Scorpius was once again sitting in his room, on his bed, alone. Rose had left with Albus over two hours ago and was most likely being yelled at by her parents. The idea made him feel awful. As soon as she had left he had sulked all the way back inside and up the stairs, knocking over the vase and flowers along the way and tripping over the conjured rug. He ignored his parents, who tried asking him what was wrong, and slammed his bedroom door shut as a warning for them not to follow. He had been sitting on his bed since.

He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes. The image of Rose's smiling face at his dinner table came back to him and he grinned. He lied back onto his bed and rolled over, pushing his face into the bed and groaning. Why, out of every girl at Hogwarts—out of every girl in the country—would he be feeling this way about Rose? She surrounded him. She was in his room, her laugh dancing around him, and it made him sick. No, he thought, this isn't a sick feeling. Thinking about her pulled at his stomach, made his throat dry, caused his hands to sweat and his head ache. It felt like a sickness but it couldn't be. He wanted more of it.

But did Rose feel this way when she was around him? Did she think about him and smile? Was seeing him the best part of her day, as seeing her was for him? He pressed his face into the mattress harder as suffocation seemed like an easier route to take rather than dealing with any of this mess. If he dared tell her what's the worst that could happen? She could laugh at him. No, she would never do that. She would tell him to be rational, that he couldn't possibly be feeling this way about one of his best friends. Or she might turn him down and tell him to shove off and leave him feeling humiliated and foolish. But what if she felt the same? He could tell Rose that he likes her, that everything about her makes him feel on fire, that he wants to run his fingers across every inch of her. Oh God, stop.

Scorpius rolled over and stared at the ceiling. His head was pounding –clack, clack, clack—he was actually hearing his brain bouncing off of the inside of his skull. Clack, clack, clack. It wasn't his brain. The sound was coming from something rapping on the window. He hurried to the window and unlocked it before pushing it open. A grey owl toppled into his room and landed on the floor. It swayed unsteadily, ruffling its feathers and hooting indignantly until Scorpius scooped it up and let it perch on his dresser. He untied the note attached to its leg and opened it with anxious fingers.

Scorpius—

His heart skipped.

Scorpius I need you to come and get me. Don't Floo. Don't bring Fizz either, I made him hurry and fly all the way over there.

Scorpius watched the owl, who must be "Fizz", and decided he could stay there on his desk as he had already bent himself under his wing.

He grabbed his wand and stored it in his robes before racing out of his room and down the stairs. He sprinted past the grand living room where he could hear his parents talking, creeping behind a bookcase and splaying himself against the wall so to make as little movement and shadow possible. The top of Draco and Astoria's heads were just visible as they sat in large arm chairs facing the fire. It was a good thing Rose didn't want him to travel by Floo powder, even though it was very, very unlikely Ron Weasley would have his fireplace connected to the Malfoys'.

Scorpius took at least a minute to open the door without any noise coming from the hinges or knob. He let it close with soft click and ran into the garden before his parents could get up out of their chairs if they had heard. He concentrated on his destination, Rose's house, Devon, hoping that the little bit of what he knew would get him over there in one piece. A gruesome image of half of his body being left in Wiltshire while the other half flailed itself on Rose's doorstep entered his mind. No, concentrate. Rose Weasley's house in Devon, England. And for good measure he pictured her face as he turned on the spot and disappeared from his home.

He landed on the grass with a thud and stumbled slightly before regaining balance and looking around. Just a few yards ahead was a large house sitting among several scattered others, all of them a comfortable distance from each other. The house just ahead of him was partially hidden by large trees wrapping around the back. What Scorpius could see included a front door only distinguishable by a golden, glowing orb hovering over the threshold, providing the only light in the darkness. But as he looked again he noticed another faint glow, a quick flickering coming from a window behind some branches of one of the trees. Scorpius jogged to the side of the house, stopping behind a tree and scraping his hands along the rough bark as he craned his neck around and squinted up to the window. There was undoubtedly someone there as a shadow of a human figure flickered across the shade.

Scorpius crept towards the side of the house, looking over his shoulder and to his left and right to make sure no one was watching. The only other presence outside was the soft rustle of the wind as it sighed into his hair. He peered up at the window again and decided that if this window was not hers, he'd make a run for it. He drew his wand from his robes and sent yellow sparks directly above his head. Stepping away from the house, he looked up. What he saw made him smile: Rose was looking down at him, biting her lip and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You made it," she said. Her voice traveled easily through the dead silence and vibrated throughout his ears.

