This is a quiet but important chapter. My favourite parts of the story are coming. I'm excited :)

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Chapter 13: The Embrace

When Georgia had closed in on him, the warmth of her body a delicious relief against his own, Scorpius' first instinct was to grasp for that bit of forgotten affection like a man dying of thirst.

How many times had he dreamed of this moment? That she would return to him, the stars in her eyes, professing her mistakes, begging for his forgiveness? Admitting that he was right all along, that they were made for each other?

Her lips had barely met his, the most minuscule of touches... before the sheer familiarity of it returned him to a time in his life where his nightmares outlived his daydreams. Every kiss Georgia gave him, he had paid for tenfold. Her sweet, cloying perfume filled his senses then… and déjà vu hit him like a ton of bricks, a visceral reminder that the brief, heavenly respite of her affections was always followed by an excess of spite and mocking.

Then, out of the blue, that flash of red and the sudden spill of parchments—

Scorpius jerked away from Georgia, as though recalling something significant, and her impending kiss found only air. Without a word, he had eased out of her embrace, heading towards the doorway in long strides. Behind him, Georgia had stumbled backwards, stunned by his lack of response.

"Someone was here," he said, as though that explained his behavior.

"So? Let them look." Georgia found purchase against one of the desks, fighting to hide her affront. Scorpius turned to look at her.

"Unlike some of us," he said coolly, "I don't yet have a reputation for cheating."

"And yet you're here. With me." Georgia raised her smoke-coloured eyes to his, the placid expression on her beautiful face barely wavering. It pained Scorpius that, even now, he found her damnably attractive.

She looked fresh as hell. Like she'd barely lost a wink of sleep since leaving him.

"If you didn't want me at all, you wouldn't even be here." Georgia stepped up to him, cautiously at first, and then with more confidence. Scorpius glanced back at the scattered parchments on the stone floor. "Darling…"

Scorpius tried not to wince at the dreaded endearment. Georgia had used it to great effect in both her sweet nothings and venomous barbs. Darling, you mean the world to me. Darling, you hardly mean a thing to me. He shut his eyes briefly, fists balling at the unwelcome barrage of memories.

"What do you want?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"I told you. I want a chance to make this right between us—"

"What do you really want?"

A look of genuine hurt crossed her face. "You think I'm playing some sort of game? Why would I ask for a second chance if I wanted to make the same mistakes?"

"Fuck if I know. You tell me. What brought this on?"

Georgia pursed her lips, and for a moment Scorpius was sure she was losing her patience—the same way she always had with him, whenever she thought he demanded too much from her. But then, most unexpectedly, she reached out to take his hand.

And for one wild moment, he forgot to be angry.

Tentatively, Georgia's fingers closed warmly around his own. The innocence of this small gesture took his breath away. This kind of affection had never come easy to her.

She was so rarely tender with him outside of bed.

"Look. I know you're dating Rose," Georgia continued in a low voice. "And maybe seeing you with someone else was what brought me to my senses."

She moved closer to him, her tone imploring.

"But—surely it won't be forever. She's just a rebound, isn't she?"

Scorpius stared down at their joined hands and said nothing.

"I've had my flings. And you'll have yours… but we're meant for each other, in the end. Wasn't that what you told me?" Georgia was watching him from under her lashes with some trepidation, as though afraid to say something that would set him off. "It won't be perfect, but what couple is? We'll have more than Tarquin and Emery, at least."

The mention of his friends jolted Scorpius back to reality. "…Tarquin and Emery."

"Yes. At least we'll have… relations." Georgia hesitated, studying his reaction. "Emery doesn't care a toss about Tarquin, as you well know—"

"And I suppose you'll be the complete opposite." Scorpius tightened his fingers over hers in an almost crushing hold, staring Georgia down as she tried not to flinch. "I should be so lucky."

Georgia tugged her hand from his, looking almost relieved that they were no longer touching.

It would hurt his feelings if he weren't already so numb to it.

Even so, there was a renewed determination in her eyes as their gazes locked. "You loved me, Scorpius. Surely I deserve some consideration. I'll—let you have your fun, if that's what you want." Georgia leaned in, and Scorpius didn't miss the urgency beneath the lovely huskiness of her words. "But remember how much you wanted me. Now… I promise you have me."

TRAGIC! MALFOY-WEASLEY ROMANCE ON THE ROCKS?
Scorpius won't be asking Rose to Hogwarts Yule Ball, sources say

Rose looked numbly at the Daily Prophet article, absently worrying her bottom lip. It had been a few long weeks since she and Scorpius had made the news for anything. With a headline like that, they might as well be reporting on strangers.

But that was just wishful thinking. Of course.

