Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling, nor do I own Harry Potter. All ideas are my own.

"But he that dares not grasp the thorn

Should never crave the rose"

Rose Weasley has always been anything but her namesake to me. Anything but sweet, rosy, friendly and caring. No, if anything she resembles the prickly thorns that deep-rooted within a rose's stem.

To everyone else, she was loving, and caring, happy, and friendly. But to me, it's as if something ran through her blood, structured in her DNA, which meant she hated anything and everything to do with Scorpius Malfoy.

Of course, I can't sit here and pretend that I don't have some slight idea of why she acted the way she did towards me. I was, and have always been, a humungous arsehole towards her, but around her I just couldn't help myself. It's as if she brought out this anger in me, simply by looking at her face, all I wanted to do is push her to the point that she'd snap, the point that she'd retaliate.

And naturally, retaliate she would. A slap, a hurtful comment, anything that I'd deserved, sure, but also anything that I craved. If I was an addict then she was my drug, and I couldn't get enough of her, as much as I hated myself for it.

I don't know why I'm stuck using the past here, it's not like anything has really changed.

Well that's a lie, a lot has changed since then, but the side she brings out in me is certainly not one of them.

And it's a side I wish I could ignore, one that I beg to go away, but one that is the most stubborn of all the thorns in my side.

And it's a side which, unfortunately for me, must be more obvious than I wish it to be.

The first time I laid eyes on her on Platform 9 3/4, it's as if my Dad knew the danger she posed, as he grabbed my shoulder and gave me one piece of strict advice.

"Don't even think about it Scorpius. She comes from a completely different world to us. If she'll do anything to you, it's break your heart."

As an 11 year old this barely made any sense to me, but as I've grown older I've began to see what he meant.

Luckily, as a child, my parents taught me all about the Wizarding World and wars that had occurred. Luckily is probably the wrong choice of words, as that would imply that these were great stories that excited me to hear about, and no, they were quite the opposite.

No, these great and heroic stories that I knew were told to Rose as a kid, were from the different world that my dad spoke about.

As a child, it's tough to realise that the two most influential people in your life, have not always been the idols that you see them through. When the rose-tinted glasses shatter, leaving you with shards of glass in your eyes, there is no going back from it.

Beginning to comprehend that, your family were not as good as you perceived them to be, is a bitter pill to swallow.

I know with muggle families, it's quite common for children to idolise their entire family up until they hit about 16/17, and then they find out the truth about certain characters and their world comes crashing down.

However that's not the same for the Wizarding World, how can it be? Especially when our world is so fixated on the past and how our current world came to be.

So sure, it's great when your family are on the right side of history, but it's a nightmare when you're on the wrong side. Or even in the grey area, where no one can work out if it's good or bad.

I never saw my grandparents growing up. Sure, I saw my grandma Narcissa from time to time, and sure, she was as lovely and endearing as a grandma is meant to be. I think it irritated my dad to a certain extent, I know my grandma was as motherly to him as she could be during their turbulent times, but I think a slight part of him may have slightly resented the fact that I received her love in 'normal' circumstances.

But as for Lucius, we never saw him, nor spoke about it. He doesn't earn the title of grandfather. He tried enough times to come and see me as a kid, but my mum absolutely forbade it.

Of course my dad doesn't particularly like to talk about it, but I think deep down he still believes that Lucius would never have tried anything. Believes is perhaps the wrong word again, maybe I should say hopes, yes, he hopes that Lucius changed enough, not completely, but enough.

Lucius died when I was quite a bit younger actually. And as awful as this sounds, I never miss him, and it's been lot easier to talk about the past and get on with life knowing that he's not here anymore.

Grandma is still alive, strong and independent as ever. I can tell that Lucius's death still affects her, and I think a part of her died that day, along with him.

After all, no matter what Lucius was like, she still loved him dearly. I don't know if I'd go as far to say they were soulmates, but then who am I to judge who another loves?

So, given my family's history, I knew as an 11 year old, that coming to Hogwarts wouldn't be all sunshine and rainbows. That people could be mean, and be nasty, and be cruel, and I suppose that's why I became the very thing I feared people would be to me.

If I adapted this cocky demeanour when I went to Hogwarts, if I never showed weakness, no one would have anything to capitalise upon, and I'd be untouchable, no one would be able to affect me.

And of course that worked. It was successful. I managed to intimidate those who I perceived to be a threat, and managed to charm those that I wanted to get in with.

It worked on everyone, everyone but her.

No matter where I went, what I did, she was there, staring at me with her bright blue eyes, so full of light and happiness when she spoke to everyone else, but so full of scorn and disdain when she spoke to me.

I'm not one to believe in fate, and hear me out before I say this because there is no way on earth that I believe in me and her and destiny, but I'm starting to think these numerous coincidences are becoming more and more far-fetched.

For example, why, Merlin why, out of all people did it have to be she who got my ring? She who I was stuck in detention with? She who haunts my nightmares and brings them to life.

I know, I know, I know. I know I had a part to play in these, and be proud that for once I'm admitting that I could be potentially be at fault, but it's beginning to feel like someone is out to get me.

And also, regardless of those things that I may have dealt a hand in, how about my mum giving that gift to Rose? They never met, bar one single occasion on platform 9 3/4 at the beginning of the year, and my mum thinks that is worthy of a gift? One so special that she specifically advises me to give them to Rose, even saying that she would come back from the grave if I never did such a thing.

Of course my mum would say something like that, even in her last moments. Merlin I miss her. More and more as the days go by. Some days I feel my heart physically ache, and wonder if this is the moment that it shatters into a million pieces, and I'll wake up from this darkness and see her face once more.

Once someone has gone, it is so easy to think of things you should've said or should've done, and my mum was insistent that I never thought of life this way. Hell, she even gave me these letters that give me advice whenever I need them. What they say is usually a riddle, classic my mum, trying to teach me things even though she is no longer with me, and every time I read them my stomach churns with the desire for her to be here and say them to me in person.

I haven't read them for a while actually, ironic as I'm currently talking about how much I miss her, but sometimes reading them is such too painful, too raw, too real, a reminder that she's not here anymore, and that she can only communicate with me through text.

Which is why it is so important that I get my ring back. I need it back, more than anything. Not for the purpose of giving it to someone else, but so I have another memory of her. A memory of my parent's love, a love that one can only ever hope for.

But now I've ruined it, scared off the only girl who can give me the one thing I want... whatever that may be.

And you know what they say about roses, you can't get them without the thorns.

So you got the Scorpius POV! I've tried to do what would please both sides, and as the story is told through Rose I wanted to keep her as the main voice of the story, which is why I've done this Scorpius chapter in a slightly different way. This is also why this chapter is a lot shorter, as I don't want to give too much away... all will become clear soon.

Also remember this is MY interpretation of the characters - I have chosen to write the characters the way I have, eg with Lucius he does not get a redemption arc, so please respect that :)

Sorry for a late update, I have horrendous tonsillitis and have been bed-bound. My antibiotics have finally kicked in so am on the mend.

Uni work has been absolutely crazy recently and I am so busy in the run up to Christmas - expect maybe 1 or 2 chapters in the next month or so as I will only be writing if I have the time.

But I will try and get the next update out quicker in order to make up for this slight filler one!

Until next time,

E x

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