Take The Tumble

by Kittenshift17

*COMPLETE* There was never a hatred so profound as that of Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy, but when a challenge is issued the pair embark on a roller-coaster ride of emotions and confusing, passionate meetings. Enemies with Benefits never tasted this good, and Rose is going to learn there is a whole lot more to Scorpius than a lifelong rivalry and a wicked smirk. RW/SM.

37. The Fifteenth Reason

A/N: CHERUBS! Hey finally got this chapter written for you , in spite of my impending assignments which are not going well. I'm soooooo sorry it took me so long I hope you can forgive me and that you haven't given up on me... Thanks you so much for all of you reviews i just love them to pieces, as well as your suggestions for the story, i promise to tyr and incoproate them when i can =) Anyway pretty please review this one for me. I go on holidays next week and have to get all three of my assignments finished before thursaday but i promise to work on this alot in the holidays and get lots of chapters ready for you. I will try to update again when i can but as you know my net connection at home sucks. Sooo much love to you all. Please review for me =) HAPPY EASTER! xx-Kitten,

Chapter 37: The Fifteenth Reason.

The celebration party is in full swing in the room of requirement. Gryffindor somehow managed to kick some serious snake butt and we flogged them 340 points to their 270 points. I even got to go back into the game after Madame Pomfrey recovered from her shock at seeing the boy who has so frequently injured me save my life and got around to healing my head. She was a little worried that I had a minor concussion because of the way I dismissed her odd looks and subtle questions about why Malfoy would save me, but eventually she declared me healthy enough to go back into the game. Where I proceeded to flog bludgers in every direction, though mostly at Malfoy to ensure that the rest of the school thinks his moment of idiotic heroics was on instinct and to avoid them all thinking there is anything between us.

Of course that whole idea will probably be blown to smithereens when he gives me reason fifteen and I have to go to the damn ball with him. I'm not really sure how I feel about him saving me. I mean of course I'm grateful that I didn't plummet towards paraplegia or death, but what does it mean?

Does it mean that he simply was acting on impulse? Or did he save my life because we have been shagging all year and feelings of some kind have grown between us?

Oh Merlin's saggy left testicle what if the fifteenth reason is that he's fallen in love with me?

Fuckeration and Buggery! I really hope that isn't it. I can't deal with that being it! No, no, no, no, NO! It's not happening. He's not allowed o complicate this whole situation with that nasty L word. Because then I'll have to either hurt him and stop shagging him when he throws a tantrum or I'll have to do some soul searching and risk my life by forming some sort of relationship with the guy.

And my family. How would my family react? As far as anyone knows we are nothing but and have never been anything more or less than arch enemies. What would my parents say? Dad nearly choked to death at a hypothetical concerning me and a Malfoy. Let alone if I came right out and said 'Oh hi Dad, so uh, you're sweet and innocent little girl with a slightly violent streak is in fact a trash-bag. Yeah so I frequently tumble between the sheets with the son of your school enemy, who thanks to your remarkable advice in first year also happens to be my nemesis and up until this year, and sometimes even during this year we have constantly endeavoured to destroy one another. But that was only when we weren't shagging like bunnies, as I engaged in the best (if lone) sexual arrangement I've ever experienced.' Yeah I just bet that would go down real smooth.

Although the rest of their reactions was not exactly what I was expecting after today's events. In fact I'm a little scared of what it means.

My whole family ambushed me at the end of the game. Every single member rushed towards me as though they would devour me with their impatient questionings. But they seemed to have not really thought through what they wanted to say to me about the whole Scorpius saving my life thing. They all sort of swarmed me, but then it was liek they lost their nerve and instead made small talk as though they were all too chicken to broach the whole topic. It was more than a little odd and I have to say I'm kind of dreading why they have been so silent on the whole matter. I mean, what if they all worked out the truth and are now just uncomfortable for believing for this entire year that we were enemies rather than bed buddies?

I know I'd feel a little betrayed if I found out something like that about one of them.

