Dearest Readers,
I am so excited to hear your thoughts on this chapter. So, in typical Reader-chan style, in the middle of the night, I am sending out my newest chapter. Without further ado, the chapter.
DISCLAIMER: I, unfortunately, don't own Harry Potter.
THE INVITATION
After a week of dancing around each other, my friendship with Scorpius finally, went back to the old, familiar, banter-and-laughter relationship it had been before…well…the kiss. The one time I would ever get to kiss the hottest guy ever and my brain doesn't even have the decency to remember it. Just my luck. You could always…refresh that memory. Bugger off! Because I was a paranoid idiot and of course, because I wanted to clarify everything, I was going to talk to him about the kiss. I wanted nothing to do with it, quite frankly, but, it had to be cleared and I would clear it.
Own it Rose! You're the clear-things-up-queen! Be the clear-up.
No, I was not the clear things up queen. I avoided confrontation whenever it involved me, I think the last time I'd had one was back in fifth year and that was because some stupid third year guy had been picking on Lily about having big…er…a rather muscular…chest. Well, who's laughing now? Of course that line of thoughts led to a tangent of thoughts about my own…chest region. I live a sad life.
After moping about my chest for exactly, two minutes, LIES, I remembered the line of thought that had bought me there. Scorpius. Kiss. Right.
So before I could overthink this, and more importantly, go back to drawing comparisons between Lily and my proportions, I marched out of my room.
"Scorpius!"
"What?" he shouted back from his room.
"I have something to discuss with you."
I heard him come down the steps of his dorm as I stood outside his door. He peeked out of the door his hair ruffled and Holy Merlin! He was so hot like that. Why did he ever comb his hair?
"Heads Duties?"
"Umm… yeah." What! No! Be the confrontation, Rose! You're the queen of confrontation!
What no I wasn't! How the hell was I going to go to that tangent anyway! He was being responsible and sexy and messy haired and…
This was such a bad idea!
No, it's a great idea. You should discuss kissing and then kiss him, because, you're comprehensive like that Rose.
Rose, stop thinking about assaulting him.
"Ok, give me a minute, I'll put on a shirt and we can set up the Prefect's timetable."
I felt my jaw drop open as he closed the door. Followed by my face flushing and an onslaught of images of Scorpius without a shirt. I was not prepared for this. What the hell Scorpius? Are you trying to get me to jump you? I had not prepared for this.
ABORT! MISSION FAILED!
No mission is failed on Rose Weasley's watch. I could do this. Hell, I'd own this. So I literally ran to the 'Discussion Table' as we'd named it and sat where I always did. Now the Discussion Table was a round table and had twelve narrow seats placed extremely close to each other. Generally Scorpius and I sat opposite to each other. Seconds later, Scorpius came out of his door, sadly, wearing a shirt, as he jogged over to the table and sat down right next to me!
What the hell! Unexpected course of events! ABORT! ACTIVATE EMERGENCY!
Shut up voice in my head! I under no circumstances enjoyed his addicting aftershave-slash-cologne-slash-aerosol-aphrodasiac-laced-perfume! No, because I'm responsible and ignored the fact that his left arm was touching my right arm and I did not blush! Ok, so I might've done all those things. In fact, I might have done them all so intensely, that Scorpius felt the need to impose on us the following conversation
"Merlin Rose, your face is all flushed! You aren't running a fever are you?"
"No."
"Let me check your temperature?"
With that he leaned forward and rested his head on mine. Who the hell checks temperature like that? Hot guys do!
"I'm not running a fever Scorpius" I said sounding as annoyed as I could about something I'd particularly enjoyed, pushing him away by his arm. Holy god of muscle. Let it be known that Scorpius Malfoy has great arms.
Not that it's weird or anything.
"But you're flushed"
"I…"
"Could it be that you're annoyed I'm wearing a shirt?" he said with a sly grin on his face.
Yes!
"No" Damn his face! Damn that smirk! Damn your shirt! I did not just think the last part.
"If you wanted me to take of my clothes, all you have to do is ask. Really?"
Well, two can play a game.
"Ok, Scorpius, take your shirt off." I said, a roguish smile on my face.
For a moment he was too stunned to react, grin in place and everything. Pretty much the only indication of his surprise had been his widened eyes. I looked forward intending to look bored but I felt my smile widen, which pretty much spurred him into action.
