Chapter 13: Hey, Doctor, I'm Certifiable or, Imperfect Boys With Their Perfect Lives

Rating: M mainly for language, and I can't discount any funny business later on

Disclaimer: I work with only what the infallible J.K. Rowling has given me.

For what seemed like the first time in weeks, Scorpius could feel a win coming on.

He studied his team with barely concealed satisfaction as they dutifully carried out his latest play, and when Jack Harrington hurled the Quaffle in his direction, he did it with such force that Scorpius almost fumbled with it before gaining a firmer hold.

Yes, Scorpius could feel a win coming on.

"Alright," he called, holding a hand up. "Gather round. Remember, we need to be one hundred points in the lead if we're going to guarantee our position in the final. Bates, I don't want to see you breathe in the direction of the Snitch until I give you the all clear."

His Seeker nodded, and Scorpius tossed the Quaffle to Toby. "I want to run the Chaser play again." His mouth quirked as he shook his head. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's all on you, Bixby."

Noah grinned and bucked on his broomstick, once again making Scorpius question his decision to give him responsibility for anything. "Bixby, quit humping your broom and get into position."

"Aye aye, Captain."

Scorpius flicked his wand, and the Bludger that had been immobilised suddenly shook itself off the air before taking flight, heading straight for Toby. The rest of the team were in their pre-discussed places, and when Toby lobbed the Quaffle almost halfway across the pitch towards Bixby, the Bludger immediately changed its course.

"Steady!" Scorpius called when Bixby began to fidget on his broom. "Wait. Wait. Now!"

Moments before the Bludger would have slammed into him, Bixby zoomed out of the way, and the Bludger, momentarily confused and thrown off course, continued its path, then zigzagged in the sky before identifying another target. By the time it had, Scorpius had narrowly stopped another goal.

He pointed his wand in the direction of the ball and muttered a spell, and the Bludger hovered in the air, motionless. "Good."

His team gathered again, and Scorpius let out a satisfied exhale. "Don't let the pressure get to you, alright? This play is completely reliant on timing."

"What about the crowd?" Toby asked suddenly. "You know, crowd safety and all that."

Scorpius glanced at his best friend before turning back to face Bixby. "As long as you're in front of the Gryffindor stand, I don't fucking care."

His team laughed, and Harrington whooped. "Best to take out a few of them before we face them in the final."

The final. Against Gryffindor. Against her.

Granted, she was only a reserve - Merlin knew why - but karma seemed to be fucking Scorpius in the ass these days, so he wouldn't be surprised if that dumbfuck McGinty took a spill and Rose had to step in once again. He supposed they were sort of back to where they started, but - Scorpius couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was - there was something different between them now. It was as if the air that surrounded them was alive, like they were in an electric field that was thrumming and unrelenting, and it was that feeling - that exact feeling - that meant there was suddenly a daring little voice in his head that made itself known right before Scorpius was about to utter some insult towards her, a little voice that planted a seed of doubt in his mind, that told him maybe he didn't mean what he was going to say.

That voice needed to go.

He was suddenly aware of the silence that surrounded him, and he blinked a few times, fixing his gaze back on his curious and expectant team. He cleared his throat, swallowing. "Let's run it with two Bludgers this time. I want it perfect, Bixby."

"You will need to achieve Outstandings in Charms, Herbology, and Potions, with at least Exceeds Expectations in both Arithmancy and Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Rose nodded. It wasn't new information.

"It is a lot to ask, Miss Weasley." McGonagall granted Rose a glance before turning back to the sheet in front of her. "Though by the looks of your grades, it shouldn't be a problem." The Headmistress shook her head. "Perhaps it's a good thing that only the top students are applying to study medicine at a further level."

Rose waited, wondering if McGonagall would elaborate, but she didn't.

"So you are not interested in following your mother and father into a ministerial position?" McGonagall crooked an eyebrow at her student, her head slightly tilted as she appraised Rose from behind her spectacles.

"To tell you the truth, Professor, I think there's enough of my family in that profession already."

McGonagall chuckled and scribbled an extra note on the parchment in front of her. "Indeed. Of course, I was only curious; you would make an excellent addition to any medical field. Madam Pomfrey has been keeping me updated on your work in the Hospital Wing and she has been exceedingly generous in her praises." McGonagall's lip twitched in some semblance of a smile. "The most recent of which involved concocting a strengthened version of the Amortentia potion, am I right? A potion a number of seasoned professionals find suitably challenging, I should say."

Rose's stomach twisted, and she swallowed. "I can't take all the credit, Professor," she muttered. "I can't say how the potion would've turned out if Mal—I mean, if Scorpius hadn't been there."

"Yes," McGonagall said, somewhat musingly as she tented her fingers on the table. "Mr Malfoy is quite uniquely excellent when it comes to Potions. Not to say anything against your talents, Miss Weasley, of course."

Rose cracked a strained smile, so strained she could feel the tension in her cheeks, and she prayed McGonagall would change the subject sooner rather than later.

"So it is the London Institute of Health that you are applying to, correct?"

"Yes, Professor."

"May I ask you something, Miss Weasley?"

Rose's eyebrows furrowed. "Of course, Professor."

"Might you be interested in studying abroad? Expand your horizons, as it were."

The question made Rose slightly uncomfortable. It was the discomfort that came when she felt as if she wasn't living up to expectations, even if those expectations were as silly as studying abroad. "Maybe sometime in the future, but um…right now I think I'd like to stay here in Britain."

"Of course, if you are fond of London, that is sufficient reason to study there."

A sheepish smile broke out before Rose had time to stop it. "I don't particularly like London, Professor," she admitted. "I don't much like it at all, if I'm honest. I find it very…stressful."

McGonagall blinked at her. "Why not then choose another place in which to further your studies? Perhaps another institution?"

Rose shook her head. "The best one is in London, Professor. That's the one I'd like to go to."

McGonagall continued to inspect her with interest, though the last thing she looked was surprised. "Very well. Now, you already know how difficult it is to achieve acceptance into the LIH. Admission rates are around sixteen percent."

"Sixteen?"