Not even Fred was game enough to ask me if there was something going on between me and Malfoy. Fred, who has been my best friend, closest confidant and all around favourite ever human being. Even he couldn't bring himself to demand an explanation. Instead he has been shooting me odd looks all evening, when he isn't wrapped around the girlfriend I don't like. Of course I haven't told him I don't like her because even I am not so much of a bitch to render her dateless a week before the Remembrance Ball. His looks worry me. Sometimes he looks sympathetic as though he knows I'm not entirely certain why it happened either, but other times he looks suspicious.

And I don't think I have to guts to tell him the truth. Mostly because even though he loves me to pieces and nasty git that he is, also tolerates Malfoy rather well, I don't think he'd handle knowing I've been shagging someone who frequently insults me and demeans me.

I'm beginning to think that maybe he has a point. After all it can't really be healthy for a girl to find herself in this sort of relationship with a guy who calls her ugly and on more than one occasion, fat.

But concerning the rest of the family the whole thing was kind of funny, after a few strained seconds of silence they all started cheering and celebrating Gryffindor's win rather than saying a word. I suppose that is one of the benefits of having the majority fear you. They don't ask inconvenient questions that you don't know how to answer because they don't want to be on the receiving end of a Rose Weasley Prank, or worse and Bat-Bogey Hex performed by yours truly. Not to mention my wicked right hook.

And if the masses fear anyone in this school, they fear me and they fear Scorpius Malfoy because of the awful things we do to each other. Someitmes I wonder which of us they fear more. Me, because of my insanity and irrational temper and wicked mind, or Malfoy, because he is crazy enough to not fear me but instead engage in battle with me on a daily basis.

Funny, in some ways Malfoy and I would make a great couple for that reason... oh I think I've had too much to drink.

But seriously.

After all we both have reputations to up hold, which is why we are so frequently landing ourselves and each other in detention, when we aren't tumbling in a mass of writhing naked bodies and groping hands into silky soft bed sheets. Or against walls. Hmmm, speaking of which I'm feeling kind of horny tonight. Maybe I should corner him later, if I ever get him away from my bitchy slut of a cousin.

Interestingly the only person to ever actually suspect properly, or rather enough, to accuse the two of us as having something untoward going on has been Albus. The cousin who has his head screwed on sideways. After all he got chucked into the snake pit, not to mention he befriended a Malfoy, and unlike the rest of the brood is very slow to anger and very quick to forgive. In truth he's probably a better person than the rest of us for that reason. Ah Albus. Who I might add has been pointedly silent on the whole subject for the entire evening, even to Malfoy I think. Pretty sure the most he did was give Malfoy a funny look and he has barely recognised that I'm alive. Which is weird.

Truthfully I'm a little surprised that either of them are even here given that the rest of the Slytherin team refused to show up at a Gryffindor victory party, not even to drown their sorrows. But they have both shown up, Both Malfoy and Albus. Albus has even made himself look presentable. His hair is still as messy as ever, but he has on a nice pair of blue jeans and a button up black collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looks really nice. Which kind of explain the way the Mary Bell, the fifth year chaser on our quidditch team has been flirting with him like crazy all night even though she elbowed him in the ribs during the game. They would actually make a cute couple I'm thinking.

As is probably a little obvious though altogether expected, I've had a little bit too much to drink by now. As have Fred, James, Dylan, Roxy, Loz, Dominique, Fred girlfriend (whatever the bimbo's name is because right now I really cannot remember for the life of me). It's so far past curfew that I'm pretty sure it is currently the early hours of Sunday morning rather than being Saturday night anymore. Which I have to say is making me little irritated because as of yet Malfoy has yet to give me reason fifteen as to why I should attend the Remembrance Ball with him and I gave him until Saturday! Although to be fair I'm pretty sure that saving my life could count as two.

The real question is, am I willing to let my traitorous loins lead me into that decision? Or are there feelings involved here that have no place being anywhere near my arrangement with Scorpius Malfoy?

Merlin I'm pathetic.

To be fair I'm drunk, which is sort of an excuse for wayward thoughts but it's really not helping my mental state. Either way I want to go to the ball with him. Mostly because the little green monster that lives on my shoulder has been roaring its head off all evening because Dominique fucking Weasley has been flirting like crazy with Malfoy. I've got to say that I'm this close to going over there and beating the crap out of her like I know I can. But in spite of my intoxicated state I know that would be counterproductive for everybody, namely me. And I'm essentially a selfish being. Of course that said selfishness is part of what has my fist clenching and unclenching periodically because Malfoy is mine.

