Chapter Five: Compromise
That night, Scorpius had the strangest dream.
The warm smell of vanilla and roses assaulted his senses. Knowing the scent to be familiar, but not quite being able to place it, Scorpius looked around the room he was in. He knew it well; it was one of the train cabins on the Hogwarts Express. Golden sunlight dipped into the small space through the window behind his right shoulder.
He heard a glittering laugh, and he looked frantically around to find it. There was no one in sight.
The laugh continued, sounding like pure beams from the sun. Who the hell was so happy to be returning to school? He thought angrily.
His head turned for a moment, and when he turned back around, a girl was standing in the doorway. Locks of copper hair fell over her shoulders and spilled over the swell of her chest. The longest of her shiny locks just barely skimmed her hips. Her uniform was tidy, yet her sleeves were rolled up casually as if she was perfectly at ease on the train, sitting and talking with friends the moment before she had stepped into his cabin. Pinned to the area right above her heart was a glinting Prefects' badge.
In an instant, she stood before him. Too close. If she took one more step, she would practically be in his lap. His stomach lurched in anticipation. Did he want that?
She was so close that he could see the sun kissed freckles dancing across her straight, slim nose. His brain was clouded and overwhelmed with smells, sounds of her laughter, and pure sunshine.
Rose…
One gleaming hand reached out towards his face, sweeping behind his head and combing his hair with soft hands. Bolts of lightning and shivers ran down his spine, then swept up towards nefarious regions of his body. Scorpius closed his eyes, leaning into her, giving everything to her, letting her envelope him in her embrace…
God! He woke up, drenched in sweat, staring down at his legs in the sleeping bag. He was here. He was in Albus' room, laying in a sleeping bag, on the floor. He was not in the compartment on the Hogwarts Express, staring at a glowing beauty…
Glowing beauty? What was wrong with him? He looked down at himself again, feeling a nagging warmth in his midwection. That could've ended badly, if the dream kept going. He could already feel the effects of such thoughts pooling down to his most sensitive area.
People had weird dreams all the time. Dreams about clowns, drowning, being naked, the embarassing list went on and on. This one was simply a figment of his imagination, and had absolutely nothing to do with the girl…woman? …who looked exactly like the sunkissed deity in his dream.
He had a very hard time falling back to sleep that night. No matter how hard he tried, the thick scent of roses and vanilla perused his nose.
The alarm clock screamed at her incessantly. Her head throbbed. Clearly that Irish coffee hadn't sat well with her the night before. Her stomach churned, and she reached over to hit the clock straight on its head. She smirked sleepily. That made it shut up.
Rose's cat, Pangur Bán, yawned tremendously and then stretched her furry legs out so they were resting directly on her face. Rose wiggled her nose. The tiny, furry paws smelled like litter and sleep.
Alice was already sitting upright on her bedroom floor, combing her longish blonde locks with a pretty metal comb. "Good morning, gorgeous." She trilled. "Have you packed yet?"
Rose grunted grumpily.
Alice sighed. "I didn't think so. Want me to run downstairs and grab you a plate of something tasty?"
Rose picked her head up, eyeing her friend. "Eh?" She said approvingly.
Alice nodded once, set her brush down, and quickly made her way downstairs.
The Burrow was always bustling at this time of day, but on the day where all the kids left for the school term, it was even more chaotic. All the various aunts, unless, and parents were bustling about, ironing sweaters and bickering amongst each other. For some reason, they all wanted to look nice to send their kids off on the train.
Grandma Molly was making some delicious looking biscuits. Alice found her at once. "Good Morning, Molly!" she exclaimed brightly.
Molly beamed right back. "Alice, a joy!" Molly cooed. "I assume you're here because Rose doesn't want to rise from her bed yet. Here, just the thing to wake her up. Her favorite!" Grandma Molly handed her a biscuit covered in freshly homemade strawberry jam.
"This will do the trick, thank you, Molly!" Alice said gratefully.
"Always like Ron, that girl has been, " Molly sighed, rubbing her doughy hands on her apron. "A mind like her mother's, for sure, but she and Ron are twin spirits when it comes to food." She smiled, obviously missing her son's youthful years and living vicariously through her grandchildren's.
Alice turned, a handful of strawberry biscuit. Her eyes glanced over Scorpius, who was assisting James by stepping on his suitcase while the older Potter boy tried to close it shut. Scorpius looked as though he hadn't had any sleep at all. His usually clean and kept hair was ruffled, and his collared shirt was uncharacteristically unironed and untucked.
Giggling to herself, Alice stole a bite of the biscuit in her hand and made her way back to Rose's room. When she entered, Rose had barely even sat up.
