Chapter Ten: Lets Dance to Joy Division
March 1
Uncle Neville had books for her. "I tried looking through them, I may have found something. I followed the page for you so you can read more on it."
Rose took them happily and thanked him. She ran back to the Great Hall. Everyone was there, getting psyched for the game against Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Rose sat at the Slytherin table. She looked over at where James and the others were. They still weren't on very good terms and it was really breaking her heart.
She put the books down and her sweater on top of them. She wasn't going to the game- there was an Order meeting. She coughed and then moaned, pretending to be sick. She dropped her head to the books and said, "My head is pounding."
"Oh no, sweetie! But the game!" Daphne whined and looked at her sadly.
Rose coughed again, "I think I need to go back to bed."
"I can take you to Madame Alz," Oberon offered, referring to the school nurse. Rose shivered, she hated Madame Alz. Madame Pomfrey had retired after Rose's first year. Rose had liked her.
"No, no." She muttered, "I think I just need some sleep."
"How about the Hogsmede Trip?" Daphne asked.
With the Ministry visiting, things had been very weird. Everyone was tense, muttering to each other. Today was the Hogsmede Trip if anyone needed fancy clothes. There had been drills all week and Rose had been running on barely any sleep. She had to follow Scorpius, keep up with her prefects duties, deal with the fallout of her and James, and research the mirror.
"I don't think so." It took a few more minutes, but eventually Oberon and Daphne left her alone. Rose got up to head back to her room and put the books away before the meeting, when she bumped into Scorpius.
He was already wearing his uniform and holding his broom. He looked at Rose in her sweatpants and messy hair- she was playing the sick look, too- and said, "Why aren't you dressed? Unless you're wearing Slytherin knickers." He winked at her.
Rose rolled her eyes and coughed.
Scorpius' eyes widened, "No. No, I forbid you to be sick. No Slytherin is allowed to miss a Quidditch game." He grabbed her shoulders and steered her over to the table. He sat her down in his empty seat and snapped his fingers. "Goyle, pumpkin juice, now!"
Goyle handed him the goblet without question. Rose looked at him oddly as he shoved the goblet at her. When she didn't take it he brought it to her lips and tipped it back. She coughed and pushed the cup away, spilling it all over them.
"Geez, Rosie, what was that for? I'm trying to help you!" Scorpius said, annoyed, grabbing a napkin, while the goblet clattered onto the table.
"Merlin, what is wrong with you? I don't want to go to your stupid game!" She huffed and stood up, stomping away from him.
"Then who will I dedicate my game winning goal to?" He called after her. Rose could imagine his usual smirk plastered across his face. Once she was out of the Great Hall, she raced to her room so she could put the books away. She headed for the Headmistress' Office then. Most of the Order was already there and Rose went over to hug her parents.
"Hi Mom, Dad," Rose said, hugging them both at the same time.
"How are you sweetie? You look exhausted!" Her mom said.
Rose smiled, "I am. But I'll be fine. How about you guys? Are things... better?" She knew their relationship had taken a big hit since the war began. Since she started spying. It was obvious in the way they stood a few feet apart and hardly looked at each other. It weighed on her all the time. She watched her parents exchange a look, before smiling at her. She wondered how true it was.
"How's your brother?" Her dad asked, changing the topic.
Rose shrugged, "We don't talk that much. He and James and Albus, really. They're mad at me, mad that Uncle Harry chose me and that I'm not really saying much."
"They'll get over it," Her mom said, smoothing her hair back. "Just keep trying to keep your relationship alive. Our friends and family are all we really have."
Uncle Harry came over to her then and Rose hugged him. "What have ya got for me?" He asked, smiling grimly at her.
She took a deep breath and said, "Malfoy has a set routine. In the evenings he walks into the Forbidden Forest with his broomstick and flies off. He comes back at the three in the morning, sometimes bloody and beat up. And at five he goes running for an hour and a half. Also, he got an astronomy book from the library- he doesn't take that class. And then the other day... he asked me..." She paused. She didn't know how she was supposed to explain it.
Her mom urged her on, "Asked you what, love?"
"He brought up the ritual and asked me if I thought it was true. So he's definitely involved... but I don't think he's on board with the whole thing." Rose said.
