Cassie rocks my socks. Read and review, you lovely readers ;)

Chapter 4

The rain started on Thursday and didn't quit until Friday evening when Rose was – regardless of about seventy drying spells – soaked.

"Care of magical creatures with the Slytherins." Oliver groaned.

Rose tried for a hopeful smile and patted him lightly on the shoulder. "At least Hagrid isn't sick anymore."

He scoffed. "As if that's any better. At least with Nolan teaching we didn't loose fingers or eyebrows." Oliver glared at the crates in front of them and refused to talk anymore.

The silence grew thick between them and Rose wished Oliver wasn't in such a foul mood. He was Hugo's best friend and a right good laugh when he wasn't angry. Rose discreetly glanced over her shoulder, finding Malfoy in a heated discussion with Chelsea and Dankworth glowering at her. Why was everyone so angry today?

She turned back around with an annoyed expression on her face. As the rain started to fall and Hagrid still hadn't come out of his hut, Oliver's foul mood started to rub off on her.

Growling inwardly, she stomped up to his porch and knocked on the door four times. When he didn't answer Rose called his name. "Hagrid!" No answer. "Hagrid!" she bellowed, pounding on the door. And once again: no answer.

Rose bit her lip and grabbed the doorknob, whispering a quick "Alohomora" beforethe door clicked open and she entered. Rose grinned at her wandless magic before shutting the door behind her. "Hagrid" she repeated hesitantly.

There was a loud nose blow and a large man with beetle black eyes appeared. "G'mornin Hermione… er Rose." He said ruffling her hair. She attempted to wrap her arms around his bulging midsection, but could only hug half of him.

"Am I late fer class?" he asked from behind a curtain of peppered grey beard.

She nodded and let him go. "About twenty minutes actually."

Hagrid chuckled. "Seems I ferget half of the things I'm s'posed to do lately. Guess my old age is finally catchin up ter me."

You wouldn't believe it if you saw him, but the gamekeeper was a very old man. He was nearing his ninetieth birthday. And although, he didn't look a day over sixty the half-giant was indeed getting old.

She smiled. "It's okay. I don't think anyone minds except the Slytherins."

Hagrid grinned cheekily. "Best not ta keep 'em waitin' any longer."

Rose opened the door to the hut and skipped lightly down the steps, making sure not to look up for fear of locking eyes with Scorpius. She still hadn't made sense of what had happened on Wednesday and she didn't want to face him until Saturday when it was absolutely necessary.

Hagrid cleared his throat. "Alright. I want yer to get in ter partners." there was shuffling and Rose made her way back to Oliver, who was now in a slightly better mood. "Today we're working with Mizkars. They're very fragile so be careful with them."

"Oh yes, very fragile, like the blast ended skrewts from last week." Scorpius mocked from somewhere to her right. Chelsea giggled hysterically and Rose thought she might be sick.

"All right come get em" Hagrid said, as always, unaware of what was going on in his class.

Oliver rolled up his sleeves as he approached where Hagrid was indicating. With a grimace, he reached hesitantly into one of the crates. The corners of his mouth turned upwards in confusion and he brought out a small fuzzy blue ball. A large chorus of giggles and cooing erupted from many of the girls, causing Oliver to turn scarlet. He smiled sheepishly and brought the Mizkar over to Rose. "Want to pet it?"

She bobbed her head eagerly and gave the fury creature a tentative scratch behind the ear. It purred softly and Rose almost squealed with fondness for the tiny thing.

"Everyone get one? Good. Today's lesson it ter feed them this formula." The giant pointed to a tray of babies' bottles with green liquid in them. "Mizkars only drink spider venom so try not to get any on you, it might burn through ya robes."

"There's always a catch." Oliver sighed, looking down at the mizkar. Rose picked up a bottle gingerly, eyeing it with disdain. Oliver went and sat on a gigantic pumpkin, cradling the mizkar to his chest, whilst Rose settled in beside him, holding the bottle to its miniscule mouth.

