I finished for Christmas today! Three days to Christmas! Getting a Harry Potter jumper! YAY!
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Rose Weasley, despite the changes to her personality over the past year, was still a very admired girl among the corridors of her school. Boys still nudged each other as she walked past, girls still glared at her with jealousy. Despite the fact she'd changed quite a bit, Rose was still one of the hottest girls that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had to offer.
"There's something different about her, again." Thomas Belby muttered to his best friend as that particular girl walked past him. He turned and watched her behind, clad in a tight black skirt, as she disappeared around the corner.
"What are you talking about, Tom?" Scorpius asked, rooting in his bag for something.
"Well, she used to be, like, the fittest girl in this place, and she was funny and sexy and flirted with anything that walked...you remember?"
"But mainly me, obviously." Scorpius grinned.
Tom rolled his eyes "Whatever. Then, you got together and she seemed to get even fitter. Neither of you had had exactly what you'd call a serious relationship before and it suited you both...you'd argue and then make up and then people would look at you and seriously envy it."
"Oh, were you jealous of me, Tommy?" Scorpius grinned.
Tom hit him "Not me, you dickhead. But people were, yes. It seemed impossible that two people who shouldn't be together were...and I suppose people wanted that. It's the whole Reemo and Julia thing, isn't it?"
Scorpius frowned "Right, I'm lost. Who the fuck are Reemo and Julia?"
"Oh you know." He waved his hand in a very camp way "Those muggles who died."
Scorpius stared "What?"
"You know, you know," He said impatiently "Their families were both important and hated each other but they fell into a twisted love story, got married she pretends to be dead he believes it and then bam, they're both actually dead. It's a really famous story, I can't believe you don't know what I'm talking about."
Scorpius shook his head in dismay "Are you...are you talking about Romeo and Juliet?"
"That's what I said...same difference isn't it? Anyway, yes, apart from the fact you're both still breathing you and Rose are like Reemo and Julia."
"Romeo and Juliet...can I ask what your point is?"
"Yeah, back to my point. Then, you break her heart into about ten thousand billion, trillion million tiny little-"
"Right okay, I get it."
"Pieces, and she loses all of her confidence. And then she stays like that for a bit because you messed her up so bad she's incapable of feeling anything like that ever-"
"Tom!"
"What?"
"Are you trying to make me feel like shit on purpose, or is it just a side effect?"
"Side effect. Anyway, then she slowly gets better and now...well, Scorpius, I think she might be over you."
"What?"
"She's back to how she was before you went out. She's...watch this – Oi, Rose!" He shouted loudly.
After a few moments, Rose appeared again. She leant against the wall in front of them and smiled "What, Belby?"
"Come here – right," He muttered lowering his voice "Watch how many people look at her."
She shrugged and walked towards them and, true to Tom's word, every student in the corridor looked at her.
"Hello boys."
"Hey Rosie." Tom grinned "How's it going?"
"Erm...Great thanks. Is there something I can help you with?"
"No, it's fine."
She shrugged "Oh, okay then. Scorpius, what are you doing tonight?"
"Err...Quidditch until seven and then we have the Prefects meeting at eight. Why?"
She frowned "I need to talk to you before tonight's meeting – what about this afternoon?"
"I can do dinner time, in the Dorm?"
She smiled "Sure. See you then, bye Tom."
Tom winked as she wandered away again "See what I mean, something's different, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Scorpius said "And I can't believe I've only just noticed."
"Blinded by love." Tom said knowingly.
Scorpius looked at him for a moment "Shut up."
X
At the end of Muggle studies, Scorpius went down to the kitchens to get a sandwich and then made his way up to the head dorm. Rose was sat in front of the fire on an armchair, eating a tub of what seemed to be apple flavoured yoghurt.
"Right, what is it?" He asked sitting opposite her.
"Well, Neville said he wants us to do something for Christmas...what were you thinking?"
He shrugged "A party?"
Rose frowned "Nah...too obvious."
"A dance?"
"Ooh...that's an idea. Although, I can't really dance."
"I know." He grinned "I'll teach you."
She chuckled "Okay then, let's have a dance."
"A ball? It gives people a better idea of what's appropriate to wear."
Rose nodded "You're good."
He winked "I know."
"Where are we having it then?"
"Sorry?"
She threw her spoon at him. He ducked and it clanked off the wooden floor behind him.
"The dance."
