I love Divination I've probably mentioned that before but I do. I would attend that class every day if it was allowed and not for the uncomfortable seating, vibrant spirals of colours or the sweltering heat. Sitting across from Scorpius was the best part of my Friday, not counting the free period I usually spent with him in the Library finishing our Divination essay, that was funny as well, funny in a good way. Being alone with him in the Library was enough to put a smile on my face for the rest of the day but in Divination my face felt like it was about to split in two.
I tapped my quill against a fresh sheet of parchment waiting for Scorpius to predict something. He sat before me glaring into the crystal ball so intensely I thought he was moments away from hacking into his magic and sending the mist filled ball flying through the window.
"I see…" Scorpius said in a low mystical voice. His brooding expression was accompanied by funny hand movements. "A moth in your future!"
"What?" I said gasping in mock horror. "You mean my Arithmancy essay? Or homework from THIS class?"
"No, no, no," he exclaimed. "Let me summon my inner eye. My vision is fading. I think it's after closing. No, wait, I see a giant muscular moth that could crush you with its wings."
"Is that a metaphor for something?"
"No, an actual moth!"
"But who could save me from this moth?" I questioned gawking at the crystal ball.
"I see, a young powerful wizard who is unbelievably handsome."
"Who?"
Scorpius made a big show of thinking deeply for several drawn out seconds.
"Guess," he said dropping his hands and returning to his normal voice. He gave me a smug look. "It's pretty obvious. You could say he's right in front of you."
"Let me see," I said making my own show of thinking. "Gerald Tomas in Ravenclaw? He's looking pretty fit this year."
Scorpius shook his head.
"What about his twin, Timmy Tomas?" I said. "Or Edgar Boot?"
"Are you going to name out every guy in your house?" he asked.
"Clearly, then I'll move on to Hufflepuff then Gryffindor," I said, it was my turn to look smug.
"Fifth years!" Professor Trelawney called us to attention from her position dangerously close to the roaring fire. Merlin does she even feel the heat!? I reached up to feel my hair which was sticking out at odd angles, frizzy from that blasted fireplace.
"Third years," some guy grumbled from the back.
This happened every class. Everyone was starting to give up hope she'd ever get our year right. Adding to the long list of reasons why Scorpius called her an old bat every class.
"Ah, yes," Professor Trelawney replied unfazed using her soft wispy seer voice.
"Kill me now. She's going to make a prediction." Scorpius muttered across to me avoiding eye contact with Trelawney's wandering eyes at all cost.
Professor Trelawney's thick bangles rattled together loudly as she raised her arms up in a grand gesture, "Next week, according to my inner eye, we will be moving on to palm reading. A very delicate art. I have seen that some of you, if not most of you except for the gifted few, will struggle with the art."
"Art?" I muttered across to Scorpius covering my hand over my mouth to stop my giggling escaping.
"You're just jealous because you not one of the 'gifted few'." Scorpius murmured back nudging his leg against mine under the table.
Trelawney continued oblivious to our remarks, "My inner eye tells me moving on to palm reading could be dangerous. I fear another outbreak of the common cold. So I warn all of you to wash your hands-"
Scorpius and I both snorted with laughter at the same time. Professor Trelawney turned to look at us, her eyes narrowed. We had clearly insulted her 'art'. Scorpius and I quickly try to cover it up with a spontaneous fit of coughing. My face heated up red from trying to suppress my laughter. My coughs sounded more like laughs. When we came to a conjoint stop Professor Trelawney's eyes were still on us. I wished she would look away and get back to her lecture so I could continue laughing silently into my hand.
"The common cold outbreak is back already," Scorpius said innocently, his face pink from laughter.
I didn't trust myself to contain the laughter that was bubbling in my throat. So I kept as still as possible, digging my fingers into my legs- Scorpius flinched- okay, so maybe not just my legs. In my defence, it was a small table.
Professor Trelawney's face softened. It would've been the complete opposite if I had said that.