"So how are you enjoying being a prefect?" Oliver asked, draping a brotherly arm over her shoulders. She'd known Oliver since her first year when he and James had gotten their first detention together and came rushing back to the common room to boast about it. Apparently hexing Slytherins and getting detention for it, was the best way to make lifelong friends.

"It's great! I mean you're a prefect, you've seen the bathroom." She laughed.

Oliver laughed with her. "Yeah, almost makes up for having to patrol with Chelsea."

Rose snorted. "I don't think anything makes up for having to spend time with that." She said, frowning in her direction.

"Harsh!" Oliver gasped, feigning shock, even though he himself despised the girl. But lately, Rose was beginning to wonder how true that was. Considering they seemed to be almost cordial towards each other now.

"Speaking of annoying Slytherins, how's partnering with Malfoy in potions?"

Rose tried to hide the sudden wave emotions that flipped relentlessly in her stomach. "It's... okay." She muttered. Not really knowing what else to say. She didn't hate him anymore, but it wasn't like he was any less bothersome. "He's okay. I mean I like him… not like that. I like him, but I don't like him. I can see why someone would like him like that, but I definitely don't. He's an attractive person and all, but I could never… I mean I don't…" realizing she was babbling she trailed off hopelessly and hoped no one had been paying attention to her.

Oliver gave her a weird look. He was about to tell her that she was making absolutely no sense, but then the mizkar began to wail.

"What's going on?" Oliver asked holding the now red ball at arms length. Its screams were worse than a mandrake's!

"I don't know!" Rose shouted over the cries, looking around desperately for Hagrid. Who of course, was nowhere in sight.

"Oi Weasley, shut that bloody thing up!" hollered an anguished looking Scorpius.

She felt her face heat up with embarrassment. She snatched the thing from Oliver's arms and attempted to rock it like a child, but it still wouldn't stop. "What the fuck is wrong with it?" she yelled at Oliver.

"I don't know!" Oliver hollered, snatching it back and trying to hum a lullaby.

Then Hagrid was there. "Who told a lie?" he asked calmly.

"What?" Oliver asked incredulously, thinking the old giant had lost his mind.

"Who told a lie?" he repeated. "A mizkar cries when it hears a lie and only stops when the liar tells the truth."

Rose's stomach dropped.

Oliver shook his head. "No one told a lie!"

Hagrid twirled a porky finger around in his beard, ignoring the piercing screams as if it where a normal occurrence. Which considering Hagrid's fondness for weird creatures, probably was. "Well that's the only reason they cry"

Scorpius sauntered over, his frustration over the noise clearly evident on his face. Yanking the creature away from Oliver, he pulled out his wand and yelled "silencio!" The mizkar was silent for a moment, but then the wails started up again. Even louder this time.

"Magic don't work on em!" Hagrid shouted. "Someone has ter admit their lie!"

"I just say what I lied about?" she asked Hagrid.

He nodded. "And tell it what the truth is."

Rose bit her lip and took the mizkar away from Scorpius, staring down at it in hopelessness.

"Well hurry up Weasley, you lying cow!" Scorpius sneered.

Her face reddened again and she brought the creature close to her lips. "I lied about saying that I don't find Malfoy attractive." She whispered. "I do find him attractive." The mizkar's crying ebbed down some and she continued in a lower whisper. "Lately it's been hard to even be in the same room with him. He's so infuriating and I can't seem to control the way I act around him." The mizkar sniffled and she closed her eyes and continued even quieter. "And the saddest part is that he'll never feel the same way."

Finally she lowered it into the crook of her elbow. It changed back to its blue tint and nestled itself against her, looking utterly cute and defenseless. Unlike its reddened, screaming state she'd just endured moments ago.

Rose realized that everyone's eyes were on her. A pair of grey eyes in particular. She stared fixedly at the mizkar, unwilling to look up and face her shame. Had he heard her?

"Well now that that's settled. Time fer dinner!" Hagrid said cheerfully. "Come give me em."

Rose looked up to catch Scorpius' scowl and quickly looked away. Handing Hagrid the sleeping mizkar, she hurriedly gathered her things.