She watched Uncle Harry react. She saw something in his eyes, like he was remembering something from a long time ago. Something he'd never forget. He looked at Rose and said, "How do you feel about Malfoy, Rose?"
"What?" She sputtered, feeling her heart pound.
"Rose... tell me how you feel about Malfoy." Uncle Harry said, getting down to eye level with her. He pulled his chair closer to her and studied her, his gaze never wavering.
"What the hell, mate?" Her dad asked from behind her. "She hates him. We all hate Malfoy- always have, always will."
"Ronald," Her mom scolded, "Stop that right now." Her voice changed as she walked up to her daughter and said, "Rose, it's okay to answer the question honestly."
Rose looked at her mom and then at her dad who was red. She looked at Uncle Harry and felt the whole Order watching her. She shrugged, "I don't know. I've never hated Scorpius or anything. But he isn't my friend. I don't know what we are. We've been living together for like, six years. We know stuff about each other, we've seen each other at our most candid. That's what happens when you share a common room."
She knew that wasn't what her father wanted to hear. But surprisingly, when she looked at her mom and Uncle Harry, they didn't look angry. They looked like they understood.
Uncle Harry said, "Scorpius may be like his father. You said that you aren't sure how on board he is with everything. Well, back in our sixth year, Draco Malfoy was supposed to do something for Voldemort. But at the last moment, he couldn't do it. I think, Scorpius Malfoy may be in the same position."
Rose didn't know why she was so happy to hear that. Maybe there was hope, a shot. Maybe Scorpius was the same kid she grew up with.
After that, Uncle Harry gave them on update about how Seamus was doing spying as a Death Eater (the Ministry visit was a farce, as if Rose hadn't figured that out). More people were missing. All the usual depressing stuff.
After the meeting, Uncle Harry asked Rose to go get James. That was how Rose was forced to walk down to the Quidditch Pitch even though she really did want to go to her room and nap. Her sweat pants billowed in the wind since March really was roaring like a lion. She hoped no one would notice her on the Gryffindor side of.
The stands were packed and she was looking fruitlessly for one of her friends. While she looked, she checked the score- Slytherin was leading. She watched the game for a moment, seeing Scorpius with the Quaffle. It was short lived because the Bludger came soaring into him, hitting his wrist. There was a sickening crack and the Quaffle fell out of his hands.
Rose turned away as the crowd gasped and a look of pure pain shown on Scorpius' face for a moment. She heard the whistle blow as she kept on looking. Rose squeezed her way through until she finally found her brother. "Hugo!" She said, arriving next to him. She grabbed his arm and he stiffened. "Look," She whispered in his ear, "I know you're mad at me. I just came from a meeting and mom and dad are here. If you want to go see them, they're in McGonagall's Office."
She didn't wait for him to say anything. She slid past the others and smiled at them before turning to James. She told him in his ear the same thing before fighting her way out.
Once she was out of the stands, she relished the cool air since it was a million degrees in the Quidditch pitch with all the body heat. She saw Scorpius walking just ahead of her with Madame Alz. She walked up to him and asked him how his wrist was.
Scorpius was surprised to see her. "What are you doing here, Weaslette ?" He glanced at where she had come from and added, "And from the Gryffindor side?"
"Needed to see if Lily still had her Halls on her. She was sick last week," Rose lied easily.
"Halls?" Scorpius asked her.
"They're a muggle cough drop. So your wrist?"
He shrugged, "Madame Alz here thinks it's broken. But I'd rather talk about you. Just couldn't stay away, could you?"
"What?" Rose asked, annoyed. "I was looking for medicine."
"You will come with us to the infirmary," Madame Alz said from in front of them. She looked at Rose, with a firm look, "I will examine you."
"No, really, it's okay. It's just a simple cold." Rose said, waving her hand.
Scorpius grinned, "She's lying. She just wanted to see me in all my glory."
"What glory?" Rose asked, grinning at him. Madame Alz cut their banter short, demanding Rose come with them to the infirmary. So Rose was stuck and she walked next to Scorpius. She thought about what Uncle Harry had asked her. She looked at Scorpius walking like nothing was wrong. He didn't grimace as he cradled the broken wrist. She remembered the evening she had seen him all bloody and bruised. She had cleaned up the gash on his stomach. A broken wrist must be nothing to him. He'd probably already had one. Or two or three.
