring fire. As she lay against his chest, his arm around her, she was struck by the absurdity of her current position. Not three months ago, she would have found the whole tableau, well, disgusting. That is not to say he hadn't manifested himself in her dreams from time to time; she would have never admitted it before, but he is gorgeous. That was purely physical, and she understood that, animal instinct and all.
But now, though their relationship was not "official" – they had refused to consent to a label when they didn't even know what it was – there was no denying their interactions went beyond snogging for fun and pleasure. Though she hid it from him completely, she did feel something when in his arms, when he kissed her, when he touched her; it was beyond anything she had ever felt from her previous romances – or flings – if she were being honest. And she sensed some of that from him, that same withholding. She also noticed that when they were together his smiles would reach his eyes, causing them to light up with a mischievous twinkle. She made him feel too, made him forget his troubles, only if just for a moment.
She knew for a fact that he had a reputation among the girls at school for not being into emotional attachments. But for some reason, that didn't bother her. At first she believed it was because she too was in it for the physical, but then she started thinking that he wouldn't do that to her, not the way his fiery gaze could make her stomach do backflips, not the way his hand on her shoulder made her feel indestructible, not the way his lips on hers made her body feel like a coiled rope surrounded by an electric field. So she lay there, in his arms, confident that no harm would ever come to her. Is this what love was? Her mind stopped on a dime and her blood ran cold. Love. She had just used the L-word. In relation to a boy she couldn't ever…L… But a small voice inside of her simply asked 'Why not?'
She had no answer.
She looked up at him, his face relaxed, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and deep. It couldn't be, it wasn't possible. She was only seventeen. What does a teenager know about love? Hell, what do adults know about love? She was resolved to find out all she could on the subject. She snaked her arms around his body, causing him to stir from his meditation and look down at her. She inched up his torso to bring her lips level with his. She slowly began to kiss him as tenderly and as passionately as possible without succumbing to the ever-increasing knots forming beneath her gut. He responded in kind, caressing her, exploring her as she continued to pour her feelings into each and every kiss. He was being so soft, which was a stark contrast to their encounter in the library those few weeks ago. Gentlemanly was another term.
It was then that she knew instinctively that something burned for her inside of him same as something burned for him inside of her. She unknotted herself from him and stood in front of him, her hand outstretched. He grabbed it, and she led him back down the corridor to the dormitories. A silver plaque engraved with a serpentine seven hung over the door, and she knew she had the right place. She grabbed the knob, turned it, and pushed the dark wooden door in. The place was just like the common room, warm and dark. She noted that all the beds save one were neat and tidy, and only one trunk sat in the room. Without any fear now, she moved to his bed, and lay on her side, a smoldering come hither look in her eyes. For a moment, he stood in the middle of the room, dumbstruck, before puffing out his chest and striding to her with confidence. She linked her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, his tall frame covering hers.
He found her mouth and began to kiss her again. The tingling in her body increased tenfold, she had never snogged on a bed before, and it was not helping her arousal. Her hands found his back and slipped underneath his shirt, feeling his warm skin that now seemed so hot to the touch it felt like it was burning her. Burning herself, she can't take it any longer, and pushed him off of her and sat up. At first he looked crestfallen, but then, he saw her intent. She finally managed to pull of her shirt and jumper in one go, the suffocating feeling of the clothes reduced. Rather than return to her mouth, he pushed her back and began to trail kisses down her neck, to her collarbone, then finally to the space between her breasts.
He reached behind her with one hand and instantly unhooked her bra; she would have to ask him where he learned that trick later. He tossed the black item aside as if it offended him in some way and gazed upon her once more. She would have normally felt exposed, but he somehow made his ogling seem…tasteful. His hands reached out slowly, but without a signal to stop, they arrived at their destinations. She fit perfectly in his hands; the thought sent a shiver down her spine. He noticed and got that wicked grin on his face. He leaned in and took her left nipple into his mouth. It and the other were so sensitive that she whimpered as he tended to her, first one, than the other, swirling his tongue about them, flicking them. His last tease with his teeth caused her to buck her hips up to his. He groaned in response. Deciding he has also had enough, he too shed his shirt. She can't help but be star stuck for a moment as just observing his well toned musculature made her want to cut to the chase that very instant. Their lips met again, this time with more urgency, as her hands wandered about his torso while he used his arms to prop himself up over her.
Sensing an advantage, she flipped them, so now she was straddling him. With the benefit of gravity, she felt him solidify beneath her; he was poking her in a way that should have been uncomfortable but for some reason kicked her up a notch. She smiled a dirty smile and undid the button of his jeans, and slowly unzipped them. He managed to slide out of them and now is beneath her in nothing but his boxers, which only made his status more evident. She tugged at the elastic waistband and snapped it against his skin, giggling as he gave her a death glare, but the force behind it evaporated as she grabbed hold of him. He was hard and smooth in her hand as she began to stroke his length. His eyes fluttered shut and he moaned in ecstasy. She continued to work him as he bucked up against her, creating a noticeable friction between her legs in the process. She released him and leans down to lock him into a searing kiss. He then flipped them himself, and she groaned as his erection lay against her now burning core. He undid her pants and peeled them off in one fluid motion, the muscles of his arms rippling as he did so. She can't help but be driven a small bit closer to the edge at the sight.
He hooked his fingers into her very inappropriate knickers, which she had taken to wearing in anticipation of just this moment. He slowly slid them down her creamy legs, seeming to savor every inch they fell. He removed them completely and dropped them onto the floor. She sat up and pulled his shorts down, revealing him fully. She spread her legs wide to open up to him. He maneuvered between her legs and guided himself until he skimmed over her center, causing an involuntary shudder on her part and eliciting a moan from him. She grabbed his hips and pulled him to her, and he filled her up. A moment of pain and a tearing feeling made her cry out, and he was ready to withdraw, but she held him to her. As it subsided she moved against him slowly, each small thrust replacing pain with joy until she completely reveled in their connection. He took over and increased the pace and depth of the penetration. She was lost in his eyes, which were locked on hers, as he pushed them both nearer to the breaking point. She cried his name, fisted the sheets and felt as if the whole of her was made of cold fire. Unexpected warmth pooled inside of her as he collapsed on top of her, panting and sweating from the joyous exertion. He kissed her before rolling off of her, pulling her close to him. He pulled the fluffy covers over them as they spooned, and just as she was about to fall into the most peaceful sleep of her life, he whispered in her ear.
"I love you."