Scorpius kept his wand, the tip now illuminated, pointed by his faces so she could see him.

"Could have told me where you were exactly," he whispered, looking around. "Or at least what to do when I got here."

"Oh, Scorpius, I'm sorry. I realized right after I sent the letter that I should have been more specific!" she cried.

"Be quiet," he hissed. "Why did you want me to come get you anyway—and what are you doing?" Rose had thrown her leg over the window sill and was feeling around below her with her foot, the sole of her trainer simply slipping across the even brick.

"Be quiet yourself and help me," she whispered loudly. "Tell me where there's a ledge or something I can lower myself onto!"

Scorpius pointed his wand higher above him and searched the exterior but there was not a ledge, a protruded brick or even a branch from the nearest tree that she could utilize.

"Just jump," he said. It seemed like the most obvious and quickest way to get her down. "Jump and I'll catch you."

"Are you mad?" she hissed. "You'll—I'll break something!"

"Just jump, Weasley, you're not that high." Rose leaned into her window so far that Scorpius could only see her leg dangling above him. The light in her room disappeared and she emerged again, wafting her hand in front of her nose. Her face was barely visible by the light of Scorpius' wand twenty feet below. He put his wand between his teeth and beckoned her with both arms. Rose rolled her eyes as he braced himself and then swung her other leg over and let herself fall. Scorpius caught her in his arms, though not gracefully. Her knees knocked him unsteady and her left foot landed hard on his right. Her arm had flailed and hit him in the mouth, causing the wand to go flying.

"You don't do this often, do you?" he asked.

"No," she said. "Of course not." Her face was so close that even without the proximity of the lit wand he could make out every feature. He then noticed that his arms were still around her waist and that her breath was mingling with his own. He immediately let go.

"You want to tell me why I'm here in the dead of night risking my neck and yours, then?" he asked, rubbing his jaw. His teeth ached like they were wrenched from his gums.

"My parents are furious that I went to your house alone. That I lied to them."

"And me coming and taking you back is going to help?"

Scorpius picked up his wand and muttered, "Nox." The tip went out and they stood alone in the darkness.

"They were being so unreasonable! So we argued and I didn't feel like being shut up in my room for a week. Yes, a week!" she said at the look on his face. "So I don't really want to be here tonight," she continued. "Take me to your house."

"I would've never thought you'd do this, Rose," Scorpius said, amazed.

"You know, me neither."

Rose led him away from the house, together looking like a pair of indistinguishable shadows traipsing through any neighborhood. As they walked, Rose turned to him.

"Do you think I'm being foolish?"

The truth was that yes, she was. But instead of telling her otherwise he stuck out his arm. She took hold and they disappeared with a CRACK.

They were back outside the iron-wrought gates. Together they passed through them, the bars magically allowing them entrance. Rose started for the door but Scorpius pulled her back and looked up at the Manor thoughtfully.

"What?" she asked irritably.

"We can't just go through the front door. I can get away with going all tra-la-la by myself, but sneaking you in the middle of the night? Please."

Rose looked at him.

"We're going to have to get up to my window," Scorpius continued, sighing heavily. "And unfortunately it's not on the second story."

They walked through the garden, not as concerned about being seen for any other wizarding families in Wiltshire lived miles away. They were also so engulfed in large shrubs and fountains it would have been very difficult to notice them anyway. They reached the wing where his room was located and Scorpius stared up at the window three stories above. There was a sloping roof below it was not high enough to use to climb or jump from.

"I suppose once we get there—" he said, pointing to the rooftop, "You could sit on my shoulders and I can hoist you up?" He looked at her uncertainly. She looked annoyed.

"Or you can just use magic."

Of course. Scorpius smiled to himself. The fact that he was of age and she wasn't really got to her. The bitterness in her voice was satisfying, or adorable, he couldn't decide. He pointed his wand at the window and said, "Incarcerous!"

Thick ropes shot out and slithered their way up the wall. They twisted, turned and pushed their way through the crack in the window Scorpius had left when Fizz arrived just an hour before. The ropes stopped moving and hung there limply in front of them.

