A/N: Ok, so here's the deal; I know the romance has been going rather slow (ok, really slow), and I apologize if that's been disappointing to anyone. But seeing as they're only like 13, I don't see the need for a serious relationship at the moment. I promise it's coming, and I'll start kicking things up a notch once we get into fourth year. Thank you guys for your patience, I know you're probably getting anxious for some more action in that spectrum. Personally, I just don't like having 13 year olds dating. I survived my 13th year (and every year afterwards) without a significant other, and I think Rose and Scorpy will too.
Anyway, as promised, here is another Christmas-y chapter! Hope you guys like it :D
The Gryffindor Common Room was alight with life as the students from all years bustled about, passing around cups of egg nog and punch as laughter filtered through the air. It was late on Christmas Eve and a few of the students had already drifted off to bed, but most were still around for the impromptu Christmas party. Scorpius watched the madness taking place from his perch on one of the spacious armchairs in the corner. The twins were currently standing by the fireplace, leading a group of Gryffindors in a rousing chorus of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Rose was trying to hold in her laughter as each student sung in an entirely different key.
Scorpius wasn't in the mood for celebrating at that particular moment in time. The snowball fight from earlier had worn him out exponentially, and everyone appeared to be having a grand old time without him anyway. Sighing lightly, Scorpius sunk back into the cushiony depths of his chair.
That morning, he had been about as happy as one could be. Now, for some unexplainable reason, he was on the opposite end of the spectrum. Scorpius could feel the all-too-familiar sorrow sweeping in as the day progressed. He supposed it was for his parents. He missed them like crazy, but the prospect of finally getting to spend a Christmas with Rose had been too much to pass up. He was having the time of his life, yet he couldn't seem to keep his mind off of him; Lucius, that is.
Sure, he was in Asia now, but that was merely temporary. He would inevitably return one day, bringing with him the shroud of despair that covered everything he came into contact with. Scorpius knew he had over a year until that happened, but the fact of the matter still pressed into his mind. For the past few days, especially, it had been weighing deep inside of him. Every time he glanced at Rose he couldn't help but wonder how long he had left with her. What if Lucius came back early?
The thought of having to digress to their old mannerisms of secrecy sickened him. He had gotten used to being open like this, and he hated the mere idea of going back. Yet Lucius would without a doubt get his way, and they would be forced into it nonetheless. Scorpius should know, after all, that there was no arguing with his grandfather.
It had occurred to him on multiple occasions that Rose may not want to be with him anymore if they had to go back to their old ways. Scorpius doubted someone like her would do it, yet he couldn't seem to banish the thought from his head. It terrified him, and kept him awake until the late hours of night, haunting him incessantly.
Shaking his head slightly, Scorpius inwardly scolded himself for allowing his mind to wander off again. It was nearly Christmas. He needed to be happy. If not for him, then for his friends.
Brushing aside a few locks of his silver hair that had fallen over his brow, Scorpius glanced around the room, trying to find his friends. The twins had moved on from Rudolph and were now belting out Jingle Bells in full-force, their arms slung around each other's shoulders as they swung back and forth to the beat. If Scorpius hadn't known any better, he would have said they were inebriated. Then again, it was more than likely that some of the seventh years had snuck in some fire-whiskey and spiked the punch.
Rose was leaning against one of the food tables, chatting away with another third-year girl. Even through the distance separating them, Scorpius could see the light shining deep inside her hazel eyes. Her luscious red hair was pulled up into a messy bun, a few stray strands falling out to frame her face. She was dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a slightly-ratty brown sweater that was a few sizes too large. Scorpius smiled softly to himself, unable to help but think of how beautiful she looked.
A boy who looked to be in either fourth or fifth-year suddenly approached Rose and Scorpius felt something in his stomach constrict as he began talking to her. A smile found its way up the freckled planes of her face as he offered her a glass of punch. Scorpius couldn't deny the unpleasant feeling that arose inside of him. It took him a moment to realize what it was, and when the realization struck him that it was jealousy, he instantly felt a hint of shame.
