Author's Note:

Hey, all! Thanks for reading!

Here is the story summary: I admit that I'm the competitive type. So years ago, when my dad pointed out a certain platinum blonde boy on the train platform, I accepted the challenge to beat him at everything; and succeeded, mind you. We have been in competition ever since. This rivalry has worked for five years – so why did it stop being fun?

Thank you all for your support!

In this chapter, just when Rose thinks that her and Scorpius could start a new path of civility, Scorpius is cross with her for some unknown reason. This, of course, infuriates Rose. In the meantime, Elle and Rose start to question the goings on between Clara and Albus. However, Rose's attempts at getting some answers are foiled thanks to certain friend of Albus's.

Please Read and Respond!

Thanks,

xoxo

Ravenclaw_Illusions

…

Hogwarts, October 1st

Quidditch season is starting. Gryffindor has a stronger team this year, so practice has been a lot less stressful than last year. Elle says, 'we're going to clobber the Slytherin's on the pitch that Head Mistress McGonagall should just hand us the Quidditch Cup early this year…. to prevent the broken hearts, and egos of the snakes.' I sometimes thinks she forgets that Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are also our opponents. However, thats Elle, she gets lost in her enthusiasm.

I admire her passion.

I think Clara and my cousin, Albus, have this awkward adoration for each other. They get weird whenever they talk in front of us. Apparently, they're closer than Elle had originally thought. So, obviously, we want to investigate further into the nature of their relationship.

Malfoy has been quiet lately, I think either he's angry with me, or he got bored from our short stent of civility and has decided to stop speaking to me all together. Either way, it's made the last two days extremely easy for me.

On the reading front, I still have been having trouble finding the focus to read that damn book that I should have finished the first week of the school year. Maybe I should put it down, and try to read something else for now - I think I might test that idea.

Your's Truly,

Rose

…

I closed my journal as I felt the pressure shift on my bed.

Elle curled her legs beneath her as she tilted her head staring at me.

I shoved my journal into my pillow case, and pushed my curls away from my face, "Hey."

"Have a good journaling session?" She smirked.

Elle never really understood the whole 'keeping a diary thing'.

I nodded, "I think so. How's the sketchbook going?"

"It's going," She shrugged. "After all the awkwardness in the air between Clara and Albus, and you and Malfoy, It's amazing that I'm not creatively stifled."

A chuckle escaped my lips, "Clara and Al, I get. But me and Malfoy?" My eyes widened as I accidentally snorted while laughing.

Elle started giggling at me. "Are you kidding me, Rose?" She flashed me a knowing glare.

I pointed at her face, "Why the everyone's-oblivious-but-me face?"

Elle inched closer to me on my bed, "Rose Louise Weasley."

I groaned, "Oh no, not the full name…"

"Listen up, you and Malfoy were on the mend and then all of sudden the two of you are completely silent - it's like watching two completely blinded morons - no offense, trying to feel their way out of limbo, and for the last few days you're both pulling in opposite directions."

"A. Morons? Ouch," I listed on my fingers. "B. On the mend is an exaggeration, C. Neither of us are in 'limbo'."

Elle raise her eyebrows at me, "Can you see, alright? Quick," She held up four fingers, "How many fingers am I holding up?" She wiggled the four fingers in question.

I rolled my eyes, "And hypothetically, if we were in 'limbo' which directions would we be pulling in?"

"He's pushing for the two of you to end your ridiculous feud and you keep pushing him away. It's as if you would rather things the way they've always been."

I shook my head, "What are we talking about him for anyway? We were meeting up to discuss my cousin and Clara."

Elle narrowed her eyes at me, and for a brief second I wasn't sure if she'd allow the change in the topic of our conversation.

"Alright, fine, Albus and Clara it is then." She tossed her long dark hair over her shoulder. "They are definitely closer than I had thought, and I think there's some chemistry between them."

"She's definitely into him, I'm just not sure if Al feels the same way."

"You should talk to him," Elle suggested. "He'll be honest with you, you two have always been so close."

