Chapter 7: Snakes in the Grass
Her mother was brushing her hair. Or at least, it felt like she was, as a hand caressed her soft locks. Rose turned to her side, pulling a blanket of lambs wool over her sleeping body. Above her face, butterflies fluttered, birds chirped, and clouds rolled by.
Wait, butterflies, birds, clouds?
Rose stirred, trying to remember where she was, but it felt like her head was a solid stone. She felt a faint throb on the back of her head as she tried to sit up.
"I wouldn't try to get up, if I were you." a familiar voice said. "Or all my hard work will be for nothing."
Rose made an effort to open her eyes, and found herself staring up an expansive stone ceiling. "Wh…where am I?" she managed to squeak out, her mouth feeling like cotton.
"Here. Now that you're lucid, you need to drink." Rose felt a cool hand behind her head, and it lifted her slightly towards a copper goblet filled with water. The room was blurry, but it definitely didn't look like any place she had been before. Logically, she knew she shouldn't be here, but her mind was so fuzzy, she couldn't make the conscious effort to protest as the man helped her drink.
Rose swallowed with effort, suddenly realizing it was a man who was beside her. She couldn't remember much of anything, besides her name, and she wondered idly why she needed help to drink. Slowly, more of the room came into detail, and she observed dark wooden panels on the walls, a four poster bed (which she was laying in), dark sheets and blankets, and a decorative green rug. This was not her room.
"I don't know how I got here," she mumbled, and she finally turned her head all the way to look at the person who had been helping her drink.
"Shh." They said, reaching hand forward to take the goblet. "Madame Devinshire will be back soon, to assess the damage and give you another sleeping drought if you need it."
Scorpius. It was Scorpius Malfoy. Rose squinted at the soft blond hair, which shone by the candlelight and even appeared slightly white. She willingly handed the goblet back to his outstretched glowing white hand. Why was he speaking so softly to her? And why was he here at all? These questions died on her tongue, extreme exhaustion taking over her body. She rested her head again, too tired to look at him.
"You probably feel very drowsy." He stated, his tone a little harsher now that she was fully awake. "We had to make sure you were alright, so I hear the tonic they used was strong. I've been assured –" he stopped himself, clearing his throat briefly. "I've been told you will heal quickly."
Suddenly, a wave of panic arose in her chest. "There was a woman," she stated, her words running together. "In my room. She glowed. She was sitting at my writing desk. I got scared and I fell…"
From the corner of her eye, she saw Scorpius non knowingly.
"I know. I came in when I heard you scream. I beckoned the ghost to leave. Apparently, your room used to be her office. Her name was Professor Spindly, and she was more than happy to let you have your room back."
Rose's head felt like a balloon filled with water. "Ghost?" she asked.
"Yes. She was nothing more than a ghost. She couldn't have hurt you in any way. Although she would have given anyone an awful fright."
Rose blinked rapidly, the details of the bedroom becoming clearer and clearer. "Where am I?" she demanded again.
"You're in my room –"
"What?!" Rose exclaimed, sitting up rapidly and feeling a sharp twinge in her head at the very base of her skull. In a moment, Scorpius reached out both arms to hold her, pushing her back onto mounds of soft pillows. He held her there for a moment, both of their breaths becoming one, before he finally let go and went back to her bedside.
He smelled like something earthy…something spicy. She had recognized it before, when he touched her in the train compartment, but now, in her delirious state, the words came more clearly. He smelled like freshly brewed Earl Grey tea, an assortment of spices, and the faintest spearmint.
"It took some time to convince the ghost to leave," he admitted, and Rose saw him bite his lip. "I couldn't let you stay there, on the ground, while I argued with the ghost." he explained. "The nearest bed was mine, of course. I immediately called the Infirmary, and Madame Devinshire came right away to check on you. She advised that it probably wouldn't have been a good idea to move you from this spot until she knew if you had been seriously concussed or not."
Rose imagined for a moment what might have happened to her if Scorpius hadn't heard her scream, if she had just laid there for hours, concussed. With a bloody ghost in her room!
"Are you sure the ghost is gone?" She asked, her voice quiet.
"Yes." he said confidently. "I didn't sleep until I knew it was."
Rose gulped, wondering why he had added that last part. "Well, thanks, I guess, friend," she said sarcastically.