Sources close to Rose Weasley share that she is not attending the school's most anticipated event, much less with her latest boyfriend, Scorpius Malfoy…

It wasn't as though Scorpius or herself made a big deal about not going to the Yule Ball, either. Perhaps one of their friends had let slip the fact to a tattletale? All it took was a too-loud conversation for word to travel.

"Darn it," she mumbled, feeling a clutch of anxiety in her middle once more.

She knew better than to care about what the press were saying. All things considered, they weren't exactly reporting lies. It was true that she wasn't going to the Yule Ball.

So this shouldn't be bothering her.

Frankly, her forgotten Herbology notes should be a bigger concern.

Rose put her head in her hands with an inward groan, trying to make sense of the foreign churn of emotions within her. Since glimpsing Scorpius and Georgia in the Transfiguration classroom the day before, she hadn't been able to think clearly. She had avoided Scorpius for the rest of the day—practically running off after the Charms class they shared in the afternoon.

She knew her behavior was sort of pathetic. Rose couldn't explain it, either. Least of all to herself.

That night, upon returning to the dorms, she had found herself unable to sleep, unconsciously berating herself for being a busybody in the first place… and then feeling somewhat wretched at the memory of Scorpius and Georgia getting intimate at the classroom.

Mid-embrace. Kissing. Her hands all over him.

He wouldn't resist. Men generally didn't resist Georgia Plumes.

This shouldn't be bothering her.

Rose had stared a hole into the canopy of her bed for hours, unable to discern the discomfort she felt about the whole situation. Reasonably, it should be simple enough. She had, without consulting Scorpius, pulled him into a relationship that was meant to protect both their reputations. They weren't in this for anything else.

He should be allowed to free himself from it whenever he saw fit. It was only fair.

Reasonably.

At present, she could only regard the Daily Prophet with some sort of blank horror, her heart crawling up her throat. She felt utterly unlike herself. Trevor was still missing, she had dropped her Herbology notes, the media was back on her tail… and her boyfriend was kissing someone else.

She supposed, with a flash of ironic amusement, that all of this would be more than enough to devastate the usual person.

On that note, her mood seemed to deflate even further.

"What's with that long face?" came Poppy's voice as she settled down beside Rose, setting aside her books and perusing the lunch spread.

"Hey Poppy," Rose said, trying to keep the despondence out of her greeting. "Can I borrow your Herbology notes?"

"Of course," Poppy said graciously, loading her plate with mashed potatoes. "But I thought I saw you taking notes yesterday."

It didn't seem the right time to bring up the Georgia issue, so Rose decided to improvise. "Er. I lost the lot of them. While on a walk… along the… er, Great Lake."

Poppy tried not to smile at the obvious fib. Her friend was a terrible liar, even if she thought otherwise. "Oh, do go on."

"You heard about the Siren of the Great Lake, surely?"

"Don't tell me." Poppy looked mildly unimpressed now. "She ate your homework."

"…ish?" Rose managed a sheepish smile, one that explained that there was more to the story than she was ready to share. "More like swiped it out of my hands with her great big tail fins."

Poppy hummed into her potatoes. "Made a splash, I'm sure."

"Oh, yes. I was too starstruck to do anything but stare. You know how I am with these rare beasts."

"What beef does a Mergirl have with Herbology notes, I wonder?" Poppy remarked.

Rose couldn't help a grin. "Maybe she got triggered by the Grindylow drawings in the margins."

Poppy cracked up at this. But before she could retort, a third person cut into the conversation.

"Well, I suppose I'd make a rather dashing Mergirl."

Rose's mirthful expression froze on her face as she turned towards the source of the voice. Poppy watched, vaguely entertained, as Scorpius hovered over Rose with a stack of… rather familiar-looking parchments.

"Sorry, Langdon," he said wryly, his eyes never leaving Rose, "I have to borrow my girlfriend for a few minutes. Got to keep the romance alive, you understand."

And then Scorpius had grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her to her feet, ignoring her protests as they went. They bickered under their breaths, ignoring the giggles and gasps of students filing into the Great Hall. Poppy shook her head, returning calmly to her lunch.

The course of true love never did run smooth.

With a click, Scorpius had shut and locked the broom closet door behind him. There were very few explanations as to why he chose a broom closet—the natural habitat of libertines and skirt-chasers—but he couldn't think of another place to get Rose's full attention.

Had they gone anywhere else—like the courtyard or Hogwarts grounds—she'd find some ridiculous excuse to go chasing Jarveys and hunting Sasquatches.

This frustrating, stubborn imp.

Rose was standing before him with her arms crossed, the obvious sulk on her pretty face softened by the dim of the flickering lightbulb above them. He had sensed her dour mood on their way here, but it didn't deter him from forcing this clandestine meeting. Although he was far from admitting it, her presence had become something of a balm to him the past few weeks.

