Rose's courage had worn thin from the moment she sent the letters. She did want to be Head Girl, and she had worked hard for it. She had to keep reminding herself that she deserved it no matter who her opposite was.
The next few days simultaneously flew by and could not go slower. She didn't know if he had accepted his bid for Head Boy, or if he had passed. She didn't know if he wanted him to. If he did say no, she wouldn't have to spend the next semester with him, and he would have admitted to having feelings for her that were beyond containment. If he took the position, he was saying that he had no feelings for her and she'd have to put up with him for the next couple months.
She hoped he didn't take it.
It was only two words written in chicken scratch on a piece of paper, but it still had the ability to make his heart falter. She was determined to continue business-as-usual. He was in peculiar predicament. If he said yes, he'd be with her a semester, seeing her stubbornly ignoring him and defiantly fighting what was already brewing. If he said no, he would appear to be running from her, and running was not something Scorpius Malfoy did, but it was becoming Rose's bad habit to make him change his.
The week dragged on for Scorpius. He was constantly flipping back and forth. From the moment he was told about the destiny, he wasn't afraid. It was something that was either going to happen or it wasn't. He didn't understand why Rose felt so strongly about it. But here he stood, at the crossroads of what could be a defining moment in his life. If he pressed on, there was a small chance, however slight, that the prophecy could come true and he'd be drowning in the power of the universe, falling so out of orbit that he didn't even have an inkling of control from the very start. But that was a risk he'd be willing to take. After all, what power could one girl have over the understated Scorpius Malfoy?
"Ladies and Gentlemen! It is my esteemed pleasure to give you your Head Boy and Head Girl for the spring semester! Mr. Scorpius Malfoy, and Miss Rose Weasley!" McGonagal called out after dinner the following Friday. Rose and Scorpius were standing near the podium, smiling out into the crowd of mostly cheering students as Rodger Hawkspin and Sarah Bogert pinned the two with their badges. "You are all dismissed for the evening!" McGonagal finished her speech and turned to the four students near her.
"Mr. Hawkspin and Miss Bogert, if you would please show Mr. Malfoy and Miss Weasley to their common room, I would be most grateful. It will be your last duty as Head Boy and Girl." She rushed briskly off to the teachers private living quarters wing, her cloak in tow.
"Are you two excited!?" Sarah was naturally bubbly and she couldn't contain it most days.
"It's a huge responsibility, and I am ready to take it on." Rose said sternly.
"Oh Rose, you're not interviewing anymore. You got the job! It's ok to be excited about it, you worked hard!" Sarah danced around her.
"Yes, I am very excited!" Rose squealed as the two lead the way to the common room.
"So, Malfoy, I hear you and Weasley there are engaged? What happened, didja knock her up?" Hawkspin asked.
"No, nothing like that. We're not engaged, it's more of a scary story a prophet told our families before we were born."
"Dude! I'd play that up you know? She's hot! I heard she was a firecracker." Hawkspin's eyebrows did a not-so-subtle dance in the direction of Rose's bum.
"I wouldn't know." Scorpius stated flatly.
"So, you aren't her boyfriend or anything close to that right?"
"No. I'm not."
"You wouldn't mind if I...you know." Scorpius took a moment's pause before he answered.
"No."
"Wait, does that mean you would mind or that you would-"
"Alright, we're here boys!" Sarah shouted from a good ten feet ahead.
The foursome was standing in front of a suit of armor. It held a very real sword in its metal-clad hands.
"This is Roberto." Sarah introduced, "You can change the password as many times as you'd like, but you can never lock the other out because Roberto knows your voice. He doesn't recognize words so much as tone and vibration. Here, Rose, say something."
Rose stepped forward awkwardly.
"Uh, pleasure to make your acquaintance."
The knight took a step back from his pedestal and bowed to Rose.
"The pleasure is mine Lady Weasley." Rose's cheeks turned a soft shade of pink.
"You try Malfoy." Sarah pushed.
"Good evening sir." Scorpius said.
"And to you Sir Malfoy." The knight bowed slighter this time.
"Now he knows your voices. We can go in now. Rose, ask him to let you in."
Rose looked up at the spot that she supposed the eyes to be, which she thought was ridiculous because he was enchanted not alive.
"Sir Roberto, may we enter?" She spoke in a shy by determined tone.
"For you Lady Weasley? The world." He stepped aside to reveal a small opening, barely large enough to fit a mouse.
"Don't worry, it gets bigger." Sarah reassured. She walked to the wall and inserted the fingers of her left hand. She waited half a second and then seemingly walked through the wall.
Rose really should not have been amazed at this point in her education, but she was. She then tried the same trick. She put her fingers into the crack, and was surprised to find it felt warm and squishy. She waited a second, although she wasn't sure what she was waiting for, and then the wall grabbed her gently. It made her feel secure as she walked through the cold marble.
As the boys passed through, Rose looked around. There wasn't much to see, everything was dark. But as Scorpius passed the threshold, the room came to life. A thunderous fire erupted from the hearth lighting the room. A sectional erected from the ground as well as a bookcase on the far wall. Three beautiful stained-glass windows formed in succession from the left to the right. The light from the outside made it easier to see the hallway that was lit with torches extending from the main room to a private kitchenette. A spiral staircase sprung up from the left corner to attach to a loft that housed three doors. The colors were primarily silver and gold, the accent colors to their two houses. It was breathtaking.
"Wow! Yours is much better than ours was!" Sarah exclaimed, "We had a more modern theme. It really didn't work that well."
"Why is our room different?" Rose asked as her mouth hung slackly in awe of the room.
"It's similar to the room of requirement. It pops up everything you need. Although, this room is rather permanent, and won't change until the next two Head's are announced. It balanced perfectly with what the two of you need between each other." Sarah smiled as the two wandered aimlessly through their private quarters.
"Alright, well I think we're done here." Hawkspin directed at Sarah, "We'll let you two settle in." He winked to Rose, who smiled in return.
Only Scorpius and Rose remained in the commons.
"Quite beautiful isn't it?" Rose admired the book case.
"It'll do." Scorpius said. And with that, deafening silence commenced.