"Traitor!" Abby hissed across the room at Jane.

The entire class turned their heads out of their usual History of Magic daze to Abby and (unfortunately) me.

"Quit it, Abby," I muttered to her, not for the first time. I tried with all my might to concentrate and listen to the undisturbed moany voice of Professor Binns.

"Never," she said firmly scratching the tip of her quill across a sentence in the history book. It was just as loud as her hiss had been.

Then I sighed. Jane had abandoned our History of Magic desk and was sitting alongside Eric Longford. Abby took this as a fact that Jane was a traitor and took the whole thing to heart in her usual dramatic flare.

"Abby," I said slowly. "This desk is only designed for two people anyway. She has a boyfriend, they're going to sit together."

I wasn't in the mood to bicker to Abby about Janic. I could kind of see where Jane was coming from if Scorpius wasn't a Slytherin and a Malfoy I would probably sit with him- that's a stupid example he's not my boyfriend.

Jane and Eric are constantly together. It is annoying the boggarts out of Abby. And this week hasn't been good for my friendship with Abby either. I had been hanging out with Scorpius more than usual, taking walks in the snow and eating sweets. Abby was starting to notice my absence. There is only so many times I can pretend I'm going to Hagrid's before it looks like I have an obsession with Hagrid.

I frowned at the thoughts and tugged the ends of Scorpius' scarf that I was wearing yet again. Nobody was the wiser since I bewitched the colours to make it look like a basic Ravenclaw scarf. After almost a week, I could still smell him in the wool.

"Maybe, I'll sit with Kenny and abandon you," Abby muttered looking at Kenny. It was an empty threat, of course, Kenny was too busy scribbling down everything Professor Binns was saying breaking into a sweat. While his friend beside him was busy constructing a paper airplane.

"I don't mind," I replied. "If you want we can play Gob Stones in the common room tonight, it's been ages since we last played."

Abby brightened at this, "Sure. But don't you have your own Eric to get busy with?"

"What? Why would I want or have an Eric?"

"You're always running off somewhere, Rose," Abby said shaking her head. "And when you get back you're blushing and laughing like a flamingo. And worst of all your constantly daydreaming- yes, you are! We all know that face you make by now."

Then it was my turn to shake my head, "I don't do any of those things. I go to Hagrid's and the Library that's it."

Abby clearly not listening continued on, "And you're wearing that scarf all the time. You never wore a scarf indoors before."

"It's clothing and fashion. What's the big deal?"

"Well… if I know my American tv shows a scarf or a turtleneck means you are hiding something. And that something is a hickey." Abby said loud enough for everyone in the castle to hear.

I got very blushy from then on.

"I'm not hiding… one of those." I hissed feeling everyone's eyes on the back of my head. I could hear a couple of laughs. I pulled down Scorpius' scarf enough for my neck to be in view. Beetroot red but hickey free.

"Okay, maybe not one of those," Abby said. "But I know you have a bae. I can feel the hormones in the air and in your eyes."

"Abby, please, every time you open your mouth I want to lay in a hole and die," I fought back the urge to bang my head against the desk.

"Alright, then, we shall play Gob Stones tonight and I shall wait like the good friend I am for you to pour out with information on your beloved," Abby declared.

"Can't wait, I'm sizzling with information," I said sarcastically.

"I think I'll go to the Library after this. Are you coming or are you-"

"No, I have Divination next," I interrupted not wanting to hear the end of that sentence.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot with Malfoy," Abby said. "If I were you I would've beaten him up by now or I would've force fed him poison."

"It's not that bad, the subject is interesting at times."

"But Malfoy?"

"Leaves me alone," I said pretending to be reading the textbook in front of me hoping she would drop the whole thing.

"Do you want me to wait for you after satanic fortune telling class to go to the Library?"

"No, thanks. I'll probably be tired afterwards," I said quickly.

"I hate going on my own." Abby huffed. "And before you say it, Rose, no, I will not be going with Janic. I did that last time and I almost threw myself in front of Madam Pince's line of fire to be killed. They wouldn't stop being icky about touching each other and speaking. It would've been better if they stuck each other's tongues down their throats."

The bell sounded through the castle before I could respond. I scribbled down the homework Professor Binns had written on the blackboard.

"I'm really sorry. I'll see you later," I said closing my ink pot. I shoved it and the rest of my stuff in my bag.

"Okay, but we get to play Exploding Snap first instead of Gob Stones," Abby called to me with already one foot out the door.

