I was sat in the three broom sticks wearing my travelling robes awaiting his arrival; I had arrived almost twenty minutes early. The problem was I hated waiting but I hated being late even more. It made it worse as I didn't want to appear eager but I couldn't change my habits. I sipped down my drink then saw him walk through the door with a smile.

"Hey Rosie" he said, ordering himself a butter beer. He strutted over to his seat, "how did I know you'd be here early?"

"Oh Scorp, I was just so desperate to see you!" I poked my tongue out at him, which he copied. There was something about our company that made us back in to kids, from the silly faces to throwing bread at one another; it reinforced our old friendship.

"If only you had a pile of books with you I'd think it was just a Hogsmead trip"

"Oh you were a bigger geek than me"

"I was never a geek I just had the brains"

"You didn't even have the brains, just a geek"

"Don't get jealous over my higher grades"

"All that once"

"Head girl, geek" with the smile over his face. "Did you Nan manage to clean your dress?"

"Yeah as good as new" letting the geek comment pass with just a glare.

"It really suited you"

"Stop" I replied. "How was work, Mr Healer?"

"It was okay, I still want to become trainee next year which is making my family happy, they'd of killed me if I started a new career"

"They just want the best for you"

"You sound just like my parents" he said with his half grin. I laughed as no matter how different our parents once believed themselves they weren't, "it's tiring"

"Well thank you darling for making time with me" as I caught him yawning.

"But of course, I've got to make time for the girl leaving for Egypt"

"We've got time"

"Not enough" he was watching me intently.

"I'm glad I came home" I forced myself to make eye contact, "and that you were invited"

"Well I'm glad you had a drink poured down you" he said smugly. I rolled my eyes at him as his face was plastered by his irritatingly smug grin. "Well, it's defiantly been a few days of firsts" he kept eye contact and slipped his hand in to mine. "So, how is Miss Rosaline still single?"

"Somehow guys don't like a witch who lives in Egypt but travels fairly regularly"

"Where do you travel?"

"Home and wherever the job takes me"

"So you must be fairly cultured?" I laughed.

"Well 90% of my time is spent with goblins or family I can't say I am particularly cultured" I snorted

"Well you've kept your charm at least"

"My charm? I've never heard you refer to me as having 'charm' before" I pursed my lips

"Well maybe your charm is rustic but you've got undeniable charm" he said with a raised eyebrow

"Your charm is being an ass" I said rather lamely. Before he could make fun of my comeback I asked him, "what about you Scorp? Are you single?"

"Is this your way of asking me on a second date?"

"Depends if you are?" but I loved him calling this a date

"I am"

"Oh and the quidditch groupies never tempted you?"

"I'm not in to groupies. The girl who I was dating at the point of my accident broke up with me because she couldn't deal with it" he laughed bitterly

"Wow, she sounds like a gem"

"Yeah" I looked down at our hands, I squeezed him as a form of comfort.

"Another drink?" said the bar tender. I jumped back from Scorpius subconsciously and placed my hands under the table while he ordered drinks, our glasses were refilled by wand. I was embarrassed by how much I blushed; we were only holding hands for Merlin's sake.

"You don't change really, do you?"

"What?"

"You're still shy, even with me" I was confused. "The way you jumped back, the way you always blush, the way you were kind to everyone even when you didn't know how to act"

"I-I…" I stuttered embarrassed by how well he knew me. He looked rather timid as if scared to insult me. "What about you?" I said finding my voice "always smug, the way you can talk to everyone and know what to say, how you hold yourself and your passion"

"Passion for you darling do you mean?" blushing yet again, I took a sip of butter beer.

"I mean for qudditch and then healing, it's like you've always been and it's nice to see"

"The amount of times you've told me to grow up I can't believe your saying that"

"It's different, you have grown up" he coked his eyebrow. "Don't make me out to be stupid" I scoffed. "Well you're the same but you're more mature then when we were friends" he looked too happy with this "but you're still a guy, you're not exactly mature"

"There's the Rosaline I know and love"

"You simply gave me that nickname to piss me off didn't you? It's not like it's shorter than Rose"

"And Scorp was just oh so inventing?"

"Well Albus came up with that so let's go with no"

We paused smiling at each other over the glasses as. I was no good at this flirting malarkey but I placed my hand on the table deliberately, obvious yes but he reached out and held it again. I think Vic would be proud.

I caught him staring at my lips, this position wasn't convenient to kiss but knowing Scorpious as well as I did I felt like that was on his mind. I don't know how I knew that, we'd never done this before but his eyes were flicking from my mouth to eyes. My hand was starting to get embarrassingly clammy but I didn't want to pull away first as we sat laughing at old times.

"I best get you home, don't want to you apperating alone I don't think your Grandma would forgive you" I smiled as he stood up and I linked my arm in his.

We were stood close together outside my flat door. Our bodies were barely inches from one another, I could feel his breath on me. I could smell his enchanting aftershave drawing me in to him. He was so tall powering over me, I still wasn't used to that. He softly pushed my hair behind my ear.

"Now Rosie, are you free tomorrow night?"

"Yes"

"Well, would you like to meet again?"

"Sure, where? When?"

"How about the leaky caldron, at seven?"

"It's a date" he smiled at me as he ran his hand through my hair and his hand fell to my hip.

"Night Rosaline"

"Night Scorpius"

I opened my door and heard him apperate away as I was so happy with how the date had gone. And I was seeing him againtomorrow! Yes we hadn't kissed but I'm going to take that as a mark of respect, Scorp had always been some sort of a gentleman to me the more I thought about it. Tomorrow would be different and I'd finally find out how those soft lips feel and taste.