Heading away from the bustling students and to the owlery, Rose replayed the scene in her mind. Had she seriously just admitted her innermost feelings to a blue hairball? She thought of Scorpius' scowling face and desperately prayed that no one – especially him – had heard her.

Rose took the steps three at a time when she got to the owlery. Sitting on the topmost step, she pulled out her quill and a spare piece of parchment.

Tapping the quill to her chin for a minute she began scratching relentlessly onto the page, her onyx ink staining the page with fervor.

Victoire,

I know you've asked me thousands of times and I've always said no, but I'd like to take up your offer. Yes, what you're thinking is correct.

The first Hogsmead weekend is a week from now. Meet me at the three broomsticks at one o'clock. Also, congratulations on you and Teddy's engagement! I can't wait to come home for the wedding!

Love your most dotting cousin,

Rose.

Folding the paper once, Rose stood up to find her owl. The pretty brown speckled bird rushed down to meet her arm. "Deliver this to Victoire." She tied the letter to his leg and he gave her an affectionate peck before taking off.

"Weasley." Stated a cool voice.

Rose turned to find a regal looking Slytherin leaning against the doorframe. "Turner." She retorted in a cooler tone. Rose hadn't really any issues with the auburn haired charmer, more so his group of friends. Malfoy and Chelsea in particular.

He gave her a wolfish grin and got off of the doorframe, his expensive shoes clicking loudly on the stone floor. "So what was it you lied about?" he asked raising a thin eyebrow at her.

She turned away sheepishly. "Nothing."

"Nothing eh?" he chuckled. "Seems like something for that Mizkar to start wailing the way it did."

Rose played with a bit of string coming from her robes. "Nothing." She repeated.

There was an awkward quiet before he sighed. "Look, Weasley. I know I'm a Slytherin and everything, but you really don't have to be so cold to me." He rested a hand on her shoulder and Rose looked at him with shock. "Honestly, we're not all evil."

Rose recalled her time in Scorpius' body. Turner had said she was attractive. Was this him acting on it?

He removed his hand from her shoulder and placed it in his pocket to match the other, looking very much like a shy little boy. Which Rose found slightly cute.

"I never said you were." She whispered after a while.

He met her eyes with a smile. "In that case, what are you doing next weekend?"

Rose wondered what he meant before remembering that was a Hogsmead weekend. Unable to contain her question, Rose voiced it aloud. "Is Callum Turner asking me on a date?" She smirked.

He blushed. "I can see if you don't want to. I mean you're damn pretty and there's no reason for you to say yes. But I was just hoping that you-"

"I can't," she explained "I've arranged to spend the day with my cousin."

"Oh er...okay." Turner said glumly.

Rose gave a small smile and left the owlery, feeling a little guilty about turning him down. She might've said yes if she wasn't busy. Callum wasn't an ugly boy; in fact, if it weren't for Scorpius screwing with her normal thought process she might've been excited to go with him.

With a reproachful look towards the dining hall, Rose skipped dinner and made her way up to Gryffindor tower. Deciding to hide under her covers and pretend she'd never met the pest.

~.~

Callum poked solemnly at his dinner. Running his hand along the lip of his goblet and glanced over at the Gryffindor table every so often like he'd done through breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Scorpius noted his odd behavior, but didn't comment on it. He'd known Callum since they were first years and when he was in moods like these it was best to wait until he told him what was wrong.

There was a familiar overpowering scent of apples and Chelsea sat down with a sigh next to Scorpius. Ever since he – well it was technically Weasley - had kissed her, she'd been insinuating that she and he were dating and it was getting on his last nerve.

Chelsea sighed again, begging for attention that Scorpius refused to give her. After the fourth or fifth sigh, Callum slammed his fist against the table. "Salazar's balls Chelsea, what in the bloody hell do you want?"

"Nothing." She said passively.

"Then shut up. You drive a bloke nuts." He snarled into the goblet he wished was full of firewhiskey. He'd never been rejected before and the sting was foreign to him. It was a humiliating sensation that made one want to be angry and sad all at the same time.