"Only if you say please."
Undeterred, and on hindsight, in a reckless move, I said blandly, looking him in the eye.
"Please, Scorpius, take your shirt off." Checkmate.
"Ok." He said just as blandly and proceeded to take his shirt off.
What? No! Don't take your shirt off! Scorpius!
He turned looking me in the eye as he began to unbutton his shirt with the same roguish grin that had been there on mine. I very narrowly stopped myself from cursing. You know how when you play a game and you get a boost and suddenly you're in a new level with increased difficulty? Yeah, me neither! I had not been given enough practice time in the lower levels to deal with this expert level difficulty part of the game, a.k.a. Scorpius the stripper. In fact, I was using every ounce of my will power to maintain eye contact, ignore the fact that my heartbeat was thumping ridiculously fast in my chest and look unaffected. Finally, he unbuttoned the last button and pulled his shirt off of his shoulders before discarding it on the floor altogether. Did he do it that slowly on purpose?
Don't mess it up Rose. Stay cool.
"Happy?"
"Extremely, in f-"
"Anything for you, Rose."
"Now, unfortunately, while I enjoy you taking your clothes off very much, we have a council meeting up in an hour to discuss the Prefect time table for their rounds. Sadly, we have no Prefect time table."
"I see."
With that, we began setting up the prefect time table allotting the times and floors for their rounds. Scorpius, I am glad to inform you, remained very much shirtless throughout this exercise. Not that his lack of shirt in any way is related to my happiness. I mean, so what if he was covered in lean muscle that was extremely…thought inducing…like thoughts involving me and him and our lips extremely interested in each other… ok so I might have snuck a few peeks and… it had been a bad idea. Scorpius had a very, very attractive face. I just found out recently, he has an equally attractive torso. Pale skin, lean muscle, abs…Stop thinking about Scorpius' shirtless body Rose!
"Done!" I had to stop myself from shouting. I needed to get out of here. A.S.A.P.
Scorpius looked up to check the time on the wall clock.
"See you at the meeting Rose." Scorpius said getting up and beginning to move away.
Scorpius finally, picked up his shirt on his way back to his room and put it on, not even bothering to button up.
So you know the Muggle movie Saw? For some reason, the only thing I could think of as he sauntered off to his room shirt flying around him, besides a number of inappropriate thoughts, was Jigsaw's voice saying "I want to play a game."
I realized passively, as I walked back to my room to change to my uniform for the meeting, he'd won. Fuck.
The meeting went by without much incident. I think most of the council was terrified of Scorpius, not because of the "Oh no! he's a Death Eater!" but more so because "Oh No! He's going to kill us if we don't show up for our rounds and that won't be fun." I think Scorpius, while broody in general, liked to play up his broodiness to mess with the younger students on the council.
As we walked back to our dorms after the meeting, Albus ran into me. Almost. He was running towards me really fast and before I could get out of the way, because clearly, his speed was not going to allow him to stop before hitting me, a pair of strong arms picked me up by the shoulders and moved me out of the way allowing Albus, to run into the wall behind me. Ok Scorpius had to stop doing this whole lifting me at random times like I was a rag doll. Not because it made me feel like a rag doll, it just bought his mouth closer to me in general, which, was very, very tempting and I am human. We've been known, historically, to give into temptation.
"Thanks Scorpius" I said grimacing at my brother. I know he's not really my brother but we lived together and he'd never called me anything besides his sister. I called him my cousin as an indicator to a threat, considering how he was stupid enough to miss them…often.
I was not aware of his hands lingering on my shoulders for a moment before he muttered "You're welcome" and pulled his hands off of me.
"Ouch." Albus groaned.
"I see you've met the wall." I said in a deadpan.
"Hey! Rose! Be nice to me, I just hit the wall."
"I understand you owe the wall an apology Potter." Scorpius said smoothly with a grin on his face next to me.
"Both of you!"
"Oh stop being such a baby!" I said crouching down pushing his hair out of the way to inspect the damage he'd inflicted on his forehead.
"It's just a bruise, Albus"
"Well I'll have you know it was a painful bruise."
"Serves you right for hitting such a nice wall. Scorpius and I are extremely sorry for Albus' thick skull and the greeting it bestowed onto you wall" I said looking at the wall.