I threw my bag on my back and followed that last few people out. I was smiling to myself about the fact that I had Divination with Scorpius, a fun afternoon was ahead of me.

I hurried onwards almost missing Scorpius himself leaning against the stone wall around the corner. I had to jog back a couple of steps to meet him.

"What are you doing here?" I said glancing up and down the corridor to see if any of the Slytherins were here (why else would he be here?).

The grin on Scorpius' face slipped a little, "I- thought, I could walk to class with you."

My heart fluttered in my chest (I didn't think it could do that).

"Really?"

"I had a free period." He said quickly.

"How did you know I would be here?"

"You said once that you had History of Magic before Divination."

I remember mentioning it about a month ago, "And you remembered that?"

"I'm not stupid."

"I didn't say that. Usually, people forget little things like that."

"I have an excellent memory."

"History of Magic is about a mile from Divination." I started.

"Don't make a big deal out of it," he said the tips of his ears turning red as he spoke. "I was bored."

"No one has ever waited for me to walk me to class before," I stated. "You're turning out to be very sweet, Scorpius."

"Rose-"

"At least to me," I said laughing nervously.

"We're going to be late to class if we don't start moving." He said stiffly beginning to walk.

"Are you going to do this every Friday?" I asked falling into pace with him and giving his sleeve a playful tug.

"Depends, Rosie." He said with a laugh.

"Depends on what?"

"How much you're going to annoy me about this." Scorpius gave an even harder tug at my sleeve. "And whether you want me to."

"Of course, I want you to." I burst out without a second's hesitation.

Scorpius smiled to himself like he was sharing a private joke and tugged at the scarf around my neck.

"Nice to see you're still wearing my scarf."

"No, I'm not."

"You're a terrible liar."

"And how could you know that I'm lying? I've been wearing this all week why are you bringing it up now?"

Scorpius paused for a second, "Forget it, it doesn't matter."

"You're acting really strange today," I commented but I think my staring at the ground and red face was probably, even more, strange.

"I forgot what I was going to say." He protested.

"Fine," I said just as defensively. "Be like that."

"Be like what?"

"I don't know!" I exclaimed. "You're looking at me funny."

I was watching his expression out of the corner of my eye. When he heard me his conflicted expression turned to a plain frown. It was strange for Scorpius.

"How would you know? You're not even looking at me." He said waspishly.

"I am," I said a wave of anger washing over me. I was ready to storm away from him or give him a kick in the shin.

Scorpius somehow sensed this. He grabbed my hand when I stepped too far ahead of him and pulled me back next to him.

I didn't know what to say and he didn't say anything. He just looked at me and I stared right back. My hand was still in his. It felt like-

"You can have your scarf back if you want," I said dumbstruck forgetting about the frustrated feeling that made me want to shake him.

"No, it looks nice on you."


We were late to Divination and as punishment Professor Trelawney announced her predictions about us to the class.

"I sensed that two of my students would arrive late." she stage whispered once we sat down. "A powerful attraction to the other, I see."

Merlin, please kill me!

She walked around our table in a slow circle for a few seconds then suddenly stopped and stood behind Scorpius. Professor Trelawney started petting the top of his head, her ringed fingers really got in there. I could tell by the look he shot across to me that if she didn't stop it he was more than ready to hex her.

The surrounding students looked more than happy for our 'attraction' to be the entertainment of the evening. Professor Trelawney, however, was oblivious to the smirks and laughs as she voiced her predictions.

"Romance is blooming in the air." She smiled finally releasing Scorpius' hair. "Don't be afraid of it." she patted him on the back. "Embrace it and you will get what you desire."

"Now if you will all open the textbook to page 202 you will find…"

I fanned the ever rising temperature of my face with a spare bit of parchment that was lodged in my book. Over my dead body was I ever going to be late to class again. I hoped that prediction wouldn't get around. Well, it proves that Trelawney is a crackpot and a fraud, there's no denying it now.

But I did enjoy walking to class with Scorpius. When he let go of my hand he was normal Scorpius again. Not the one who would act like he was hiding something on certain words and questions.

I glanced up from the embroidered star patterns on the cloth that covered our table to Scorpius when I thought of him. Our eyes met. He took out his quill and scratched something onto a bit of parchment from our parchment conversation last week that still had some space on it. He pushed it towards me.

"Desire? A new book, perhaps?"

I silently giggled at it. I let go of some of my embarrassment and began to think of the whole thing as a joke. I picked up my own quill making sure Trelawney's eyes were elsewhere and scribbled,

"Sorry, Scorp, but yes. I'm guessing a new broomstick for you, perhaps?"