"Scorpius are you just going to let him talk to your girlfriend like that?" Chelsea asked with a pout. "Scorpius!"

He glared at her. "I don't have a girlfriend."

Her jaw fell open. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not your boyfriend, you daft cow." Scorpius felt rude for saying those things to a girl, but one as cruel as Chelsea hardly needed any kindness. "You've never been more to me than a quick shag."

Callum snorted with laughter. Watching gleefully as someone else felt the horrible sting that had been digging into him all day.

Chelsea turned red then blue then red and then ghastly pale. "Who is it then?" she demanded, as he knew she would. "Who is it you're cheating on me with?" She put two claw-like hands on her hips and ignored the greasy strand of hair that fell into her face.

Scorpius tried to hide his smirk. "Lydia."

Chelsea huffed angrily. "The fifth year slag?"

"The very same."

"But how could you? I thought you loved me!"

"The only thing I love is sex and Lydia satisfies." Which, from what he'd heard from the other Slytherins – and the school – was true. Lydia was indeed a 'fifth year slag'.

By now Callum was clutching his side on the opposite bench, shaking with hidden laughter.

Chelsea stood with what was left of her pride. Raising her chin to sneer down at him. "One day there will be a girl who you can't charm. And mark my words Scorpius Malfoy; you will feel the pain you've caused too many others." With a toss of her hair she left the dining hall with dignity.

"You got yourself a right nutter mate." Callum laughed.

"Tell me about it."

Noticing a certain redhead dashing out of the hall, he bid his friend goodnight and followed suit and was surprised to find her waiting by the entrance. Looking nonchalant and examining her nails.

"Took you long enough."

"Getting cocky are we?"

"We should cast the disillusion charms now." She said with a bored expression on her face.

He arched a brow at her. Why was she being so cool towards him?

Muttering the incantation they soon disappeared from sight. "I can't see you." She whispered into the darkness.

"Isn't that the point?"

"Ha ha very clever Malfoy. Give me your hand, I believe if you touch someone they're able to see you."

There were a few moments of shuffling and then Rose felt a hand slip into hers. She fought back the gasp that threatened to escape her throat. She had expected them to be ice cold like his demeanor. Yet they were warm and comforting against her tiny hand – just like they were on Wednesday.

"Ready?" Scorpius asked, the smell of his peppermint breath seeming to linger in the air.

She nodded and they took off hand-in-hand towards the dungeon. Glimmering as the charm blended them into the dim lighted castle.

About two hours later, they sat invisible in the corridor outside of Morris' office, arses sore and forearms touching to keep from the awkwardness that was holding hands.

"Is he ever going to come out?" Rose said finally voicing what they'd both been thinking.

Scorpius shrugged. "It's only nine. Remember Weasley, patience is a virtue."

"And you know so much about virtue." She muttered.

Another hour and three more disillusion charms later and Rose was beginning to feel her eyelids drop. She stifled a yawn, leaning against the wall.

"Are you tired?" whispered Scorpius incredulously.

"I didn't sleep well last night." She replied in the same low whisper.

"And why is that?"

Rose felt her face heat up. "Joy was snoring." She lied.

Scorpius chuckled. "I think that's a lie."

"So what if it is!"

"So you admit it is a lie then?"

She kicked him. "Bugger off."

"I think it has to do with the lie you told in care of magical creatures."

Rose panicked on the inside. Had he heard? Did he know? Looking up at him, she saw a smirk and figured he was bluffing. He couldn't possibly know.

"What lie?"

"Well the bloody thing cried through your confessional so I only caught the last part, pray tell me, who is this boy that will never feel the same?"

Upon learning that Malfoy of all people heard part of her hushed confession, Rose sat in silence and momentarily contemplated using the killing curse on herself, to save her from having to justify the red that she was sure was staining cheeks.

Deciding against it she instead turned to the boy next her and all but spat out " It really is none of your business."

He chuckled again. "I won't tell."

"Sod off."

"C'mon Weasley, don't be such a buzz kill."