Wait... oh shit!

Though I am slightly placated that Malfoy has only been half paying attention to her because the rest of the time he is sneaking sly glances at me. He doesn't seem at all pleased with the new friends I have made. I've been talking to a sixth year Slytherin guy, Andrew Davies and a sixth year Ravenclaw, Ben Thomas all evening. I feel a little bad that they have been in all of almost all of my classes for the past six years and I've never gotten to know them, even by name. It's been kind of intriguing actually, unbeknownst to each other they have both asked me to the Remembrance Ball tonight. How sweet. They are actually both really nice and I'm a little sad that it's almost the end of the year because they feel like the type of guys I could be friends with. There is always next year though, And with Freddy and Jamie and Dylan gone I will have to find more guys to placate my yearn for male company as I can't really hang out with Albs and Rory because they are always with Malfoy.

Andre Davies, He's not bad, for a Slytherin. Has shoulder length black hair. I suspect he fancies himself punk. His long hair, combined with the baggy jeans with torn knees and a muggle band t-shirt have me convinced that he might be into metal or rock. He has nice eyes though, they are a vibrant shade of green and his has an infectious grin. It's a little sad really that he is a sixth year and I have only just met him properly. He would've made a cute and fun boyfriend I think. Too bad I was always too busy being a bitch and fighting with Malfoy to ever notice him before.

The same goes for Ben Thomas. He is in Ravenclaw, so he is obviously smart. He has curly blonde hair and twinkling blue eyes. It's an interesting twinkle too, as though he has a funny secret. They are both tall, at least six foot and both of them are well built but wiry. Just the way I like my men. Honestly I'm surprised I've never noticed either of them except in passing before this evening. And like Andrew, Ben is a sixth year and I have only really met both of them properly this evening. Which I'm thinking is really sad. They are both really nice and fun to talk to, hence me talking to them for longer than ten minutes. But not to worry. If Malfoy doesn't get his butt into gear and give me a fifteenth reason and stop flirting with my whore of a cousin, then I'll get to know one of them better by attending the Ball with them. And everyone knows that these types of things are when a witch's heart is stolen away by mischievous boys with wicked grins in dashing dress robes.

Which, judging by the looks he keeps shooting in this direction, will severely piss Malfoy off. And it would totally serve him right for talking to her at all. No doubt she is flirting like crazy and trying to get him to agree to taking her to the ball. I'm half tempted to suggest to Ben and Andrew that she is available and dateless, but I'm thinking that would just be too nasty of me. Wouldn't want my new friends being ruined and insulted by that whore.

Is it bad that I still get turned on by making Malfoy angry? Because I totally do. I just love the nasty little glint in his silver eyes when he glances this way and sees me touching the arm of Ben or Andrew, or the way his mouth twists into a nasty smirk when one of them tells a joke that gets me giggling like the drunken school girl I am. Plus I'm getting a sick sort of satisfaction from watching the way Dominique keeps trying to gain his full attention by touching his arm and flicking her hair and giggling when he talks. Because if there is any type of woman Malfoy looks for it's one who will provide decent conversation with a challenging topic. One who might match him or outstrip him intellectually.

And news flash but Dominique is not it.

But it's fun to watch her try. Fun in that weird way, the one where it's kind of funny but you still want to rip her face off for her efforts. Especially when she is dressed like that. she has a pair of tight black leather mini shorts on, which she has combined with a low cut halter top in a shade of blue that no doubt makes her eyes pop. Not to mention the knee high black lace up boots she is wearing. A slut if I do say so myself, which I can get away with because I'm wearing the torn jeans I wore to his house on Christmas Eve and a red tank top. Of course that could be another reason Malfoy keeps looking at me. After all I know for a fact that the guy cannot resist the sight of me in red.

