Chapter 10

Rose is in bliss, some paralyzed happy world where every thought travels down a road leading to Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. She spends the rest of the day after he leaves staring absentmindedly at walls with what must be a dazed, faint smile on her face. Yet, when she hears the familiar crack of Apparation, she grabs her fashion magazines and makes a mad dash for the couch, pretending that's the place where she's spent her afternoon, instead of in her bedroom, with Scorpius turning her inside out.

"How was your day, darling?" her mother asks. She stops in front of the mirror in the hallway, pulling off her earrings and dropping them into the small bowl where she always puts them after work. Next she fluffs her hair out of the chignon, dropping the clips that have held her hair into the bowl as well. It's a routine that Rose has come to love, one that she thinks of, takes comfort from sometimes at school when she feels homesick.

"Fine. My day was fine," Rose answers too quickly. "Very r-r-relaxing. I didn't do much at all, just read these magazines." Her heart accelerates; even her vagina seems to have a heartbeat of its own as her mind flashes back to Scorpius tongue kissing her as he comes inside of her that last time. Shit. I did let him. Roxy, I need her right away…

"That's wonderful. What should I make for dinner tonight? What are you in the mood for?"

Scorpius, Rose thinks, but says instead, "Liver and onions."

"Perfect," Mrs. Weasley answers. "That's your father's favorite, and he's got a late meeting. He'll be starved, I'm sure." She pauses, frowning. "Has your brother gotten home yet?"

"No, Mum."

And off her mother goes for the Floo Fone to track her brother down before starting dinner. Not until she goes does Rose release the breath she has been holding tight in her chest.

"Where'd you get that necklace? Have you been in Mum's jewelry again?" Hugo taunts her during dinner. Caught unawares, her hand races to her throat, her fingers curling protectively around her gift.

"It isn't Mum's! It was a…a gift from a…a secret admirer!" she says hotly. Rose feels her cheeks burning, but not out of shame.

He had slipped it around her neck right before the last time.

"Promise me you'll never take it off. That you'll think of me every moment you have it on," he whispered while he was loving her. She remembered nodding, closing her eyes against the pressure of his body against hers. "I swear it…I'll never…" she murmurs.

"A secret admirer? Some boy is after my Rose? What the bloody hell is this about?" her father exclaims.

"Oh, gods, it's nothing, Dad. Nothing—"

"Well, that 'Nothing' certainly looks expensive. Look at how well it's made, I'll bet it's real," her mother says, peering closely at Rose's throat. Rose sits back in her chair. Her food is churning in her stomach. "Was it delivered today, did you say? It certainly is a very romantic gift from a secret admirer," her mother says.

"It's probably from Scorpius," Hugo goes on, laughing. Rose can see his dinner lolling around in his mouth as he points at her with a knife she'd like to stick him in the arm with right now.

"No, it's not! I don't know who it's from! Shutup, Hugo!" Rose shouts.

"Calm down, darling. It's perfectly alright," her mother quips. "It's from an admirer. We don't know who it's from. Maybe Scorpius. Maybe some other boy."

"Scorpius who? Not Malfoy's son. Isn't that Malfoy's boy's name?" Mr. Weasley says, looking around the table. "If that's who you think it's from, you have my permission to burn it in the furnace."

This isn't going well. Rose hasn't thought about the fact that her father might object to her being with him. She bites her lip, clutches her fork tightly. "There is a…strong possibility that Scorpius Malfoy did give me this necklace. And if he did…I'm going to keep it. I won't burn it."

The table goes silent for a moment. Rose raises her eyes to her father's, sees the obvious shock there before she returns to staring at her plate, blinking back tears. She's done it, defended him. Her father doesn't approve, but she doesn't care. She has to make a stand for Scorpius. For, how could she not after what they had done earlier? He was her first. No one would replace him as her greatest love; she could see that now, when she was only seventeen years old. Oh, she needs Roxy so much right now. Roxy would know what to do, she always did…

"Oi, this is disgusting," Hugo finally interjects, making a face. "Can we talk about something else? Anything else, before every bite of the food I've swallowed ends up all over this dang bloody table?"

"Hugo!" Mrs. Weasley gasps.

But her brother has rescued her without even knowing it. Hugo has broken that spell of awkwardness that had loomed just above their heads, threatening to turn the usual peaceful family dinner into something quite the opposite. Thank you, brother, she thinks, and smiles as her mother continues to scold her younger brother for his inappropriate language at the dinner table. Her heart finds a steady beat again.

Rose spends the night at Roxy's house the following evening. As usual, it's always full out fun and the house stays packed with family and friends. It's well after ten o'clock before Rose finally gets a chance to get from Roxy the advice she needs. Roxy has dragged out some books on spell work from her family's library.

"Don't you worry about a thing. You'll be in the free and clear before this night is through," Roxy huffs, dumping an armload of tomes down on her bed. Rose's eyes stretch wide as she giggles at the title of the first one she picks up. "The Spells You Thought You Knew, But Didn't: A Witch's Guide to Adolescent Sexuality, Hot Spots: His and Yours, The Pleasure Principle:Doing It Yourself…oh, my gods!"

"Are you really blushing at the title of some books after what you've done?" Roxy says with a laugh.

"That was different! It's totally different when you're…in someone's arms!" Rose says. Her face is warm again; she knows she is red. It seems that's all she's done since yesterday, is blush furiously. Roxy is staring at her with a grin on her face.

"Look at you! You're totally in love with him already!" she squeals.

Rose moans, dropping her head to her hands. "I'm ashamed to admit it…but I think I am! And my dad got mad last night at dinner when I hinted that Scorpius had given me this necklace. He told me to chuck it into the fireplace!"

"Really? I wonder what his parents would say. Wasn't his father a Death Eater?"