Rose was about to throttle him – or herself – when the door finally opened. A flash of silken black and the potions master was speeding down the corridor.

Scorpius pulled her to her feet and they clasped hands again, silently chasing after their potions master. He led them out of the dungeons and up the marble staircase. Stopping on the third floor landing he made sure no one was following – he hadn't noticed Scorpius or herself yet – and began his quick pace again.

When he stopped again they were in front of a small wooden door. With a quick nonverbal spell, Morris yanked open the door and stepped through. Shutting it before they could follow.

Rose reached for her wand and whispered "alohomora." But the door must've been enchanted because it didn't open.

Scorpius tried for himself, whispering several other unlocking charms and even a blasting spell, but the door still didn't budge. "Damn."

With one last try at the door, they gave up and moved down the hall to the main staircase. "We have to figure out what that charm is."

Scorpius ran his hand along his jaw. "I'll figure out how. You worry about what we'll do if we find Albus."

Rose nodded and moved to let go of his hand, but he tightened his grip. "You still didn't answer my question."

"And that is?"

"Who is it you fancy?"

Rose remembered their hands were intertwined and felt like crying. If only he knew.

"Doesn't matter. He wouldn't care if I told him anyway." She whispered, feeling her heart constrict with a new pain that Malfoy was causing her. "He's out of my league, I guess you could say."

Scorpius was going to tease her – due to habit – but he remembered his plan and realized this was the perfect opportunity to test its success. "I doubt that there is anyone out of your league." He said comfortingly, his deep voice penetrating her skin in an almost painfully alluring way.

Rose blinked. Had she heard him right? "Well, I'll see you Monday Malfoy." She pulled her hand free from his and shuffled up the stairs. She was halfway to the sixth floor landing when he called out to her.

"Scorpius."

"What?"

"My name is Scorpius. You don't have to call me Malfoy all the time."

She nodded even though he couldn't see and tried to bite down the skepticism in her voice. "I'll stick to Malfoy thanks." Not waiting to hear a reply she quickly dashed up to the seventh floor corridor.

Scorpius rolled his eyes. She was such a child.

The common room was deserted when he got back. The fire of course was still of average size. Hogwarts had some sort of charm on all the fireplaces to keep them lit. He took a seat closest to the blaze and removed the disillusion charm.

Scorpius didn't feel like going up to his dorm just yet. Dankworth would be snoring and he'd be up all night trying to ignore it. His eyes began to shut and he exhaled heavily. This Weasley business was quite taxing.

"Scorpius?"

He opened an eye, searching for the Slytherin that'd interrupted his sleep. "Lydia?"

She smiled and ran over to straddle his lap. "So I hear we're dating?"

Scorpius placed his hands on her hips and moved to push her off slightly. "Look, I was only trying to get Chelsea off my back and—"

Lydia placed her lips on his, silencing him with a sloppy kiss. "I figured as much when she called me a whore." She whispered. "But can't I pretend?" Her cherry lips started to caress his jaw, traveling down towards his neck and collarbone.

Scorpius shivered and Lydia giggled, thinking he was taking some sort of pleasure out of this form of molestation. "Lydia—" He began.

"Be quiet Scorpy." She cut him off again and Scorpius bit his lip in anger. How dare she call him 'Scorpy' and how dare she cut him off!

With a shove, Scorpius pushed her to the far side of the couch.

"I'm not your boyfriend. I don't date whores and I don't fuck them either." He stood up and dusted off his pants. "Never know what diseases they might have."

Lydia's eyes filled with tears, unlike the anger that would've filled Rose's. He chided himself. What was wrong with him? He pushed off a girl who was throwing herself on him and then compared her to the Weasel? He was just tired. He'd spent the whole night with her anyway.

With one last disgusted sneer in her direction, Scorpius left her with her tears. He knew he should probably feel bad about saying those things to her, but honestly what he said was true and after all, it wasn't her pants he was trying to get into.

a/n: So can anyone guess what Rose wrote Victorie about? And tell me what you think about Callum/Rose!

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