"Yes, as I predicted," she proclaimed turning her attention away from us. "Where was I?... You must make the most of this class. I fear that some of you still haven't made any progress with the crystal ball and will fail the summer exam because of carelessness in this class…" she paused dramatically. "So please venture for the last ten minutes into the crystal ball and project your inner eye."
Professor Trelawney clapped her hands together business like and the usual class chatter returned.
Scorpius and I had another fit of laughter.
"Why does she have to talk like that?" I asked wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes.
Scorpius wiped a glimmer of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "Why not, Rosie, why not? Do you see anything in the crystal ball? You heard the bat, you'll fail the class if you don't predict something right this second."
I sighed, "It's sixty degrees in here. My inner eyes melting into complete useless mush."
"That would explain why you were thinking of every other boy in the school beside the fittest of the fit." Scorpius winked at me.
"Oh my Merlin," I burst out laughing. "Never do that again."
"What?" Scorpius said looking around cluelessly.
I leant forward and gave him a very obvious, cheesy wink.
Scorpius suddenly grinned, "Well, then don't do this."
He reached under the table, grabbed me by my thighs and squeezed them. I shrieked at the unexpected touch, nearly falling backwards off my seat. Scorpius nearly fell off his seat in laughter. Thank Merlin for the excessively long tablecloth that covered our table!
"It was an accident," I protested, settling down. I reached under the table and pulled his hands away from my legs and into my hands. "I'm really glad I went with tights today," I said out loud without thinking.
Scorpius' already coloured filled face turned scarlet.
"Something about saying that out loud is really embarrassing," I rambled hurriedly. The last thing I wanted was an awkward silence.
"I'm glad you wore tights as well," he said absent-mindedly.
"That doesn't sound very romantic, Scorpius," I said still holding his hands under the table.
Scorpius' head snapped up from whatever was so interesting on the surface of the table.
"It seemed like an appropriate and nice thing to say to you," he said. "I'm pretty sure you would've kicked me if I had said anything else." he looked off past me to one of the curtained windows. "You're right, it is like sixty degrees in here. "
"I wouldn't kick you," I said. "I wouldn't have time for that. I would be too busy dying. Exploding into a massive ball of-"
"Your overwhelming attraction to me," he smirked bouncing back to his usual self.
"I was thinking more along the lines of embarrassment."
"Oh, well, moving on from whatever that was. I won't be doing that again."
"Really?" I said letting go of his hands and leaning towards him. "That was funny and maybe a bit cute. The tights thing is what would kill me."
Scorpius loosened his green and silver striped tie from around his neck. His smile started to creep back along his lips.
"Good to hear, Rosie. So what do you see in the crystal ball?"
I grinned and sat back so I could get a good look at the fog swirling around in the crystal ball. I didn't see anything but the grey mist, of course, I never do, but that doesn't mean I can't imagine. Or in this case hint. The Valentine's day Hogsmeade trip was approaching fast and I was starting to get annoyed that neither one of us had brought it up yet. We weren't exactly a romantic moonlit dinner, fancy dress, and dancing under the stars couple. I would rather relive our last Hogsmeade trip, but be able to kiss him. That's almost as fun as our snowball fights.
"Hogsmeade," I said my head in my arms, staring into the crystal ball. I could vaguely make out his features on the other side, he was mirroring me. I could see the corners of his mouth pull upwards. So maybe he hadn't forgotten or was completely ignorant to the Hogsmeade trip.
"Sweets?" he asked.
"Of course sweets! Who do you think I am? But also other things, just as important." I whispered the last part across to him.
The bell rang and I was more than happy to continue the conversation outside. I hoped it was cold outside, I missed the cold like crazy.
"Thank Merlin, it's the weekend," Scorpius said sweeping his books into his bag in one motion.
I deflated covering it up with my usual struggle to cram all of my quills, notes, and Divination books into my bag. It looked like it was up to me to bring up Hogsmeade again.
Scorpius pulled his bag onto his back and brought the crystal ball back to its shelf. He returned just in time to lift up my hair before it got caught in the zip of my bag.