"You go first," said Scorpius.

Rose tugged on the rope and when it didn't unravel down on top of her, grabbed hold. Scorpius helped her keep steady as she pushed against the side of the Manor with her feet and tug herself up. They scald the wall together, each using the same rope and Scorpius trailing her by only a couple of feet. Twice her hands slipped and she slid down and hit Scorpius' knees. By the time they managed to crawl through the window (the ropes had bound themselves around his bed posts) their palms were red and throbbing. Scorpius winced as he flexed his right hand. It felt like he had been handling hot embers.

"Do you want me to blow you?" asked Rose. She was sitting on his bed and petting Fizz, who had noticed her arrival and was nipping her fingers affectionately.

"What?" he sputtered.

"I said, 'Do you want me to blow on it?' Sort of makes them feel better." She blew into her red hands.

Oh.

"Oh." He said dumbly. She looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I'll just do it myself, thanks."

She got off the bed and walked around his room, picking up various books and tracing the ropes back to the window sill. He watched her as she gazed out into the dark. Her back was to him but from his position he could see her reflection in the angled pane. She looked tired and unfocused. She breathed in deeply before calling him.

"Scorpius?"

Scorpius didn't answer her. He couldn't. Instead, he felt his legs moving on their own accord and walking towards her. He watched his hand as it tentatively touched her back. Rose turned around slowly to look up at him hovering over her. Scorpius placed his hands on either side of the window sill and leaned down.

He kissed her slowly, moving his lips over hers as he watched her eyes close. Scorpius didn't know what to expect. He was unsure if Rose would kiss him back or push him away. The coarse threads of the ropes scratched at their skin as Rose tried to turn herself. She kissed him back and moved her hands up to cup his face.

Scorpius felt elated at her touch. He unpinned his arms, allowing her body to fully face him. At that moment Scorpius felt like an entirely different person. He felt both aggressive and desperate to touch her more. Rose brought her hands to his chest and smoothed his shirt as she continued to kiss him. Scorpius pressed his lips to hers only harder and more furiously.

For a brief second Scorpius wondered what any passerby would think if they looked up at the Manor and into his window; Scorpius Malfoy gripping the waist of Rose Weasley while he kissed her, running his tongue along her bottom lip before letting every reasonable thought leave his brain and fully immersing himself in their movements. Rose broke away and glided her lips over his skin, to his cheek and kissing it lightly before making her way to his neck. Scorpius' body tightened and his eyes snapped shut as he groaned.

Stumbling backwards, he realized he couldn't stand any longer. He pushed Rose off rather reluctantly and, taking her by the hand, led her to his bed, where they sat down. Rose looked at him nervously before closing her eyes and letting him once again kiss her. Scorpius was lost in himself, in Rose, and his actions. His normally calm and reserved demeanor was nonexistent as he pushed her down and lied on top of her. Rose was kissing his bottom lip and stroking his hair. Scorpius looked down at her. It was amazing how he ended up like this, he thought, on top of someone he'd been friends with for years, pressing his body into hers, feeling, he noticed more fully now, her breasts moving gradually against his own chest.

He had uncharacteristically attacked her with more snogging as soon as she responded the way he wanted her to. And when that response was given, he had shown her just how desperately he wanted her.

Rose always had a certain way of bringing Scorpius down. Whenever they had a row, any pride he was trying to hold onto would be sucked away the moment she left the room. Recently he'd been feeling even more conscious of what he was doing and saying when in her presence. And as she lightly ran her lips over his jaw line, he noted that whenever he was being cruel or sneering, sarcastic and wry, Rose managed to leave him dumbstruck. He was never like this though, so physical, but Rose seemed to not care and only encouraged him.

Scorpius held onto Rose's waist before slowly sliding his hands up. Still kissing her, he let his hands roam over her rib cage. He moved them farther up so that his fingers swept just along the sides of her upper body and then, after pinning her arms above her head, he began to kiss her more fervently.

"Scorpius," Rose mumbled against his lips. Scorpius moved away and began to kiss along her neck. "Scorpius, what are we doing?"

"We're snogging," he breathed into her hair.

A sudden sound of arguing voices outside the door pulled Scorpius back. He watched, transfixed, as the door handle turned. The door flew open and there stood three adult wizards all looking very bleary eyed.