"Mind if I steal her away for a while lads?" A voice says from next to me. I raise my eyebrows. I really haven't had that much to drink but I'm pretty sure I know that voice. When I drag my eyes away from Malfoy, who has his eyes narrowed on me, I spot Albus standing next to me. He looks rather dashing this evening in his denim jeans and long sleeve grey shirt on. His dark hair is messy like always and he is holding a glass of what looks to be butterbeer in his left hand. His right one settles heavily on my shoulder, preparing to steer me away from my new friends. I look at them apologetically, knowing from the feel of his hand that no amount of protest will keep him from dragging me away from Ben and Andrew.

"It was really nice to meet both of you properly" I tell them, smiling sweetly at each of them in turn. I've already told both of them that I will let them know in the next few days if I will go to the ball with them. Spontaneously I lean forwards and wrap my arms around Andrew's waist in a timid hug. I giggle a little when he stiffen in shock before hugging me back awkwardly, I notice as I hug him that he smells like diesel and pine needles. I don't think he thought there would ever be a day when the most outspoken Gryffindor Princess would hug a Slytherin, especially not him. When I step back he lets go, smiling though his eyes look confused before I hug Ben as well. Ben is less surprised by my hug and happily wraps his arms around my shoulders. He smells good too, like lemon verbena and wood smoke.

Who knew my nose had such a wide variety of smells that it finds attractive when that scent is clinging to a guys I find hot? You would think that since I am so frequently brewing Amortentia that I would know exactly what scents attract me most. However after that little nasal excursion I'm thinking that I could easily grow to adore each of those scents.

When I let go of Ben they both grin at the sinister way Al's hand settle onto my shoulder again. They both think that Al is dragging me away like a responsible male cousin should when she has spent the evening in the company of two guys. I'm not so sure that is the reason.

"The pleasure was entirely ours I fear, Rose." Andrew tells me. He has a deep voice that makes me suspect he would be a remarkable singer. I wink at him but before I get the chance to say anything else Albus steers me away.

I have a bad feeling about this. Me and Al are sort of close I guess, but not in the same way me and Fred are best friends. Knowing Albus he is either dragging me away from these guys because he doesn't like the looks of them and is being overprotective, as he is prone to doing. Or he's dragging me away because he has had enough to drink to work up the courage to ask me why Malfoy, who is supposed to still be wishing for my death rather than for me naked and writhing beneath him, would save my life during a game. Oh dear Merlin this cannot bode well for me at all. I shoot a glance at Malfoy, who is now completely ignoring Dominique while he stares daggers at his best friend.

Based on that look I'm thinking that Malfoy thinks Al is going to question me on today's events rather than anything to do with Ben and Andrew. If it was the latter he would be smiling, not scowling.

Al leads me away from my new friends, both of whom don't look all that surprised by the turn of events. Al's arm is wrapped around my shoulder as he steers me through the crowd of people dancing and chattering away to each other. I try to catch Fred's attention in the hopes that he will intervene on my behalf, but he is wrapped around his bimbo in an intimate embrace. Looks like he might be just a little too horny to wait for me to pass judgement on her. Albus doesn't say anything to me as we walk through the doorway, though he does glance back over his shoulder. As he leads me through the castle we still don't speak. I kind of want to, but the fact that he is leading me so far away has me suspecting that he is going to talk to me about Malfoy. Crap!

This is so not good. What am I going to tell him?

"Devil's Snare" Al's voice murmurs. I glance up in alarm. I was so lost in my musing about where he is taking me and how I'm going to explain this whole thing that I didn't even realise he has lead me all the way down to the dungeons. The concealed door slowly creaks open to reveal the Slytherin common room. Is he insane? I can't go in there. Firstly because it's the Snake pit. But on top of that I knocked out their team captain today. Al chuckles at the way my shoulders tense.

"No-one is up Rose, you'll be fine. I promise not to let the big bad Slytherins get you." He tells me, using the pressure of his arm around me to tow me into the room.

It's even gloomier down here than I thought it would be. Imagine living under the lake. It'd be horrible. Give me the heights and view of Gryffindor Tower any day. Their common room is dank, though there is a fire crackling away merrily in the corner, their lounges are black and leather rather than the squashy comfortable worn red velvet. I have to say that ours look far more comfortable and inviting. These ones look like the posh type rich people have that no one is supposed to sit on, the type that are only for decoration.