McGonagall nodded. "It is not as low as you were expecting, though that is because application rates are similarly low. Many students believe they wouldn't stand a chance at gaining entry - and many of them are correct. This seems to be the case this year as well."

Rose wanted to do something else besides nod.

McGonagall's quill made one final flourish across the parchment before she scanned it and held it out for Rose to take. "That should be all the information you need for now."

"Thank you, Professor."

McGonagall was still looking at Rose as if she wasn't quite yet satisfied. "Tell me, Miss Weasley, what was it that prompted the urge to pursue medicine?"

Scorpius was silent for a few moments as he digested his Head of House's question. "I…I think medicine appeals to me because I know I can rely on what I see in front of me. It's not about making pointless - forgive me, Professor - rules and decrees, or about personal agendas or one-upmanships. It's about people just trying their best to help other people."

Professor Xavier appraised him for a few moments. "Mr Malfoy, have you ever considered a profession in teaching?"

Scorpius's eyebrows lifted, and he wet his lips. "Honestly, no, Professor. I never…" Liked children. "…much thought it was for me."

Xavier seemed to catch onto his unspoken words, and his lips quirked up. It was one of the closest times Scorpius had seen what might've passed for a smile on the man's face. "Scorpius, I should be very honest with you." He leaned back against his chair, folding his arms. "You have incredible talent, so much so I think that the word 'talent' is undermining to you. I would be surprised to see another student succeed in Potions as you have for the rest of my teaching years."

Scorpius suddenly became conscious of the small crease in the fold of his collar, and he subtly straightened it. "I was hoping I could use some of that talent to save someone's life, Professor." He paused, and then felt his face take on the slightest fracture of a smirk. "I could write a textbook if you like."

Xavier chuckled briefly - a sound Scorpius had never heard before and thus one that vaguely alarmed him - before he resumed scrutinising Scorpius with as serious a face as Scorpius had ever seen him wear. "You want to make a difference, my boy, don't you?"

The question had never been phrased at Scorpius so bluntly before, but now that he thought about it that way, yes, he did. He wanted it more than he had ever wanted anything. "Doesn't everyone, Professor?"

"Don't let anyone ever tell you that wanting something is the most important thing," Xavier said instead. "Means. Most people don't have the means to achieve change, no matter how much they want it. You do." Xavier reached for the pile of papers at his desk and tapped them against the table to set them straight. "Perhaps you'll make a medical discovery."

Scorpius shrugged. "Perhaps."

Xavier cleared his throat, and his expression became hard once more. "Now, anyone applying to this university will hear the same thing; it is exceedingly difficult to get into. Admission rates are low, competition is high."

"And yet you support my decision?"

Xavier didn't hesitate. "Unquestionably."

Scorpius paused. "Professor, how many students applied this year?"

"Two."

Scorpius didn't ask who the other student was; he didn't have to.

Scorpius weighed up his options before he hesitatingly asked, "Is it likely the two of us will be accepted?"

Xavier rested his arms on the table and leant forward. "Are you asking whether or not it is likely that two students from the same school will gain acceptance into this university, or are you asking about this particular scenario?"

Scorpius could feel a sudden warmth creeping up his neck. "Does it matter?"

"Certainly."

Scorpius met his Professor's gaze, but he was looking past those black eyes. "I guess I have my answer then."

"Cheryl, can you stay still, please?"

The girl in question twitched her shoulder agitatedly as she struggled to do as Rose had asked. "I'm trying."

Rose backed a step away as she rolled out more bandage, tensing as she bumped into a hard body behind her. Without turning around she noted the body as it moved backwards, hardly. "Isn't there another patient you can deal with? I've got this and frankly, you're in the way."

Scorpius instead leaned forward, close enough that his familiar scent hung unnervingly in the air between them. "Yes, you look like you're doing just fine manhandling her by yourself."

Cheryl, who had been listening to this for the past half-hour, continued to inspect her nails.

Rose angled her head back just enough for Scorpius to see her scathing smile. "Isn't it time for your milk and arsenic?"

"Only if you promise to join me."

"Unfortunately, unlike you, I have a patient to attend to."

Rose looped the last bandage around Cheryl's arm and pulled it tight, waving her wand to seal it. "Done."

The patient raised her arm to inspect it and turned towards Rose. "Thanks, Rose." She then turned towards the boy standing next to her. "Thanks, Scorpius." Her eyes twinkled and Rose stifled a disgusted groan in anticipation. "You're so talented, and you were so quick to identify what bit me, makes me wonder what you can't do, if anything-"

"You announced it as soon as you walked in," Rose said flatly, ignoring Scorpius' amused expression.

Cheryl wasn't done. "Now, are you sure my bandages are tight enough? It probably wouldn't hurt to check."

Rose immediately flicked her on the arm. Cheryl yelped.

"Did you feel that? Then they're tight enough." Rose walked over to the basin and washed the stickiness off her hands. When she turned around, Cheryl, dimly satisfied, had moved onto examining Scorpius' shirt, which was entirely white except for two small words by his pocket that said 'Hospital Wing'. Rose sighed. "Cheryl, we offer medical services here; you might want to go someplace else if you're looking for more after hours sort of services."

Scorpius, who had been humouring Cheryl, raised an unreadable eyebrow at Rose and put a hand on Cheryl's unbandaged shoulder. "You'd better go and get your medication slip from Madam Pomfrey before Fräulein Weasley bites you herself."

Cheryl threw Rose a rather brittle smile before hopping off the bed and disappearing into the nurse's office. Scorpius wandered over to the basin to wash his own hands.

"Jealousy is an ugly colour on you, Weasley." He paused. "Though I've yet to see one that isn't."

"I'm not sure I trust your taste, if I'm honest," Rose said thoughtfully. "Or did you not know that that white shirt makes you look positively drained of blood. I mean, more so than usual."

Scorpius snorted, and Rose waited for his next insult, but then the main doors opened, and a young girl that Rose recognised (though she couldn't remember from where) marched in, furiously scratching at her forearms and muttering curses like a trucker.

She looked around in a frenzy before her gaze settled on Scorpius, and she made a beeline for him, waving her red-lined arm.