"Thanks," I said relieved when he stepped away without getting tangled in my hair. "You just save me from a lot of pain."
Scorpius straightened up and puffed out his chest comically reminding me of Caleb this morning.
I laughed and followed him out joining a small queue of students waiting to go down the ladder.
"I should've tied it up," I said trying to pat my red knots down. "It's a danger to me and everyone else. I don't know why I keep thinking it's up."
"Please stop addressing your hair as 'it' you're creeping me out," Scorpius replied.
"There's no other word for it."
"How about 'my hair'? I don't know why you get so upset about your hair. I think your hair is nice. Having your hair down is a nice change. I forgot your hair was that long."
"Which do you prefer? Up or down?" I said pulling my hair into a quick ponytail with my hands, a look he's probably seen a thousand times by now.
"Down," he said without hesitation. "Makes you look like a princess or something else really girly."
"What do you think a princess is?" I said hiding my beaming face as I climbed through the trapdoor down the ladder.
"Someone who resembles you." he said when he landed beside me.
We hurried away from everyone down the corridor.
"What do you want from me that's making you such a softy?" I said once we had reached a corridor that was empty except for a couple of knights standing to attention along the opposite wall.
"Nothing," he said. "It's just what I think."
I blinked trying to decide on what to reply. I finally settled on avoiding sarcasm and denying the weight of what he had said.
"Thanks, you're like a prince yourself," I said reaching up and cupping his face in my hands. His face was still burning from the Divination room. "A really hot prince."
"FIREWORKS, FRED!" A loud all too familiar voice yelled out down the hall.
I jumped out of my skin and stumbled over my feet.
"It's James," I hissed at Scorpius. I panicked, frantically looking up and down the corridor. "We're dead! There's no excuse for us being alone in the corridor."
Fred mumbled a response that I couldn't make out.
"Broom cupboard," Scorpius muttered pulling me down the corridor with him.
I groaned at the thought of the claustrophobic space that I had endured once (thanks to Scorpius' quick thinking) and had no wishes to endure again (thanks to Scorpius' quick thinking).
"Broom cupboard? Why couldn't it be an empty classroom?" I muttered following Scorpius in and shutting the door behind us just as James yelled,
"Will you HURRY UP, Fred? The Slytherins won't know what hit them."
"Great," Scorpius muttered, his breath hot against my neck as he leant across me and tapped the handle on the broom cupboard door with his wand. "Colloportus."
The lock clicked and the door locked. I could barely see anything. The only light came from a sliver of sunlight escaping in from under the door.
"Alone at last." He leant into me giving me a deliberate wink.
I tripped over one of the many mops piled into the cupboard falling against the wall. I frowned at him.
"Take this seriously," I whispered to him pulling out my wand and muttering, "Silentet." Bringing my voice back to normal volume I continued, "We will be even more doomed if they find us in here. There's only one reason two people would go into a broom cupboard and don't twist my words, Scorpius, I feel you're about to do it."
"Me?" he said faking shock.
"No, I was talking to the mops," I said starting to feel a bit giddy. Being so uncontrollable close to him was wrecking my head. He was right up against me and there was no room to step back.
"I swear," he said taking his hand and putting it over his heart almost hitting me in the face. "On Andrew's life-"
"Please don't do that,"
"Right then Pumpkin's."
"You're not allowed to swear on my cat's life!"
"Fine, I swear on my own life- OW!- Did you just pinch me!?"
"I will not attend your funeral if you die at the age of fourteen!"
"That's a bit harsh."
"If you die from swearing your life on something that could happen, knowing our combined luck."
"Still really harsh."
"What's harsh is me being forever alone and grieving because my boyfriend decided to jinx himself in a broom cupboard."
"Boyfriend? Love when you say that word. Anyway, you won't be alone. You'll have my ghost to haunt you."
James' voice could be heard close by, "Professor Wells gave me detention again. When my mom sees the amount of detentions I've gotten since Christmas she's going to flip."