How would any of them ever get any study done when they can't even sit by the fire to read? Al laughs at the way my nose must be wrinkling with distaste. Well he can laugh his ass off for all I care, there is no way I could ever have accepted living down here.

"I know what you mean Rosie." He murmurs to me. "When I first came in here, that very first day of school I was shaking in complete shock and more than a little fear. I barely noticed all this at the time. I was too terrified as to how I would explain to Mum and Dad that I was a traitor, how I would deal with the rest of the family hating me for being in here. Even worse, how would I ever make friends with people in a house whose families were directly inconvenienced by Dad's role in the War?" his arms leaves my shoulder as he talks to me.

I watch him wander closer to the fireplace, subconsciously following him because down here he is my life boat. And as I watch him I realise that for all that we are family and tolerate each other, even get along most of the time, I don't really know Al.

"When I look back on it now I remember noticing the way these couches look like they are too posh to be sat upon. This whole place just contributed even more to the way o felt like I couldn't possibly belong down here. I was used to warmth and comfort and bright, dry room with squashy lounges like the ones at home, the same I have no doubt as the ones in your common room. How could I have been chucked into a house that felt so cold and unfeeling and posh?" he says, leaning his hand against the mantle of the fire and staring down at the flames in a pose I have seen on Malfoy a few times.

"That's something the rest of the school doesn't get about Slytherin. There's a reason for all the posh furniture and snobby attitudes and sly bad-tempered kids. Some put it down to the fact that most of their families are rich, so they are used to this type of stuff. But that's only a bit of the story. Most Syltherin kids come from families who thrust their own expectations on the kid. They live their lives knowing that if they don't live up to the standards their parents expect they may be written out of the will or disowned. More than one of them has been betrothed since they were born, some to people that to this day they haven't met."

That would be so awful. Al turns to look at my expression and he smirks a little when he see's the no doubt horrified mould of my facial features.

"You like to laugh at them and call them snobs and all that, and they are mostly" he says softly "But you have no idea how many of them wish they were like you and me. So many of them look at your life or my life or James or Fred or Scorp or anyone else in the brood and while they'll never admit it, their jealous of us." He tells me. "They would kill for the chance to not have to go into a family business, to be able to fall in love with whoever they liked and not have their parents disown them for it. Did you know Kelly Flint, one of the girls in our year, has been betrothed to an Arabian guy who is currently twenty-two, since she was five years old?" he asks me softly.

I shake my head at him, feeling a wave of sympathy for a girl I dislike yet barely know. Al nods at me.

"Yeah. I know you don't like her much, that you think she is a whiny bitch. And she can be trust me, but she is like that because she is jealous of you. You particularly actually." Al says, looking at me with a small smirk and a knowing cast to his eyes. I lift an eyebrow, wondering why the girl is specifically jealous of me.

"In particular she is jealous of you because she thinks you're wasting what you have. As far as the school knows, you supposedly have a secret boyfriend whom you refuse to acknowledge publicly. A secret boyfriend, I might add, who the majority believe you must be in love with. And please don't ruin my bliss by saying otherwise when I've seen some of the marks he leaves on you. I don't want to know if all you have is a fuck buddy." Al says and I giggle just a little at the way he shudders, as well as to hide me discomfort at his correct assumption.

"But anyway, as far as she is concerned there is nothing more insulting than the fact that you can love whoever you want and yet choose to keep the whole thing a secret. Not to mention how brilliant you are at everything." Al tells me. "She told me the other day that she would like nothing more than being able to fall in love with someone and have him take her to Hogsmede or walk her to class holding her hand. Instead she gets periodic letters in Arabic from a guy who's half a world away and will one day rule her life as her husband because it's good for her father's business."

It could be the alcohol, or perhaps the knock to the head I took earlier today, but I'm beginning to realise that I am a bad person. I've spent almost every day of the past six years in the company of people I don't even know and up until now have never given a second thought to. Al must see the confused look on my face as I have my epiphany because he beckons me towards a staircase. I follow him, mostly because I'm lost in thought, but also because I don't want to be left alone in their creepy common room.