"I thought you were excited to go back to school!" The Longbottom girl exclaimed.
"I am, but I am not excited for mornings." Rose threw off the covers, revealing her plaid pajama pants and oversized jumper. The jumper had been her dad's from when he was a teen. It was well stretched, brandishing the years it had been in existence through a couple of moth-bitten holes.
"We have to do something about your hair, Rose!" Alice whined. "It's far too beautiful to look like a nest all the time." Without another word, Alice rummaged through her bag and pulled out the same metal comb she had been brushing her hair with the other day. With a quick scourgify, she sanitized the comb, and moved to begin on the redhead's tangled locks.
Rose soon discovered that her friend owned no ordinary comb. With a simple flick of the wrist, it untangled with ease and made her hair shine. The rippling waves of copper flowed gracefully from her head. Rose wasn't sure her hair had ever looked so pretty.
"Where on earth did you get something like that?" Rose asked.
"My Dad bought it for mum on their honeymoon," Alice answered. "Mum passed it down to me this summer when I turned 16. Isn't it lovely? With hardly any effort at all, it detangles even the roughest knots. Dad says it's enchanted somehow."
Rose didn't say anything, but she couldn't help but wonder why Alice's hair didn't become ultra shiny when she used the comb. She had been brushing her hair with it last night, and although her hair was very pretty, it looked the same as it always did.
The girls began to pack their school supplies, stuffing spare quills, parchment, scarves, jumpers, socks, hair clips, and inkwells into the crevices of their already overflowing suitcases.
"I wanted Dad to get me one of those bags that your mom has," Alice said, referencing Hermione's never-ending pouch that could hold obscenely more than it looked like it could.
Rose laughed. "I think they're pretty rare," she said, "And besides, my mom enchanted that herself. She would never tell me how she did it…"
The girls changed, putting on their clean uniforms and throwing knitted jumpers and scarves on over it all. Rose tugged her long hair out from under her collar so that it laid nicely on top of her maroon and gold scarf.
Rose scooped Pangur Bán up into her arms, cooing at the fluffy grey Persian cat. Everyone always said that Pangur Bán looked like her face had been smushed in a door, but Rose thought she was the loveliest creature alive. Apparently, Pangur Bán thought so as well, because she furiously licked where Rose had messed up her fur.
Alice's pet was quite unusual. With the Botany Professor being her father, she had always had a taste for the unique. Alice never left for the school term without the small glass bowl which contained her bright pink axolotl.
Alice had packed his real tank in a separate bag, but for the journey to Hogwarts, his heavy-duty, ultra thick glass travel bowl would have to suffice. There was even a charm to make him extra sleepy placed on the aquatic creature. He floated around, dazed, as Alice picked him up and snuggled the bowl.
"You know he can't actually feel you hugging him, right?" Rose asked amusedly.
"Yes, he can." Alice said as if it were a matter of fact.
Rose shook her head at her best friend. She felt a pang in her chest as she thought with nervous expectation about the year to come. With Alice and Al by her side, she could make it through anything.
Almost anything.
The multitudes of students' suitcases were being loaded onto the train by professors and parents alike. Amidst the foggy morning, Rose could just barely spot the striped jumper of professor Longbottom; Alice's Dad. She also thought she saw the dark cloaks of Professor Tulis and Professor Tribley.
Professor Tulis was a severe woman, slightly older than Rose's parents, with pitch black hair that was always scraped back into a tight bun. She always wore long, black robes which starkly contrasted against her alabaster skin.
The Professor had been Rose's mentor in many ways growing up. She was a cool, level-headed woman that ruled with an iron fist. Next to her parents, she was probably one of the adults who knew Rose best.
Alice ran to say goodbye to her mother and father, while Rose squeezed her brother Hugo's shoulders as they stood in front of her parents.
Her father was already tearing up, just as he always did. Her mother smiled brightly at the two of them, and then reached out to rub Rose's cheek.
"Rosie, try to behave yourself this year. I don't want a bad report from Professor Tulis." Softening her tone, she then said, "Keep excelling at what you do best, my love."
Ron blew his nose into his sleeve. Hermione looked at him disgustedly. "Do you really have to do that, Ron?"
Hugo laughed, and Hermione pulled him aside to say a special few words to him just as she had to Rose.
Rose moved forward to hug her father. "See you during break, Dad." She said, dodging the snot-covered sleeve. Her father choked back another sob.
"I'm just so proud of y-you!" He said, grasping her in a bear hug that knocked the wind out of her.
