"Scorpius, no! You never listen!"

"Oh and you do?" The blonde haired boy shouted, gesturing wildly with his arms.

"I listen more that you do!" Rose screamed, pushing hair out of her angry brown eyes.

"No, Rose, no you don't. You don't pay any attention to anything it's like you're off in some sort of dream world half of the time!"

"At least I know what you're saying. You just don't have a clue, you don't listen you just nod and completely ignore me."

"That's such a lie! I always listen to what you're saying!"

"No you don't!"

"Yes, yes I do. There's a difference between not listening and not giving a crap about it. You should know that, of all people."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It's supposed to mean that you don't care about anything."

"Oh, so I'm a bitch now?"

"Did I say that?"

"As good as. Thanks, really."

"Oh, don't worry, you're welcome. It's no problem."

Rose took a deep breath and sighed, dropping the jacket she had in her arms and walking around the edge of the four poster bed they had been screaming over. She stood in front of him and placed a hand on his chest "I'm sorry, Scorpius."

He ignored her, his face stony.

"Please. I'm sorry, you do listen to me. I know you do, and I know I can be a cow...sometimes."

Scorpius scoffed, not looking at her.

Rose frowned "Okay, most of the time. But, I really, really, care about you. You know that and I try, but with all this work that they're giving us and then you're so clever and do everything in about three seconds and I'm nothing special and it gets to me. It really, really, gets too me and I overreact to little things. I'm so sorry."

Scorpius looked at her in alarm "Nothing special? Seriously? You think you're nothing special?"

Rose frowned "My parents are; I get that. Hugo's funny and kind and then all my cousins are amazing people. They're all really clever and have all these talents. Louis is the best drummer I've ever seen and Lily's, like, psychic or something...I'm just ordinary."

He looked at her, frowning "What are you talking about?"

"The only thing I have going for me is a reputation with boys. My Uncle's famous for defeating the darkest wizard of all time at the age of seventeen and I'm known for being a slapper. I'm not smart or brave or any of that. See what I mean?"

Scorpius shook his head in astonishment, forgetting to be angry "Rose, stop it."

"What?"

"Comparing yourself to everybody else."

"But-"

"No. Just stop it. You are you, and you may not be the cleverest, kindest person on the planet but for Merlin's sake, Rose, I'm in Slytherin. I understand that it's hard for you, with such a massive, famous family. It must be a lot to live up to. But I wouldn't have anyone else. I wouldn't have Lily, Roxanne, Lucy or any of them. I want you, and you're perfect. You're the only person in the world that I couldn't live without." He paused for a second "Even though you can be a horrible person sometimes. Trust me, you're anything but ordinary."

Rose smiled weakly "I'm sorry."

Scorpius shook his head, smiling slightly and pulling her towards him "Don't be. You wouldn't be you, without being a sardonic bitch."

Rose shook her head "I mean it."

He kissed the top of her head "So do I. If I didn't love you so much, we wouldn't be together anymore."

"Really, though, you know I love you, don't you?"

"Yes. And I do care about what you say, most of the time."

Rose laughed "Good."

Scorpius sighed, "I can never stay angry with you, and that really pisses me off."

She grinned "Good. Because you kind of have the same effect on me."

He smiled "I love you."

X

"Seriously?" Lily asked, shocked.

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Yes."

The fifteen year old frowned "That's ridiculous."

It was a surprisingly warm Wednesday afternoon in January and they were sat in Lily's favourite part of the library – a small corner surrounded by the tallest bookcases with the thickest books and by the window, which was open, letting in a light breeze. Outside, the Hufflepuff Quidditch team could be seen practicing. They didn't seem to be doing too well.

"What is?" Rose sighed, flicking through a thinner book than those that were around them.

"That you two can just be so...forgiving. You really like him, don't you?"

Rose smiled "Yeah."

Lily frowned "That must be nice."

"Why, what's it like with Lorcan?"

"We're fifteen...just. It isn't serious, but...I like him. I don't suppose we're even together technically, just..."

"I don't need the detail." Rose said, smiling "Is he a good kisser though?"

Lily smiled "If he wasn't do you think we'd be having this conversation?"

"Ah, fair enough."

She tapped her fingers on the wooden desk "What's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"Having somebody like that...who really, obviously loves you. Is it not...irritating?"

Rose laughed at her cousin "You'll get there."