I gasp a little when he leads me into the sixth year Slytherin boys common room. There are six beds spread out around the room. Three of which have the curtain drawn. I'm ashamed to say that I don't think I know any of their names. Other than Albus and Malfoy, and my recent acquaintance Andrew, I don't even know the names of the other three Syltherin boys in my year. I glance around at the three unoccupied beds with interest.

It's easy for me to tell which bed belongs to which of the boys I know. Al's is the easiest because he flops onto his own bed. But he also has a blown up moving picture of his family waving at him from the wall above the bed. There are also posters of his favourite quidditch team, the Wasps, as well as knitted bedspread that he was given for his twelfth birthday from Gram. It was an owl on it. His cat, the one I gave him for Christmas is also curled up on the end of his bed. I smile at the way he gets up and stretches languidly in that way that cats do.

"What did you end up naming him?" I ask Al softly as I sit down on the foot of his bed and the cat steps into my lap. Al cracks open one eye at me and smiles when he sees his cat rubbing itself against me.

"His name is Merlin." He tells me, making me snort at the irony of Albus naming his cat after the most famous wizard to ever live. He is practically a wizarding deity after all. "I tried other names for him, but he's a bit contrary at times. Merlin is the only name he would answer to." Albus tells me.

The other beds are also easily identifiable as belonging to Malfoy and Andrew.

Andrew's bed is surrpunded bu bad posters of some muggle bands I recognise like the Sex Pistols and Queen and Boyz ll Men. There is also an old guitar leaning against the wall next to his bed. His bed spread is simple blue but I have to say it looks like a warm and snugly feather duvet.

And of course I can easily identify Malfoy's things. His bed spread is still the same black silk that I had to share with him at Gram's during the summer holidays. On the wall is a picture of his family and I find myself wandering closer, with Merlin in m arms as I realise that there are six people in the picture. Oh crap. Astoria Malfoy apparently gave birth to the second Malfoy son. And I completely forgot. Fuck. Some 'friend' I am.

I can't believe Malfoy didn't remind me that his mom would have had the baby by now. I smile when I look at the baby boy squirming in his teenage brothers arms. The twins are both clinging to Scorpius's arms in the picture, one on each arm as they try to peer at their baby brother. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy are both also smiling down at the child in their grown son's arms. I wonder what they named the little Malfoy boy.

I really cannot believe what a bad person I am. I swear tonight has been one of the biggest wake up calls I've ever had. I really need to stop being so self centred and start giving a damn about my peers. It's unacceptable to me that I have spent the entire year shagging Scorpius and that I didn't even remember to ask him about his new little brother. I'm not ok with the fact that I only recently learned the names of some people I have spent the past six years living and learning with.

"Al, what did they name him?" I murmur to my cousin as I continue to stare at the photograph, mesmerized but the pleased yet tender expression on Scorpius's face as he looks down at his smiling baby brother. I hear Al make an odd sort of sound in his throat, no doubt one of shock that I dared to wander into Malfoy's space, let alone that I care enough to ask about them.

"They named him Kyrian. Kyrian Jacob Malfoy. He was born on the third of March." Albus tells me, I glance over my shoulder at him and see that he has his eyes closed but there is a small smirk on his face.

"Rosie how is it that you actually went to Malfoy manor before I did? I mean I've been friends with Scorp for years and I've still never been there, yet you as his enemy have been there and if I'm not mistaken actually made friends with his family members. He mentioned the other day that his sisters are mad about you, apparently they always ask after you when they write to him." Al tells me, still with his eyes shut.

I glance back at the photograph on the wall next to Malfoy's bed, not noticing the way I take deep steady breaths in through my nose, savouring the scent of him which lingers in his space.

"I dunno Al, I told you how it happened at Christmas. Mostly I just needed a lift home and Mr. Malfoy was happy to help me. And I kind of do like them. They seem nice for the most part, and who am I to hold it against them that their first son is a tosser?" I ask nonchalantly as I wander back over and sit on Al's bed with Merlin still in my arms.

I smirk when my cousin sits up and pulls his buttoned shirt off over his head and throws it on the ground before sticking his hand under his pillow and pulling out a blue and white striped flannel pyjama shirt. Maybe he has forgotten what he wanted to talk to me about. I can't help but laugh at the Al's hair sticks up in every direction when he finally manages to get his head through the head hole on his clothes. It was more than a little amusing to watch him try to pull his head through one of the sleeves. I think he's a little drunk.