"Nimbus 2987. I'm not at all afraid of that."

And the rest of Divination class went as it usually did. After Professor Trelawney's lecture and several crap attempts at telling the future, she told us to practise crystal ball reading.

The room filled with chatter, Scorpius got up and got a crystal ball. He placed it on the holder at the centre of our circular table.

"Ladies, first." He said when he sat down. Scorpius tapped the crystal ball with the point of his quill. The glass made a clinking noise on contact.

"If you insist," I smirked and put my head on my folded arms so that I was eye level with the crystal ball. I stared into the swirling fog slowly moving in the crystal ball.

I tried to see some familiar shapes in the crystal ball. All I could see was clumps of mist that made no sense. It worked better as a mood lamp than a future telling device.

I looked at the pages in front of me to the ball and back again but they bared no similarity.

Stupid!

"I see…" I started not wanting to keep Scorpius waiting any longer. "A fog or possibly extremely dark cotton."

"You're not even trying." He said giving the ball another dig with his quill.

"Quit abusing the crystal ball," I said swatting his hand and quill away. "That's what I see."

"Very dark cotton is about to grace Hogwarts."

"Yes," I said firmly. "It will. I predict in the next three days in a place where no one can see."

"Right, Rosie," Scorpius said. "Should we award the prize for the best Seer now or should we wait?"

"I think now," I said. "There is no way your later life corruption can beat the truth of that."

"I think different," Scorpius said lowering his head so he could see the full twirling contents of the crystal ball. I kept my head in my arms and watched the warped picture of his face dart from pieces of mist.

"I see…" Scorpius said. "You."

"Me?" I gasped pretending to faint and almost fall off my stool.

"Yes."

"And?"

"And…"

"And?"

"And I can't see anything but your face. Sit up." Scorpius said.

I rolled my eyes and returned to my position staring at him through the crystal ball.

"I couldn't possibly be in the way of such a great Seer," I exclaimed. "How about you tell me something about my future? Since all you can see is my face."

"After this class," he said all mystical. "You aren't going to go back to the Ravenclaw common room."

"If I'm getting axe-murdered in this story I swear to merlin, Scorpie," I warned. "Or captured by a troll."

"Rosie, you are coming with me." He paused for dramatic effect.

"Tooooo?"

"Finish off the Hogsmeade sweets,"

I smiled at him through the crystal ball. I wasn't sure if he was able to make it out through the mist until the corners of his mouth tugged upwards.

"What if your prediction is wrong?"

"My seering powers are never wrong," Scorpius proclaimed.

"Okay, then," I gave in. "Since there is no escaping the future or Honeydukes sweets."

"'Escaping' you were waiting for me to ask you from the moment I met you after class."

"I wasn't waiting. I wasn't even thinking about that." I protested. "But yesterday was fun."

I recalled and grinned at the sweets we had gone through on the window sill of an empty corridor. We got so giggly on sugar that we couldn't stop laughing at everything from funny words to funny spells.

"It was," Scorpius replied. "Except for the part where you almost died choking on a sweet. That was just disgusting."

I gave his leg a soft kick under the table at that (but it was disgusting).

"You said you wouldn't bring that up!" I said annoyed.

"I didn't promise," Scorpius said. "It was too funny not to bring up."

"Yeah, ha ha Rose nearly died."

"Don't get your wand in a knot. I saved you after all." Scorpius said looking proud of himself.

"I could've saved myself if I could have said the charm."

Professor Trelawney came to our table. I groaned internally and I could tell Scorpius did just the same.

"What have you seen?" She asked Scorpius paying as little attention to 'can't make up stuff for dung Rose' as possible.

Scorpius sat up and I followed. He caught by eye for a second and gave me a half smirk that could barely be registered as anything at all. I leant my head against my hands and watched seer Scorpie's magic happen.

Scorpius didn't tell her what he told me. Instead, he had an entirely different story up his sleeve about being trampled by a herd of unicorns only to be revived by a group of friendly unicorn hating centaurs. A five-minute story with highs and lows that kept me entertained. Professor Trelawney nodded and awed like it was a masterpiece set in stone. While I, on the other hand, struggled once again to keep a straight face and keep my laughter in.

"Well done, Mr Malfoy." She cheered. She thankfully not bring up the prediction from earlier.

"Now, Miss Weasley." Professor Trelawney said without any enthusiasm. I think by now she can learn what to expect from me. "What have you seen?"

Scorpius turned to me and gave me look that said, 'What have you seen indeed, Rose.'

What do I see?