"You think? Cause he has never talked about girls with me."

"If you bring it up then he'll have to talk about it," a wicked grin spread across her face.

…

I inhaled deeply as I walked passed the swaying library doors. That beautiful scent of old parchment, that slightly inky, yet vaguely vanilla flavor of a story yet to be told completely enveloped me.

I walked over to the far end of the library, and turned to the last study table near the windows. Al was sitting at my favorite table, scribbling away on a piece of parchment.

I sat down across from him, "Hey Al."

He glanced up from his writing, "Rosie," he smiled. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing," I placed my bag onto the table. "We haven't talked just the two of us in a while."

Albus put his quill down, and rolled up his parchment. " Okay, so what do you want to talk about?"

"Well, the other day, at breakfast…" I started wringing my hands together not exactly knowing how to phrase what I wanted to say.

"It was nice. You know, if it weren't for you and Scorpius always bickering - we'd eat together more often. I actually like your friends."

"They say the same thing," I laughed. "By the way, I didn't know you and Clara were so close."

Al ran a hand through his raven hair, as the cursed Weasley red bleed across his face. "Yeah, we were assigned to sit together for History of Magic and she's a lot funnier than I thought. It's like a sneaky kind of amusing," he laughed to himself. "If that makes any sense. She's a good friend to have, whenever I fall asleep in class she always wakes me up at the end of the period, or when Professor Binns starts asking questions."

I smirked, "That's Clara for you. She's the sweetest. You know…"

The chair beside my cousin was pulled away from the table, Malfoy joined us, silently.

I looked at Albus, who seemed un-phased, and then back at Malfoy. He remained quiet, looking down at the rolled up parchment Albus had set aside earlier.

"Hey Scorp, Rose and I were just talking about how nice breakfast was the other day." Albus spoke, brightly.

Malfoy smiled at his friend, and then turned to face me - a piercing glare meeting my gaze. He coldly stared at me, as he began to thrum his fingers on top of the study table.

"Uh…" I grabbed my bag and stood from my seat. "I gotta go."

…

I spent the rest of the day in the Room of Requirement, only leaving to go down to the Great Hall for supper.

"Look who's come out of hiding," Clara gently smiled at me. "You alright Rose?"

I nodded as I sat at our house table.

"Where the hell were you?" Elle demanded, concern pulling at her eyebrows and dragging her mouth into a frown.

"R.O.R." I shrugged. "I just needed to be alone for a bit."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Clara insisted on checking on me.

"I'm fine," I lied.

"Malfoy?" Elle stated his name as though it explained everything.

"What's going on, Rose? We're your friends, and we're worried." Clara's dark eyes were ginormous from under fringe.

"What'd the arse do now?" Elle, so eloquently, asked.

I looked down at my plate, and shook my head. "Nothing, nothing new anyway…" Which is true, so I don't know why for some reason it's different than before. "Look, I don't want to talk about it."

That's when a small envelope fell onto the empty plate in front of me.

Elle picked it up for me, "Miss Rose Louise Weasley." She offered up the envelope.

"Another summons from the Head Mistress?" Clara questioned, as her eyebrows knit together.

"Ugh, wonder what she wants now…" I groaned taking the envelope out of Elle's hand.

Dear Miss Weasley,

It has come to my attention that you and Mister Malfoy are in need of a scheduled planning day for your first week of classes. Please meet in your assigned classroom tonight to arrange schedules and create an agenda for your pending meeting.

Might I suggest taking a deep breath before you go: you must mind your temper, Miss Weasley.

Sincerely,

Head Mistress McGonagall

I crushed the note in my hand, seething. "That pompous, arrogant, petty, manipulative, vile, little, fuck," The words came pouring out of me.

…

My heart rattled in my chest like a caged rabid animal. Heat rising from the tips of my toes, seeping into my ears and across my face, as I stomped my way down the corridor. Trying to find my breath, I swung open the door, revealing the bane of my existence sitting calmly on the edge of the teacher's desk. I slammed the door shut behind me, and narrowed my eyes at him. His almost white blonde hair, tousled in front of his eyes, his green and silver tie loosened around his neck, a smile lying in wait at the corners of his mouth: every inch of him appalled me.