As selfish as it sounded. He wanted to be close to her.

Well, on top of getting some answers for her strange behavior the past day and a half. She wasn't being herself. And that disturbed him.

Without preamble, he shoved the Herbology notes into her arms. "This is yours."

Rose harrumphed. "No, it isn't."

Scorpius made a show of rolling his eyes before holding up the stack, pointing at one of the squiggly doodles scattered across the parchments. "Who else would draw water critters in the margins?"

At this, Rose mouthed wordlessly for a moment—it was rather comical to Scorpius, watching her rack her brain for some sort of excuse—before giving in and snatching the notes from him. "Fine. Give them." She lifted her head and cleared her throat, as though holding on to whatever dignity she had left. The sight was oddly adorable. "…And that's a Grindylow."

Scorpius studied her with a raised eyebrow, noting the way she refused to meet his eyes. How unlike her—she was usually more forthcoming than this. Scorpius supposed there was no point dragging out the matter. "I found them outside the Transfiguration classroom." He gave her an appraising look. "Were you spying on me?"

"What—no." An indignant heat was rising up Rose's cheeks. "I wouldn't—"

"But you did see us."

"What?"

"Me. And Georgia."

"You can talk to whoever you want." Rose sounded small now. "Really, it's none of my business."

"That so." His tone was sceptical. "In that case. Where did you go yesterday? I tried to catch you after Charms, but you sped out of there like I was coming at you like a bloody Bludger—"

"I'm not avoiding you," Rose insisted, managing to squirm where she stood. It would all be rather amusing if Scorpius knew what accounted for this newfound awkwardness. If she was feeling uncomfortable about something, she certainly wasn't willing to talk about it.

Whatever it was between them, it had never felt quite as strained as this.

He frowned, briefly contemplating the issue. Surely she wasn't disturbed that Georgia kissed him?

How much did she see, exactly?

"I was looking for Trevor," Rose explained haltingly, interrupting his train of thought. "I have a bad feeling about him this time."

"Maybe he doesn't want to be found," Scorpius said. "I know what that's like."

Rose gave him a troubled look. "Do you really think so?"

Somehow it was just like Rose Weasley to think about a toad's well-being within the narrow confines of a broom closet with one of the most eligible bachelors in Hogwarts. Not that Scorpius had any airs about it. It was just a tired fact at this point.

Yet, from Rose… he expected nothing less. Resigned, he leaned casually against the dusty wall as she twiddled her thumbs. Oh, if she was going to avoid the subject, then he would wait until she was willing to broach it.

Try me, imp.

Rose seemed to snap out of her woeful spell after a few minutes, finally seeming to reach some sort of decision within herself. "Scorpius."

His bored gaze flicked over to meet hers.

"I must apologise for—overstepping my boundaries. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I saw the kiss." Her face seemed to flush, as though recalling the scene. Scorpius felt his own face warm at the sudden thought of this unintended voyeurism. In a rush, she continued, "I'm sorry. You should have had your privacy. It was selfish of me—"

"I didn't kiss her," Scorpius interrupted, for some reason wanting to clear the air. "She kissed me."

"And I should have known better and left you well alone—" Rose's words faltered as his words sank in. "…Oh."

"Oh," Scorpius agreed sardonically, as Rose fell into silence.

The way she reacted to this revelation was a hint at the heart of the matter, at least. With an inward sigh, Scorpius brought a finger to the knot between her eyes, trying to rub it out. "So stop pulling that face already, imp."

Rose blinked up at him, startled at the sudden contact. That charming ease of manner had suddenly returned to her. "I'm not upset," she protested. "I just—oh bugger it—"

"It's alright to be jealous," Scorpius went on without missing a beat, unable to resist provoking her. "Some people would say it's perfectly healthy, in fact—"

She gaped at him in disbelief. "I wasn't jealous."

"Sure. Whatever." Rose might not understand jealousy, but Scorpius was the textbook example of the green-eyed monster once upon a time. It was endearing that she had no clue about her own feelings, whatever they were… Scorpius doubted Rose ever gave much thought to the devastating mass of emotions inspired by the opposite sex, if she did at all.

It was enough to drive a man mad. He should know.

Even so. The way she looked at him now, that all too fetching heat firing up her cheeks, ignited a similar sensation in his stomach.

Those damned Flitterbys, he thought, trying to ignore the feeling.

Despite himself, Scorpius was relieved they had returned to some semblance of normalcy. As that tightly-drawn tension between them withered away, Rose seemed to return to herself. She also forgot she was avoiding him, which made Scorpius want to roll his eyes. Without thinking, she had crossed that tiny distance from the other side of the closet to settle beside him, hardly noticing as her shoulder came to rest against his arm. This close, he could smell her delightful lemon shampoo.