"Juliette?" Scorpius blinked, partly to himself, and Rose watched as the girl she now recognised as Scorpius' tutee stopped in front of them.

"What're you doing here?" Scorpius asked in surprise.

"Stupid Brian and his stupid friends," Juliette said viciously, still scratching at her skin. "They saw us holding hands and they thought we'd appreciate the sensation of falling into a poison ivy bush."

"Brian too?"

"Yeah," she said, and then crossed her arms before unfolding them in discomfort. "Though he played it off as funny. He hasn't even come to the Hospital Wing yet."

Scorpius grabbed a clipboard from the bottom of the bed and began to write her information down. "You'd better sit."

Juliette sat, but scooted forward so that she was still close to where Scorpius was standing at the foot of the bed. "Can you fix it?"

Scorpius smirked. "That's kind of what we do here."

Scorpius felt a tap at his back, though it felt like he had just been prodded with the tip of a quill. A manicured hand slinked around his bicep, and he withheld a sigh. "I'm sure Weasley can help you out, Cheryl."

He felt eyes on him, and they weren't Cheryl's, but he ignored them and continued to write. The manicured hand retracted itself.

The sound of scratching drew his attention again, and he looked at Juliette properly. She had rough, red streaks on her bared forearms, and faded fingernail marks on her cheeks. As he watched, she scratched at her jumper-covered upper arms, but when it wasn't as satisfying, resumed scrubbing at the soon-to-be horror scene that was her lower arms.

"You're staring."

"I'm not."

"You're the worst nurse ever."

"I am not your nurse." Scorpius reached out a hand to stop her. "Try and hold off on that, alright?"

"It hurts."

"Well, why else would you be here?" Scorpius sighed upon seeing her face. "Don't think about it, alright? Focus on something else."

She looked briefly around the empty room and huffed. "There's nothing to focus on." She pursed her lips, weighing her options, and then seemed to make up her mind. "Do a thumb war with me."

"I don't know what that is," Scorpius said with a blank face.

Juliette grabbed his hand and interweaved it with hers, ignoring Scorpius' horrified expression at their contact. "There, now, you try and squeeze my thumb under yours and keep it there for ten seconds without me escaping."

"No."

She raised her eyebrows as he wiggled out of her grasp, stiffly resuming his hold on the clipboard.

She paused, and then tapped pointedly on the wood. "Do you see what it says on the bottom in big black writing?"

Grumbling, he diverted his attention to where her finger was.

"See? It says that you must attend to the patient's every ne-"

"A thumb war is not a need."

"Yes it is."

He didn't fight her as she reached for his hand again, and attempted very weakly to remove his thumb from underneath hers as she pressed down on it. "Oh no," he deadpanned. "You got me."

"You let me win," she accused him, her eyes narrowing.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're not supposed to let me win."

"I don't want to play this game anymore."

Juliette glared at him and crossed her arms.

Scorpius shot her a look in kind and gingerly lifted up her arm to properly scrutinise it. "So, apart from today, things are all good with Brian, huh? Last week you sounded like you were warming up to him."

"For now," Juliette replied darkly.

The sound of footsteps attracted his attention, and he shifted his eyes to watch Rose as she reached up to put the bandage coil back into the cabinet. When she turned around, she caught him staring and issued him a glare before disappearing into Pomfrey's office.

He turned back and was met with Juliette's curious expression.

She beckoned him closer, and he grimaced, then shook his head. She grabbed his arm - with a surprising amount of force - and pulled until his head was close to hers. "Something happened."

Scorpius drew back. "If you stopped talking, I could go and get the medicine you need."

Juliette squinted at him. "You're not angry with her," she decided.

"I am," Scorpius said indignantly.

"You're not," his tutee said, shaking her head. "You're..." Her attention was suddenly caught by something, and Scorpius followed her gaze as Rose passed by the bed and put her folded white shirt into their usual drawer a few feet away from them. She turned around and picked up her bag, seemingly deliberating before she spoke.

"You seem to have got that under control, so uh…I'm gonna go."

"What do I care if you leave?" Scorpius said automatically, and turned back to Juliette.

Rose made a disgruntled, exasperated noise from behind him and stomped out, yanking the door closed behind her with more force than necessary.

There was silence, until-

"That was mean," Juliette said.

"That was your fault," Scorpius muttered.

Rose awoke early on the morning of the Quidditch match. So early, that in the late days of January, the sun had not yet risen, and she set about getting ready in the dim lighting of her bedside lamp.

She had no idea whether or not Al or Gen would be awake yet, but the grumbling in her stomach could not be ignored, so she grabbed a book from her nightstand, and that would have to suffice.

Her door was slightly ajar, so she pushed it open and walked out of her room. The living area was empty - as Rose had expected this early in the morning - and she was about to exhale in satisfaction when suddenly a platinum mop of hair surfaced from its position on the couch. Scorpius was muttering quietly as he moved pieces around a board, his hands seeking hold in his hair whenever he paused to study his play.

Rose's immediate apprehension annoyed her — it annoyed her so much that she resumed walking with special fervour, though Scorpius was so immersed in his plays that he showed no recognition of sensing her.

Her hand travelled to her back pocket as she walked, out of habit, reaching to hold her wand—

The sudden clacking of wood on wood startled her, and in a quick, confused moment, she fumbled with her wand and watched it as it hit the carpet and rolled beneath the desk.

Rose gaped at her luck, her head turning back to Scorpius as he ducked to pick up his fallen piece.

She cringed, scrunching up her nose before she stealthily knelt down and peered under the desk. Her wand had rolled so far it rested against the wall; she lowered herself down until she was lying on the floor and shoved her entire arm underneath, sighing in relief when her fingers closed around it.

She had just straightened herself back onto all fours when she suddenly heard footsteps, and she barely had time to register what was happening before the footsteps stopped and a familiar voice drawled, "Are you fucking kidding me with this shit?"

Rose was on her feet in an instant, her traitorous wand in her hand, and she met Scorpius' expression with the determination of a drowning man. "I was looking for something."

"Your dignity?" Scorpius scoffed. "Hate to break it you, Golden Child, but in order for you to misplace something, it has to be present in the first place."

