A/N: I disclaim that JKR owns all recognizable IP and I'm not making any $ off this work.

Well, it's been a day. What a day. The daylight hours were a bit of a blur, simultaneously very chaotic but a little bit sluggish getting back into the rhythm of the new term. I have to say I was quite thankful for being so busy, it kept my mind off of my evening meeting with Scorpius. (Why'd we pick an evening meeting time? It's almost as if we were preparing for more than just a professional relationship.) As it were, I only had about ten minutes to get worked up about what might happen. Would we pretend like nothing had happened? Would we spend the entire time having crazy sex on every possible surface? I must admit I was rooting for something in the middle, but anxiety sends my mind swinging to the far extremes.

Scorpius and I walked into the meeting room at the same time and fell into a familiar easy rhythm, chatting while we got set up for our meeting. The first whiff of something different hit when we both moved to sit on the same side of the table.

Now, you might be saying, "Why are you being weird, Rose? That seems perfectly sensible." And you would be right. I never claimed that it wasn't sensible, just that this was different from the norm. You know how at family dinners, everyone has a seat where they ALWAYS sit? That's how it's been for us: we took opposite sides of the table at our first meeting, and haven't changed since.

Until today.

When he pulls out the second chair on "my" side of the table, I pause and look at him, puzzled.

He gives me the ghost of a smile. "New year, new me?"

I smile cautiously in return, definitely still a little perplexed, but willing to just move on from here. He sees the concern still written on my face, and extends his explanation a little further.

"I figure, after one term of working together, we're basically friends now, right?" his tone is light, but I meet his eyes and see that he's serious, that there's something real hinging on my response. I nod, once, and he continues, "So we might as well face our documents from the same direction, much more efficient this way."

"Makes sense to me," I say, and he smiles a little wider. Meanwhile, it's a battleground in my head. Did he just friendzone me? Or is this progress – we definitely weren't friends at the beginning of the year? Is he saying that he wants to put that innuendo behind us? Or is he opening the door for more casual ribbing? Oh my Merlin – casual? Like casual sex? Am I down for that? Wait he didn't even say that word out loud -

"Rose?" Scorpius waves a hand in front of my face. "Anyone home?"

I jump, and blush furiously. Those darn Weasley genes! "Sorry, I spaced for a moment."

"I can see that. I was just asking, did you want to work together instead of dividing up the work today? It seems pretty discussion heavy."

"Sure, let's do that, then," because I certainly haven't yet looked at what's on the docket today.

We get started on the first item and his judgement is right so far. A couple minutes of craning awkwardly to look at the paperwork in between us makes me realize that even though we're on the same side of the table, Scorpius is still sitting a respectable arm's length away from me.

He made the first move onto this side of the table, so I pick up my chair and drag it over closer to him, surprising him in the middle of a sentence. Now it's his turn to look puzzled, and are my eyes deceiving me? His cheeks are slightly pink.

"No sense in working on the same side of the table if we're both still uncomfortable looking at the papers," I explain, making the mistake of meeting his eyes as I say this.

A beat.

A minute.

It could be an hour, I wouldn't know.

What was I saying?

We're now sitting close enough that I can feel the heat of his body. Almost touching, but not quite. And, wait, Rose, no, don't sniff him -

"Did you just sniff me?" He doesn't sound angry, just bemused, and rightfully so.

"Oh! Um!" Quick, Rose, think of something! "I just noticed that your laundry charm smells different from the standard Hogwarts one."

Wow Rose that was simultaneously so creepy but congrats on shifting the attention off of yourself. Fifty points to Rose Weasley!

Wait, he's definitely blushing now. He mumbles something and scoots to the far side of his chair.

I lean over. I know I'm pushing this, but I just can't help myself. "Wait, Scorpius, I didn't catch that?"

He turns back toward me, looking slightly mollified. "Are we on a first name basis now?"

Oh! I didn't even notice I'd said that. "Well, I figured since we're 'basically friends' now, it comes with the territory?" And then, since I'm second guessing myself, "If that's okay with you?"

"Works for me, Rose."

I feel a real thrill this time, it's absolutely not rational how much I enjoy my name on his lips.

Another half beat, then I realize that he's distracted me from my original question with my name and a smile. Be strong, Rose! You're worth more than that.

"Stop dodging my question, Scorpius. You were saying something about laundry charms?"

He scowls at me, but it's got no heat.

"Come on. You just caught me sniffing you, nothing could be more embarrassing than that."

"Well, it's," he tries. Shifts in his seat. Meets my eyes, looks away. Clears his throat. "My mother. She taught me to do my own cleaning charms. As a tribute to your mother. And her house elf effort. After the war."

"Oh wow, Scorpius, I had no idea, that's," I cannot come up with an appropriate word, so I try, "My mother would be so pleased."

I know that I'm smiling up at him, but it's not until Scorpius clears his throat that I take stock of the rest of our position. I'm still leaned over his seat, but he's not retreated to the far side anymore, there's almost no space between us, I could easily -

My heart skips a beat when I realize Scorpius is having the same thought. I take in his darkened pupils, watch as his eyes drift down to my lips, as his tongue unconsciously wets his lips.

I want this, I really do.