Fred replied with humour in his voice, "If you learnt the ancient art of keeping your mouth shut and showing up on time, you would be detention free."
I pressed my ear against the door trying to hear better.
"We're rarely ever alone," Scorpius said coming down to my height and leaning against the door.
"What are you talking about we were alone in the corridor just now," I said trying to pick up where Fred and James were in the corridor. They could be right outside the broom cupboard discussing detention for all I knew.
Scorpius sighed loudly, trying to get my full attention. He slid down onto the floor sitting with his back against the door.
"You know what I mean, Rosie."
"I don't."
"Alone where we don't have to worry about someone seeing us, hearing us, or coming around the corner."
"That's precisely what we have to worry about now," I said as he pulled me down with him by the sleeve of my robes.
"Rose?"
"What?"
"Relax. You're overthinking it. It's isn't going to happen." He stated then he swiftly admitted before I could protest. "I want to kiss you all the time."
I let his words hang in the air for several seconds thinking them over and trying to keep my expression under control. I didn't think there was enough room in the closet for all the glee his words brought me.
Scorpius shifted awkwardly and added, filling in the pause, "But I never can because someone could see us."
"You want to kiss me now?" I asked my face filling with colour all over again.
"I haven't snogged you in ages." he said more confidently, wrapping his arm around me.
"Don't we snog, we kiss," I said pulling a face at the word. His face was getting very close to mine. 'Snogging' definitely wasn't the word for what we did, there was no one word that captures all the fireworks and addicting sweetness. Kissing was the closest word I could think of so far.
"I haven't kissed you in ages, then." Scorpius corrected his breath hot on my face. "And they're gone."
"What?" I said completely distracted by him. I inched in closer so our noses were touching.
"Your cousins,"
"What?" I said snapping out of my daze. "How do you know?"
"Years of experience eavesdropping. I do this on a regular basis," he said pecking my lips.
"Not to me, I hope," I said pulling back, suspicious.
"Not to you, family mostly," he shrugged. "It's the only way I can find out anything. It's a nightmare in cold hallways and in overstuffed wardrobes."
"You never told me this," I said.
"It's normal, I don't think about it so why would I tell you? The secret is to keep calm and not be jumping all over the place like you were moments ago."
"I wasn't! I was listening! You were trying to kiss my face off the entire time!"
"And yet who heard their footsteps disappearing around the corner?" he said kissing me again.
I pulled back again, "I'm not letting you win this. I just want to kiss you… for a while and then we'll-"
Scorpius kissed me harder than he ever had before, pulling me into him. I held my breath, sparks coursed through my lips and travelled all over me. I shut my eyes kissing him back. I couldn't think of anything else but the present and I didn't want to. I moved my hands up his chest to his shoulders gripping them trying to pull him closer even though I knew it was physically impossible to do so. Suddenly the broom cupboard was too big. Like Scorpius had read my thoughts he put his hands on my waist and pulled me sloppily onto his lap.
"Sorry," I murmured into his mouth when I accidently bit his lip.
"It's okay," he murmured back.
Scorpius released my lips and rested his forehead on mine to take in some air.
"This is fun," he said.
"It is," I agreed moving one of my hands from his shoulder to the Slytherin crest over his heart. "Your heart is bloody racing," I said unable to keep in my nervous giggles.
Scorpius grinned, but his heart rate didn't slow down it sped up a bit.
"So is yours." he said reaching out and touching the pulse on my neck.
I didn't realise it until he said it, my whole body was hammering with my heart beat. I could feel it in the tips of my fingers and my toes like I was just made up of a pulse.
I bent down and rested my head on his chest, my ear directly over his heart. I wanted to hear it not just feel it. I wanted his heart against my own pounding pulse in my ears. I wondered if they would match.
"This is getting intense," Scorpius said seriously giving my hair a gentle stroke.
I sat back up still sitting in his lap. It was nice for once to look him directly in the eyes without our difference in height interfering.