"I dropped my wand, you oaf," she snapped, jamming it back into her pocket.

"You're such a child, Weasley." He shook his head as he walked back into his room, paying no heed to Rose as she continued to fume.

Rose wasn't going to watch the Quidditch game.

She knew it was stupid, she knew it was petty, she even knew it was borderline cowardly, but a stronger part of her simply didn't care. She didn't want to see him, and that was that. She didn't need to watch him play - and play well - and listen as the crowd screamed his name, listen to the girls as they fawned (they always did). Better yet, Conrad, whom, after their brief kiss at the Ball, Rose had not spoken to since she had gently told him that she didn't see their relationship developing past that night, would - according to the Hogwarts gossip mill - be making his debut as co-commentator. She definitely didn't need that either.

She sat cross-legged in her bed as she continued to read, too aware of the deafening silence that surrounded her. She had cast a Silencing spell around her bed when she realised the sounds of the cheers could be heard from her bedroom (honestly, if she had wanted to listen to three hundred people chanting "Scorpius" at the top of their lungs, she would've just gone to the bloody match). When she brushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen past her ear and tucked it away before turning her attention back to her book, she realised she had absolutely no idea what she was reading. Flicking back six pages made her realise she hadn't taken in a single thing for the past twenty minutes, which was, incidentally, exactly how long she had been reading for.

She let out a frustrated sigh, shutting the book, and instead began to burn holes into the wall in front of her.

Her gaze flicked from the window to her closed door, and back to the abandoned book on the bed. After a minute of struggling, she waved her wand and undid the spell she had cast, and suddenly her room was alive with muffled noise. It filled her with instant loneliness, the thought of her friends cheering in the stands without her — maybe they were lonely without her there too. She remembered Al's face when she told him she wouldn't be watching (he had arrived halfway through her breakfast), and how when he asked her why, she fumbled her way through some stupid excuse, because nothing could be more stupid than the truth.

She let out a stressed, half-strangled noise, and, after a moment, grabbed her Charms textbook off her nightstand. She had told Al something or other about practicing Charms; she might as well make good on her promise. Conjuration of living things? Is that what they were doing next?

As one hand flipped the book to find the correct page, the other drifted towards her wand on her bedside table, and as she grabbed it, her eyes stopped on it and her mouth set.

You're such a child, Weasley.

Oh Merlin. Oh Merlin.

She was sulking.

Rose Weasley was holed up in her room, attempting to prepare for a Charms lesson that she could pass in her sleep with two hands tied behind her back, missing a perfectly entertaining Quidditch game, all because she was sulking. Even worse, she had let him be right, she had let him win by not going. He probably had expected her not to be there.

She slammed her Charms textbook shut and jumped out of bed, throwing on a hat, scarf and coat as she stepped into her boots. She deliberated, and then stuffed her wand in her back pocket too before striding out of the Heads dorm.

Scorpius saw her arrive.

Among the chaos as Toby had lobbed the Quaffle through one of the Hufflepuff goalposts, Rose had inconspicuously made her way up into the Gryffindor stands, edging past spectators as she found Albus and Genevieve. If she had been looking at the pitch - why hadn't she been looking at the pitch? - she would've seen how Scorpius' eyes had slid over to her direction, and how they didn't slide away.

He remembered back to a few months ago, how it had been her up there, playing Beater when she should've been playing Chaser, when she shouldn't have been playing at all. It had been him that had been faceless in the crowd, and her who had been cast into the spotlight, and they had never danced, hardly talked even; she had just been a self-righteous, tediously obnoxious know-it-all who was dating a Ravenclaw who got off to the idea of dead composers. Her face now stood out in stark contrast to the nameless around her, and Scorpius wondered if it would always be like this now, if Rose Weasley would continue to affect him in ways he didn't understand.

The game was still going on, and Scorpius quickly drew himself out of his thoughts and cast his gaze away from the stands. Luckily, all of the action was still constrained to the far end of the pitch, and if this play worked like it had in their practices, they were seconds away from a goal.

He watched as Jack Harrington feigned a fumble, and the Quaffle fell from his hands, and in that tiny moment of confusion, Hanes came up from below him and whacked it away.

Scorpius' hand unwittingly slid along the length of his broom when he leaned forward, and he entertained the briefest flicker of fear when his centre of gravity shifted.

Bixby swerved at the last moment and intercepted the Quaffle mere seconds before Angela Hale's fingers would've closed around it. Almost in response, from halfway down the pitch, the Hufflepuff Beater brought up his bat and thwacked the incoming Bludger with all his strength, sending it thrumming and spinning back towards Scorpius' triumphant Chaser.

Bixby noticed this almost straight away, and Scorpius could see the gears whirring in his head as he realised the Bludger's path towards him couldn't be more direct; if he moved now, it would simply follow.

He caught Scorpius' eye and there was a sudden clarity between them, and Bixby smirked, readying himself for the scenario he had practiced almost to perfection.

It took Scorpius all of two seconds to realise that something was wrong.

Bixby was too close to the stands. Scorpius could see his position far better when he flew further out from the goals, and when he moved out even further he caught a flash of familiar red, red that he had tried to put out of his brain for the entirety of the game, and when he instinctively craned out even further to get a better look, his eyes widened in horror, and panic seized his chest so tight he thought he might choke.

"MOVE TOWARDS IT!" Scorpius screeched unthinkingly, but Bixby only looked at him in incomprehension, and of course he did when Scorpius was now telling him to do exactly the opposite of what had been drilled into him for the past three weeks.

Scorpius could feel the blood roaring through his brain, and now he really was panicking, and that idiot bastard who never fucking listened during practices was hovering there, doing exactly what Scorpius had told him to do then and was not fucking listening to what Scorpius was fucking saying right fucking now-

"HANES!"

One of his Beaters turned in recognition, but he was now too far away; the other, Sydney Locke, was preoccupied at the other end of the pitch, exactly where Scorpius had told her to be. Everything was set up exactly as Scorpius had meant it to be.

There was only one thing that he had left unaccounted for.