"Yes, we offer our most sincere apologies." Scorpius said looking at the wall too.
"I can't believe I like you guys." Albus said looking at us indignantly
"You don't," I said
"You love us." Scorpius added.
Somewhere in the back of my head, a voice reminded me Scorpius just finished one of my sentences.
"More than there are fishes in the sea…was it?" I asked remembering Albus' drunk antics at the party where me and Scorpius…kissed. Ok this needed to be sent out of commission.
"Yeah." A strange look came over his face for a moment before he resumed his too bored to look at Albus expression.
"I do not!"Albus nearly shouted, ears flaming and all. I felt my smile return.
"If he's defensive, he meant it." Scorpius said grinning.
Oh.
He remembered me saying that. I was not flattered or flushed. My heartbeat was not fluttering like some stupid thirteen year old. No offence to thirteen year olds, but the group in general is given to nonsense such as tittering heartbeats. I was not given to similar nonsense. I was a no-nonsense, level headed seventeen year old. Get a grip Rose!
Albus and Scorpius got into an argument about how much Albus loved us.
Finally, I broke them off and suggested, everybody return to their dorm.
As we began walking back, I heard Albus shout my name again. With a sigh, I saw him running towards me again, not the full throttle ahead way it had been earlier, but running all the same.
"What now?" I muttered.
Albus finally reached me, stopped, panted for a good minute and then began.
"Rose, I totally forgot to ask you when I hit the wall. You got the letter, right?"
"What letter?"
"The one about Teddy and Victoire."
"What about them?"
"They're getting married."
"What?"
"They're getting married."
"I heard you, you prat!" Oh Merlin! They were getting married!
"I expected more excitement."
"I am excited."
"No squealing? No jumping? No 'I wonder what I'll wear?'?"
"Albus, when have you ever known me to be that kind of a person?"
"My mistake, I just told Lily and she had a bit of a… fit."
"I can see it happening."
"Scorpius, mate, I also wanted to extend invitations to you." Albus said turning to Scorpius.
"Me?" Scorpius' eyes were so wide in surprise, it was almost comical.
"No, the Fat Lady and Professor Brown." Albus said to him. I rolled my eyes as Scorpius just looked down and shook his head letting out breath.
"Albus, I'm busy over the summer."
"Yeah, and I'm a unicorn." Albus said beginning to walk away. "You're coming to the wedding. I'll have Fleur send you an invite. If she disagrees you can be Rose's date" he said without looking back. I might have felt a tiny, tiny flutter in my chest. Like, really tiny. Ease it up Rose.
"And if I disagree, you can always go with Albus." I said slyly looking up at Scorpius.
"And he won't agree so I'll just have to stay at home." he said in a deadpan, not even looking down at me as he walked with me to the dorm. "Are you really okay with me showing up to the wedding?" he asked me earnestly as we walked.
"No, I'd rather be eaten by the giant squid."
"Seriously, Rose!" I caught the troubled undertone of his voice and took me by surprise.
"I mean, me being a Malfoy and you and Albus being…"
Was he still stuck on that? Ok, time to set you straight you blubbering idiot.
"Scorpius, let's do a fact check here. I've known you're a Malfoy since I met you. Check. I also currently room with you. Check. I have absolutely no problem with your behaviour and can and will confirm to anybody and everybody that you hold none of the prejudices that pure bloods are known to have against half-bloods and muggle-borns. Check. I will personally hex anybody who accuses you of being a Death Eater not only because it is the biggest pile of crap I've had the misfortune to hear but also in its entirety is an absolute bunch of fucking lies. Check. The fact that you doubt in any way my faith in your inherent goodness and kindness, though often masked by broodiness and silence and or think I give a damn about what your last name is make me feel insulted Check. Wha-"
"I'm sorry." He said looking down at me, smiling that same smile of his that held so much power over me. I looked down to push back a blush and actively began ignoring how warm I felt at the fact that he'd directed his smile at me.
"I'm glad you understand. So in conclusion, what should be the appropriate set of actions to…you know, seal the deal with the whole forgiveness thing?"
"I should get down on my knees and beg for forgiveness?"
"Well you could do that. But it would be flashy and Rose Weasley isn't known for…well for lack of a better set of words to describe it, flashy. Instead, you could show me your burning need for forgiveness by coming to the wedding without this whole fuss."
