Unexpected Things

KeysCanHurt: Hahah, you want me to spoil it over ym or will you wait it out? :P :)) Well it's Al's first time to acknowledge his feelings =)) But yeah :( poor boy is hurt. Yeah, Keys, you should be thankful the key to your heart wasn't put into your sister's keyhole :P Wait... labo :)) In time, Scorpy will show daddy dearest his baby :P =))

Guess Who!: Hahah, yeah, his oddiness xD Lol, Scor fighting Rosie again, haha

MalfoyMaiden: Well she finds it cute to name her pets after cute food =)) thankya :)

crazy-wee-cat: Thanks, I was hoping the name would be liked xD coz I like it, heheh. Yep, it's odd, but I think it'll make more sense when Dirk actually reveals it.

yellow 14: Dirk really is a fairly interesting character, it's just that he's shown in a negative light since I usually show him with Scorpius or Al's POV's. I am looking forward to it too xD

Bottled Sunshine: I wish I had a ferret too!

rentswwriter: thanks fer adding to faves and alerts :D I am real glad you love it :D Al's a sweet boy, he does deserve a girl. Haha, the climax- Draco's reaction to seeing Winter xD Lol

heartshaped-sunglasses: Hahah, yeah xD Lily would have named him Vanilla. Lol, I doubt Scorpius's dad will be pleased with that gift xD

awesomea786: thankies for fave-ing :)

kittyatza: LOL xD love potion xD Nice one xD I'm glad you enjoyed the letters and are liking this story :D

chocolate and caramel: yeah xD

SEMI-IMPORTANT: Aaah! I'm SORRY! I couldn't upload the other day coz the internet refused to work (but I was ready to), and then yesterday, I couldn't upload because doc manager wouldn't work. But now, here we are :D

Oh, and school starts tomorrow *gulp* (ish scared of high school senior year) so I'm not sure how often I can update. Unfortunately, my chapter a day rule seems... erm...

I'll try to make it like two or three a week.

No worries though, I quite love this fic and won't abandon it if I can help it!

Chapter Twenty-Five

'Tis the Season to be Jolly

Scorpius played with Winter while they had tea at Hagrid's. After that, Al accompanied Scorpius to the dormitory so that they could leave Winter there and Scorpius could change out of his muddy clothes.

After that, they went down to wait for dinner since their belongings were already packed and ready for when they would go home for the holidays.

On the way to the Great Hall, Al noticed that the Higgs brothers seemed more excited and cheerful than usual, wearing identical smug smiles.

"What are you two so happy about?" Al asked them when they exchanged grins for the umpteenth time.

"You'll-"

"-see."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Patience, Scorpy."

"You will find out-"

"-soon enough."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "You better not do something to my seat or my food."

Theo laughed. "We aren't going to do that, Scor."

"But, now that you mentioned it-"

"That is a brilliant idea!"

"Thanks!"

"You're both welcome." Scorpius replied sarcastically.

"You mean… you two… you really… you really-" Lily's face was full of circles. Her eyes were gigantic orbs and her mouth formed a huge 'O'.

"Lily! Shush!" Ria had rolled her eyes and said 'finally' when Rose told her what happened at Hogsmeade. Demelza was unenthusiastic. Come to think of it… she was a lot less energetic these days. Ria told Rose that it was because Demelza had a crush on James and was hurt by the fact that he was with Paula now. Rose tried to offer Demelza comfort, but instead was snapped at.

Then Ria pointed out to Rose that Dem wasn't really pleased that Rose was happy now and Demelza was in a position like what Rose had been in before Raph.

Lily's eyes shrunk back to their normal size and her lips were her usual bubbly smile. "You finally did it! I'm impressed! Congratulations, Rosie!"

Rose felt heat filling her cheeks and ears.

"So what's up with you two now? Have you kissed since then? What happened after? How did he react?"

"He was…" Rose tried to find the right word. "Surprised. Then he looked as happy as someone who just won a million galleons. He was practically bouncing around like you do when we went to eat at the Three Broomsticks."

Lily laughed. "Did he say anything?"

"He kept complimenting me." Rose felt her grin widening. "He was so cute!"

"How about since then? Anything else interesting happen?

Her smile faded. "He was kind of… avoiding me." She frowned as her frustration returned. "It's like before we kissed all over again! It's the same awkward feeling!" Rose paused. It wasn't exactly like before the kiss. She corrected herself. "No, it's not like before we kissed all over again. It's more like… I'm fine and comfortable, and then he starts looking really uncomfortable, he looks like he wants to say something, and then he changes topic entirely. It was cute before, but now… it's starting to get annoying because I just can't understand him! He's not making any sense to me! He's so… weird! Why does he have to be so uncomfortable? Why can't he just spit it out?"

She suddenly felt out of breath.

The rant had been sudden and unplanned, but when she started, she barely stopped to breathe.

Rose breathed slowly and deeply, trying to regain the breaths of air she missed during her rant.

"Simple."

Rose nearly jumped when a voice spoke behind her. She spun around to face their cousin, Dominique. "Simple? What do you mean?"

Dominique winked. "He wants another kiss but he doesn't know how to ask for another one or how to get another one."

Rose's jaw dropped.

"Aww! That is so cute! It's romantic!" Lily, again, found something to call romantic.

Dominique wore a smug smile, obviously proud of her superior knowledge. "He's also probably stressed out because end of this term's coming. If he really wants another kiss, tonight and tomorrow is all he has left before he has no choice but to wait until after the break."

"Wh-… are you kidding?"

"Rosie, Rosie, Rosie…" Shaking her head slowly, Dominique put on the face of someone trying to teach a very slow child. "You have a lot to learn, my dear cousin."

A lot to learn? What was that supposed to mean?