"Admiring me, Rosie?" Scorpius chuckled, smiling at her. She liked when he smiled. In all her days of stalking, she never saw him smile. He smiled at her sometimes, though. It had been awhile, but it was finally making a long awaited appearance.
She rolled her eyes and huffed. "As if,"
"It's okay if you were," He went on, wiggling his eyebrows at her in good nature, "I admire you a lot, so I don't mind if you want to return the favor. Remember," He lowered his voice, "Five
years of foreplay."
"It'll be six soon," She added boldly, unsure of where that came from.
Scorpius was just as surprised, but he recovered quick enough and chuckled. "Not if we give in," He grinned at her.
She didn't say anything to that, but instead started whistling. It was the only way she could think to prevent herself from saying something dumb. They arrived in the infirmary and Madame Alz barked at both of them. They both scrambled over to a bed. Scorpius picked the one next to her.
He looked at her, pouting, and said, "I don't like her. Why don't you be my nurse?"
"I already was." Rose pointed out, wryly.
Scorpius smiled at her and said, "Trust me, Rosie, I remember." He added to himself softly, "It was the one good thing about that night."
"What?" Rose asked.
"I said, but you didn't wear the slutty nurse costume."
Rose laughed, "I seem to recall a tight tank top."
Scorpius grinned naughtily at her, "Why do you say it like I could possibly have forgotten?"
After that Madame Alz came over to them and started fussing over Scorpius' wrist. She bandaged it and gave him a potion to dull the pain. He was free to go, but he didn't move, and fixed his eyes on Rose.
Rose wasn't looking forward to this examination. She wasn't sick. Madame Alz was going to blow her cover. She checked her breathing, her throat, her ears, and her vision. Then she took her temperature and blood pressure.
"Rose, you are exhausted. Have you been sleeping properly?" Madame Alz asked, looking at her with concern. "You might be dehydrated, too. Is everything okay?"
Rose was aware of Scorpius' eyes on her. She nodded and said, "I just have lots of schoolwork and prefects duties, so I get to bed late." It was partly the truth.
Madame Alz didn't like it. She said, "Your health is the most important thing, put it first."
After that they both left the infirmary. "You heard her, Weasley, get some sleep." Scorpius told her. He was looking at her seriously and Rose wondered if he really wasn't joking with her. Scorpius had never shown concern over her health before. In fact, he'd never really shown concern over her ever.
"And she told you no flying, but I highly doubt you're going to listen." Rose quipped, smiling at him.
"That's different. People need sleep to function, so if you don't sleep on your own, than we're gonna have to have sex." Scorpius proclaimed. Rose was happy that the halls were empty since everyone was still at the game.
"What?" She asked, laughing. "What does that have to do with sleeping?"
"Because," He looked at her seriously, "People fall asleep after sex. It's a scientific fact that sex makes people tired. And since I have taken it upon myself to make sure your health is intact, I'll have to take one for the team."
Rose rolled her eyes, "My hero. Look Scorpius, we're not having sex. Not now, not ever."
"You know, Rosie, you keep saying that and even though we're going on six years, I think you're going to crack."
"I'm not going to crack. Cracking implies that I want to and that I am restraining myself. But Scorpius, that's where you're wrong." Rose smiled.
"Oh? I'm wrong. Fine, go out with me and I'll prove to you how much you want me."
It was a ridiculous idea. Rose scoffed, but she couldn't help how much she wanted too. She hadn't really known for how long she was feeling this way or when it had happened, but she did want to see more of Scorpius. She may have had stronger feelings than she previously described.
She looked at him, trying to gauge how serious he was. He looked completely serious. He reached for her hand and said, "Rose..." It was different, near desperate even. She could only imagine how messed up his left had become. She wondered how long he had felt this way- if he even felt this way at all. And when he did.