"WEASLEY, GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

She wasn't looking; her gaze was fixed on the other goalposts, as far away from him as it had been for the entirety of the game.

But it was still coming, and Bixby was still blocking her from it and it from her, and maybe it wouldn't hit her, maybe it would find someone else in the crowd, but frankly, Scorpius wasn't prepared to take that chance-

"ROSE!"

He should let it hit her, it would serve her right for all the things she had said to him, the ridiculous way she was acting. If he moved now, he would leave his own goals completely open — he was already forsaking his concentration as it was-

"Christ—WEASLEY, THAT BLUDGER IS GOING TO HIT YOU!"

Scorpius' screams were beginning to cause a stir, and Rose finally looked up in alarm, her eyes widening and her hands reached up to instinctively shield her face-

And without further hesitation, Scorpius shot out like a bullet, straight into its path.

They collided in a sickening blow, and Noah Bixby turned white as a sheet as he watched his captain hit the Bludger harder than it hit him, and time seemed to slow down as Scorpius' features went slack, and then he began to fall.

"No!" Rose gasped, clutching her wand and pointing it at Scorpius, but in the ensuing madness, a wayward body slammed into her side, and her spell went shooting off towards the teachers' stands, sending the tarp crashing down upon them.

Her mind was everywhere at once, but she staggered towards the front of the stands, her wand raised again and the words on the tip of her tongue, but then the entire crowd seemed to cry out as one, and Rose lunged for the wooden bannister in front of her, her desperation almost overbalancing her, and she knew her unspoken spell was already too late.

Her heart seemed to simultaneously fall through her stomach and up through her throat as her gaze landed on an unconscious Scorpius, his legs splayed out at horrific angles and a steady stream of blood turning his pretty blonde hair red.

"STAY IN YOUR SEATS!"

McGonagall's voice, amplified by a Sonorous charm, filled the stadium, and the crowd, although still shrieking, stayed where they were. Rose became dimly aware of Al and Gen's arms as they held her back, and it was then that she realised she was still squirming to get to him. McGonagall was rushing down the stands, weaving in and out of Rose's vision as all of the staff followed her, and Madam Pomfrey was running across the pitch, and all Rose could do was watch from where she stood, Scorpius' screams still ringing in her head.

"You're an idiot."

Scorpius opened his eyes, blinking blearily. "You've got an odd way of expressing gratitude."

"You should be more careful."

Scorpius scoffed quietly, closing his eyes again. "You should be more observant." He cracked an eye open. "You know that Bludger was coming for you, right?"

"Sorry."

"I wasn't blaming you."

"Even so."

She stayed still, resolute. Scorpius coughed and set his elbows against the bed, attempting and then immediately failing to push himself up. He begrudgingly lay back down. "So, why are you still here, then? You've apologised."

"But you haven't."

"You ever hear the phrase, "You shouldn't kick a man when he's down"?"

"You ever hear the phrase, "Turnabout is fair play"?"

"Are we going to keep playing The Phrase Game, or are you going to tell me the real reason you're here?" When Rose opened her mouth to retort, Scorpius held up a hand. "I'm not going to apologise, Weasley, and you know it. So don't tell me that's why you dragged your arse all the way here."

She pursed her lips, her jaw clenching and unclenching. Scorpius could feel the small vibrations of her leg feverishly tapping against the bed frame. "I-uh, I came to say—I mean, I wanted to say-"

"Before the medication sets in, yeah?"

She glowered at him and spilled out her next words so quickly they were almost indecipherable. "I came to say thank you."

"No need; that smile said it all."

"No, I'm serious," she said, crossing her arms and fully straightening. "I would've never asked anyone to take a Bludger for me, nevermind you."

Scorpius shrugged noncommittally. "Truth be told, I never would've expected myself to have taken a Bludger for anyone either." He raised his eyebrows, his gaze flickering over his entire upper body covered in bandages. "I guess there's a white knight in me after all."

"It's news to me as well."

"Pomfrey said I had a visitor earlier."

Rose paused, and then crossed her arms, shrugging. "You were still concussed." She stepped closer, inspecting the medicine bottles on Scorpius' nightstand. "How're you feeling?"

"Like a million Galleons, Weasley."

She glared at him. "Be serious."

"Like I took a Bludger to the stomach, and then hit the ground from about three stories high. That serious enough for you?"

"You're not making this easy."

"Well, then I'm doing something right."

She sighed in frustration, her entire torso moving as she did so. "Look, a lot of things have happened recently, things that sort of put us back a few months, but after today I…I'm willing to move past it."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows.

"Besides," Rose continued, smirking slightly, "Dolloway wants us to complete our Banshee assignment out of class, and apparently we need to pass his class to make it to the universities we want to get into."

"University. Singular."

Rose hesitated. She frowned. "What?"

"The university we want to get into. The London Institute of Health. Isn't that right?"

Rose's fingers twitched. "Yeah, that's right."

Scorpius nodded slowly. "I guess we can't get rid of each other that easily, huh?"

Rose was silent, and she was spared answering when the nurse chose that as her moment to re-enter the room. "I'm afraid you'll need to leave Mr Malfoy to rest, Miss Weasley."

"Oh, no, of course." Rose abruptly straightened, and shifted the weight of the coat in her arms. "I'll just get going."

Pomfrey nodded, and then retreated back to her office.

"Uh…I should go."

Scorpius inclined his head. "Doctor's orders."

She smiled quickly as she looked at the ground, but sobered as she took in the heavily bandaged boy in front of her. "Bye, Malfoy."

"Bye, Weasley."

She turned to leave, but then seemed to consider, and then shifted to look back at him again. "I hope your chest feels better."

"And my arms."

"And your arms."

"And my legs."

"…those too."

She had just reached the door when he called out, "And my head!"

She shook her head, and without turning around, said, "Good-bye, Malfoy," before closing the door behind her.

Toby was already laughing by the time Scorpius had fully opened his eyes.

"You've really outdone yourself this time, mate," he said, reaching out a hand to pat Scorpius' forearm, incidentally the only area of Scorpius' upper body not covered in bandages.