Well… one way or another… Dominique had a point.

This was still alien ground to Rose. This was still something she couldn't research on, something she had no reference books about. Rose was still just going with the flow, making plans up as she went along, or having no plan at all.

A lot of times, Rose wasn't comfortable with having no stored knowledge and no plan.

But Raph always seemed to be able to ease her worries.

"Anyway," Patting her stomach, Dominique said, "I'm hungry. I'll go ahead to the Great Hall." Without another word, the seventh year rushed off.

"Rosie!"

Rose gasped while Lily grinned. "Heehee! Good luck, Rose! Dominique was probably right!"

"Heya there!" Raph grinned at her.

"Hi!" Rose smiled back.

Katy Timberwood, Raph's Hufflepuff friend, who Rose sometimes envied for being so close to Raph, patted his shoulder and whispered something to him.

Listening, or specifically, eavesdropping, Rose heard her say, "Remember what I told you. Just go for it! Face your fears like you do whenever you do something stupid and crazy. You're a man! Be a man, man!"

"Thanks, Katy!" After giving Katy a one-armed hug, Raph turned to Rose and Lily. "Hey… erm… Lily, would ye mind if I borrowed Rose?"

"Not at all!" Lily replied with her usual smile.

"Rosie?"

"Sure."

"Great!"

Rose followed him down the corridor, a turn, another corridor, and another turn, until they reached an empty, secluded hallway.

"Well…" Raph's brow furrowed as he tried to choose his words. "Listen… erm… about… the Hogsmeade trip… I been thinking'… I… it… I-it-that-the-I-thing-it…" Ruffling the hair on the back of his head, Raph frowned and tried again. "Y'see… what I'm tryin' ter say is… is that…"

Dominique was right!

Rose didn't know what to feel.

Part of her was nervous, her chest already being pounded by the red, beating prisoner so eager to escape.

Part of her was frustrated with Raph.

Why talk about kissing when they could be… well… kissing.

"I'm tryin' ter say that…" Raph's frown deepened and he groaned. "Gah! This is so damn frustratin'!" It sure was! "I enjoyed that kiss! When ye kissed it me… it was… it was amazin'! I couldn' stop thinkin' about it! I couldn't stop thinkin' about you! And… and…"

Raph put his hands on her shoulders. Her heart redoubled its efforts. Rose swallowed, trying to calm herself, but nervousness and excitement were the two top emotions violently fighting for first place. Already, she could feel the red heat covering her cheeks and ears.

His face was so close, his lips so near.

He opened them.

"I want, I need, I crave fer another kiss!"

Excitement and frustration teamed up and battered nervousness, leaving it lying on the floor while they took over Rose. "Just shut up, McCartney! Do it, don't talk about it!"

His deep-set eyes widened. "Wh-…. Rose?"

Glaring at him, she snapped. "Kiss me already, will you? I'm getting hungry."

Where was her pushiness coming from?

She was actually surprising herself.

But… she kind of… admired this new part of herself.

Raph's attitude taunted this part of herself until it came out and took control.

A smile lit up Raph's face before he finally closed the distance between him and let his lips touch hers.

It felt… nice. This actually felt better than the Hogsmeade one.

There was something about Raph finally being the first to act in the one thing he couldn't act first in that made her stomach dance, flip and twirl like a ballet-dancing Veela.

All too soon, Raph moved his face away.

"How was that?"

Rose smiled. "Better. You should be the first to move next time."

"Fine." Even if he tried to sound forced, Rose could tell he would look forward to it.

When he leaned forward, Rose thought he would kiss her again, but instead, his lips went passed her face and went next to her ear instead. "But it's hot when yer bein' pushy."

If it was even possible, Rose thought her cheeks felt warmer.

She was sure he felt it when he gave her cheek a light kiss.

"Are you two really not going to tell us what you're planning?"

Still looking smug, the twins shook their heads.

Al tried not to worry about what poor soul the twin made plans for and instead focused on enjoying his dinner. It wasn't easy.

"Stop worrying about it, Al!"

Was it that obvious?

"Scor's right! Just relax!"

"Enjoy dinner!"

"Don't worry-"

"-our target wasn't anyone in your family."

"We assure you-"

"-our victim is someone-"

"-few people like."

"Okay." Al bit into a chicken leg.

As Al ate, he thought he heard a soft crackling sound coming from somewhere outside.

At first, he disregarded it, assuming he just imagined it or something. But then it grew steadily louder, nearer, and the sound became more like small explosions and hissing and snarling of fire crackers.

Did the others hear it?

Al looked around.

Students from the other tables were looking around, some confused, some alarmed. Even Rose and Raph, who had been staring and smiling at each other from across the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables ever since they came to dinner, stopped noticing each other to notice the sound.

The teachers looked worried too.

Scorpius looked at the twins. "What did you-"

"Just wait, Scorpy."

"Patience, mate. Patience!"

The large doors that were between the Entrance Hall and the Great Hall burst open.

There were bright lights, the moving, glowing lights of flames. That was what Al first noticed, next he noticed the wizard in black robes running and screaming.

His robe was on fire, while firecrackers exploded and danced all around him. A particularly large one seemed to be really chasing him like a predator after prey, nipping at his heels. It looked like a dragon made out of fire.

It was Professor Smith!

Smith, still screaming, ran in circles, then past the tables, around the hall. The fire wouldn't leave him alone, but didn't burn anyone else.

Then all of a sudden, the dragon-firecracker roared before exploding.

After that, the other firecrackers exploded then vanished, even the fire burning Smith's robe was gone.

All that remained was Professor Smith standing in the very middle of the hall, with the bottom of his robe gone and his underpants shown for all to see.

By the way, I wondered... any of y'all have any suggestions on what Dirk's group-gang-club thing should be called?