"Dad — can't — breathe —-"
"Sorry, Rosie." He let her go then, patting her head gently. Her Dad was always so emotional when it came to goodbyes, perhaps because he had lost so many loved ones in his time. He hated the act of saying goodbye, even if it was temporary. Before she stepped onto the train, she felt her dad tug at her jumper sleeve one more time. She looked down for a moment, noticing her prefect badge glinting in the sun. "Remember Rose. Beat him in every test."
Rose sat with her arms crossed to her chest. Scorpius was directly across from her, staring her down as well. He leaned back on the bench of the train compartment, a languid smile creeping across his face. His eyes were the color of a rainy sky, clouded and steely like an overcast day. He looked at her with such intensity she – she forgot what she was thinking about. She felt an unwelcome heat rise to her cheeks, once she realized she was thinking about the color of his eyes. Damn it! Since when was he able to get the upper hand by distraction?
"Fold." Rose said, slamming her hand of cards down on the ground at her feet. Raucous cheers erupted from the four corners of the compartment, and from the corner of her eye, Rose saw betted candy exchanging hands between Lily and Hugo.
What disturbed her even more was that he definitely didn't do that on purpose. It was her own mind, sabotaging her with thoughts that should have never been allowed to exist.
She stood, flicking her eyes back to the distraction, who seemingly had never stopped staring at her. Alice was right, he really didn't look like he'd slept. His shirt was only buttoned three quarters of the way up his chest, leaving his throat and collar bone exposed, for everyone, including her, to see his sharp features. She really hadn't remembered him being so tall last year, and what was more, she definitely didn't recall the silky shapes of his throat and chest to be seemingly carved of marble.
"Once the intense staring contest ends, I'll be happy to give Scorp his reward," Fred said, eyeing the two of them suspiciously.
Both Scorpius and Rose's eyes broke away from each other, and Rose felt as though her face was literally on fire. Being caught staring intensely at Scorpius wasn't even the most embarrassing part –
"You two looked like you were about to stab each other," Albus commented.
"Yeah, either that, or rip each other's clothes off," Fred murmured under his breath.
Scorpius directed his steely gaze at Fred. He bolted up from his seat, surprising everyone in the train compartment. "Shut up, Fred." he growled.
Fred pushed him away playfully. "Hey man, I'm just telling it like I see it." He smiled deviously.
Had it not been for the knocking on the compartment door, Scorpius may have actually punched Fred. He certainly looked like he was getting ready to.
It was Professor Tulis. "May I borrow your Prefects, please?" she asked, her thick french accent coating the words she spoke. "We 'ave our initiation meeting starting shortly in compartment 12. Please don't forget your badges." She glanced between Scorpius and Rose, her hands tucked into the pockets of her formal black robes.
Rose really didn't want to look at Scorpius for the rest of the day, but chances were, she was going to have to be squeezed into a tight compartment next to him for the rest of the way to Hogwarts.
Rose expected some kind of meeting to take place before the end of today, but she certainly didn't expect one this soon. She really didn't expect just how cramped the Prefect compartment was going to be.
When she arrived, she assumed Scorpius was behind her, but she felt too much pride swelling in her to check. There were the male and female Prefects from each house there, including Shea Wenlock and Barry Scamander from Hufflepuff, Athena Greystone and Henry Thimblewillow from Ravenclaw, and of course Gertrude Crabbe and Zephyr Zarconias from Slytherin. Rose quickly realized that the only place to sit in the whole compartment, other than the ground itself, was a tiny space near the farthest wall. Her breath hitched in her throat. She and Scorpius would have to squeeze in there…side by side?
Professor Tulis suddenly entered behind Rose. "Places, please Rose and Scorpius. We don't 'ave time to dilly or dally," the Professor said impatiently.
It was then that Rose realized Scorpius has entered behind her, and was waiting for her to sit down first. He threw out one hand, motioning to the small space. "After you." he said gruffly.
For the first time, Rose noticed that Scorpius was wearing a ring. She couldn't get a good look at it, but it appeared to be a signet ring of some kind, made out of silver, with a small green stone wedged in the side.
Breaking away from any thoughts about Scorpius at all, Rose quickly sat down in the only available space, which was right next to Shea Wenlocke from Hufflepuff. She smiled at Rose timidly before returning her utmost attention to Professor Tulis.
Scorpius followed Rose, nudging his lanky body next to hers. He was very hard, Rose realized, as if he was completely made of lean muscle, and hardly any fat. Self consciously, Rose thought of her own well-endowed hips and thighs. The thighs, that, by the way, Scorpius himself was touching.