"Shut up Weasley." He mutters at me, chuckling at himself as well. I find it a little odd at times when he calls me by my last name. Mostly because we're related, but also because there are so many other Weasleys. Then again he does spend all day every day with Malfoy who I have no doubt refers to all my other cousins by their first name and uses only my last name to mention me. I giggle even more when he tries to hide behind the curtain so that he can change out of his jeans.

It's just hilarious because I've seen him naked before anyway, not to mention that the curtain was cooperating it until Merlin the cat decided it was a threat and pounced on it. When Al finally stops grumbling at his psychotic cat and climbs beneath the covers I begin to wonder if I should leave, clearly he has no intention of escorting me back to the exit out of this pit. And I wouldn't want overstay my welcome. I move to stand up and Al fixes me a look that has me frozen in place.

"So what's the deal Rosie?" he asks me bluntly and with a surprising lack of clarity.

"The deal with what?" I ask him, sinking back down onto the bed, knowing very well what he is getting at but refusing to broach the topic until he does. He smirks a little.

"The deal with what happened today. Since when does Scorp stop planning your demise, let alone pause long enough to actually save your life?" Al asks me sternly. Oh damn it. I knew I should've bailed when he had is head stuck in one of his shirt sleeves.

"Since she's my date to the Ball next weekend." A low voice says softly from the doorway. A low voice that I happen to know almost better than anyone else's because it's a voice that is frequently groaning my name. I whip around to see Malfoy standing in the doorway, leaning against the door frame and I can't help wondering how long he's been there.

Albus raises his eyebrows at his best friend as I notice Andrew slipping past Scorpius into the common room as well. He is smirking a little as well, as though he is looking forward to the explosion the whole world has come to expect from me in reference to Scorpius Malfoy being a smug, overbearing, arrogant toe-rag.

"Is that right?" Albus asks, and I'm surprised to find he sounds amused rather than irritated.

"I did save her life after all. Least she could do really." Malfoy says, smirking wickedly. I narrow my eyes on him.

"I think I need another reason." I say curtly. I guess this is one way to tell people, but seriously, he still owes me another reason. I demanded fifteen and be damned if I'm not going to get them.

"You mean other than the fact the I threw my reputation for hating you to hell o save your useless life?" Malfoy sneers at me, his eyes are twinkling though and I can just see that he wants to draw me into an argument so that we have to leave the room and get away from Andrew and Al so that we don't wake up the sleeping boys in them dormitory.

"I thought Dominique asked you?" Albus interrupts us. Malfoy's lips twist a little at that and I grin when he starts to speak.

"Yeah she did, and after having her annoy the bollocks out of me all bloody night I'd rather pitch myself off the Astronomy Tower, or Go with the Wench than get within five feet of Dominique ever again." He grumbles at my cousin. I smirk widely. I do so love it when I'm right.

"So what you're saying here is that for some reason you think I'm actually going to agree to go with you as you're second choice, when we hate each other?" I ask him snidely. He grey eyes fix me a look that makes my thighs clench.

"Yeah... Because I saved your life."

"Could you two argue about this somewhere else?" Albus asks, sounding irritated now. I smirk before putting down Merlin and striding across the room and out of the boys dormitory. I grin when I hear Malfoy follow me.

When I stride in to the Slytherin common room I whirl around to face him and find him smirking wickedly at me from one of the couches.

"Nice way to break it to him." I murmur at him, smirking as well "But if you really want me to go with you then you still owe me a fifteenth reason." I tell him.

"I have more than one." He replies. I raise my eyebrows at him as I lean against the wall next to the fireplace.

"I'm not going with Dom, I swear she's got less brains than a Blast Ended Skrewt. And it might be that a little birdie mentioned you are wearing red. You know I won't be able to handle it seeing you wear red all bloody night. At least if you're my date then I have a valid excuse for having my hands on you." He says stretching out on the lounge n a way that would look ridiculous if it was anyone else.

I watch him through my eyelashes.