Could that have been a faint smile on Scorpius' face? She didn't have time to reflect on the thought, because soon enough, Madame Devinshire was bustling back into the room, several vials and cloths in her hands.
"There ye are! I knew ye'd be awake soon enough." She cooed at Rose, placing a damp cloth on the Weasley girl's forehead. "Look at me, bright as a bunny! Now, swallow this, yes, good girl." The nurse gingerly lifted a vial to Rose's lips, and Rose happily drank it. The pain in her skull had begun to throb rather immensely.
"The final drought, and ya should be right as rain, darlin'. I didn't want to give it to ye before you woke, see, it's dangerous to give while one is unconscious."
"Thank you," Rose breathed, feeling slightly embarrassed that Scorpius had been watching the whole process.
"Ya should be grateful this lad was by yer side, love." Madam Devinshire commented. "He was by yer bed the whole time, 'cept for when he and Albus shied that spirit away. Tulis gave him ten House points for that, did she."
Rose closed her eyes, embarrassment tinging her heart. So Professor Tulis, Albus, and Scorpius all knew she had gotten spooked by a ghost and nearly killed herself in the process. Not only that, but Scorpius for some deranged reason decided it was his duty to watch over her. Probably so that he could have something to hold over her.
"How…how long was I asleep?" Rose asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.
"Oh, day or so, give or take." The nurse answered.
If Rose felt embarrassed before, it was nothing to how she felt now. She had missed the first day before classes, and not only that, but she had missed her very first Prefect meeting.
"Professor Tulis told everyone that you slipped and fell," Scorpius said, as if reading her thoughts. "She postponed the meeting until later tonight."
"Do…people know…about the ghost?" Rose choked out.
"No." Scorpius answered firmly. "No students but me, Alice, and Albus. Professor Tulis was insistent that she didn't want to cause a panic amidst the student body. A new ghost hasn't been seen in the Prefect dorms in quite some time." Was she imagining things, or was that soft smile back on his lips? "You must be special," he said.
Madame Devinshire insisted again and again that Rose would start to feel better shortly, and that she did. Her vision cleared almost completely, her head began to feel better, and she could feel herself about her wits again.
Scorpius had left, realizing soon enough that a lucid Rose meant he was unwelcome. Alice and Albus came to sit by her bedside as she recovered.
"It's too bad you hadn't hit yourself in the face somewhere," Albus stated, "A scar would have been pretty badass."
Rose and Alice laughed at the ridiculousness of that statement. Alice sat on the foot of the bed, holding one of Rose's hands as Rose leaned back on the pillows. "Really, I was surprised how nice Scorpius was to you while you were unconscious, Rose." Alice said.
Rose scoffed. "Aren't you usually the one trying to tell me how nice he is deep down?"
Alice nodded. "It made me realize that he is only mean to you because he's embarrassed about being nice to you." she said. "No one was around, so he felt comfortable being nice and caring for you."
Rose laughed openly, causing her skull to throb with the tiniest bit of pain. "You come up with the wildest theories, Alice."
Eventually, Rose felt good enough to stand on her own, with the slightest help from Alice. She made her way to her own room, which, thankfully, wasn't occupied with any phantom creatures.
Her robe lay on the ground just where she had tugged it off the day before, and with a sudden gasp Rose realized that she had been wearing only her bra and shorts when Scorpius had found her. She looked down, only just then realizing that she wore a large t-shirt with some muggle phrase on the front.
"Whos…?"
Alice shrugged. "I thought I heard Scorpius say you were indecent, so he covered you up."
No wonder the smell of earl grey and spearmint had been so strong while she was napping. This was his shirt. Unbelievable. Why would he give a damn that she was inappropriately clothed? More waves of embarrassment hit her and she quickly realized he had seen her in indecent clothing. He had seen the lacey, lilac colored bralette, which showed nearly half of her ample breasts. He had seen all of her legs in those soft, grey shorts which were entirely shorter than any person had seen her in before.
"Kill me now," Rose murmured under her breath, making Alice giggle.
With a little bit of help, Rose dressed herself for the Prefects meeting. A clean jumper of her own and a freshly ironed skirt started to make her feel much more alive. For some inexplicable reason, Rose did not toss Scorpius' shirt to the side. She had no idea why she did it, but it seemed as if the movement left her hands and she thought about it afterwards. She folded the shirt and placed it carefully in her dresser.
