The next couple days, Rose was frustrated as Scorpius founds ways to avoid her and her Gryffindor friends. Was he just going to pretend that those nights had never happened?

After that detention, they were assigned different tasks, Scorpius helping in Potions, Rose cleaning the bathrooms without magic.

There was still next week when she and he would be the only third years to be at the school during the Hogsmeade trip. For Rose, the week couldn't happen fast enough. Well, to confront him, that is. Her days passed in a blur until the day before the Hogsmeade trip.

In Charms, Flitwick announced something that shocked the whole school.

"Now, now, children, settle down. It haas been called to my attention that Headmaster Bobbin wanted me to announce that in January, we will be having a ball. Apparently very formal and in the Great Hall. The whole school is invited, and you will get more details in later months. Now, back to your charms! Let's go!" And with that, Flitwick collapsed into his chair.

A ball! That would mean dates! Girls everywhere giggled as groups of boys passed by. News of rejection and newfound relationships traveled around the school. And that was just the first day.

The next day finally came, and the seconds after the large groups left, Rose went to go confront Malfoy. Rose marched resolutely down to the dungeons. After that, she had no idea where she was.

She just sort of wandered. Luckily, she caught Scorpius down ear the dungeons.

"There you are!" She yelled. Scorpius smirked.

"Miss me much?" He said arrogantly. She snorted. As if she could miss him. She towed him into a nearby alcove so they were protected from nearby from nearby passerby. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Going to ask me to the ball? Well it took you long enough." Although his tone was breezy ad carefree, his stomach twisted into a knot with his offhandedly asked question. He must be having an allergic reaction to being so close to her. He took a step away, but the twisting i his gut remained.

"No, I'm not! Why have you been avoiding me?" She huffed, and he looked at her like she was an idiot.

"Have you met the Slytherin's? They would slaughter you and me both if they knew we were friends." Rose shifted nervously from foot to foot.

"Oh. I didn't realize that. Sorry. And why did you immediately think I was asking you to the ball?" He grinned evilly.

"Because you didn't protest as loudly when I kissed you last night." Her mouth fell open and a blush almost as dark as her hair rose to her cheeks.

"And also, why do you keep kissing me? I'm a Weasley and a Granger, remember?" He laughed, an actual laugh. It sounded different than he had ever laughed before. It wasn't a smirk, a grin, or arrogant. It was elegant and familiar at the same time. It was. . . surprising.

"Yeah, you are, but it makes your face really red and you start to splutter. It's really satisfying."

"Oh." Rose deflated. Was she disappointed?

"Well, anyway, let's go to Hogsmeade." Scorpius looked at her bemusedly.

"We can't, remember? And even if we could go, the groups left already." She smirked, channeling a bit of Slytherin.

"That's only if you're not me. Here, scoot closer." And she threw the invisibility cloak over them.

"Albus let me borrow this. And I nicked this-" She flourished a map,

"-from James." He peered closely at it.

"Hey you can see the professors! They're footsteps! This is so cool!" She smirked cockily again, taking a leaf out of his book.

"Well it's all normal when you're a Weasley." She threw the cloak over them, making sure their ankles were covered. They quickly checked the map and made their way to Hogsmeade. As they looked around the huge candy shop, Scorpius groaned.

"Damn it! I forgot my money!" Rose grinned and held up a bag filled with Galleons. Scorpius moaned catching onto her idea.

"Oh. Oh, no, I couldn't! I wouldn't be able to pay you back today!" She grabbed his hand and poured several coins into his palm.

"You can pay me in something else," she said mischievously. He looked surprised.

"Wow. I didn't think you liked my kisses." Her face reddening with the Weasley blush, she thwacked him over the head with her palm.

"Not like that, idiot! I meant I wanted you to sit and talk to me about yourself. I need to puzzle you out." His face reddened as well.

"Ooh. . . okay." She thwacked him again.

"Ouch! what was that for?"

That was for perving out on me!"

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"That was for fun."

"Hey!"

"So that's a no? Anyway, sorry, but I can't let you hang out with your Slytherin buddies." She said irritably.

"They check students on the way in, so if I can't find you afterwards, we're both in big trouble." He jammed his fists in his pockets sheepishly.

"I wasn't going to anyway. I thought it would be nice if we stuck together and had a normal day where nobody got punched or hurt." Rose looked at him, taken aback.

"Okay. What do you want to do?" Scorpius thought for a moment then said,

"Well we could shop a bit, then get some hot drinks and sit outside in a place where no one could see us? I mean, the less people that see us, the less people there are to possibly report us to Filch."

"hat sounds alright," she allowed.

"As long as your sure there's nowhere you'd rather be." Scorpius shook his head. They walked along the shops, looking into each one to gauge how many Hogwarts students were inside.

The whole time Rose was thanking the maker of this cloak because he had thought to make it large enough for two third-years to walk a comfortable distance away from each other without being seen at all.

Finally the two got to a store that had absolutely no students in it. One problem though. It was a dress shop. As they peered in, all they could see were frills, ruffles and plunging necklines.

Rose gleefully tugged on Scorpius's arm.

"Hey, let's go in there!" He sighed resignedly.

"Fine, fine." And without further ado, she towed him into the shop.