"Oh, fuck off," Scorpius groused, rubbing at his eyes. "What time is it?"

Toby checked his watch. "Little after eight. I heard Weasley telling her cousin about how you were at dinner."

"Which makes her a right sight better than you, I must say," Scorpius interjected.

"I was here earlier," Toby defended. "You were just concussed was all." He leant back and patted his stomach. "Besides, man's gotta eat."

"I'm glad you've got your priorities straight."

Toby grinned, and then surreptitiously peeked around the room before drawing a hand into his robes. "I brought you dessert." He opened his palm and set about straightening the creases in the tin foil covering the food.

Scorpius sniffed. "Did you…is that a chocolate lava cake?"

Toby set the cake atop his palm and presented it to his friend. "Ta-da! Am I the greatest friend ever, or what?"

"You are now if you weren't before."

Scorpius grabbed the dessert, Scourgified the spoon he had used for his soup and began to eat.

"I'm guessing you won't be attending classes for a while," Toby ventured, settling back in his chair and wiping his hands clean of any cake residue.

Scorpius shook his head, talking around the food in his mouth. "Pomfrey said I'll be in here for three days at least."

"What, she can't be rid of you sooner?"

Scorpius shook his head again. "She thinks the healing process will be too hard on my body if it's all done at once. Plus, the amount of medication I'd have to take would be excessive, so she wants to do it in stages."

"Fair point," Toby said, and, upon noticing the empty cup of water beside him, refilled it.

"Do me a favour," Scorpius said, "and hand in my essays for Monday, will you?"

"Sure." Toby appraised his friend. "Though with the amount of projects and university prep we have coming up..." He shook his head. "Doesn't really give you enough wiggle room to be a bloody hero."

"You don't need to tell me how senseless I was," Scorpius said, squarely. "The fifty feet of plaster suffocating my circulation is plenty reminder."

"I'll say-"

Toby faded off and they both looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps, and Toby straightened as Madam Pomfrey bustled into view.

"It's time for Mr Malfoy's medication." She squinted as she stopped by Scorpius' bedside. "Is that—is that a dessert in your hands?"

Her eyes whipped to Toby, and he curled into himself on the chair, eyes widening. "Surely you can make an exception for a most dedicated student?"

"Favouritism has absolutely no place in the medical facility," Pomfrey preached sternly.

"I thought it was the very place for it," Scorpius said nonchalantly.

"If there were any justice," Pomfrey said, drawing herself up to her full height but grabbing Scorpius an extra pillow and comforter besides, "it would've been your mouth that needed fixing."

Toby snorted, and made little effort to hide his snicker behind his hand.

"Goodnight, Mr Nott," Pomfrey said, shooing him out of his chair. "Mr Malfoy needs plenty of rest."

"And cake," Scorpius added hopefully, peeking at Toby from behind her. "More cake would be good."

Pomfrey shook her head and waggled her fingers at the boys before she retreated back into her office.

Toby sighed and got to his feet. "Well, that's my cue, then. Let me know if you need anything."

Scorpius nodded. "See you later. Thanks, mate."

Toby grinned at him, and then turned to go. Scorpius turned away to reach for a glass of water.

"Hey, uh..."

He looked up slightly suspiciously at Toby's turn of voice. "What is it?"

Toby looked somewhat conflicted. "Liv, uh…asked me how you were and to uh…give you her best."

Scorpius' expression remained unchanged. "Well, you can tell her you've done it."

Toby paused. "Right. Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

He crooked his hand and left Scorpius sitting in silence again.

Rose was packing up her bag at the end of the school day when, upon flitting her eyes over the Charms assignment she was putting into it, something occurred to her, and, after a moment's contemplation, she approached Professor Flitwick's desk.

"Miss Weasley," Flitwick squeaked upon seeing her. "What can I do for you? Surely you don't have a question regarding the assignment?"

Rose shook her head. "No, Professor. Actually, I was wondering if I might take an extra sheet for Scorpius Malfoy. He's still in the Hospital Wing and it's probably not a good idea for him to fall behind."

"I see," Flitwick piped up, rummaging around on his messy desk. "A very good attitude, Miss Weasley. Splendid. Now, where did I put that—ah!" He extracted the piece from under a sea of papers - how he'd managed to swallow them in the two minutes since he had handed them out Rose had no idea - and scanned it before handing it to her. "I trust you will let Mr Malfoy know I am here to help if he so requires it."

Rose nodded, and tucked the sheet away into her satchel. "Thank you, Professor."

As she made her way out of the classroom, she saw Al leaning against the doorframe, Gen's sleeve brushing his right arm.

"What was that about?" he asked, eyes lifted.

Rose shrugged, trying to appear casual. "I just grabbed an extra assignment off Flitwick."

"Because you love Charms that much?" Gen asked in amusement.

"No," Rose said, waving her off. "I just grabbed one for Malfoy, that's all." As she attempted to brush past them, Gen stuck out a hand and held her fast.

"You what?"

Rose shrugged once more. "I figure, you know, it's the least I can do. He is sort of there because of me." She began to backtrack away, holding onto the strap of her bag. "I'll see you guys later."

"Where are you going now?" Gen called, sharing a quick look with Al.

"I have to give it to him, don't I?" Rose called back.

It suddenly occurred to her that she and Scorpius had shared all of their classes that day, so Rose hurriedly pulled the other three assignments out of her bag and duplicated them. She skimmed through them, familiarising herself with the material again in case, well, in case Scorpius would need any help. Maybe she was just giving her hands something to do.

She turned into the corridor of the Wing, and she remembered their fight now, remembered the darkness that had overtaken Scorpius' expression, the resentment fuelling every word he said.

And now he was lying in a hospital bed because he had flown out in front of a Bludger, all for the girl who, as he had vehemently told her only two weeks ago, meant nothing to him.

Rose held out her hand to open the door when suddenly it burst open, and she jumped back in surprise as the nurse bustled through.

"Miss Weasley!" She held a hand to her chest, and let out a slow and strained exhale before recovering herself. "What brings you here? I don't remember Owling you."

Rose held up the sheath of papers in her hand. "I just thought I should bring Mal—Scorpius his assignments."