Alice watched her closely, but didn't say anything. "Ready?" she finally asked, and Rose nodded firmly.
The Prefects meeting wasn't too far away, but still, Rose's legs were wobbly, and she took her time descending the steps. Scorpius offered his arm to her, but she looked away as if she couldn't see it. It might have been a tad rude, especially after all he had done for her, but he was not someone she could ever get used to trusting.
The normally crowded classroom seemed vacant now, the few Prefects standing in a circle, speaking in hushed voices. They feel completely silent when Rose and Scorpius walked in.
"Took a little tumble, didn't we, Weasley?" Zephyr Zarconias asked, his eyes glinting with amusement as he looked her up and down. Why the hell was he looking at her like that? She wondered.
"Why do they know about it?" Rose whispered to scorpius.
"They think you tripped, they know nothing of the ghost. Tulis said to keep it that way."
Gertrude's lips had pursed into an ugly smile. "It's so good that Scorpius heard it and has a bedroom next to yours," She said, her voice dripping with jealousy.
Scorpius looked directly at Zephyr, completely ignoring Gertrude. "She barely survived a concussion, so think before you speak, Zarconias." He said angrily.
Zephyr stepped back in mock-resolution, holding his hands up. "Sorry I stepped on the toes of your little girlfriend, Scorpius." he hissed.
Scorpius moved towards Zephyr with a speed Rose had never seen before, even when he was playing quidditch. She saw the same flame in his face that had shone that day Fred made an inappropriate joke on the train. One thing was for sure, and that was Scorpius did not like romantic notions being insinuated about him and Rose.
"Boys," Professor Tulis said sharply, her dark robes flowing round her as she glided into the room.
Malfoy and Zarconias backed away from each other as if there was a lightning bolt between them. "Sorry, Professor," they mumbled in disorganized unison.
Professor Tulis cleared her throat sharply, focusing beady eyes on each and every student. "I'm sure I speak for all when I say we are so glad you have no lasting damage, Ms. Weasley. Aren't we, Prefects?" the Professor asked.
The Prefects answered affirmatively, some more convincingly than others. Shea gave Rose an encouraging, nervous smile from across the room, and so did Henry, the blue eyed Ravenclaw boy.
Rose stared at her feet, far too mortified to acknowledge anyone but Professor Tulis.
"Now then, we must not let this little bump in the road distract us from our duties." The professor continued calmly. "Shea and Henry, you both have the north wing of the castle for tonight's curfew patrols."
The professor went on and on, listing various duties that needed to be scheduled amongst the Prefects. Tulis went easy on Scorpius and Rose, no doubt because of Rose's injury; but Rose was soon wishing she had given her her duties full force. The workload she placed on the others was far greater because of this, and Rose could sense distasteful eyes glancing her way all throughout the meeting.
"Through gentlemanly attitude and heroic behavior, Scorpius has earned ten points for his house." The professor continued, referencing how Scorpius had come to Rose's rescue the night before. "I expect no less from the rest of you. We all must look out for our fellow prefects in this manner. That is why Scorpius earned his house points."
The professor wasn't even talking about her, and yet Rose could feel her face glowing red. Perhaps this was why Scorpius had done what he had; he wanted the attention. He wanted everyone to think he was the best Gryffindor, the best Prefect he could be.
It made Rose sick to her stomach when she realized how diabolical that was. As soon as the meeting ended, she ran to the nearest bathroom to heave.
Footsteps sounded at the bathroom door. God, not now! She thought. She was going to be sick, and it was all because of the thought of Scorpius getting personal gratification for appearing gentlemanly.
It was Shea, Henry, and Scorpius who entered the bathroom. She heard Scorpius say, "Her head went through a lot of trauma, it's probably normal that she would feel nauseous." Concern twinged his deep male voice. Fake concern, Rose couldn't help but think.
Rose retched, hating that her recent embarrassing moments had been so public. Shea rushed to her side, patting her back lightly. "No," Rose said loudly, standing, turning to glare at Scorpius. "This has nothing to do with my head. I am sick, sick of you!" she said, her voice echoing off the walls of the stone bathroom. Henry and Shea stared awkwardly. "I am sick of this pretend game you're playing, all so people can pat you on the back and call you a good boy!" Rose practically spit out the last two words.