"I think if my first year self saw us now she would jump from the Astronomy tower. I don't think even you could've predicted this." I said cupping his face in my hands again. Merlin, I really liked the feeling of his soft skin and his jutting bone structure. I was taking advantage of us being alone to the max.
Scorpius chuckled, "Dreams and predictions are not the same things, I guess."
"Aw! Scorpie, you dream about me!" I exclaimed getting far too excited.
His skin heated up under my hands, "Can we get back to kissing?"
I opened my mouth to question him more on the matter. Kissing can wait, Scorpius Malfoy was dreaming about me! I needed to know every last detail.
Scorpius cut me off before I could comment on it, "Don't bombard me with questions about it."
"I think it's cute. Don't get so… uptight about it."
"I'm going to kiss you now. Don't talk or you're going to bite me again."
Not long later, or at least that's what it felt like to me (the clock said an hour), we're out on the grounds. I immediately shivered when the cold air hit me, automatically moving closer to Scorpius. I was starting to miss the warmth in the broom cupboard, but the chilly outdoors was better than the roasting Divination classroom. Scorpius and I had yet to bring up Hogsmeade again. I was starting to get impatient and instead of letting it come naturally in the conversation I said flat out to his face.
"Are we going to Hogsmeade together?"
Scorpius didn't look taken back by the question. He finished casting his heating charm and tucked his wand away before answering,
"Weren't we already?"
"No one mentioned it," I said lowering my voice as we passed a group of first years absorbed in a game of Exploding Snap on a tattered picnic blanket. Their eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets in concentration.
"I didn't even think about it," Scorpius said. I must've pulled a face because he added, "Not because I didn't think it was something that mattered."
"It is on Valentine's day," I whispered the dreaded word even though we had entered through the side clump of trees out of sight and alone.
"Don't tell me you want me to get down on my hands and knees and bring you to Madam Puddinfoot's. Because if that's the case you're dating the wrong guy."
"Ew, Scorpius, don't mention that pink explosion again." I cringed. "Who do you think I am? I'll take butterbeer over sugary tea any day."
"Great," he said grinning ear to ear. "It'll be a fun, easy day then."
I teasingly gave him a poke in the ribs, "So you have been thinking about it. You're such a liar!"
"I just love how you make random assumptions based on your imagination," Scorpius said returning the poke.
I giggled backing away from him. I pointed an accusing finger at him, "Stop it you know I'm ticklish. You've thought about it. I know you well, Scorpie, I can see it in your eyes and by the way you're talking. You're covering something up. Your gorgeous eyes can't fool me!"
I could see him discreetly sneaking towards me, "Don't you dare!" I called out backing away until I was pressed up against a tree.
Scorpius scratched his head and did the worse job pretending he hadn't a clue what I was on about.
"What, Rosie? Don't- RACE YOU TO THE BLACK LAKE!" he took off with a flying start.
"HEY!" I yelled at him running full speed after him. "UNFAIR!"
I huffed and puffed across the woods after Scorpius almost tripping over several twigs and tree roots. I was definitely no longer cold.
"You… unfair… cheater…" I panted clutching my ribs and falling to the ground.
Scorpius stood triumphantly above me. While I curled on my side, with the worst stitch ever, on the stony shore of the Black Lake. Merlin, I wished I had chosen to collapse on the grass instead of the sharp gravel. I could feel every individual tiny stone digging into me like needles.
"Still won, though," Scorpius said holding out his hand to help me up.
"No," I shook my head at his hand. "I refuse to get up. I'm dying."
"So you're going to lie there for the rest of the day?"
"Clearly," I said curling into an even tighter ball.
"Ah, Rosie," Scorpius sighed plonking himself down on the shore next to my sweaty figure. "You're always a sore loser."
"I'm not." I protested. "And it's the best out of two. I will bloody beat you one of these days. What were we saying before you so rudely poked me?"
Scorpius gave me another jab in the ribs. "You started it. You were fantasising about going to Hogsmeade with me."