Her heart pounded against her chest. If he got any closer to her, she was going to pass out. She just knew she was. It was a feeling akin to panic, but even more persistent. More languid, more pulling. It was as if her blood was slowing down inside her as the pant of his trousers brushed against her freckled skin.
The Slytherin Prefects were giggling to one another as they watched Rose and Scorpius struggle to not be practically on top of each other. Surely, today would be the death of her, thought Rose.
"Now, students," Professor Tulis carried on, painfully unaware of the turmoil Rose was experiencing, "As you know, you 'ave many new responsibilities as Prefects to your respective 'ouses." She stood in the middle of the compartment, her robes swaying gently with the rocking train. "Being a Prefect isn't just about patrolling the 'allways after curfew, or making sure no food is being thrown during mealtimes. A Prefect should always be assisting their Head Boy or Girl, treating others with respect," the Professor's eyes stopped for a moment on Rose and Scorpius when she said the previous statement. "And exemplify the traits of their Houses in the best way possible."
Rose gulped. Scorpius was the largest threat to her ability to be a good Prefect. How was she supposed to behave reasonably, calmly, and as bravely as a Gryffindor when that twat was constantly egging her on?
Professor Tulis continued, detailing the responsibilities of each House Prefect. They were to meet all together once a week, take turns patrolling the halls after curfew in pairs, plan and organize any and all balls or school-wide events, as well as assist in the organization of monthly Hogsmeade visits. There were many smaller responsibilities that Professor Tulis said she would sit with each Prefect individually and discuss further at a later date.
Once the lecture was over, Professor Tulis opened up the floor for questions and concerns. It was quiet for some time, but eventually the questions rolled in.
"Is it really true that if a Prefect starts to date another student or Prefect, we will be stripped of our title?" Henry Thimblewillow inquired.
Several girls giggled all around the room, but Rose was not one of them. She couldn't imagine dating another Prefect. It would be so difficult to schedule dates and find fun things to do with each other while you had Prefect responsibilities as well. Perhaps she was thinking this because she never had dated anyone before, so she had no idea what it was like.
Professor Tulis stopped the giggles with one stern glance. "No, Henry." The other girls breathed a sigh of relief, looking back and forth at the various boys in the compartment. "I expect you to treat being a Prefect like it is your professional career. It would be inappropriate to acknowledge romantic interests while on the job. If you are found acting unprofessionally, your Prefect badge will be revoked. While you are on break, or simply a student, your romantic life is your personal business and yours alone."
Henry nodded, satisfied with the answer. Rose glanced at him, noting his thick locks of wavy brown hair and his bright blue eyes. He was, for all intents and purposes, a conventionally attractive young man. What was more, he was extremely intelligent and creative, which was far more intriguing to Rose than his aesthetics. Even still, Rose wasn't going to even consider putting her Prefect badge on the line for some boy.
"And what if some of our fellow Prefects are misbehaving or arguing?" Gertrude Crabbe spoke up, her eyes glinting with mischievous light. "Should we report their disrespectful behavior to you directly, Professor?" Rose thought she saw Gertrude look directly at her and smile.
"Yes, Gertrude." The Professor answered. "I would like to know if there are any disagreements between the Prefects. I would prefer that you all do not interfere with such squabbles until I am made aware of them."
Rose didn't have to have a degree in Divination to know that Gertrude was placing a jab at her and Scorpius. It was no secret that the two of them fought constantly, and it was almost sure to happen while they were both prefects. Rose swallowed a pained breath, not looking forward to when she would have to deal with Scorpius' ridiculous behavior, being the Prefect that she was.
"Now that you all have had the opportunity to make your inquiries, I believe this is as good a time as any to end the meeting here." Professor Tulis said. "Please enjoy the rest of the train ride. We will meet early tomorrow morning, 8am, in the Transfiguration classroom, to assign hall patrol duties." The Professor turned to look directly at Rose and Scorpius. "Will you two stay a moment…I wish to have a word with you both."
If Rose thought she was embarrassed before, it was nothing compared to now. That all-too-familiar heat spread to her cheeks once more as the other Prefects giggled at the sight of she and Scorpius being held back. Once Shea had gotten up, Rose immediately scooted away from the platinum-haired boy that was practically glued to her side. Almost instinctively, Scorpius scooted back as well.
"Is everything alright, Professor Tulis?" Scorpius asked, his voice hoarse. Rose peeked at him from her peripheral vision. Was he nervous, too?
"Rose and Scorpius," the Professor addressed them, her black gaze never wavering from the two new Prefects. "It is no secret to me that the two of you do not get along. I 'ave watched you since you were in your very first year here, and you both have been immense thorns in my side."