Scorpius' face twisted into that same expression he had shown at the Yule ball previously. "If that's what you think of me." he stated simply, his voice immeasurably calm. "Then I guess I should leave." and leave he did, without another word.
It was quiet for a moment, and then Henry spoke. "Rose…" he said, his eyes trailing her. "Is there something wrong? Did Scorpius do something to you?"
Rose breathed deeply. "It's just that –" Rose was about to tell him everything. All the sordid tales of Scorpius, calling her ugly, vile, the pact they made to pretend to be friends, his fake affection and care for her…
"It's just that Scorpius and I have never gotten along, so it's hard for me to accept what he's become." she said through tight lips. In reality, she wasn't surprised at all at Scorpius' deception. But it benefitted the prefects none to admit to them the strange pact she and the Malfoy boy had made. After all, no matter how much she regretted it, Rose was a woman of her word.
Shea moved towards her, in true Hufflepuff nature, and attempted to console her fellow Prefect. "It would be hard for anyone. And you probably shouldn't have had so much activity, especially after the concussion."
Rose nodded, and she let Shea lead her so that she could get a drink of water. Henry soon made himself scarce, no doubt feeling awkward as the girls sat and talked about girly things.
"I don't know about you, but I am excited for dinner." Shea stated.
Rose smiled genuinely. "I admire the Hufflepuff ability to focus on the simple joys in life," she said. "It seems as though I'm always irrationally worried about something."
"It's not that we don't have those anxieties too." Shea said. "We do, we just choose to lift others up with the energy that would normally be spent worrying or tearing them down."
The girls soon headed towards the Great Hall, talking and laughing about various topics along the way. As soon as Rose was able to rid her mind of the emotional turmoil that had occurred over the past few days, she felt much better. Alice ran to meet them, showing Rose the pretty flower garland she had made while waiting for her to get out of her Prefect's meeting.
Albus soon joined them too, asking them all to sit near him as he attempted to eat the largest turkey leg Rose had ever seen. Shea soon excused herself from the Gryffindor table, laughing as Albus spit out a rather large leg bone.
"Has anyone seen Scorpius?" Fred wondered out loud.
Albus shrugged. "No one has seen him since the Prefect meeting," Albus answered, stuffing a couple of buttered biscuits down his throat.
Scorpius was really playing into the whole facetious caring, Rose thought, picking at her sweet potato.
"Perhaps we should check where he is," Rose said, almost against her will. "He has never been known to miss a meal." She tried to reason her outburst with logic.
Albus rose one dark eyebrow at her. "Um, I guess so, although I suspect he's just neck deep in a book."
Albus and Fred walked off, to go in search of the Malfoy boy to make sure he was indeed alright. Alice cleared her throat at Rose, nudging her friend with one elbow. "Did anything of significance happen at the Prefect meeting?" she asked.
Rose sighed, knowing she couldn't hide it from Alice if she had tried. "I almost barfed." she admitted. Alice inclined her eyebrows at her questioningly. "It was Scorpius. He made me sick because he obviously only helped me for the house points. It was glaringly obvious at the meeting. I wish you could have been there, Alice."
Alice thought for a moment, then pointed her finger up into the air. "What if I could be with you, all the time?" she inquired.
Rose laughed. "What are you talking about, you crazy person?" She asked her friend.
Alice knelt down, reaching into her purse to pull out a barrett that had a crystal shaped like a flower on one end. "This," she stated, proudly clipping the barrett to Rose's hair. "Is something my mother has had since she was little. It is a listening device. It simply can hear the surrounding voices and sounds, and transmit them into these earrings." Alice pointed to the little crystalline earrings she was wearing.
"Wow," Rose said, her eyes shimmering at the new magical device. "Why on earth hadn't you mentioned these before?"
Alice giggled. "My mother gave them to me as soon as I boarded the train." she said, playing with the earrings on her earlobes. "She said she had been waiting to give them to me, but she thought now would be a good time, since you were made Prefect."
Rose grasped her friend in a huge hug. Alice stilled, and then finally hugged back, obviously taken by surprise at the rare move of affection from her friend.
"Now you will really see," Rose said confidently. "You will see what a snake Scorpius really is."