Chapter 3
When: 5th year, early January
Where: Ravenclaw Common Room
What: Sleepkicking
In the previous chapter, we learned how Scorpius witnessed one of Rose's sleeping activities, sleepwalking, which is a largely common habit around the world, nonetheless, comical and sometimes embarrassing, but in Rose's case, somewhat fluffy yet very dangerous. However, we will go back less than a month's time in order to recount another sleeping activity, which concerns Scorpius in a painful way, and by painful, I meant painful.
But Scorpius never expected much pain the day Professor Forsyth paired them up for the Potions project. He merely expected a lot of bickering, a couple of snarling and eye-rolling courtesy of Rose Weasley, and some scoffing and smirking he would seriously be thrilled to contribute.
"Why us?" Rose asked the professor nonplussed, just after Forsyth finished explaining the project and pointing out the pairs. "I can be partnered w—"
"I've made up my mind, Miss Weasley," he said merrily, showing his bucked teeth. Professor Forsyth pushed his spectacles up his nose and walked off.
Rose turned to Scorpius, "Why us?"
The blond shrugged dully, but he was rather happy that Rose was not getting in a rage. At least he was looking at the bright side.
All of the pairs were given a pot of plant each, all of which was possible thanks to Professor Sprout, and after the Potions Master allowed them to take vials of the potions they were to experiment with, Forsyth dismissed the students. Rose carried the pot of plant while Scorpius arranged the vials on the rack in his hands. Together in silence, they traipsed up to the Ravenclaw Tower.
"What I don't get," Rose began after settling the plant on the table in the common room. "Is the reason why—"
"—we're paired up?" Scorpius suggested innocently.
"No," she answered, which made Scorpius raise his eyebrows a little. "I meant why we have to do this project? What's the reason? Why would I care what would happen if the plant was fed with laxative potion? I mean, what's the point? Would this even come up in our OWLS?"
"Maybe it's a psychological thing Forsyth's on about,' he said. "He is rather kooky. Isn't he an environmental activist? Maybe he's trying to teach us the lesson that we shouldn't go spilling potions all over Mother Nature."
Scorpius said all these as if he was making a very good joke. Rose rolled her eyes and asked for the vials. She started recording the names of the potions in her notebook. The blonde sat down on the sofa a foot beside her, trying to peer in her notes. He cleared his throat and asked in genuine interest, "So, you're not even going to scream in fury because we've been partnered?"
Rose turned her head slowly to his direction, her face all business-like and calm. "Malfoy, I'm not dense. I know what could be good for me, and being paired up with you could definitely be good for me. Well, more for my grades, but I'm willing to endure anything unpleasant with you if it means getting the highest mark in Potions. I've been having a tough time lately. Forsyth's lesson plans are getting ridiculous."
Scorpius shrugged and gestured that she could continue with her list. They started with the project the night that followed, and they needed to apply a different potion after every forty-eight hours. Scorpius met his expectations: half of their time working together was spent on bickering, Rose's eyeballs were on the verge of permanent dislocation due to her projection of rainbow eyes (Scorpius thought sooner or later her eyes would pop out from her head and roll on the floor) and then there were times that he had a hard time deciding whether he would scoff at Rose or else smirk at her. It was a very tedious job; they were always the last to go to their dorms in the common room. Their classmates who were taking the same assignment admired them for their determination and hardwork, but Rose and Scorpius knew that the reason why they were having such a long time with each potion were the problems with various depths that ensued through the course of their work.
On the night of the fourth potion, one of Rose's sleeping activities was discovered.
Scorpius had given her copious amounts of warnings not to get the Dulling Concoction on her skin, for it would cause drowsiness. But Rose did not wear the gloves that he conjured. She was feeling irritable an she wanted to get the work done as soon as possible, so she poured the whole contents of the small bottle on their plant, but a few drops spilled on her wrists, and as soon as she looked down on her hand in surprise, Scorpius growled and wiped his face in frustration.
"Nice going Weasley!" He snarled. "In a matter of minutes, you'll get drowsy and then you'll fall asleep and then I'll have to finish the stupid report on the Dulling Concoction on my own!"