"Okay." He said still smiling when I'd finally dared to look up at his face. Fortunately, he was looking ahead and not at me and did not notice the way my cheeks turned darker and it had nothing to do with the heat of summer.
The moment we could make out Pierre's features in his corridor, as I called it, he shouted.
"Rose!"
I waved at him and smiled as I picked up my pace and walked to him faster.
"Hi," I said when I finally reached him.
"Pierre," Scorpius said at the same time standing behind me.
We looked at each other for a moment, surprised at the coincidence. I smiled before turning back to Pierre, but I did catch his own smile that came to his face in response to mine.
"What happened?"
"I was told zat your cousin is getting married over summer."
"Yes, she is."
"Well, extend my felicitations to 'er won't you?"
"Of course."
"Will you be leaving before ze vacations?"
"No, I'm going during the vacations. Scorpius is too."
"Well, enjoy. I really do love weddings, not zat I 'ave seen any, you know, ze concept." Pierre said looking at us, his eyes wistful. He'd moved to the corner of the street in his painting, allowing us to see what he'd painted. A veil. I felt horrible for him. He didn't exactly have the choice to get moved around. So I offered all I could.
"Well, I can't take you, but, umm… if you want, I'll show you all the photos I take and describe the wedding to you in as much detail as you want.
He looked back at me with a small smile.
"I'd like zat."
"Of course you would." I said smiling back at him, relieved he wasn't mopey any more about things that were beyond his control.
Behind me, Scorpius sighed and said the password… it was chocolate if you were wondering… and we moved into the common room.
As I began to make my way to the common room, Scorpius interrupted me.
"Rose?"
"Yeah?" I said turning back.
"I, uh, wanted to clear something up with you."
I said nothing, just stood where I was, dreading what he'd say. For some reason, I knew it had to do with the drunken kiss we'd shared. One neither of us even remembered, but I thought about enough to drive me insane.
"About that time…when we um…well, when we kissed."
I stiffened. I did not want to keep going on this conversation. But, he'd been as much part of it as I was and had equal rights about it.
"It meant nothing." I said still not looking at him, not daring to. Taking a breath, hoping to calm my nerves enough to have a reasonable conversation.
"We were drunk and we didn't know what we were doing. It doesn't affect us at all, I mean, neither of us even remembers it. We should just-"
"I would like to remember it."
"Yeah, but that doesn't change anything, mainly because we were piss drunk and don't remember. So that fixes that…wait, did you just say…" I was stunned, I'd been ranting, hoping I would think of the correct set of words to get out of this situation. This was not what I had expected. In fact, he'd shocked me enough to get me to turn around.
"I'm in love with you." He looked so sincere, it was all I could do not to run across the room and kiss him right then and there. Which is probably why the most insensitive response to that set of words came out of my mouth, because I couldn't filter my thoughts and restrain myself at the same time.
"Is this some sort of twisted joke?"
"What?" he said letting out a chuckle. Everything about him was suddenly very in focus as I let myself study him. The way his hair was slightly tousled by the wind, the line of his jaw, the intense grey of his eyes, the curve of his lip. Stop.
"I mean, it's not funny Scorpius, I'd really rather-" He was too close to me for me to finish that sentence. He'd moved forward the moment I'd begun talking and reached me in three elegant strides and have I mentioned how hot I found the fact that he was ridiculously tall?
"You know," he said leaning down so his face was at my level, his head slowly tilting a bit, "You are the first girl to ask me if my valiant declaration of love is a joke. Frankly, I'm a bit insulted."
I began moving back to put some space between us. Scorpius didn't let me. He moved in sync with me moving forward as I moved backwards… until I hit the door to my dorm, that is. How ironic was this. The door opened outwards. With me in front of it I had no way of entering my dorm without moving forward enough to make enough space for me to enter. Moving forward would involve moving close enough to Scorpius to nuzzle him, of sorts. I was unwilling to do that. There was only so much control I had and I had no intention of throwing myself at him. Ok, I might've had some intention to throw myself at him, but this was not how it would go down. How ironic was it that I was so close to escape yet so far away.
"But Rose," he said leaning closer still, snapping me out of my line of thought, our foreheads now touching, "that doesn't change the fact that I just said."