"A fog," I said short and sweet.

"Anything else, my dear?" Professor Trelawney asked leaning in to get a look at the crystal ball.

"In the next three days," I answered.

She nodded and moved on to the next table (yay!).

"I think we all know who the top student is," Scorpius said straightening his tie.

"I think we all know who is going to have tea with Trelawney soon," I said mimicking him by pushing aside the scarf and straightening my own tie.

"Never in a million years," Scorpius said recovering fast. "I'm busy tutoring, you aren't I?"

"In what?"

"Divination."

"I suppose snowball fights and walks around the castle count as that."

"For all that bat knows I'm tutoring you all the time. I don't have time for tea with her." Scorpius said. "I could say that I'm bringing you along, then she'll call the whole thing off and finally leave this overheated classroom just to stop it."

"Say no such thing! There a chance she would like to witness our tutoring sessions over tea."

Then Trelawney did the only good thing that comes with having her as a teacher. She announced to the class,

"I believe it is time for us to depart. It is my inner eye's will. I would say happy Christmas but I am afraid for five of you, it will not be happy and for one of you, it will mean departing with a limb."

She then retreated to her study flicking her cloak after her.

I shoved my things back into my bag while Scorpius put back the crystal ball. I waited for him to do the same so we could walk out together. I had to ask him something in private. I had completely forgotten about it earlier until he started telling his prediction to Professor Trelawney. The herd of trampling unicorns reminded me of a prick. I was tossing in my bed last night thinking about that Scorpius had said I was pretty and smart and the reason why he did.

I wanted to know about Albus. Had he gotten worse? Had he somehow repented? I wanted to be ready for what I was coming home to. And maybe Scorpius would say it again, I didn't know why I wanted him to say it again. I probably should've felt shallow about it but I didn't. In fact, I felt quite the opposite. It was the way he said it. It was indescribable and somehow meaningful.

"Scorpius?" I stood up to stand next to him while he packed his bag.

"What?"

"I need to ask you something,"

Scorpius turned his full attention to me, "Is it serious or is it another what is your favourite colour question?"

"Serious," I said. "Can we go somewhere private?"

"Well, we weren't exactly going to dig into a feast of Honeydukes sweets together in public." He replied. "What's it about?"

"You know who jr," I said.

"Right then." Scorpius scowled putting on his bag. "There goes any prospect of a happy afternoon."

I followed him down the trapdoor ladder once again praying that he could not see or was intentionally looking up my skirt.

"Ask it." He said when I joined him at the bottom of the ladder. "I think us, is a bigger scandal than whatever you're about to ask."

I glanced around.

"Rosie," Scorpius said. "I worry that you're taking more caution with asking this than you have ever done doing anything with me. I don't know whether to be offended or hurt."

"Actually, Scorpius," I said blinking when a new question bubbled into my mind, one that I hadn't thought to ask. "Where do you tell the Slytherin thugs you are when you're really with me?"

Scorpius led the way into the corridor, "Let's just say, I go on a lot of walks alone and I study way too much. What do you tell your friends?"

"Basically, the same thing except I visit Hagrid's."

"Ask what you're going to ask about Albus."

"Has he said any more about me?"

"Rosie, I'm not your gossip owl."

"I mean is he has been better? I can't phrase this right at all." I said weakly. "I have to put up with him during the Christmas holidays-"

"Say no more." He said. "He's manipulative, cunning and he's a coward who won't say anything to your face. If he does, I'll find the worse hex in the world that I can find and use it on him."

I laughed and poked him with my elbow, "You wouldn't."

"Yes, I would," Scorpius said as if it was the obvious answer.

I smiled up at him, "If he says anything about you, I'll do the same."

"You don't need to waste your magic on that prick." He said. "C'mon, Rosie." Taking my hand and dragging me into our usual quiet corridor to sit on the oversized window sill that looked over the grounds.

I sat down facing him and threw my bag on the ground. I leant my head against the stained glass window through it I could see a red version of Hagrid's hut with smoke pouring out of the chimney and a blue version of the Forbidden Forest along with a green Black Lake. All of it was covered in snow and steadily growing darker.

Scorpius placed what was left of our haul in the small space between us.

I started nibbling on a Cauldron Cake when Scorpius moved closer to me and asked,

"Will you write to me?"

I almost drop my Cauldron Cake and fell off the window sill all at the same time. What did he say?

"You want me to write to you," I said slowly checking that I hadn't just dreamt that one up. I leant towards him, pushing the boundaries of personal space with Cauldron Cake crumbs probably covering my face knowing my luck at a time like this.