He resisted the urge to take a lock of red hair within his fingers.

"Are you… considering it?" Rose asked carefully, as Scorpius craned his neck discreetly towards her to get a better whiff of her hair. "Getting back together with Georgia?"

Scorpius paused. He saw no point in lying. "Yes."

"Okay." Rose blinked down at her trainers, as though absorbing the consequences of his words. "She wants to marry you, doesn't she?"

"Yes."

"She told you, then?"

"No. But I figured that's what she's after. We're about to graduate. I don't put it past her."

"And you're perfectly fine with it." The was a gentle probe in her voice. "Despite everything?"

Nobody else would have gotten away with this. A year ago, Scorpius would have thrown a hell of a tantrum at being questioned this way, and left the conversation fuming… Merlin knows Tarquin and Albus had both tried to get to the bottom of his mess. But something in Rose's inquisitive expression compelled him to stay put and try.

Somehow, it mattered to him that she understood.

"Listen." Scorpius released a long-held breath, trying to put his thoughts into words. "None of this is as simple as it looks. My family name demands a match of the same stature. It was asked of me before I was even born."

Rose was turned toward him now, studying him with soft-faced earnesty. It was almost unbearable, how patient she was with him. Despite how muddled and chaotic his private life was. Most girls would run screaming at the prospect of this kind of emotional baggage... and he wouldn't blame a single one of them. But Rose had only tucked away her Grindylow-ridden Herbology notes and set down her bookbag as she considered his words.

"Was it the same for your mum and dad?" she asked at length.

"No. They were an exception." He thought about his parents' uncompromising love for each other, despite his grandparents' disapproval… and the melancholic twinge in his heart when he realised he may never have anything close. "Maybe they were the exception. Love isn't a prerequisite in a Pureblood marriage. It's not even a preference. Expressing any sort of emotion is a sign of poor breeding, as primitive as it sounds." He remembered Lucius' fervent disgust towards displays of affection all too clearly. Throughout her whole marriage, Astoria was often mocked by the aristocratic set for being openly affectionate towards her husband and son.

Their contempt had never stopped his mother, however. And Scorpius adored her for that.

"I've never believed my grandfather, of course," Scorpius continued, lost to his thoughts. "Of course love matters in any marriage… but I'm beginning to realise that not all of us are meant to find it. That maybe—Georgia's the best I've got. Maybe she's the closest I'll ever get." It was mortifying to give voice to this sentiment; to finally admit to himself what he'd feared about himself the past two years.

That he was unworthy of affection, of what his parents had.

Perhaps that was why Georgia couldn't bring herself to be tender with him.

Rose's startling blue eyes were shining too brightly under the ebbing light. Scorpius rested his head against the wall as they locked gazes. "Have you considered," Rose said, a quiet insistence in her voice, "that maybe you deserve better? That you could have what your parents have?"

"Once." His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Now I think perhaps Tarquin is the lucky one between us. At least he's spared the emotional nonsense."

"Do you still—love her?"

"It's complicated."

"Sometimes the simplest answer is the best answer." But there was no malice in Rose's voice. Then, as he had come to expect from her, she flipped the subject completely. "I think I would hate it. Breaking up with you."

"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me," Scorpius deadpanned.

Rose glanced up at him, her rosebud lips verging on a smile. "You won't believe me, but I've never felt more free than when I was with you."

Scorpius snorted, tapping her lightly in the ankle with his foot. "Because I scare everyone off?"

"In a way." Rose offered a lopsided little grin, one that threatened to breathe life into the blasted Flitterby in his stomach. She sounded distracted as she spoke, almost as though she was thinking about him. Even though he was right in front of her. "But you don't scare me. Not anymore, anyway."

"You'd be the first one." Scorpius had given in, then, to the temptation to brush away a stray strand of hair from her freckled cheek. "Don't worry. I'll show you mercy when we do break up. No Unforgivables."

The sudden laughter lit up her face, her wide grin hidden behind her hand. Then, remarkably... Rose moved even closer to him, getting onto her tip-toes between his feet. Scorpius' hand moved on its own accord, coming to support her slight frame as she came up against him. Graceless and instinctive. In some sort of strange half-embrace.

In the space of those few seconds, Scorpius found himself captivated all the same.

Rose had caught the front of his robes with both hands to keep her balance, and then a shy kiss was pressed delicately to a familiar spot beneath his ear. All too soon, she had pulled away, a gentle affection in her cornflower blue eyes.

Oh hell, he thought with a terrifying lurch in his gut, his own fingers now clutching blindly into the fuzzy back of her jumper.

She was so sweet.

"Go gentle on me when the time comes, won't you?" she said.