"Hmm...Great Hall? It'll be a bit snowy outside."
"Yeah...you're right."
"Always am. Are boys asking girls?"
She grinned "Oh yeah."
"Thought so...I didn't have you down as the begging type."
Rose winked "They'd be begging me to ask them."
"Now that, I can't disagree with."
She laughed "Well, that's it I suppose - it was quicker than I thought. Unless you want to say anything?"
"Nope."
She stood up "Fine then..."
She walked over to the door and opened it, picking up her school bag. Scorpius stood up.
"Rose?"
She turned and smiled, and that was when he knew that Tom was right – she had changed. He hadn't been entirely right though, because she wasn't the same innocent, carefree person she once had been – there was a wall of security in her brown eyes. She was happy again, but she'd learnt a lesson and it wasn't one she was going to forget any time soon.
"What?"
He shook his head "See you later."
She observed him for a moment before shrugging and shutting the door behind her. Scorpius sighed and dropped back down, groaning.
X
"So we'll need a fair bit of help organising everything-"
"But we'll manage."
"Exactly." Rose finished.
"So If you can all sign up to something on this piece of parchment...there's plenty to do so feel free to get other to help."
"And that's all, thanks for coming."
Rose stepped to the side as the Prefects all tried desperately to get their names down for the decent jobs, such as decoration and invitations, rather than one of the poorer jobs that included chopping down Christmas trees with Hagrid.
"You're better than you think." Rose heard a voice behind her and turned to see her best friend.
She raised an eyebrow "Yeah?"
"Yup. Hugo was right; you really are a natural."
She grinned "Thanks. Shouldn't you be writing your name down?"
He shrugged "I quite like Hagrid."
Rose laughed "Albus, I miss you."
He didn't remind her that they saw each other every day, because he knew it wasn't what she meant. Instead, he touched her arm and smiled "I know Rosie, I miss you too."
"Good."
"I have nobody to fight with anymore."
She pushed his shoulder and he rocked back grinning "Sorry. I do though, you cheer me up."
Rose looked at the floor, forcing down the lump that had risen in her throat.
"Hey, what's up?"He asked as she shook her head.
"Nothing, just..."
"Rose?"
She shook her head and then threw her arms around him "You're my best friend...you know that, don't you?"
He chuckled into her shoulder "Yes...and you're mine, even if I don't see you as much as I used to. You always will be, ok?"
Rose nodded and sniffed as she pulled away "Thank you."
"What for?" He smirked.
"Just...being you, I suppose."
He grinned "Well I am a great person."
She kicked his shin and he punched her in the arm, so she pulled his hair until he screamed.
"Bitch." He mumbled, but smiled as a few people turned to stare.
Across the room, Scorpius was talking and laughing with Jenny Smith. Rose sighed.
Albus nudged her "Are you over him, yet?"
"I've got over the massive issue I had with him and Robinshaw, but I'm not over him, no. Turns out it was her I wanted painful revenge on, not him."
Albus laughed "Does he know?"
"Not yet, no."
"About the fact you're not over him or the fact you are actually over your issue with Louisa Robinshaw?"
"He knows I'm not over him."
Albus smiled "Rose he looks at you...like...like you're something he lost and has to look at every single day...which I suppose you are, really. He looks at you like he doesn't care what he goes through because he deserves every tiny little bit of pain so that you can be okay. He looks at you like...like nothing you can explain. It's really quite cute."
Rose scratched her neck "You think?"
Albus rolled his eyes "I know...now, I'm going to go and sign up for some tree cutting."
Rose smiled and watched him disappear into the crowd.
X
"Hey." Scorpius smiled, closing the door behind him.
"Hi." Rose looked up from her book and Scorpius sat opposite her.
"You disappeared." He stated, putting his feet on the coffee table between them and closing his eyes.
"I had a headache. You look tired."
"I'm exhausted. You okay?"
"Yeah, I'll get over it."
He smiled "Sure?"
"Yep, you don't need to rush me to the Hospital Wing."
He smirked "I wasn't offering to."
She laughed and then rubbed her head "Ouch."
He smiled and leant backwards, feeling his neck touch the soft, squashy material of the emerald chair.
Rose opened her mouth, but she wasn't entirely sure what she was going to say, so she closed it again. At half past ten, Rose shut her book and went to bed, her last conscious thought of the boy on the chair beneath her bed.
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The next one will be more cheerful, I promise :)