"Or I could write to you," Scorpius suggested. "Unless you're busy."

"I want to write to you," I said abruptly with about as much subtlety as a purple grindylow above water. "And for you to write back. Otherwise, that would just be sad."

"I'll check that Albus is being okay with you."

"No way," I said still abandoning subtlety. "Are you sending me a two lined letter about Albus. That cannot be the reason you've suddenly decided to write to me."

"You got me, I can't go a day without hearing about your ridiculousness," Scorpius smirked. "I'll miss you too much, Rosie."

"That's what I wanted to hear," I said grinning stupidly. "I'll write to you every day then."

"And I'll write back every week then." He teased nudging my leg with his.

"Scorpie, write to me every day," I smiled.

"Fine, I'll be sure to bore you with the pureblood boy chronicles."

"You couldn't bore me."

"You keep telling yourself that. But for Merlin's sake, do not go flashing them around the house and to papa Weasley."

"You're just picturing me now skipping around the house like an elf with a basket of your letters. Singing about how I got a letter from the one and only Scorpius Malfoy."

"With bells and everything maybe even a flute and a framed photo of me."

"I'll lock them away or something. What does Andrew look like?"

"He's stinks of evil and is completely black with white eyebrows." Scorpius described. "Watch your fingers he'll take them off."

"He actually sounds cute, from a distance," I said. "I'll try and send my letters back with him so write the minute you get off the train."

"Okay, so 'Dear Rose, just got off the train. Scorpius.'"

"Merlin, not that. It would be boring send me about two pages."

"What the hell am I going to write to you about that will fill up two pages?! And let me guess you're going to write about twenty."

"You guessed right."

"Fine, but it better be interesting."

I threw the rest of the Cauldron Cake in my mouth and finally nudge my leg back against his.

We spent the rest of our time together talking about random things and eating until there was nothing but crumbs left. We missed dinner but didn't care because we were already bursting full with sweets. The torches in the corridor were alight and the halls were almost pitch dark. Peeves was around we could hear him cackling somewhere nearby. We walked as quickly and quietly as we could down the corridor trying not to draw Peeves' attention to us.

"I think we're safe," I said when we emerged out of one of the many doors on the Grand Staircase.

It was almost curfew so our goodbyes had to be quick.

"Have a good Christmas, Rosie," Scorpius said standing awkwardly next to me.

I wasn't sure if this was a hugging occasion (why would there ever be a hugging occasion with Scorpius?). I stood just as awkwardly as he did. He stood unsure of what to do with his hands. I patted his shoulder which made me cringe and made him laugh but I soon joined him when the whole stupidity of the situation got to me.

"Happy Christmas, Scorpie," I said and then even quieter so the people hurrying about the stairs trying to get back to their common rooms before curfew wouldn't hear, "Don't forget to write to me."

Scorpius smiled, "Right when I get off the train." And with that, he headed down the stairs in the direction of the Slytherin dungeons.

I hurried up the stairs towards Ravenclaw tower not forgetting my promise to Abby.

I slipped into the seat next to her as soon as I entered the common room.

"There you are," Abby said. "You missed dinner where you out with wink wink."

"I was taking a walk and forgot about the time. Exploding Snap, right?"

"Oh, that's fine. We can play Gob Stones. I got Kenny to play few games of Exploding Snap with me before you came." Abby pointed towards the sheepish boy in the corner curled up with a book.

"That's nice," I said. "You have your own romance blooming."

"God, no, Kenny's just afraid of my womanliness," Abby said smirking at Kenny. "I found out from him after staring him down for 20 minutes that Jane had set Eric up to set Kenny up to try and seduce me. Watch out, Rose, an overly ambitious Ravenclaw boy might be coming your way too or should I say watch out to your lover."

I involuntarily shuddered at 'lover'. The word 'lover' should be burned from the dictionary. It's the most embarrassing word ever. Guess who has a new least favourite word!

"I don't have a 'lover' right now nor will I ever have one," I said. "And if Kenny's twin is coming for me he'll get the end of my wand."-or possibly Scorpius' if he's willing to stretch his promise.

"Oh, naïve, little Rosie," Abby said wagging her finger at me.

I swatted away her pointed finger and moaned, "Not this conversation again. Let's just play Gob Stones and forget about stupid boys." I gestured to Abby's Gob Stones set on the table.

Abby shrugged, "I'll spring it on you unexpectedly and in your panic, you'll spill everything. But yes to forgetting about boys all this talk about them is giving me a violent headache."