Chapter Eleven

One month later

'Have you finished your's yet?'

I glance up from my seat at a table in the library to see Rose standing in front of me, holding a Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook.

I push my essay to one side and pull out the chair next to me for her. She sits down and throws her textbook onto the table.

'I've never been given a harder essay,' she complains.

'Well if you think it's hard then I don't have much hope for how mine will turn out.'

'Flatterer.'

And this is what the situation between us has been like for the past month. Rose and I have steadily become friends again, she's still dating Sam, he hates me, and Al is despairing at all of us.

Talk about complicated.

Whilst Rose and I are sitting together, complaining about homework then it's easy to forget all the complications. It's only when Sam appears that I realise just how miserable I am at the moment.

'Are you okay, Scorpius?'

I glance up at Rose, her voice having pulled me from my thoughts. She is even more beautiful every time I see her, I realise. Her hair is damp from the rain outside, yet it seems to only make her blue eyes sparkle more. I feel like leaning into them.

'Oh, erm yeah, I'm fine.'

She frowns at me for a moment, her eyes searching my face for clues to my odd behaviour. I look back down at my essay, as if writing about non-verbal spells could help me stop thinking about her.

'Are you sure?' Is it just wishful thinking or do I detect a hint of something in her voice. I'm not sure what, but there's definitely something more than just vague concern for a friend.

I nod my head and pretend to focus back on my work. I refuse to let myself fall for her again, it was just so painful last time. In fact, it still is. Seeing her with Sam, sitting through prefect meetings trying not to stare about her, making an effort not to mention her to Al very often.

We work in companionable silence for twenty minutes or so until the loud bell chimes throughout the school, reminding us that it's time for the next lesson.

'I have Arithmacy, I see you later,' smiles Rose as she heads out of the library.

I watch her go, walking as though she doesn't have a care in the world, before shaking my head and heading out myself. I have a free period so I head back to Gryffindor common room, hoping that Al, or Luke or someone will have some free time as well.

To my dismay, the common room is deserted except for a couple of sixth years revelling in the fact that they now have free periods. Great, now I have nothing to do except fret about Rose. I glance out of the window, assessing the weather. It's a crisp and bright October afternoon, in other words, perfect conditions for flying.

I dash upstairs to fetch my broomstick and then hurry down towards the entrance hall, pleased with my brainwave. Nothing makes me forget my worries like flying does. When I was younger and stressed out with my family, I'd disappear and fly for hours on end.

I'm wandering down a corridor on my way to the grounds when I hear a couple of people laughing. I pause, immediately recognises one of the voices as Sam. I move slowly to the end of the corridor and see him standing halfway along the next one, thankfully with his back to me. I identify the other boy as Nick something, another seventh year Ravenclaw.

'So you're meeting Cassie later then?' asks Nick, laughing.

Sam joins in the laughing, 'Yeah, we're going to Hogsmede. Don't tell you know who though.'

'Like I would! Cassie is hot.'

'Tell me about it.'

'How long are you going to keep up the Rose charade?'

I see Sam shake his head and laugh some more, 'Probably not much longer. Ron is this close to promoting my dad, apparently.'

Well I wasn't expecting that.

I back away, retracing my steps back to the common room, unable to process what I've just heard. The bastard is using Rose so her dad will promote his! I feel my hands shake slightly with rage and I feel an even stronger desire to go back and hit him.

Instead, I think of something slightly more rational to do.

Only slightly though.

I find myself running back to the Gryffindor common room and throwing myself through the portrait hole. I dash towards one of the sixth years I recognise as being called Mark.

'Hi, you're Mark, right?'

'Erm, yes,' he says, looking slightly alarmed.

'Do you know what lesson sixth year Ravenclaws have at the moment?'

'Of course not,' says Mark, looking as though he's wondering whether or not to take me to the hospital wing.

'They have Transfiguration,' pipes up a girl from the other side of the room.

'You're sure?'

'Yes, my boyfriend is in Ravenclaw, so of course I've memorised his timetable just in case. Oh he is-'

I cut her off impatiently, 'Do you know if Cassie Morgan is in that class?'

The girl's happy expression vanishes at the mention of Cassie, and is replaced by a deep set frown.

'Yes,' she says shortly.

Without waiting to hear what Cassie and the girl's boyfriend have been up to, I wheel round and head back out of the common room, probably leaving a few confused sixth years in my wake. The Transfiguration classroom isn't far away and after sprinting through several classrooms, I arrive outside of it.

Okay, now what should I do? There's a good fifty minutes or so until the lesson will end and I don't have the patience to wait that long. I have to find out what Sam is up to, I have to make sure Rose doesn't get hurt.

Gathering up a considerable bit of courage, I knock loudly on the door.

'Enter.'

Taking a deep breath, I open the door to see McGonagall looking at me expectantly.

'Yes, Mr Malfoy?'

'Excuse me, Professor, but I need to speak to Cassie Morgan please.'

Miraculously, McGonagall doesn't question me and simply nods at Cassie to go with me. Thanking my lucky stars, I head back out of the classroom, with Cassie following me looking interested.

'Hey, Scorpius, long time no see.' She winks at me.

Okay maybe this wasn't a good idea.

'Cassie, are you seeing Sam Atkinson tonight?'

A wide smirk breaks across her face, 'Jealous are we Scorpius? You kiss Roxanne Weasley and mope after Rose and now you want me back.'

I want to yell that we were never together, but she's given me an idea.

'Yeah, that's it, Cassie. You're not really dating Sam, are you? Isn't he with Rose?'

'Apparently they're only together as a favour to his father or something,' says Cassie, brushing this information away, 'He asked me to go out with him later.'

'Okay, that's great, Cassie, see you later.'

And with that I disappear before she can convince me to take her to Hogsmede instead.

But now I have a bigger problem. I know for a fact now that Sam is only dating Rose to help his dad out. But I also know that if I just go and tell Rose this then she won't believe me. Sam will deny ever having said anything to Nick, and I'm sure Nick will back him up. I'll just look like a jealous stalker who'll do anything to break Rose and Sam up.

Maybe I could get Al to tell her? I reject this immediately, knowing Al will refuse to get involved.

Then a wild thought strikes me. I could follow Sam and Cassie to Hogsmede tonight and get some proof. If they go to the Three Broomsticks there would be other witnesses if Rose needed convincing.

But I have to somehow get out of school and I've already forgotten where the passage Roxanne showed me was.

Of course! How could I be so stupid? I'll get Roxanne to go with me!

What could go wrong?

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