Hi everyone !

Next chapter's ready ! Thanks so much XxRandomxX, mimimi213, Yellow 14, . and Rhr4eva for the so lovely reviews – and thanks to everyone who added the story to their favs and alerts !

This is Rose and Scorpius's sixth year at Hogwarts and this chapter is Rose's POV. I wrote this one really fast because I was so happy you liked chapter 7 and I wanted to give you more ^^ (also, I'm inspired by what comes next and I want to get there faster !) So I hope my grammar isn't too bad :)

Disclaimer : I'd be very rich (and probably too busy to write fanfic) if I owned HP or any of the songs mentioned here. So, you guessed right, I own nothing



"Do I attract you, do I repulse you

With my queasy smile"

The morning after, I woke up not remembering clearly what had happened in Hogsmeade. Everything was hazy, as if it was a dream, impossible to be true. I vaguely remembered the trip to the village. I remembered feeling a lot of various, strong emotions. I remembered coming back to Hogwarts soaked with rain, I remembered running to my room to put on dry clothes, and going back to the library where I studied until Madam Pince threw me out. But I couldn't remember who it had all happened with.

I rolled in my bed, face up, and slowly opened my eyes to get them used to the light. The morning sun against the red velvet curtains of my four-poster bed felt warm and soft. It was going to be a beautiful day. It was Monday, and I felt happy, happy to be free all morning, with no classes until the afternoon, nothing to do except remember my memories of yesterday.

"WAKE UP!"

Charlotte drew the curtain open, floading my bed with sunlight. Next to her stood Lily, arms crossed, looking furious. I sat up, palms on my eyes, groaning.

"Aow girls, do you want me to go blind? What's going on? Classes start this afternoon, for Merlin's sake. Can't a girl just get some sleep?"

"You'll sleep when you explain what happened yesterday," hissed Charlotte.

"If we decide to ever let you sleep again," added Lily threateningly.

"What?" I moaned, "I just went to your blind date, I never said I had an obligation to like the guy. We just talked a little, there was no spark, we ended it on this, that's all."

"That's all ?" Lily almost yelled. "You've got to be joking, Rose."

"No I'm not ! What do you think happened ?"

"What happened, missy," Charlotte bent over me, her finger pointed at me like a wand, "is that you left Connor O'Riley after ten minutes of small talk and ran away without even letting him know !"

"Poor thing stayed there for almost fourty minutes before getting the message. That's all everybody could talk about yesterday."

"At least he didn't go to this date for nothing. Apparently, Daphny Lebrun had a blind date who stood her up too."

"Yeah, like we didn't know Scorpius Malfoy was a total git," Lily grumbled scornfully.

At the sound of Scorpius's name, everything that had happened yesterday came back to me in a flash. Oh. My. God. I felt so embarassed. Especially when I felt my face turn crimson. I wished the girls would mistake it with the reflection of the red curtains on my cheeks.

Fortunately, they were too busy fuming to notice anything. Charlotte kept talking :

"… and Connor and Daphny ended up talking – and I hear they had quite a good time together. Too bad for you, Rose, you could have had a partner for the Christmas Ball. You know the boys ask the girls out, and now Connor will never ask you."

"Huh, yeah - he'll ask Daphny, that's for sure." Lily scorned again.

I sighed. I was happy for Connor, he was a good guy, even if he wasn't my type. So, he could go to the Ball with Daphny, or whoever he wanted, I really didn't care.

"So, what did you do yesterday, after leaving Connor like that?" asked Lily.

"OH!"

Again, I had a flash from yesterday. Shoot, I'm supposed to meet Scorpius at the library after class to give him Jane Eyre ! I'm not ready, I don't know what to wear, I'm ugly… Oh, stop it, it's not a date, we're just friends !

Whatever, I wasn't going out like this, even to meet a friend. No time to lose. I jumped out of my bed, bumped into Charlotte and Lily, ran to my trunk, picked a gray dress and a pair of boots and rushed down the staircase to the bathroom. Behind me, I could picture the bewildered glances the girls exchanged.