"Speaking of which it was really mean of you to taunt me wearing red all night Baby." He murmurs. I smirk at him.

"That isn't reason fifteen Malfoy. And unless you can give me fifteen decent reasons I'll go with someone else. After all Andrew asked me this evening, as did Bent Thomas." I tell him mischievously. He narrows his eyes at me.

"And here I was going to go with that you didn't have anyone else to go to but I guess I should've known that was a stupid notion. You tell me Weasley, what would be a good enough reason to count as number fifteen so that you'll go with me?"

I reach into the pocket of my jeans and withdraw his list of reasons that I've been carrying around all bloody week and pass them to him.

"These are the ones you've already given. If that helps, read through them and think of something worthwhile enough to count as fifteen.

You want to go with me... even if you won't completely admit it.

It will be fun to fight with me all evening... I'll even let you step on my foot.

It would be unfair of you on your date if you go with someone else when I steal you away and make you dance with me anyway.

It would be even ruder and highly misleading of you to attend with someone else when we both know you will end up beneath me naked and screaming my name at the end of the night.

If you don't go with me I will have to go with Dominique, she asked me to go with her on Monday afternoon.

You would get jealous if I took Dominique because it is customary to kiss your date.

You know no one else can kiss you better than me.

I might get jealous if you were to kiss someone else...

You've been shagging me all year.

You love that I've been shagging you all year.

By your own admission I am a god in bed and have ruined you for all other men. It would be rude of me to expect you to go with someone that would not live up to the standard you have come to expect.

By your own admission we are 'friends' now. Friends spend time in each other's company in public.

Come with me because I want you to...

I saved your damn life.

For several long moments Malfoy stares at the list of reasons he has given me up until this point.

When he glances up at me he is actually smiling.

"I've got a fifteenth reason for you." He tells me smugly. "There is a part of you that is hankering to see the expression on the faces of everyone when you walk down those stairs in the entrance hall and take my arm. You know that you love unsettling people. What could be more unsettling then having you father start choking on his mead when he sees that I'm your date? Besides, even though you'll never admit it, you love being the centre of attention, and going with me will guarantee that you're the centre of attention all night." he tells me, smiling.

I realise in that midst of this whole thing, that what he is saying s true. Which is more than a little unnerving because it means that Malfoy actually knows me well enough to know that.

"And how exactly will everyone be surprised when you just announced to your entire dorm that I'm you're date?" I ask him, smirking. He winks at me. "I'll tell them I couldn't convince you."

I fix him a sarcastic look which he responds to with a wide smirk.

"But if that isn't good enough for you there is also the fact that you should feel really guilty that you've been sleeping with me all year and you didn't even care enough to ask the name of my kid brother until this evening." He smirks at me and I realise that he must have been listening for a while to know I had asked. I sigh in irritation at him and push off the wall to make for the exit.

I can't help smirking when I hear him get off the lounge and follow me.

"Fine, I'll go to this bloody ball with you." I grumble with my back to him. "But no one gets to know until next Saturday evening, deal?" I hear him chuckle behind me.

"What's the matter Weasley? Were you kind of hoping that reason fifteen would be something crazy like me saying 'I love you'?" he murmurs into my ear and I realise that I've stopped right in front of the door and he is standing so close behind me that if I were to move at all we'd be pressed against each other. Again. The feel of his warm breath on my ear is doing strange things to my body.

But nowhere near the strange things happening inside my head to hear him even use the words I love you in a hypothetical mocking way.

"Why would I want that Malfoy, other than to prove that I was right all along?" I murmur back to him. I lock my throat muscles tight on my sigh of contentment when he shuffles closer until his body is pressed intimately against my back. Merlin I love the way that feels. He chuckles into my ear again before he presses his lips softly against the exposed skin of my shoulder.

"Goodnight, Baby." He murmurs as he hand snakes around and turns the doorknob. He pushes it open for me before nudging me through it. I turn to glare at him when I am through the door. Before I can scowl at him though, he leans through the open door and kisses me fiercely on the lips.

I let my eyes slide closed as I savour the taste of him. When he pulls back it takes me a few moments to open my eyes again and by the time I do he is gone.