Open To You
The three students meandered down the corridor, in no hurry to get to class. Before they'd even gotten very far, Rose froze. She was apparently the least eager to get there some time that century. "I left my wand in the Charms room."
Scorpius stopped too and just looked at her. "You are the scum beneath my shoe."
Rose, who was well on the way to wearing out these particular muscles, rolled her eyes. "A little dramatic?"
Scorpius shook his head. "No."
Rose sighed. "I'll be right back."
She turned back the way they came.
"Fuck me," said Scorpius.
Al looked alarmed. "What? No thanks."
Scorpius ignored this. "Did you see that? She hates me."
"How could she hate you?"
"That's what I thought! I'm great. But I made a joke and she just sighed at me."
"What is she supposed to do?"
"At the very least throw a parade in my honour."
"Maybe it just wasn't very funny."
"What kind of supportive friend are you?"
"An honest one?"
"Fuck you."
"I told you once already. No."
They hadn't stared walking again, Scorpius still stared back down to the corner Rose had turned. "Al, this isn't good."
"It'll be fine, I promise."
"It won't be," Scorpius replied, with miserable determination, a combination not encountered every day. "You'll see."
Scorpius opened the door for her on their way into Transfiguration, and again on the way out. When she dropped her books just outside the library he charmed them straight back into her bag without first forcing her to chase them down the corridor. He pulled out a chair for her before they sat down to study and didn't pull it away before she sat on it. Then he went to her that night and offered her custody of Maisey, even though Wednesdays were his night. It was then that she finally commented.
He stood there, hair sticking up on end, and grey eyes that much wider and worried. The full-grown cat was in his arms and he resisted the urge to hide his head in her shaggy fur.
Rose looked at him, her eyebrows pinching together. "Are you okay, Scorpius?" she asked.
He nodded, unable actually to manage any words. Was that hysteria building up in his chest?
"You're being nice."
His smile was skittish. "Of course."
"No, not of course. It's unusual. It's frightening me."
Well that wasn't what he had been aiming for. "I-" he paused, frowning. "I was going to say something mean then but I couldn't think of anything."
Rose looked positively alarmed. "And you're sure you're okay?"
There must have been a witty comment somewhere in his mind. There must have been several, if he knew himself at all. Scorpius couldn't find any of them. "Are you mad at me?" he asked, and stared at her shoes. He didn't like to sound vulnerable, especially in front of someone as tough as Rose.
"For being nice to me? Of course not. It's actually almost pleasant."
"No, before. You've been acting oddly."
Realisation flashed across her face. "Oh, no no. I'm not mad. I've been... preoccupied."
Her revelation flashed a smile across his face, so glad he was that she wasn't mad at him that he didn't properly consider what had been plaguing her. "Imagining my luscious naked body? You only need to ask and I can give you more than a peek."
She actually grinned. "That's better, you stupid prick. But not it." She crinkled her nose just like bunny rabbits do. It was absolutely fucking adorable. "I'm, um, just going to tell you. Your birthday's coming up..."
"I apologise."
"No, thanks for being born. Good effort."
"I try."
She carried on, her words rushed. "I don't know what to do for it. I wanted to come up with a surprise or something, make it special, but I'm so utterly hopeless, like actually the worst girlfriend ever, and I can't come up with anything."
Scorpius thought it was about time he put down the cat. "Rose, sit here," he demanded, not unkindly, sitting down himself and patting the spot beside him. "Firstly, you are not the worst girlfriend ever but, although I haven't conducted surveys or anything, I believe you are quite the opposite. Secondly, let me teach you something. I am quite intelligent and pride myself on knowing many things. You are one of them."
"Fuck you."
"Yes, that was me calling you a thing. Suck it up, princess, and let me carry on."
"I liked you better when you were nice."
Scorpius ignored her blatant lie. "I know that you won't be able to guess what the one thing I want on my birthday is. Don't look so offended."
"Is it world peace?"
"Don't be so sarcastic. It is you, my dear little ball of sunshine. If you're there I don't mind what else happens."
"But you see me every day." She actually sounded confused.
"So why would I want that to change on my birthday?" He smiled. It still amazed him that she didn't know how great she was. It amazed him even more that she was all his.
"I... don't have an arguement for that."
"You should probably just kiss me, otherwise I might think you don't like me again and go drown in my despair." He could pretend he was joking.
"Good," said Rose but she smiled and she kissed him and Scorpius felt a little less ridiculous, of course he would be upset at the thought he could lose this.