The nurse looked grave. "That's very kind of you, Miss Weasley. He is still in a very bad way." She shook her head, tsking. "Bludger to the chest. I can't imagine what he was thinking."

"Not very much, I'd wager," Rose mumbled.

"What was that? Anyway, I must nip out. He's in the line of beds on the left side of the room."

"Thanks, Madam Pomfrey."

Rose waited until the nurse had squeezed past, and then she entered, pulling the door closed behind her.

Scorpius was sitting up, his head slightly cocked and his gaze fixed on the Hospital Wing's entrance. That slight feeling of discomfort made itself known again in the pit of Rose's stomach, and she swallowed.

Scorpius stared at her for a few moments before he found his voice. "What're you doing here?"

Rose suddenly looked quite flustered and brandished the stack of papers in her hand at him. "I, uh…I brought you your assignments."

Something in the cavity of Scorpius' chest twisted, and he blinked. "Oh. Thanks. You didn't have to; I would've asked Toby to get them for me."

"Well, it was just because we share all the same classes today that I thought it would be easier for me to just grab all of them. So…here." She put the papers down on his nightstand and edged back again. "Besides, it's the least I can do. I really do owe you."

"Thanks," Scorpius said again, not knowing what else to say. He shuffled through the papers, stopping when he studied the title of their Charms assignment. "This is new."

Rose leaned forward, tilting her head as he turned the sheet towards her. "Oh yeah, um…Flitwick said it's some of the most challenging Charms we'll learn at school. Most people didn't really understand how to do it when he was explaining it in class."

"So, we're learning the two-part version of it?"

"Yeah," Rose affirmed. She pulled her textbook out of her bag and flipped it open to the right page. "The first step, that's the Piertotum Locomotor bit of it, animates the objects, and allows them to obey basic instructions, but then the second part, this spell here, is what allows them to gain superior sentience."

"Which is—" Scorpius squinted. "Singula Animo."

"Right. It's quite difficult, honestly, and it requires some complex wand work, and Flitwick said it could be disastrous if done wrong-"

"I can see why-"

"He also said he could help you, if you needed."

Scorpius nodded, frowning a bit. "Okay. Thanks." He rubbed a hand against his temple. "Does Flitwick want us to learn both parts before next lesson, or…?" He turned away from Rose, fumbling at his nightstand. "Balls," he muttered a moment later as he pawed through his Herbology and Defence textbooks.

"Oh, here," Rose said, turning her textbook towards him and leaning forward for him to take it. He met her eyes for a moment before reading the introductory passage. "Flitwick wants us to attempt the second part, but since the first part's hard enough, he's not expecting us all to manage before Thursday."

Scorpius lifted his eyes from the book. "So how long did it take you to learn it?"

Rose flushed. "I uh…learnt it before the lesson."

"Seems like a nice way to spend lunch—"

"—two years ago."

Scorpius' mouth twitched, and he bent to study the textbook again. "This wand stroke is new," he said, suddenly, tapping at it.

Rose instinctively crossed towards his bed as Scorpius angled the page in her direction. As he shifted his eyes to look up at her, she reddened. "That's um…mine."

Scorpius smirked. "There're more notes on this page than there are words from the book."

"No more than your Potions textbook," she answered, slightly defensively.

"You misunderstand me," was all he replied, that smirk still present. Scorpius continued to read. "That does make things easier," he admitted.

"I like Charms," Rose said, a small smile on her face. "You have room to be creative. Not like other subjects."

"Like when I told you to add four spines instead of five?" Scorpius asked wryly.

"I wouldn't call that being creative."

"True," Scorpius said ponderously. "That was just me being right."

He looked up and met her gaze, letting out an amused breath in place of a laugh and went back to reading. His brow furrowed as he took in the instructions, and a significant part of him wished he had read over this before.

In his periphery, he saw Rose hesitate before biting her lip. A moment later, she withdrew her teeth. "Do you…want me to show you?"

Scorpius looked up in surprise, and his gaze fell towards the chair that sat beside his bed. He looked back at Rose. "Sure."

Rose nudged the door open and stepped into the Hospital Wing, keeping her footsteps as light as possible until she realised that apart from Scorpius - whose blonde hair she could see from the door - the room was empty.

She shifted the weight of the books in her arms as she reached him. "He-"

She broke off and pulled back with surprise. Hugging her books tight to her chest, she looked down at the sleeping boy in front of her.

He was breathing steadily, heavily, in and out in an almost calming pattern, lying perfectly still. The sun was low in the sky, and afternoon light filtered in through the blinds, casting soft slats of sunlight across his face. Of course it was the upper part of his face where the light shone, and Rose blinked as Scorpius' hair almost looked a white halo about him, and the shadows around his aristocratic nose only made it look all the more straighter.

Rose's foot hovered in the direction of the door. She could leave - could, though she knew that wasn't exactly synonymous with able to - and she probably should leave, but what if he woke and she wasn't here and he thought maybe she had forgotten about him.

She squared her shoulders and stood resolutely. What kind of a Head Girl was she if she couldn't pull herself together and calmly and non-dramatically wait for him to wake up?

Or maybe she could just keep her books in her hands, a chair at the ready, and hover, and the minute his eyes would begin to open she would lower herself down and say, Oh, good, I only just arrived and I was going to wake you, that's just good timing, I guess—

She shook her head, chastising herself for her stupidity and meekness, and set her books quietly onto the floor. There now, she had no choice but to stay. She directed her attention to the chair that had remained by Scorpius' side from their session the day before and charmed it to hover, drawing it a safe distance away from him before demurely lowering herself into it and pulling out her textbook. It wouldn't hurt to practice the movements for a few minutes before he woke up, she could use the affirmation-

She took her time finding the page, and her gaze drifted up towards the top of the paragraph, but then it drifted up further, and her brain took a few moments to catch up with her mind because by the time her brain had graciously decided to start thinking again, her mind was in a tailspin.

I guess there's a white knight in me after all.