He had no right to be jealous. They were friends, and that was all there was to it. Nothing more, nothing less. Still, he couldn't argue that the thought of something more was more than a good bit appealing to him.
"Well, hey there, Mr. Scrooge." A saucy voice said, breaking him for his thoughts. Scorpius glanced up to see Rose striding towards him, two glasses of punch balanced in her steady hands.
"Scrooge?" he repeated, tilting his head to the side. Rose smirked.
"It's a Muggle book." She explained as she plopped down next to him in the armchair that had more than enough room for two. Rose handed him one of her glasses and Scorpius took it gratefully.
"Thanks." He murmured, tentatively taking a sip. It didn't appear to be spiked, but still had a strong flavor.
"What's the matter?" Rose inquired, shifting so her back was against the arm rest and her legs were crossed underneath her. Scorpius followed suit, moving into a similar position so they were facing each other.
"What makes you think something's wrong?" he asked, knowing it was pointless to even ask. Rose gave him a knowing look.
"Spill it, you git." She retorted, taking a large swig of punch. Scorpius shook his head ruefully. She knew him way entirely too well.
"Just pondering life and all its mysteries." He replied, looking away and gazing out the window. Even through the darkness of the night, he could see the snow that was continuing to fall softly through the cold, wintry air.
"How poetic." Rose responded in a dry voice. Scorpius returned his gaze to her hazel eyes, giving her an exasperated glare. "Come on. What's wrong?" he sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Just Lucius." He answered reluctantly. Rose's mouth twitched downward in a small frown.
"He's in Asia now, Scorpius. You don't have to worry about him anymore." She reminded him.
"He's coming back one day, Rose." Scorpius pointed out. "When that happens, things will go back to the way they were." Rose snorted.
"I don't give a flip what Lucius thinks anymore. If he doesn't like it, he can get over it." Scorpius smiled sadly at her spirit.
"It's not that simple, Rose." He responded in a resigned tone. "He's a madman. He'll never settle until I'm just like him."
"Well, I'm not giving up on this just because of what some cranky old man says." Rose replied, her voice filled with a determination Scorpius had rarely heard from her. He raised his eyebrows, surprised at the intensity with which she said it.
"Why do you waste your time with me?" he implored. It was a moment before he realized he had said it aloud. Rose glanced at him, seemingly surprised at the question.
"What do you mean?" she riposted. Scorpius thought over his words for a moment before speaking.
"There are so many other people here, most of whom with names more respectable than mine." He admitted. "Why did you, of all people, feel the need to befriend me?" Rose nodded slowly, understanding dawning on her face.
"Because everyone's wrong about you." She answered simply. "They think you're no better than those that came before you in your family. But they're wrong. All of them." Rose leaned forward, extending her hand and enclosing it over his as she gazed into his iron-grey eyes. "You're a wonderful person and I'm thankful every day that we're friends."
Scorpius was speechless. He hadn't been expecting such a thoughtful answer. Then again, he hadn't been expecting this conversation to turn out quite like this. Today had certainly been a day full of surprises.
"Thanks." He eventually replied, knowing full well that it was quite possible the stupidest response he could have given. Rose didn't seem to mind, though, and merely smiled brightly.
"Don't you forget it, Scorpius Malfoy." She responded, throwing him a playful smirk. "You're not getting rid of me that easily." Scorpius grinned, chugging down the rest of his punch.
"I wouldn't dream of it, Rose Weasley." He assured her.
"That's more like it." Rose remarked, smiling in satisfaction. Scorpius chuckled, pausing to take a glance around the room. The twins were still singing merrily, their out-of-tune voices rising into the air. He spotted the boy Rose had been speaking to and instantly felt a flash of that bloody jealousy again.
"So, who was that boy you were talking to?" he queried, unable to help himself. He hoped beyond anything that he had managed to sound somewhat casual. Rose raised her eyebrows quizzically, and Scorpius knew he was in trouble.
He really needed to learn how to keep his mouth shut.
Rose felt a small splash of surprise at the question Scorpius had just asked. She hadn't even realized he had been watching when that boy had come up to her with the punch.