She wanted to say yes. Scorpius had been flirting with her for years. It was the like universe was waiting for her to just say yes. She thought of what she had overheard with Goyle and Zabini a week ago. She thought about the war and everything that was going on. This might have been her only shot to be normal. To go out with a boy and feel however she wanted too. Just one day. How much could one day matter in the grand scheme of things?
He was looking at her like he wanted her to say yes more than anything in the world. So what else was she supposed to say? "You're on."
A smile broke out a across Scorpius' face. "All right. Once the game ends they're going to Hogsmede, we'll have the whole castle to ourselves. We can do whatever we want. Even those prat Ministry officials will be gone."
They walked hand in hand to the common room. Rose smiled and absorbed the moment. She had no idea what she was doing, but it felt like Scorpius liked her in more ways than one. She wasn't about to question it. They got back to the dungeons and Scorpius said, "I'll be back. I need to change out of these uniforms."
She nodded, "Me too."
He smiled at her and then nodded, "Okay, we'll meet back here." Neither of them left right away. They kept looking at each other a bit longer and smiling goofily. Rose didn't know what she was doing, but she was enjoying herself. Finally they turned away and Rose ran up to her room. She changed out of her sweats and put on some some jeans and a cardigan. She fixed her hair and then went to brush her teeth again.
For a second she felt like a traitor. Should she owl the Order and explain what was going on? She could deny what this really was to herself and say she was spying. But her stomach was anxious and her heart was pounding. There was no way she could lie to herself. It was impossible to stop replaying the night he kissed her on the cheek or block out that night he looked at her when Daphne was pissed out of her mind. She took a deep breath and left the room.
Scorpius was waiting for her in the common room. He took her hand and together they left. He led her towards the kitchen and Rose asked him what he had planned.
"Nothing really, I can't say I ever imagined you saying yes. But you always surprise me, Rose Weasley." Scorpius smiled at her.
He was doing a lot of that recently. He kept smiling and Rose wondered how often he did. In the kitchen, there were a bunch of house elves milling around, all off them cooking in preparation for dinner. "Dot!" Scorpius called, "How about some lunch for the lady?"
Rose interjected, "Only if you want too!" She turned to Scorpius, "You can't just boss him around. He isn't your slave!"
Scorpius opened his mouth to say something- he was still smiling madly- when there was a soft pop! and house elf was smiling up at them. Rose looked at the elf, he was wearing red socks on his hands. "Good day, Scorpius!" The eld chirped happily, "Hows de do?"
Scorpius smiled, "Rose, this is Dot. He used to work for my family-"
"And thens Master Scorpius gives me these here nifty hand warmers. Nows I work here. Master Scorpius my friend." Dot sang, jumping up and down in his spot.
Rose looked at Scorpius quizzically, "You didn't pay him to say that, did you?"
Scorpius' mouth fell, "No trust. I am appalled at you, Rosie. Dot, how about some pasta?"
Dot nodded and then looked at Rose, "Ares you Rose? Master here talks about-"
"Okay!" Scorpius said loudly, "Enough of that. Dot, we'll be over here." He took Rose's arm and led her over to an empty counter and summoned two chairs. Rose could hardly believe everything that had just happened, but she sat down and looked at Scorpius like she had never seen him before.
"So which are you, the git or the charming ex-elf enslaver?" She asked.
He chuckled, "Can I be both?"
"I don't understand you, Malfoy." She murmured. He reached over and took her hand. She looked at their clasped hands and then back at him. His hair was falling into his eyes. He had changed out of his uniform and into black slacks and a green shirt. She wondered if he owned anything casual, like jeans. She asked him. He said no.
"We're going to buy you jeans." She promised.
Scorpius murmured, "I don't need jeans," and stroked her hand.
Let's dance to joy division,
And celebrate the irony,
Everything is going wrong,
But we're so happy,
Let's dance to joy division,
And raise our glass to the ceiling,
'Cos this could all go so wrong,
But we're so happy,
Yeah we're so happy.
Lets Dance to Joy Division, The Wombats
A/N Hey everyone! So some Rose and Scorpius action in this chapter? Oh my! Does this mean they're together! Also, this story has been complete. I finished it at twenty two chapters, so a bunch more chapters to look forward. Thank you to those that have been reading and review. Please drop me a line :D Cheers