Chapter 10
Rose Weasley was temperamental. Scorpius knew that, and so one would assume he would be careful around her.
One would be wrong.
Rose Weasley didn't like to do badly in her school work. Her perfect marks in school and homework were something she took great pride in. The problem was, since her relationship with Scorpius - which she still half-believed was all in her head - had developed, it was cutting into her study time. Three times during the first week, she had rushed back to the Gryffindor tower close to midnight, and had to rush her homework, bleary-eyed and unable to concentrate.
"What?!" Rose cried out, when her Charms homework landed on her desk, her slightly-less-neat-than-usual handwriting littered with red ink. The corner proclaimed the grade: Rose had received her first ever "A".
"Professor - I think there's some mistake here -" She said quickly, forcing a smile as ancient little professor Flitwick tottered over and peered at her work.
"Ah. Not what I expected from you, miss Weasley." He said, shaking his head. "But a satisfactory grade, all the same."
Rose stared at him, speechless for once. For someone who had been receiving top marks her whole life, who had gathered a collection of "O"s and "E"s since her teachers had began using the O.W.L grades this year, an "Acceptable" was not satisfactory at all.
----
"Please don't let your work slip now, miss Weasley." The DADA professor said quietly to Rose, an hour later as he gave her back her homework from that lesson. "Not this close to the exams."
"Wha...but..."
Rose had received her first ever "P". If the "A" had distressed her, the "P" almost gave her a heart attack.
"How?" She asked, turning to Allison, who shrugged.
"Rose...what did you expect? I don't know what you're doing, but you can't spend all your time...doing whatever it is, then coming back at night, and rushing your homework. You're not concentrating properly in lessons, and...well. It's just not you, is it?" Allison looked at her carefully, as though half expecting Rose to share her secret. It was driving her crazy that she didn't know where Rose kept sneaking off it, although she had a few suspicions...
Rose didn't reply, but turned away from her friend. Allison sighed, and turned back to face the front too, deciding to let Rose's resentment run it's course until it died.
But the time the lesson was over, Rose was in one of the worst moods she'd ever been in. And so when Scorpius caught her arm, and pulled her into a secret passage, she didn't take well to the surprise.
"What are you - oh. It's you." She said, and leaned back against the wall, while Scorpius' smile faded. "What do you want?"
Of course, Scorpius instantly went defensive. "What's wrong with you?" He asked, leaning on the opposite wall to her. The passage was rather narrow, so the gesture was more symbolic than to put actual space between them.
"What's wrong with me?" She repeated, her eyes narrowed. "What's wrong with me is that my work is getting gradually worse. Because of you. At this rate, at going to fail my O.W.Ls."
"How's that my fault?" He snapped.
"Because you are the one who's stopping me from studying, or doing my homework, who's keeping me out all night. We're prefects, Scorpius, and while that might not mean anything to you, it means something to me. As a prefect, I can't be sneaking around the castle at night!" It was rather satisfying to take her anger out on him.
"No one's forcing you to!" Scorpius replied angrily. "Half the time, you're the one who suggests it! And if I can make the time to work, then you should be able to. It's not my fault if I don't need to work as hard as you do."
"Are you saying I'm stupid?" Rose asked, scandalised.
"Not in those words." Scorpius replied coolly. "Now, I'll just stop taking up your time." He spun around, stormed out of the passage.
"Fine!" Rose yelled, even though he'd already left. With an angry scream, she turned and stormed up the passage, to the other exit.
----
"You argued with her." Albus said, ten minutes later. "You argued with Rose? When she was in that mood?"
"What, so I should have just let her blame me? Should have just accepted fault and placated her like a little child?"
"Well...yes." Al replied, as they made their way to the great hall for lunch. "Or just ignored her. It's the only way to deal with her in that mood."
"Maybe she just needs to learn the world doesn't revolve around her." Scorpius snapped. "She can't stand there and blame me like that. She's the one who wanted to keep the whole thing a secret, sneak around at night and stuff. And if she's that ashamed of me -"
"Ashamed of you?" Al interrupted. "What makes you think she's ashamed?"