"He was. He's only mentioned it once, awhile ago. I think he's really embarrassed by it," Rose says.

Roxy snickers. "And bloody well he ought to be…I can't believe you've gotten involved with someone like him."

"Why? He's sweet…when no one else is around. I mean, he's not as much of an arse as he comes across," Rose says.

Roxy stares at her until they both burst into a fit of giggles. "Stop it, Roxanne! Help me! I can't get pregnant. Find a spell for me! I need to take precautions!"

They pour over spells until they find two- one that will eliminate any traces of a would be fetus and a second that Rose can take monthly to protect herself from any future accidents concerning pregnancy. Normally it would have required parental consent, but Rose and Roxy are intelligent and Roxy has tom foolery in her blood, so the girls whip up both charms in no time at all. The concoction that Roxy makes for Rose to be sure she is "clean" is the color of cat sick and the smell of it as well. Roxy warms the cup up to be kind and holds it under Rose's nose.

"Whatever you do, don't wretch it back up," Roxy warns as Rose takes a deep breath, nods. She squeezes her eyes shut before gagging the potion down. Her stomach immediately turns flip flops, and she feels a burning sensation from scalp to toes. Roxy bursts out laughing at her.

"I'm green, aren't I?" Rose croaks out.

"More purple. But it will pass. I've taken it twice myself, so I know it works. Lie down. You'll be asleep soon," Roxy says as she helps Rose to her bed.

"I'm being the worst guest," Rose mumbles as she pulls the blankets up to her chin, yawns. Just like that, the feeling of wanting to vomit has passed, but in its place is an exhaustion she hasn't known in years.

"Not at all. I'm going to meet Colt in a bit. If you hadn't had to take your potion, you'd have ended up coming along. So it's just as well, as I'm sure you don't want to watch us shag. Which is exactly what we're going to do," Roxy says.

"Colt. That stocky younger year. I thought for sure that was a fling. I can't believe you're still with him," Rose whispers. She's getting sleepier by the second.

"Careful, there. I don't go on about your pale son of a reformed Death Eater. If there is such a thing as ever being reformed from that," Roxy says.

"Oi! That's not fair…"

But that's all Rose manages before she is out for the night.

Scorpius has left a message on Rose's Floo Fone when she wakes up the next morning, but she doesn't return his call until she is on her way home.

"What are your plans for the day, other than seeing me?" is the way he answers the phone, just assuming she'd drop her plans for him without a second thought. Still, his confidence is one of those things she loves about him.

"It's supposed to snow all afternoon. I'm going to the pitch off Weathersby this afternoon to sled with my family," she says.

"You should come over instead. My mum is out until tomorrow," he says.

"You're only inviting me over so we can shag again," Rose taunts. She waves to her parents in the kitchen as she enters her house, and kicks off her trainers. She walks quickly by them to avoid any questions about who she's on the phone with, heading straight for her room. She gets so nervous talking to him when anyone in her family is around. She's terrified it'll be written all over her face, how she feels for him and what she let him to do her in her parent's house.

"Don't say you haven't been thinking about it," Scorpius says.

"I have. But d'you know what I had to do last night? I had to have Roxy fix me a potion to make sure nothing happens. We wouldn't want to get put out. I've heard they send you to Hogwarts Night School if you get pregnant."

"What tosh. There's no such place."

"No, it's true! They just don't tell the students because they don't want any of us getting ideas that it'd be cute to start a family before we're graduated."

"What kind of potion? Was it safe? Did Roxy know what she was doing?"

"Yes, she did. Her mother is in the Potions business, so Roxy has access to quite a bit. It tasted disgusting. But at least we don't have to worry about anything now. We've got to be careful, Scorpius."

"I'm sorry, Rosie. I'm sorry about all that…I got carried away. If you don't stop me, I can't control myself. You just turn me on so much that I can't think straight...I'm hard right now just thinking about being with you...mmm..."

"Stop it!" Rose shakes her head, yet understands because she feels exactly the same way. "Stop it. You've got to use something next time, is all I'm saying. Or I won't have you again." She can pretend she can refuse him. She can pretend all the day long.

"Yes, absolutely, I'll do whatever you want me to do. I feel like a wanker you had to handle it by yourself. I would have come over if you'd told me about it."

Rose laughs. "And done what? Watched me choke it down? It put me to sleep right afterwards."

"I'd have held you. And watched you sleeping."

Rose smiles again, though she knows he can't tell. Or maybe he can. "You're very sweet, Scorpius."

"No," he sighs, "I'm not."

"You are to me."

"I'm an arse. It's genetic. My father is too."

She pauses. "Did something happen?"

"Why?"

"It's just a strange way to respond to a compliment, is all."

"Rosie Posie, don't over analyze. I'm just talking."

"Alright, then."

"Honestly, Rose, I didn't mean to leave you alone to figure things out. I suppose we can just stay in public places from now on. I won't be tempted if we're around other people. Well, I will, but I can control myself much better."

"No, no, I want to keep doing it! I've made, um, arrangements. It's been taken care of. We're safe, but still, you have to use something."

Now Scorpius laughs. "Whatever you say, darling. I should have known there's more to you than meets the eye, the way you knocked my things to the floor when we had that fight."

Rose groans. "Must you continue to bring that up? How many times should I apologize for losing my temper before you'll forget about that?"

"Make it up to me. Let me come over."

"Now? But everyone's home! And I told you, I'm going to the pitch later!"

"Who's ashamed of whom? I thought you'd be wanting to see me, being that you're in love with me and all."

"I never said that!" Rose gasps, but she's smiling.

"Aren't you?"

Ah, piss on it. "Yes," she replies. Because dammit she was, and didn't care who knew.