"You never gave me an answer about this weekend, so I figured sooner rather than later," The words drawled out in amusement, as if he were purring.

"How dare you report me to The Head Mistress," I growled. Chest rising and falling in erratic waves.

A snicker hung in the dust spotted air as he slid off the desk to stand. "Don't get all self righteous on me, Weasley."

"Me? Self righteous?" I felt my stomach punch it's way into my chest. "Have you ever listened to yourself when you speak?"

He swept his hair away from his eyes, as he stepped towards me. "Hey," He stated, a bit more quietly than I had anticipated. He then raised his palms up to face me. "I'm the one who tried to make an effort with this unwanted partnership." He glared at me in a way that made me feel as though I had missed the memo that said, I was supposed to be the villain in this scene.

"Hold up," I asserted myself a few steps further into the room. "You wanted to meet up this weekend and I agreed to meet up with you in the Library, after I finish my homework. What more do you want from me, Malfoy? A formal, hand written, invitation and thank you card? Seriously, get over yourself."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you just tell me to get over myself?" He stepped closer. "Maybe you should take your own advice for once, Weasley." He snarled my name as if just the sound of it made him want to scream.

"What?!" I shrieked, "Why would I need to get over myself? You're not making any sense."

"Bloody Merlin, Rose," His whole face scrunched and his jaw set as if he were biting back words from exploding out of his mouth.

Rose? Why did he call me Rose? Since when have we ever referred to each other on a first name basis?

"It was you that started on the train this year, it was you that dismissed me every time I spoke," He started making strides across the room. "It was you that punched me in the bloody face in the Library, it was you that caused our parents to get involved, and the Head Mistress, and this whole pointless punishment. It was you who refused to speak to me in class, it was you who threatened me during detention, it was you who never read my apology letter, and it was you who ignored my attempts at a civil partnership at breakfast the other day."

By the time he stopped, he was towering over me, as I tried to absorb all the accusations he had just thrown my way.

I took a deep breath and calmly responded. "Just like you started with me in the Great Hall after the sorting, and insulted me and my grandmother, and shoved me during the first potions class of the year, and threatened to report me on false accusations left and right, and it's you that has been antagonizing me all this time, and recently we can add stalking me around the castle and castle grounds to your long list of rude behavior. I'm just reacting to your offensiveness."

"Yeah, well, at least I read your shite apology letter, and I attempted to make things work with this remedial O.W.L.'s class. So don't have the audacity to think that this is all my fault."

"Again with the apology letters?!" I couldn't contain myself, "Why is that pathetic excuse for an apology so important to you?"

"You don't get it," He shouted pushing forward, forcing me to back my way towards the door. "If you had just read the dammed note, maybe we wouldn't be here, in this dirty old supply room, screaming at each other, being completely counter-productive."

My back bumped into the solid door, no more room for steps backwards. I was at eye level with his chest, the rage radiating out of him in an intense warmth. He smelled oddly pleasant, and just when I glanced up to see his face, I had realized just how infuriated we made each other.

He slammed a fist onto the doorframe above my shoulder.

I flinched.

He noticed. Restraint pulling him back inside himself: pushing out that facade of indifference. He exhaled: the whisper of his breath brushing against my cheek and neck. "Why do we do this to each other?" He spoke softly.

"Because that's the way things have always been," I shrugged, "Just ask your dad."

"That's the thing," He spoke so closely into my ear, I could almost feel his lips form his words. "My dad really likes your parents, both of them."

For a brief second, I felt drawn to the warmth, the scent of him, the strength of his sturdy frame, the touch of his lips on my ear. Until suddenly, I came to my senses. I pushed at his chest and reached for the doorknob hastening my exit.

…

Author's Note:

Review Please!

Thanks,

xoxo

Ravenclaw_Illusions