I could barely breathe, much less think. A shiver shook through me the moment that his forehead touched mine and he let out a breath that tickled my neck as his eyes closed. I was dying to lean up just a little and kiss his skin and run my fingers through his hair. I was probably blushing like crazy right now, pale skin be damned!
"What fact?" my voice had become a whisper. He cracked his eyes open staring into mine.
"The fact that I love you." His voice was turning husky as he slid them shut again, his hands reaching mine, his fingers interlacing between mine. I felt my eyes slide shut the moment he'd said those three damned words. My skin was on fire. All I could think of in that moment was kissing him. He leaned down a bit more, so his lips were just next to my ear, so, so close, his breath was making my hair move and it was driving me insane.
"And I think, you'll find, it will give me great joy if you return my feelings." He whispered. Ridiculously, as ridiculous moments happen, I felt a mischievous smile find its way to my face as he began standing back up straight. I stood on my toes and pulled him down by the collar as I moved close to his ear the same way he had just seconds ago.
"I think you'll have to help me confirm them." I whispered.
His head shot a little higher than my face, surprise and what I was pretty sure was desire flashing in his eyes. Then with a roguish grin of his own, he leaned back down, his lips almost touching mine, his arms pushing me back into the door as he looked at me with half lidded eyes he said, "Gladly."
His lips were on mine in a heartbeat as one of his hands were in my hair and the other loosely around my neck, his thumb on my cheek. Electricity shot through me as I drowned in the addicting feel of his lips. My arms went around his neck pulling him closer as his own arms descended to my waist pulling me off the floor and pushing me back into the door as they held me in place about a foot and a half in the air. Oh fucking Merlin! The world disappeared around us. I realized, somewhere through kissing Scorpius, that I was in love with him too. With that realization, the kiss became so much more intense. The way his lips moved against mine sent my heartbeat hammering away. I was suddenly simultaneously powerless and powerful all at once, his movements sending shivers down my body and mine sending shivers down his. Finally, we broke apart. Scorpius made no move to break our embrace and I ran one of my hands through his hair staring back at him. Our breathing was harsh and I'm pretty sure mine tickled him just as much as his breath tickled me.
"Did that help you figure out your feelings for me?" he said, his lips touching mine as they moved sending sparks down my body. I really wanted nothing more than to kiss him again.
"We're on the right track. I think we'll need to do this a few more times to make sure."
"Of course. I'll help."
He helped me. A lot of times. After a long time, not a long enough time, but long time all the same, we found ourselves lying on his sofa, him lying on his back and me lying on top of him with one his arms loosely around my waist and his other arm playing with a lock of hair.
"Scorpius." I said looking at him, my hand moving to his neck while I rubbed circles into his shoulder with my other one.
"Yeah."
"The studies have a conclusive result."
"And what is this conclusive result?"
"I'm in love with you too."
He smiled as he pushed himself off the couch into a sitting position, one of his hands coming up to cup my face and pulled me closer as his lips descended to mine and I was hit by the same electricity and burning passionate skin and butterflies in the stomach as I had been the first time we kissed…well the first kiss that I remembered, that is. When he pulled away, he leaned back on the sofa, his arms still around me as he said, "I've wanted to do this for a really long time."
"To be fair, I'd done my bit and asked for permission to do exactly that back in fifth year when I'd asked you out. So, told you so."
"I had the hugest crush on you since fourth year, so, no Rose, I told you so."
"What?"
"I really did."
"Then why'd you say you'd rather date a pickled cucumber than me?" I asked sourly. It was still insulting to have been rejected over cucumbers of all things.
"You remember?"
"Of course I remember! That was the first time I'd ever been compared to a cucumber as a response from a guy I just asked out."
"Well, I thought you'd get mad at me about the 'Malfoy' and Death Eater thing eventually because you probably held it against me too somewhere in your subconscious and it would be just cruel to be given a chance to be allowed to be in love with you and then have it taken away."
"So why'd you say it now?"
"Well, when you gave me the whole list about stuff you accepted about me in the corridors, I kind of realized that you really didn't give a fuck about that sort of stuff, that you only saw me for me and not the surname that I was so sure was a part of me and, I fell so hard for you right then, I couldn't think of anything I wanted to do besides telling you since."