She pulled a face "I'm fine thanks, I've seen the way you two look at each other and I'd rather live my life a bit before I get pulled into all that crap."

Laughing, Rose shrugged "It's great. I can't even imagine how horrible it would be if he didn't feel the same way, so it's scary...but in a good way. Like, if you'll excuse the pun about riding things...the first time you fly a broom."

Lily smirked, but then frowned "It didn't scare me."

"Not at all? You're five hundred feet up in the air and nothing?"

Lily shook her head "Nothing."

"Not one little butterfly?"

"Nope."

Rose leant backwards on her chair, shaking her head "You're weird. What scares you, then?"

Lily thought for a minute "Not a lot."

"What do you mean, not a lot?"

"I mean, not a lot. I can't think of anything."

"There must be something."

She frowned "Probably, I just don't can't think."

"What about when Gryffindor play Slytherin?"

Lily grinned "Oh, right...nervous anticipation? That's what love is like?"

"No...bad example. The broom is the best one I can think of. You know something amazing is happening but you have to take risks to get to this incredible thing. One little slip...and it could all be over."

She thought for a minute "That's nice...I see what you mean."

Rose grinned, smugly. "Why did you want to know?"

"Because...and don't laugh, okay?"

"Fine."

"I'm a clever person. I've never passed a test with less than ninety seven percent and I know things. I know what people are feeling, thinking and doing, sometimes even before themselves. I'm very intelligent. Things I don't know, I learn. It's what I'm used to."

"What are you getting at?"

"For the first time in my life, there's something that I don't know..."

Rose stared at her for a moment and then erupted in hysterical laughter, her voice echoing throughout the library.

Lily pulled a face "You told me you wouldn't laugh."

Rose took a deep breath and grinned "Yeah, but I was expecting something vaguely amusing. Not something hilarious."

She frowned, pulling her red hair up into a long, straight ponytail with a blue bobble "Well, you know, it's hard."

Rose smiled "Sounds awful."

"You don't get it."

"No, Lily, because I can't even imagine being clever enough to be upset about not knowing something. I wish I could, believe me."

"You don't."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Depends."

"Why do you think you're not in Ravenclaw?"

Lily smiled, relaxed at being able to reply to a question she knew the answer to "It's not what you can do that puts you into a house, it's what you do with it. If I used everything I know to its full extent, to upset people and hold it against them, I'd be in Slytherin. If I never put it to any use and didn't even bother with it because I believed it unfair, I'd be a Hufflepuff. If I was most interested in the academic side and wondered around being top of every single class, that being my mission, I'd be a Ravenclaw. Like Luna, I suppose I could have been either, but Gryffindor is where I'm supposed to be. I've always known that much. Luna...she went the other way. I suppose family has something to do with it...Her family are, and were, all Eagles - most of ours are Lions."

Rose smiled at her cousin "You are very clever, you know. And don't worry, you'll find out what you want to know, eventually. Hopefully it won't have anything to do with Lorcan Lovegood."

Lily smirked.

"Right, I'm going...Scorpius is doing my homework for me tonight and I need to find him."

The girl in front of her laughed, "Alright, Rosie, Have fun...and thanks."

Rose left the library, smiling slightly as she walked the familiar path to the dungeons. She muttered the pass word and walked through the dark common room. Nobody gave her a second glance - although they didn't really appreciate it, they knew that they would never get rid of this Gryffindor.

Scorpius stood up and met her half way, kissing her warmly "Hey."

"Hey." Rose smiled.

Scorpius grinned "What?"

"What?"

"You look all...funny."

"Happy?"

He laughed "Probably...you miserable bitch."

Rose smiled, her eyes bright "You know what?"

"What?" Scorpius asked, amused as she pulled him over to the corner.

"You haven't met my family."

"Rosie, I go to school with most of them. I have lessons with half of them, play Quidditch with a few and argue with the rest." He winked "We're like family."

She frowned "You know what I mean...my Mum and Dad."

He exhaled heavily.

"Please?" She said innocently "I met yours!"

"When?"

"Easter. You can come and stay."

Scorpius shook his head "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this."

Rose squeeled, jumping up and down "Yay!"

He shook his head, in disbelief "What's wrong with you, today?"

Rose shrugged "I don't know...I just feel...I don't know...but it's good." She smiled "I love you."

Scorpius rolled his eyes in exasperation but grinned in return, kissing her with a smile on his face.

x

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