"Are you kidding? Why else would she want to keep us a secret? I don't know, Al, first she wants to pretend we're not...together, and now...well, it feels like she was just looking for an excuse to end this."
"She broke up with you?" Al asked, mentally going back over the conversation, wondering how he could have missed that.
"No. I mean...I didn't give her chance." Scorpius shrugged, then sighed. "I guess it was stupid to think she could ever change, ever really give me a chance."
"Scorpius...When Rose is in that mood, she'll be like that with everyone. Don't take it personally. She'll calm down, apologise, and everything'll be OK."
Scorpius shook his head. "See you later." He muttered, then made his way to the Slytherin table.
----
Rose was still angry. With Scorpius, with herself, with Hogwarts and the world. She'd stormed outside - she should be at lunch but wasn't hungry - and was currently power walking around the lake, trying to work off the pent up energy anger brought her.
He'd called her stupid! Kind of. No one called her stupid! Ever! Well, except Hugo, but little brothers are supposed to say stuff like that.
She had beaten Scorpius in every single test they'd ever had! Yes, by only a handful of marks most of the time, but she had beaten him all the same.
And why, why would he, seeing how upset she was, just goad her further? Surely, a boyfriend was supposed to make you feel better, not worse?
"Rose?" Rose stopped at the voice - not the one she had expected to hear, wanted to hear, but a welcome one all the same - and turned to watch Lily Potter hurry towards her.
"Why are you out here all alone?" Lily asked her. "Have you eaten? You don't even have a cloak, you must be freezing -"
"Al told you, right?" Rose guessed. Lily blinked, then smiled guiltily.
"That obvious?"
"You're the baby of the family, Lily. You don't mother anyone unless you know they're upset."
"I wasn't mothering you." Lily protested. "It's freezing out here. But, yeah, Al said you and Scorpius had an argument. And that you got a few...lower than usual grades." She smirked a little at that. "You want to talk about it?"
"No." Rose replied flatly. The smirk had annoyed her.
"OK. Lets walk, then, 'cause I'm really cold." She linked her arm through Rose's, and started walking, pulling Rose with her. Although she wanted to pour her heart out, Rose forced herself to keep silent.
"What do you think it is, about the lake?" Lily asked her.
"What?"
"The lake. I mean, whenever any of us needs to think, or just...be alone, I guess, we head here, walk around it. Why?"
"It's...private." Rose said finally. "And...it's beautiful. And big. Even if there's lots of people around it, you know you'll find a place to be alone."
"True." Lily replied. "This is where my parents came, the first time they got together. You remember the story, don't you?"
"Yeah." Rose smiled. "And I remember how my dad tells it, too."
"Uncle Ron takes the romance away from the story, doesn't he?" Lily smiled.
"Definetly." Rose said, and couldn't help smile back.
"And this is where you and Scorpius got together, too." Lily replied casually.
"Yeah - oh. That was good, Lily."
"What was?" Lily asked, with unconvincing innocence.
"Just slip it in, and then I 'll start talking about it."
"It might help." Lily replied, unashamed. "Al said you were in one of your moods -"
"One of my moods? What does that mean?"
" - and took it out on Scorpius." Lily continued, as though Rose hadn't spoke. "And Scorpius, a defencive person, according to Al, didn't do what he should, and just ignore you. He argued back."
"He shouldn't ignore me -"
"Best way to handle you." Lily interrupted. "But, what's important, Rose, is who should be the one apologising first. You or him?"
Rose didn't reply.
"Thought so." Lily nodded. "Go on, Rosie, go find him."
"Rose." Rose corrected automatically.
"Whatever. You know you have to say sorry."
"I know." Rose sighed, and stopped walking, turning to face Lily. "Thanks." She said reluctantly.
"Don't mention it. Let me know how it goes."
Rose nodded, and started towards the castle. Lily watched her go, smiling a little.
She just hoped uncle Ron didn't find out she'd fixed this. Something told her he wouldn't be overjoyed about his daughter's relationship...