Rose flushed in guilt and said, "Can't we—"
"Just…" he sighed in defeat as he bent down to examine the plant, whose soil was bubbling slightly. "Go to bed, as you'll be asleep within minutes."
She stifled a yawn and moved closer to the plant, grabbing Scorpius' quill and parchment. "I'll do whatever I can now before I fall asleep," she said dismissively.
Scorpius let her, but just after two minutes, her head bobbed up and down and her eyes fluttered open and close slowly as she fought off the inconvenient effects of the seemingly harmless potion. Rose pushed the report towards Scorpius, giving off a big yawn, and climbed on the sofa where she sat drowsily.
"How long would I be asleep?" she asked, as the remaining second-years and sixth-years went up to their own dormitories, leaving the two of them quite alone.
"Dunno," Scorpius muttered, concentrating hard on the report. "Go up; I'll finish this."
Rose mumbled incoherently but remained in her seat. Her upper body slowly slid sideways and down on the sofa. Five minutes passed until Scorpius realized Rose was still in the common room; her light snore told him so. He looked behind and saw her lying down, her face looking peaceful. It took him a second too long before he was able to look away so that he could get back to his work, wherein he was in the middle of describing the leaves' appearance, which were droopy and slightly shriveled. He was getting drowsy himself, but he kept on writing. Then—
"Ow!"
Something gave a hard blow on the head that made him see stars. He opened his teary eyes and glanced round at the source of the pain inflicted upon him. Rose stirred in her sleep but did not wake. She snuggled comfortably against the throw pillow under her head.
"Weasley," he snarled. Rose kept still. "Hey…hey Rose!" Still no movement. Scorpius curled his lip and set back to work.
Then after just a few more minutes, his quill slipped away from his hand and his head lolled sideways, just a few inches from Rose's feet, which, according to what would happen next, is a bad location.
Rose grunted and jerked her left leg, so that her heel collided with Scorpius' jaw. He started awake and swore angrily. Rose's foot lurked dangerously close by his ear. Scorpius noticed this behind a slight rim of tears, and moved away from it. But Rose stretched her leg and her biggest toe touched his blonde hair. He felt a shiver run down his spine, and he didn't know whether he wanted to move away or not. But before he could make a decision, Rose kicked him again.
Sorpius grabbed her left foot, which was trying to aim a kick at him, and held it down on the sofa. Rose's forehead creased in a dreamy frustration. Her right leg, meanwhile, found a way to give harm to Scorpius' face. She kicked him on the nose. Scorpius groaned so loud, hoping it would wake up Rose. When it didn't, he grabbed her left foot and restrained it. But her feet kept struggling free.
"Rose!" he said. "Wake up you little screwed up-agh!" Her left foot was freed and she kicked him again. Scorpius hissed with fury as he sat down on the end of the sofa, Rose's feet jerking undefeated in his grip.
"Weasley! Weasley! Weasley!"
But she did not wake. She calmed down after Scorpius called 'Weasley' for the nth time. And then he had to let go. Scorpius clicked his tongue furiously and sat back down on the floor to finish the report even though his head ached. Rose twisted and shifted her position so that her feet gently rested behind Scorpius' head. He felt them and paused for a moment, deliberating whether she would start kicking again or not. Good thing, she didn't. She merely rubbed her feet together slowly, so that it felt like Scorpius was having a head massage. He found himself closing his eyes and feeling the nice warm sensation on his nape. Then he snapped his eyes open, stood up and straightened himself. He shook Rose roughly on the shoulders.
"Wha…" she said groggily, her eyes halfway open.
"Get up to your bed," he said in a strange restrained voice.
"Nnggghhhmmm," she sounded.
Scorpius stared at her and scowled. "Stupid Dulling Concoction," he said as he rubbed his sore jaw. Then he looked down on their Potions project. "Stupid Professor Forsyth and his stupid project."
He packed up quickly and then took a last look at Rose, intending to leave her sleeping in the common room. "Stupid….ergh…."
He marched up to his dormitory. Once he put on his pyjamas and lied down on his bed, he forgot the pain and instead concentrated on the pleasant feeling of Rose's 'massage'. He smiled in the dark, then winced, because the pain returned.
Nothing happened much in here. Screw college and let's fly to Hogwarts. Who's with me?
Apologies for wrong grammars and spellings.