"See Weasley, she's not—" Draco has stopped talking. Rose was lying under a frozen Scorpius, her mouth opening and closing silently so that she looked like a very frightened fish.

Ron Weasley was standing in the doorway. His face and ears were red as he looked at Scorpius. His eyes moved to Scorpius' hand resting on Rose's waist. He headed for the bed, his hand gripping his wand tightly as Rose yelled, "Dad, stop!" Astoria was standing behind both men and attempting to look over their shoulders as if she were missing something very interesting.

Draco moved in front of Ron.

"Weasley, just wait—"

"Don't make me curse you and your son Malfoy!"

"Stop it!" Astoria had broken through their outstretched arms. "Put your wand away," she said. It was a little comical, really. Astoria was standing right in front of Ron, her head level with his shoulders, smirking, and with her hands on her hips. Scorpius was standing stock-still now, his eyes on the wand pointed at his face. Rose had moved far away from and looked as if she were about to cry.

"Put it away please," Astoria said again. "And Draco, you can stop looking like an idiot." Draco stopped trying to block Ron and looked down at his pajama-clad body and slippered feet. Ron put his arms in the air and surrendered but didn't take his eyes off Scorpius.

"Rose," he said, still looking at Scorpius murderously.

"Dad, how did you—"

"Window left open, missing owl—your open ink bottle," he said with gritted teeth. He turned to her. "You not in your bed." He was no longer yelling but his voice was cold and dry. "Let's go. Your mother's worried sick." Rose walked slowly towards her father but not before catching Scorpius' eye. Scorpius swore she looked right at him and then quickly at the open window. She couldn't possibly—

"Just like a Weasley," Draco said loudly. "Showing up, demanding to come into my home—"

"What does that even mean? What's that got to do with being a Weasley?"

"It means you're still the poor git with his wand up his—"

"I am not poor!"

Draco and Ron were arguing again and attempting to seize each other's throats. Astoria had her eyes tightly closed as she pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. Scorpius felt someone grab hold of his wrist and turned to see Rose trying to pull him toward the window. When he opened his mouth to protest she firmly shook her head. Before he knew it Rose had gone through the window and was pulling him down with her. He was halfway out when Ron turned and looked at him, his eyes shocked and furious.

"ROSE!"

Scorpius toppled out, catching one of the ropes just in time.

"Hurry up!" Rose was already on the ground and doing what Scorpius could only describe as weird jogging in place. "Let's go, let's go!"

Scorpius landed on his feet with a thud, feeling the shock hit his ankles. Rose grabbed his arm again. "Come on!" she said.

"What's wrong with you? You need to go home."

"No, let's go somewhere else. My dad'll be down soon." She looked up at the Manor before smiling eagerly at Scorpius.

"No. Definitely no. Did you see the way he was looking at me?"

"Scorpius Malfoy, you better Apparate with me right now!" It was an order. Scorpius looked at her firmly and closed his eyes.

"We're going to your house." He pictured it in his mind again and began to feel the familiar sensation of being lurched into nowhere.

"No, let's go to London!"

His eyes snapped open at her words and the world seemed to stop spinning around him and then change direction. As they disappeared yet again, there was an excruciating pain at his navel but he couldn't hear himself scream.

A/N: It's been awhile, hasn't it? I've been so busy with school and family that writing the two stories I'm working on hasn't been a priority. I wrote this chapter at work but hopefully it's good. I like this story a lot better than my last one and I already planned out this Rose/Scorpius story set when they are twenty-somethings. It's going to be a sequel to this one but I want to write it so it can be read as a standalone as well. Good idea? Now this chapter was fun to write. There are three chapters left and then maybe a short finishing touch. I feel bad for never writing more than seven chapters for my stories but I think my individual chapters are longer than other writers' on here. Sometimes I'll be reading a story and the chapters are so short that it makes sense for the fanfiction to be thirty chapters long. I hope you like this part and hopefully I'll write the next one soon. Just two little things about the content of this chapter: the Incarcerous spell was used for binding an opponent in the books but I thought it would work just as well if you aimed for an object. Also, I know the wizard Apparating decides where to go but if someone says the name of place, you're sure to imagine it. Please review!