***

After what felt like a century and a half of classes – actually, it was only three hours, but I felt like I was dying on my chair – I finally went to the library. I held Jane Eyre in my hands, and, when I reached to open the library door, the book slipped from my other hand and fell down. I realized my hands were really sweaty. Holding them up to my face, I saw they were also trembling a little. My heart was beating faster than ever. A thousand questions rushed through my mind : how was I going to give him the book without looking totally awkward ? Would I find witty things to say ? Would I make him laugh ? Would he still want to be friends ?

I shouted in my head to make all the questions shut up. I steadied myself, breathed in and out, and pushed the door open.

The library was bathed in the late afternoon sunlight. The rows of books, warmed up by the sun, smelled like leather and crispy paper. The room was almost empty, but I spotted Scorpius's blond hair. He was sitting in the back, alone at a table by the window, reading a book. His ruffled hair looked silver in the warm light. The scene was so peaceful that I couldn't help but feel calmer, more relaxed.

I walked a few steps along the rows of books. In the silence of the library, my footsteps rang like bells – or so it felt like. At the sound of them, Scorpius looked up. Instantly, he smiled at me and my heart lept frantically in my chest. God, he's so beautiful. This thought made me wistful : were friends supposed to find each other attractive ? Pushing away the thought, I forced a smile on my face and sat next to him. It felt strange to be so close to him, almost able to touch him. Despite my stress, I felt genuinely happy.

"Hi," he said, still smiling. "I was reading the chapter on bezoars in our Potions book. It's really interesting, I wonder why they don't make us carry one with us at all times."

"I totally agree. You know, my father was saved from poisoning thanks to one of these little stones. Should be mandatory to have one, don't you think?"

"Wow." He looked impressed. "Our lives seem so quiet, compared to what our parents went through at our age."

"Well, my uncle Harry says it always sounds cooler than it was. I guess it wasn't easy not to have a normal life."

I was happy we had things to say to each other. Slowly I felt more comfortable, and I almost forgot where and who I was sitting with.

"Did you have time to finish your book ?" Scorpius asked, noticing Jane Eyre in my left hand.

"No, but it's OK. I've already read it twice before."

"Sure, but I still don't like to leave a book in the middle. I thought you'd have the same insane habits books as I have when it comes to books."

"What makes you think that ?"

"Well, I noticed how much you take care of your schoolbooks when you take them out of your bag in Potions. It's like they're precious, breakable. I only guessed you'd care even more for a personal book."

"You're right," I admitted, blushing slightly. "But lending you this book, knowing you're going to read it, it just makes me really happy. That way, we'll share something that others won't."

I stopped, praying my blush would not extend to my entire face and neck. It felt both embarassing and good to have shared something as personal – for me anyway – as my relationship with books. Finally I had met someone as crazy about books as I was.

"What do you do next ?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing in particular. I'll probably stay here, try to finish my Ancient Runes essay, and then study until I drop dead – that means, until the Christmas holidays."

Christmas. Another flash (these had to stop, by the way, I was getting tired) : the Christmas Ball. And now I had only one question in mind : Scorpius, would you go to the Christmas Ball with me ? Oh, but it was a stupid question, for three reasons : One, it was outside context. Two, girls were not supposed to ask boys out. Three, he would never go with me.

So I asked another question instead.

"What about you ?"

"I'm going to stay here and study too, if you don't mind the company. And…I'll try to give you your book back before Christmas."

A shiver went down my spine. Was he refering to what would take place just before Christmas ? Oh, God no, it was too far-fetched. I was so stupid. Scorpius and I were friends, just friends.

So I sat next to him until the library closed – and even the fact that we laughed and talked instead of studying didn't manage to lift my spirits. Scorpius and I were friends, though I had to admit it was better than nothing, and I had been foolish to even wish for more. Just friends.


So, what did you think ? Comments, suggestions, criticism if you give me feedback (and even praise if you feel like it) appreciated ! Next chapter coming soon…