"Whoa! Easy there Scor! You'll collapse a lung or something. Speaking that much! I've had an influence on you I see." I can't believe I was capable of joking at a moment like this when I was floored by his honesty and feelings. Well I was Rose Weasley.
"Rose, you've had an influence on me since forever. I should win something for not just pushing you into a wall and kissing you senseless for this long with the way you were influencing me."
"What did I ever do? I was an innocent girl just being seduced by you!"
"Innocent girl? Do you have any clue how short those shorts you wear are? I damn nearly went crazy digging my fingers into my fist to stop myself."
"You were looking?"
"No I'm blind."
"No, I just thought that, well that you were into your girlfriends…umm…very wholeheartedly…and I don't share any features with them or anything…so…"
"Their features," he said with a grin on his face, "were so different from yours because I have been trying my hardest to get over anything remotely like you. I kind if gave up today."
I was flattered. So I had an effect like that on him. For the first time since I'd moved to this dorm, I made no attempt to hide my blush.
"Also," he continued, "you're breath-taking and beautiful."
I looked down as I muttered thanks. In my whole life, never once had I believed I was pretty, much less beautiful and every time someone had said it, I'd dismissed it as flattery, but right now, as he said it, I realized, he genuinely meant it. I looked back up at him with a smile on my face leaning on his chest, looking up at him.
"Is that why you felt the need to play Scor likes to striptease Rose earlier today?"
"Yes, that was exactly why." He said with laughter lacing his voice.
"Oh Scor! Albus will be heartbroken."
"We'll set him up with Summers."
"Aha! So you admit he was in love with you."
"Rose!"
"So did you love him back Scor? Is this some sort of Weasley-Potter family roaster you're building up."
"No, I've been too busy pining over you."
That shut me up. And also put a blush on my face. I let out a sigh.
Maybe living with Scorpius would be perfect.
AUTHOR'S NOTE-
All done. I am fangirling so hard about this!
In case you are wondering, yes there will be more chapters..of course, the bad guys haven't even started doing their thing yet! I really do apologize for uploading so much later after the whole 'an upload a day keeps the fangirl at bay' type uploading. I had like, serious writer's block.
In happier news, I hope to upload the next chapter by...12 May, tops... I think...*smiles and waves peace sign*
As a peace offering, here's how the Scorpius-Rose fifth year asking out went-
We both had Prefect Night Duty together, me and Scorpius that is. In the beginning, I had thought the Head Girl and Head Boy had been playing some sort of a cruel trick on the two of us, putting a Gryffindor and Slytherin together. I didn't mind really, considering I had the biggest crush on him ever. So of course, sometime around the last week of school before the Winter holidays, I'd forced myself into the following events...well conversation
"Um...Scorpius" I called after him
"Yes."
"I..wanted to tell you something."
He stopped and turned back, looking at me with a bored expression.
"I really like you. Like, like you like you."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes!"
"I would rather date a cucumber. Maybe even a pickled cucumber...and I don't even like cucumbers."
I flushed looking at him walk back towards his common room realizing I'd been rejected. It stung..a lot...for about a week. A lot of ice cream and bitching sessions with Alice Longbotttom, my best friend had been required to aid my recovery.
AUTHOR'S NOTE(CONTD.)-
The following:
1. DAMN YOUR TWEEN-ASS BULLSHIT ROSE! I WORK SO HARD TO WRITE YOU AS SUCH A COOL CHARACTER! WHY YOU GOT TO HAVE A CRAP FANGIRL PHASE AT FOURTEEN-FIFTEEN YEARS OF AGE! #damn this teenage nonsense #guilty pleasure #why am I so wierd sometimes)
2. Yes, we will be seeing more of Alice Longbottom. She's been around the whole time, but Rose's accounts were generally limited to her interactions with Scorpius.
3. We will be seeing Harry, Ron, Hermione and the whole set of the characters who survived Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (well sans Arthur Weasley, because I killed him of disease a little while ago. Sorry!)
4. Please review and tell me what you felt about this. To those who have already reviewed/followed/favourited: You the best! Keep Reviewing please! If you don't think reviewing is your thing, feel free to follow or favourite it.
I hope you're have a good day and if you're reading this during the night, I hope you have a good day tomorrow.
Love,
Reader-chan