"Really, Malfoy? From all the ranting my father has done about yours, I didn't expect you to be so willing to destroy the Malfoy family pride. and with a Weasley, no doubt." Scorpius sulked, his bottom lip sticking out.

"I've pushed my limits trying to be nice the last three years and maybe make the Malfoy reputation better, and this is what I get. Dragged into dress shops with girls!" Rose giggled and poked his bottom lip, causing him to draw it back in with surprise.

"No pouting! You wish beautiful girls dragged you into stores everyday. I can see it in your eyes." And with that she pulled into the center of a rack filled with garish dresses.

She quickly pulled the invisibility cloak off them as they crouched in the dark, and tried to stuff it in her beaded bag.

"Ah! Scorpius! You're standing on the cloak!" He looked down but couldn't see anything past the jumble of legs.

"Which foot?" he inquired.

"Your left one," rose said, forgetting to whisper. He lifted up his foot.

"No, your other left!" Rose practically screamed at him. Scorpius rolled his eyes and moved his other foot.

"Jeez woman. I tried!" He exclaimed. Rose succeeded in stuffing the cloak in her bag.

"Don't call me 'woman', and it degrades us every time! Why-"

"Blah, blah, blah," Scorpius interrupted in good nature.

"Ok, I get it, it's wrong, can you please not lecture me?"

"AHA!" A loud voice cried, a pair of strong hands snatching them up out of the rack. A dumpy woman stared at them angrily.

"What are you two children doing in my shop? Here I am, trying to make an honest living, and you two come in and run amok!" The woman ranted. Forgetting the lesson he was given just moments ago, in his panic he exclaimed,

"Calm down, woman! We were sitting in here, not blowing things up!" Rose started to widen her eyes, staring at him in belief.

"I don't-" He didn't get any father than that. With an aggravated sigh, Rose lifted her hand and began to whack him over the head repeatedly. With every smack he belted another word.

"Don't-" Smack

"Call-" Smack

"Her-" Smack

"Woman!" Smack

With one almighty smack upside the head, she bellowed,

"Did I not just tell you not to degrade women? You insensitive jerk! How about I just call you 'man' or 'male' instead of your name?" Scorpius cowered away from her. The shopkeeper looked at her in amusement. Rose snatched up a magazine lying on a nearby table and rolled it up.

Scorpius edged away from her. Rose started towards him, whacking him repeatedly as she ranted on and on. By this time, Scorpius had curled into a ball in order to defend himself.

The shopkeeper sighed, sensing it was time to intervene. With a grunt, she hefted a scrawny Weasley up. Rose was still lunging at Scorpius.

If she was honest with herself, Rose wasn't really that furious at Scorp. Sure, she was pretty mad. But not that angry. If she thought about it, she was just postponing the confrontation with the shopkeeper.

"Although amusing, I can't let anyone die, or get seriously injured on my watch," The shopkeeper said reluctantly. She set Rose down a ways away from Scorpius.

Remembering her situation, Rose blanched so pale a white that every freckle on her face stood out in high definition. All at once, the blood returned to her face. She dropped the magazine and fumbled around for an excuse.

"Oh- er-we stumbled in her by accident- no- um-" She turned and lunged for the first dress her fingers found.

"I was thinking about getting this, isn't it lovely!" She exclaimed, holding it up to her body. She plastered a smile onto her face, but she was sure it looked more like a grimace. A muffled snort erupted from Scorpius. Rose looked down and realized why.

The dress, apart from being about a mile too long for her, was also an awful fuchsia color which clashed horribly with her hair. It may have also been covered in so many false, reflective gems that it could blind a person.

Over whelmed by the panic, anxiety, and stress from being caught, she flung the fuchsia monstrosity away from her in a failed attempt to steady herself, but to no avail.

With a small,

"Oh!" She collapsed. Scorpius covered his mouth in glee. The shopkeeper looked sourly at him.

"Laugh it up, boy." That did it. Elated guffaws erupted from him as he over, his eyes watering. The shopkeeper flung her hands up, looking at the scene below her. She gazed up at the Heavens imploringly.

"Why, Mother? Why not a broomsticks shop? Why me?"

Scorpius rather liked seeing Rose like this. He liked her flustered rather than throwing her biting wit at him. With many after-chuckles, he wiped his eyes and sat up. He shook Rose's shoulder until her eyes shot open. Her first words were,

"Oh Lord." Then she stood up and apologized profusely. The shopkeeper eyed Rose thoughtfully.

"That blush. . . that hair. . ." She mused.

"You must be Ron and Hermione's daughter! Your parents and I were great friends back in our day. I'm Hannah Abbott." Mrs. Abbott turned to Scorpius and he sobered up immediately.

"And you are. . . A Malfoy! Wait, a Malfoy and a Weasley? Sneaking around?" She sent them both a glance/ Rose blushed as bright as the sun. Scorpius spluttered.

"No! No, we aren't like that! Just two friends who caused some trouble and were banished from Hogsmeade. Nothing more." Mr's Abbott gave them each a hard, knowing look before walking away.

"Alright." She said. But she paused, looking over her shoulder.

"But Mrs. Weasley?" Rose blushed again.

"Yes?"

"Have fun." And the all-knowing shopkeeper walked off, leaving two teenagers in the middle of her shop, flustered, embarrassed and confused.