"His name's Peter." She answered plainly, deciding not to offer any more than that. She was more than a good bit puzzled over why he had inquired over such a thing. If she didn't know him any better, she would have thought that perhaps he was jealous.
Rose hastily banished the thought, sending it flying back to where it had first come from. He wasn't jealous, and it was foolish of her to think that way. They were merely friends, and that was all. Still, her heart had skipped a beat when he had first asked.
"I see." Scorpius finally responded, avoiding her gaze. Rose bit her lip, uncertain of what to say next. An uncomfortable silence stretched between them and she found herself wishing he hadn't asked her to begin with.
"You should come join the festivities." She eventually spoke up, setting down her glass on a side table.
"I'd rather not." Scorpius argued, clearly faking the yawn that followed. "I'm exhausted." He added hastily as Rose glared at him in reply.
"No more excuses, grumpy-pants." She retorted, then reached over and grabbed his hand again. "C'mon."
Rose scrambled to her feet, dragging him along with her as she raced back into the fray. She heard Scorpius moaning in protest behind her, but he complied and followed her obediently. Grabbing two fresh glasses of punch, Rose pulled him by the arm over to where the twins were. Lorcan was trying to harmonize with Lysander's rendition of O Holy Night, resulting in a musical catastrophe so horrendous it would nearly make a statue faint.
"You dragged me all the way over here for this?" Scorpius whispered as they halted a few feet away. Rose held in a laugh, wincing as Lorcan screeched out a note that was about half an octave too high.
"Hey, Lorcan." She exclaimed, breaking up the song. The twins gave her an exasperated glare before silencing.
"What?" the blonde-haired twin replied.
"Let's have everyone sing." Rose suggested.
"You don't like our solos?" Lysander responded, looking genuinely offended. Rose hesitated.
"Well, they're fine and all, but –"
"Wow, she must be deaf, eh?" Lorcan interrupted, elbowing his brother in the stomach. Lysander roared with laughter.
"Very funny." Rose remarked dryly. "Now, moving on. Let's get everyone over here."
It took a few minutes to round everyone together near the fireplace and silence them all, but they somehow managed to accomplish such a task with some help from a few of the prefects. One of the seventh years stepped in and led the group of remaining Gryffindors in song, seeing that the twins really didn't have the musical talent for such things. They sang quite a few carols, both Muggle and magical alike.
Rose felt her spirits lift when they began her personal favorite, Silent Night. The fire was nearly out, the embers smoldering in their bright orange glow. Mostly everyone was near ready for bed, and the quietness of their voices melded together in a beautiful melody. Rose was pleased to find that Scorpius had a surprisingly pleasant voice.
As the words echoed through the Common Room, Rose suddenly reached over and took Scorpius' hand. She wasn't sure why exactly she had done it, but it felt like the proper thing to do. Scorpius squeezed it gently in response, and Rose felt a smile sliding up her face. Lysander, who was on the other side of her, took her other hand and Rose realized that everyone was linking hands around them.
The words of the last verse rang ever so beautifully inside the room. Rose closed her eyes, swaying back and forth as the Christmas spirit filled her very soul. A peace like no other filtered into her veins and she suddenly felt satisfied with everything. She felt assured that, even though she had no control over some things, it would be alright. Regardless of both her and Scorpius' concerns, everything would work out.
Rose wasn't sure whether or not this was a genuine peace, or just the punch talking. Either way, she listened. She had been quite honest before with Scorpius. She wasn't going to leave him. They had worked too hard for this friendship to just let it fade away again.
When the last note of the song faded into oblivion, Rose gave Scorpius' hand one last squeeze before letting go. The crowd began to disperse, the older students staying to help clean up while the younger strode off to bed. Rose turned to her closest friend before heading off to the girl's dorms. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in for a quick hug. He responded similarly, embracing her before pulling back.
"Merry Christmas, Rose." He murmured, smiling broadly at her. She grinned in return.
"Merry Christmas, Scorpius."
A/N: Thanks for reading! And again, huge thanks to all of my loyal followers/reviewers! You guys rock, and I can't thank y'all enough. Hope you all have a great day, and please review if you get a chance!