Rose's breath caught in her throat. All of the detentions she had received had been due to her squabbles with Scorpius over the years. In their first year, while they were eating in the Great Hall, he had pulled on one of her braids so hard she fell off her stool. She immediately got to her feet and fired the only hex she knew at him - causing little beetles to emerge from his robes and nip at him all over. Professor Tulis had called her "immature" and "violent," and promised Scorpius would be punished for his actions as well. What punishment he had received, though, clearly hadn't been enough to stop him from further antagonizing Rose over the years. And even still, her, antagonizing him back.
"Then why did you choose us as Prefects?" Rose blurted out, immediately regretting her boldness.
Surprisingly, Professor Tulis smiled. "Neither of you have ever shied away from a challenge. I saw a great opportunity to give you your greatest challenge yet." The Professor paused dramatically, her beady black eyes surveying the students as if they were projects, not people. "You must get along. Work together, and become friends. That is my challenge to you. And if you do fail, the punishment will be far more severe than you realize."
Friends? Was this woman absolutely out of her mind? Rose's mind tried not to flicker to all the horrible words Scorpoius had said to her in the past day. How could she ever forgive him, much less, reconcile with herself for forgetting those things if she did forgive him?
But the students remained silent. Even as Professor Tulis glided out of the room, her formal black robe skimming the floor as she quietly left them alone in the compartment together.
Rose didn't recall how long she sat there, waiting for one of them to get up first. Eventually, She made the first move, standing on weakened knees and making a beeline for the door. Before she could think another thought, Scorpius was behind her, placing both his hands on her shoulders to stop her from leaving.
"What are you doing?" Rose demanded.
Scorpius gripped her shoulders even tighter, turning her around to face him. She was astonished at his strength, and slightly afraid that he was bold enough to touch her at all. Well, he did play Quidditch, after all. Grip strength probably came naturally to him. Her stomach twinged with discomfort as she thought, you're no more than a bludger in his hands.
She willed herself to look up at him. His face was sculpted in an unreadable expression. A vein in his neck stood out against his nearly translucent skin as he stared at her. "Neither you nor I want to lose their Prefect badge." He stated simply, his voice unusually quiet.
"I thought you couldn't care less about being a Prefect –" She started.
"Whatever punishment Professor Tulis has in mind is nothing compared to what I have waiting at home if I dishonor the family."
Rose felt her eyes widen. What was that supposed to mean? Shocked into silence, she simply stood still as Scorpius continued to hold her there.
"You and I will learn to be friends." He stated, still staring at her intensely.
Rose couldn't help it – she barked out a laugh. "Friends? With you? I'd rather get stabbed in the heart by the pin on the back of this shiny badge."
Scorpius ripped his hands away from her as if she was a hot stovetop. He lifted his chin and looked down on her indignantly, the vein in his neck popping once more. "I can arrange something more painful if you won't listen to me." he growled.
"Are you threatening me?" Rose asked in disbelief.
He frowned. "No," he said, backing away from her slightly. She only just realized that he had been close enough to feel his breath on her face. "No. I shouldn't have said that. It's just that – you and I have the same goal."
Rose took in a breath. "And that is?"
"To honor our families. To make our parents proud. To be good Prefects, and even better students." A humorless smile tugged at his lip. "To beat each other in every test."
"I guess so." She said weakly.
"So if you won't agree to be friends, we can at least compromise." He continued.
Had he been thinking of all of this while Professor Tulis was speaking with them? Or had he been planning to corner her from the moment he discovered they were both Prefects? Rose couldn't imagine he had given the situation that much thought or importance.
"A compromise?" she breathed.
"We can pretend to be friends. In public. In private," the smile reappeared. "We can go at each other's throats all you want."
"I don't want anything to do with you," She breathed, her gut flipping as her head said lie, lie. Stupid, sabotaging thoughts.
"It's up to you." he said, although the clench of his jaw told her he wanted her to agree very, very badly. Exactly how bad was the punishment waiting at home for him, she wondered.
Several moments passed, as Rose stared at the ground, and she could feel Scorpius' gaze locked on her as he waited for her to respond.
You must exemplify your House, she thought. That's what a real Prefect would do. A true Gryffindor would never shy away from such a challenge, even if they had to attempt to be friends with a mer-person. Or a dementor. And besides, it wasn't real friendship anyway. It would be a heavy lie, and no one would believe it at first, but over time, it would become normal. And it wouldn't diminish the real hatred she had in her heart for the platinum-haired Malfoy boy, because at the end of the day, she was doing it for her House, her parents, and her classmates.
"You've got a deal."