"Like your dreaming," I laughed weakly still trying to catch my breath.
"I have to admit I do dream about that," he said his voice turning whispery.
"Ask me then," I said mimicking his tone. "Make your dreams come through."
Scorpius raised his eyebrows, "Just because I'm the guy," he said giving me another teasing poke in the side.
"No, it's the way I imagined it," I said. My side was still throbbing tightly with a stitch but I ignored it, for the sake of the moment. I uncurled from my ball and sat up beside him.
Scorpius pressed his lips together, the way he sometimes did when he thinking. He didn't want me to know that he was thinking. He stalled by wrapping his old scarf (my scarf) around his long slender fingers.
"Well?" I pressed after what seemed like a good minute. "I don't mean to rush you but the tension is killing me."
Simple question, obvious answer. What could he be thinking about?
Merlin, I have to learn Legilimency.
"Get up," he said abruptly.
"What?" I asked hoping I had miss heard him. The ground was suddenly more than comfortable. I was happily planning to spend the rest of the day watching the water lap against the shore of the Black Lake.
"Get up, Rosie," he said springing to his feet with the sort of energy that was out of my reach. "Get up!"
"Why?"
"Not telling you."
"Ugh, tell me. I need to know if it's worth the energy."
"It will be," he said confidently and grinning madly. "It's my best idea yet."
"If you're about to push me into the Black Lake..."
"Not this time, though that would be funny, I might do that afterwards."
"You will not! I'll do it to you before you even have a chance to go near me."
"Ruining the moment again, Rosie, with your fiery temper. Stand up." Scorpius said tapping his foot impatiently. "Get up!"
"Fine!" I said grudgingly waving my hand about for him to get the message, take it and pull me up.
He bent down to me like he was about to pick me up. I scooted away from him.
"Do NOT pick me UP," I said staggering to my feet. "I'm getting up myself."
"Merlin, I wish it was raining right now," Scorpius said shaking out his limbs still looking far too excited.
I looked up at the sky. The sun was starting to go down but there was no sign of rain. The grey clouds were spread out and broken.
"I rather not get drenched," I said. "Why?"
"Muggle movie magic 101: rain makes everything sexier." he raised an eyebrow at me suggestively.
"You really know how to weird me out, don't you?" I said laughing.
Scorpius did his best not to break his serious composure. He place his hands either side of my arms and said calmly to me,
"Take a deep breath and play along. Well, you won't have to, I know you're a sucker for romantic stuff." I opened my mouth to protest but he got there first, "You don't hide it very well,"
I pouted, "You're even worse than me."
He leant in and kissed me. It was quick but didn't lack in the softness Scorpius' kisses usually had.
"Don't speak," he said pulling away from me.
I didn't speak. I was far more interested in touching my lips. They felt numb and raw from the broom cupboard like the skin was about to rip and bleed.
Scorpius knelt down in front of me on one knee. That definitely turned my attention away from my lips. Half of me wanted to pull him up from the spot and not hear what he was about to say. It had to be inappropriate, designed to embarrass me and disappoint him. The other half of me, the stronger half, wanted to kneel down with him, lean in and not miss a word.
"Rose...-" he suddenly frowned up at me. "What's your middle name?"
"Ginevra," I answered quickly, the lust filled side of me winning. "Keep going!"
"-Ginevra Weasley," he finished taking my hands in his. "I like you a lot, it's more than like but anyway... I'm making this up as I'm going along so bear with me while I think of sentences that actually make sense. You're my girlfriend and I have been your boyfriend for like a month now, feels longer. You make the other girls at Hogwarts look like complete hinkypunks. This is happening way too slow isn't it?" he said pulling me down to his level so we were face to face. "Will you go with me to Hogsmeade? Alone, like a date, don't bring Abby for Merlin's sake."
"Yes," I said beaming. I hugged him practically jumping on him. "You are unbelievable."
Author's note: Finally a long chapter. Thanks for the reviews, follows and favs appreciate and love them. :)
