When they stood to leave, Scorpius bent down to give her one last kiss goodbye. Blair unlocked the door and made the curtain disappear. Holding hands and smiling, the pair left the room.

Standing just outside it was half of Slytherin House.

CHAPTER 11: BOYS AND MEN

Turning quickly so that no one would recognize him, Scorpius left go of Blair's hand and hurried along a deserted corridor. He was reasonably sure that no one had seen him when-

"Scorpius!" He recognized Daisy's voice.

"Damn," he muttered, turning to face her, a scowl on his face. "What?"

"That wasn't you who came out with that girl was it?" She laughed.

"Of course it wasn't," he snarled.

"But then, why are you wearing the same shirt I saw that boy wearing? And where did you come from?"

"Is that any of your business?" He began to walk away and she followed him. "What were you all doing out there anyway?"

"Oh, don't you change the subject, Scorpius," she seemed to be enjoying herself. "What are you doing, hanging around with a girl like her?"

"Perhaps it has never occurred to you that she is in Ravenclaw and I've been having trouble in Transfiguration." Scorpius growled.

"You want me to believe you two were studying?" Daisy laughed as the two began to go down the stairs to the dungeons.

Scorpius's wand was clenched in his fist and red sparks shot out of the end. Can't she just SHUT UP?

"Where are your books then?"

"She knew the spell already. It was just one spell I was having trouble with. Just drop it already."

"No, I don't think I will." Daisy grinned and Scorpius so wanted to wipe the smile from her face permanently.

Thankfully he was rescued by a teacher.

"Miss Plum!" Professor Talwater, the Potions Master, called. "I need to see you in my office at once."

Giving Scorpius one last demeaning glance, Daisy followed the professor.

"Thank Merlin," Scorpius muttered, continuing on toward the dungeons.

Scor didn't talk to Blair again until three days later, after the final bell had rung. She grabbed his arm after class and shoved him into a broom closet.

"Lumos!"

In the dim light Scorpius could see that only three or four pieces of her hair were dyed and that her large, curious eyes were filled with tears. Unsure of what to do, Scorpius averted his eyes, looking everywhere but into Blair's face. He noticed that closet was filled with Muggle cleaning supplies. Scorpius supposed that was because the caretaker was a Squib.

"I thought you didn't care what they thought about seeing you with me?" Blair asked.

"I don't," he said as he stared at the ground.

"Then why did you run away when we saw them? Why haven't you talked to me since then?"

Scorpius looked up at her then. Seeing a tear making its way down her cheek, he brushed it away with his thumb. She looked at the ground, holding back more tears. He took her face in both of his hands, not worrying about his pride for once.

"Blair, I'm not perfect. I screwed up. I shouldn't be ashamed to be seen with someone as beautiful as you." He stroked her face and she looked up at him, hurt clearly visible in her eyes. "I promise that from now on, I'll be showing you off to the whole castle instead of saving you just for myself. Can I have one more chance, Blair, please?"

For a moment she just looked into his cool grey eyes as if she was trying to see if he was really telling the truth. In the end, she smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

"I really like you, Scorpius," she whispered and his heart leaped in his chest.

Scorpius squeezed her tight and said, "I really like you, too."

They stood holding each other for a another minute or so, neither wanting to let go first. Finally, Scorpius relaxed his hold but kept his hands gripping her shoulders. He kissed her forehead and then opened the door. After making sure no teachers were around, Scorpius led the way out of the crammed closet. Then, for the first time (even though he was secretly afraid of letting the others see), Scorpius took Blair's hand in his and flaunted her around Hogwarts Castle.

Whispers followed Scorpius everywhere he went. No one could seem to understand what he saw in Blair, that "nutty Ravenclaw girl." The more they talked the less Scorpius seemed to care. He knew what an amazing girl Blair was and if they didn't take the time to get to know her, that was their loss, not his.

Over the next few weeks Scorpius and Blair became inseparable. They went everywhere together and Scorpius would sometimes even eat with her at mealtimes, though many people stared when he did this. It was very rare that someone would sit at another House's table.

The couple's one month anniversary was coming up along with the Christmas holiday. Blair said she was staying at the castle this year, so Scorpius made plans to do the same. His mother begged him to change his mind up until the very last second, but he knew what he wanted. The only reason he would want to go home would be to see his friends and Blair was the only friend he had.

Once the Hogwarts Express had pulled away it was discovered that only five students remained in all. This pleased Scorpius because it meant he could finally escape the taunting whispers.

On the eve of their anniversary, Scorpius wrote Blair a note that asked her to meet him in the Astronomy Tower the next day at six in the evening. This was delivered to her along with a single red rose by Scorpius's owl.

Having gotten himself a snack from the kitchens, Scorpius spent the whole next afternoon preparing for his date with Blair. By the time he was done it was five thirty and the sky was beginning to darken. Flowers were spread strategically around the room and a warm blanket was laid on the floor of the balcony. Candles were floating randomly around the room and a fire was roaring in the fireplace.

Scorpius stood with his arms leaning on the railing, looking out at the sky. He stayed like this until he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Flicking his wand, he enchanted the record player he had set up to start playing music. Smiling broadly, he waited for Blair.

She was wearing a strange black dress that completely suited her. Her hair had streaks of dark blue in it and the large red rose Scorpius had sent was protruding from behind her ear. She looked stunning.

At first she didn't seem to notice Scorpius, as absorbed as she was with the decorations and music. Scorpius's hands were shaking as he watched her. How was it that he deserved someone as beautiful as her?

Blair noticed him at last. She smiled and made her way towards him, never taking her eyes from his.

"You look beautiful," Scorpius said, kissing her hand and smirking.

She smiled softly and pulled on his hand. "Dance with me."

The couple began to sway back and forth to the music, arms around each other. After one song slid into the next, they began to make conversation. They talked and danced until their feet became sore and the record stopped playing.

They sat on the blanket Scorpius had set out and looked up at the stars. With his wand, Scorpius dimmed the lights. He laid down to better look at the stars and Blair laid down too, putting her head on his chest. Scorpius kissed her head and stroked her hair. Something about this felt one hundred percent right. His heart beat wildly in his chest and he realized there was no place else he'd rather be.

As he gazed up at the stars, Scorpius thought about the girl he held in his arms. He thought of the way she made him feel, about the way he craved her touch when she was gone, about the way she kept him on his toes, the way she somehow transformed him from a boy to a man whenever they were together….

With all these thoughts buzzing in his head, Scorpius realized what he should've known all along.

Blair had been quiet this whole time, just listening to Scor's heartbeat and looking up at the sky. Though he was nervous, Scorpius knew that now was a good as time as any.

"Blair?" He asked, heart racing.

She responded by looking up into his eyes. The bright moon lit up her face and he felt like he could see right into her heart when he looked into her eyes.

"I… I love you, Blair."

He eyes widened a little and Scorpius immediately regretted his words. I should've waited! Now she'll never want to see me again.

Her eyes looked curious and serious at the same time. "I love you, Scorpius."

She sat up and kissed his shocked lips. He kept smiling while they were kissing and he put his hands on her face. Blair smiled too. Never in his life had Scorpius felt as happy as he did that day.