So why does my stupid body spring away from him? I watch disappointment cross his face, oh yeah, I'm disappointed too, and even more so when my stupid mouth just goes off without my permission.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," and then because I've already dug my own grave, I guess I might as well keep digging. "I want to kiss you, I really do, except we have to work together for the entire rest of the year and I'm worried about blurring the line between personal and professional."

Why, brain?! Why are you doing this to me? You're seventeen and you're allowed, no you're expected to make poor decisions. But McGonagall didn't choose you as Heads to make poor decisions. Wait, stop talking to yourself, Scorpius is saying something.

"—I agree," but then he just kind of stops abruptly. It's one of those pregnant pauses and I'm just waiting for the pin to drop.

So even though I haven't heard the first part of his spiel, I prompt him. "But?"

"Oh my goodness, Rose, don't just objectify me like that!"

"Pull yourself together Scorpius, otherwise we have to go back to doing work."

"Okay, hear me out. We're two very capable people, and you say you're worried about blurring the line, but what if we define the line? And then don't step over it?"

I blink at him.

"Look Rose, I want to kiss you," okay brain now is not the time to short circuit, focus, Rose, focus, "and you want to kiss me. We're both sober so this all seems aboveboard and consensual. We have this space all to ourselves, so no one has to know. What else is there to be concerned about?"

Did I give him the impression that I wouldn't want anyone to know? I mean… there's really only one person who would judge me if things went that way, but Al loves me more than he hates Scorpius.

But apparently my brain is on my dad's side and doesn't ever want me to get laid.

I can't stop myself from saying, "Romantic entanglements are messy, Scorpius. What if I want to kiss someone who's not you and you get jealous and that gets in the way of our work? What if one day I want to kiss you but you don't and I feel sad and that gets in the way of our work? What if—"

Scorpius cuts me off with, "What if we make a pact that work always comes first? If we're feeling angry, jealous, sad, whatever, work will always be neutral ground. We can agree to separate the professional and personal parts of our lives. I'll agree to chip in my part, and you should always feel free to tell me if I'm slipping."

This idea sounds so appealing to my hormones, and low-key also to my high EQ mother's training about healthy relationships and communicating with one's partner, and what is Scorpius if not my professional partner? But, but, but-

Alright, I'll say it. "This kind of thing never works Scorpius."

"Never is a strong word, Rose. And it can work if we agree to open communication and checking in."

"You sound like you've given this a lot of thought."

"Rose do you want to kiss me or not?"

"I do, but—" I have to push him away when he leans in, "—but let's table this until after we get Heads' business sorted for today."

He sighs. "I suppose that's fair, we did agree to work coming first."

We get done in record time, and suddenly it's like all the air in the room has been removed. I know this is a bad idea, but Scorpius made a convincing case… So after he charms the last of the papers and sends them zooming out the door to McGonagall, I come up behind him, reaching around him to shut the door and latch it firmly, which also causes a Silencing Charm to drop, protecting this room from prying ears.

He turns to face me, hitting me with the full force of the signature Malfoy smirk; he knows that he's getting what he wants.

But it's also what I want, so I guess we both win.

I hold up two fingers. "Two conditions."

He nods for me to continue.

"One, work comes first. We get everything done before messing around. Two, this," I point my finger between us to indicate whatever this is, "doesn't get in the way of work."

Is that the same condition? It doesn't matter. All thoughts flee my brain as Scorpius leans in, and I feel my eyes flutter shut. But the kiss doesn't come. Instead, a puff of warm breath by one ear as he first says, "Done," and then the other ear, "and done."

Considering all the lead-up to our first kiss, I really expected something more dramatic, a clash of lips, of push and pull, rough and passionate, but it's not that. Our first kiss is a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, tender and soft, but it sends shivers all through my body nonetheless. I rise up on my toes to meet his lips for a second time and he gathers me in his arms and we're pressed together against the door, and now comes all the breathless impatience, every kiss leaving me wanting more.

Eventually, we're back on the couch, and I'm on his lap. We're taking a breather from all the breathless snogging when my idiot brain decides to remind me that I'm late for the Ravenclaws' study group. I wriggle my bum in Scorpius' lap, where, yes, for the last several minutes or so I have been able to feel his erection, and he growls.

Yes, an honest-to-Dumbledore growl.

I'm SO turned on.

But instead I lean up and give him a quick peck and say, "I gotta go to a study group."

"Or," he purrs, encircling my waist with his arms, "you could stay here and study me." He emphasizes this by giving me a little bump with his hips. If I wasn't aroused before, I certainly am now.

"Mm, Scorpius, a lady doesn't put out on her first… whatever this is."

"So you're saying there will be a second one?"

"Maybe, maybe not," but there definitely will be, I need to touch that cock of his, if it's anything like what I can feel through his trousers, I know it will be glorious.

"Okay, I can wait for that," and the look on his face is so earnest that I almost change my mind. Morgana's tits, respecting a woman's boundaries is the sexiest thing possible.

No! No, Rose, stay strong!

So I gather my things, all the while perfectly aware that Scorpius' eyes are trained on my bum. I make sure to sway my hips a little more than usual as I charm my hair back into a semblance of order on my way out the door, looking back to say, "Same time next week?"