She had caught a glimpse of Scorpius as he had screamed at her to move, his Quidditch cloak flapping wildly in the breeze behind him, and it was that image that stuck in her brain now, and though he was lying motionless in a bland white hospital bed dressed in nothing but a bland white hospital shirt and slacks, she thought he looked every bit the white knight he had the day of the match.

Suddenly, he drew in a sharper breath, and his eyelashes fluttered a few times before his gaze settled on the white ceiling above him. Rose's mouth opened in surprise, and she rapidly thought of the best position he should find her in before ducking back down and writing some gibberish on her parchment.

He cleared his throat, and she looked up. "Is it four already?" he asked, his voice hoarse with sleep.

She let out a breath, and rummaged through the stack of books on her lap, extracting a fresh piece of parchment, quill and Scorpius' Transfiguration textbook. "It's four fifteen."

"Oh, shit, sorry," Scorpius said, sitting up and nonchalantly rubbing the heel of his palm at his eyes. "Pomfrey upped the dosage of medication today since it's my last day in here. You could've woken me up."

Rose waved a hand, and though Scorpius was still slightly groggy, a hardness had re-entered his eyes, and a part of her wished he had slept on for just a little bit longer. "It's alright, you looked uh…" Peaceful. "...Tired."

Scorpius looked around for the water jug beside his bed, and poured himself a cup. Rose coughed and pulled her chair closer towards him. "So, uh, we started a new chapter today: Conjuration of living things. If you're feeling up to it, we could do some practical stuff."

Scorpius swallowed, and then put away the cup, picking up his wand instead. "Yeah, that sounds good."

Rose nodded and flipped open her textbook. "We learnt the Avis spell today."

Scorpius tapped his wand against the bedding on top of his thigh. "How many people managed to conjure up anything?"

Rose kept her eyes on the textbook, but her mouth quirked up into a smirk. "One." She paused. "Two if you count Al's bird-rabbit hybrid thing."

"We should brighten up McGonagall's day, then."

"Are you sure you don't want to warm up?" Rose asked, then spread her hands when she caught sight of Scorpius' expression. "I mean, I don't know — the medication can you make you all kinds of groggy, and you just woke up, so-"

"I'm good."

He cleared his throat, and clasped his wand in his hand. "Avis," he muttered, noncommittally, as if trying it out.

Rose stuck her fingers in the bind of the book and flipped it over to show him. "You have to create a sort of 'M' shape, you know like when you were younger and you drew birds that were supposed to be far away."

Scorpius studied the illustration. "I thought you said you couldn't draw."

He felt the heavy weight of her gaze on him, and finally looked up to meet her.

She smiled at him, but her eyes were slightly narrowed. "I can't."

Scorpius dropped her gaze and practiced the wand movements. "Does that look right to you?"

Rose watched him and nodded. "Yeah. Also, the traditional method means when the bird is conjured up, it makes a sort of gunfire sound. I've found that if you add an extra forty-five degree rotation at the end, you can conjure them soundlessly."

Scorpius raised an eyebrow at her, then furrowed them, looking deep in thought as he added in the extra move. "Like that?"

"Yeah." Rose shrugged. "I could show you, if you'd like."

"Be my guest."

Rose rolled up her sleeves, and - though she had managed to perfect the spell wordlessly that afternoon - muttered "Avis" as she demonstrated the move. To her slight relief, a red robin soared up towards the ceiling, chirping. She watched it for a few moments, and then lowered her wand. "Do you want to have a go?"

Scorpius pointed behind Rose, the corner of his mouth twitching. She turned, and her mouth slid open as her gaze settled on the identical red robin now perched on the bedpost of the empty bed closest to them.

She turned to re-face Scorpius but did so before recovering her awed expression, and Scorpius leaned back, interlacing his fingers and resting his head against his palms. "It's just that damned medication."

Rose said nothing but watched as her bird flew over to join Scorpius' and bumped their heads together, cooing softly as they enjoyed each other's warmth.

It was a few hours later when Scorpius was just finishing up another chapter of his book that he heard the handle of the Hospital Wing door turn. He closed his book and straightened, assuming that it was Madam Pomfrey back from dinner and ready to release him.

His eyebrows raised when instead Rose stepped into view, her brow lined as she wet her lips. Her gaze settled on him with an unfathomable expression, and she seemed to hesitate before she walked to stand at the foot of his bed.

"You're still here," she said, blinking and looking, well, the only word that came to mind was disappointed.

Scorpius looked around the Wing with a theatrically curious expression on his face. "It would appear so. That is why you're here, isn't it?" He paused. "Unless you're visiting some other remarkably selfless individual who flew into the firing line of a Bludger and broke most of the bones in his body for you?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, but shuffled around with the plates of food she had in her arms - which Scorpius had found odd but had decided not to comment on - as she spoke. "I uh…brought you some food-"

"Oh, jeez, Weasley, don't miss your dinner for me."

She waved him off. "Gen's finishing up work in the library, and um…Al's still in his room engrossed in this new play so I was just going to eat in my room as well, but then I thought why should the both of us eat alone when um…I mean, I thought you'd be gone," she finished quietly.

Scorpius decided to ignore that incredibly un-Rose Weasley logic and simply stared at her. "Thanks."

Rose looked at the chair that seemed to permanently reside next to Scorpius' bed and made her way towards it. "So, when are you getting released?"

Scorpius shrugged. "Pomfrey said tonight. It could be any moment now. Or," he said, something stirring inside him as he caught Rose's expression, "it could be in a few hours."

She nodded in apparent satisfaction and scrutinised the food on the two plates she was holding. "I'm not quite sure what you like, but it was a roast, so you can't really go wrong with-"

"It looks good," Scorpius interrupted her. She met his gaze, smiled a bit, and handed one of the plates over.

As he began to dig into his food, Scorpius cleared his throat. "So, tell me more about this new play, I'm quite intrigued."

"Nice try, Malfoy."

He smirked at her, cutting himself a slice of lamb. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her spear a slice of gammon on her fork and hesitate with it.

"I had no idea you were as good at Transfiguration as you are at Potions."

Scorpius raised a brow. "I'm not."

She looked at him. "I mean, it would take a pretty powerful wizard to master a Conjuring spell wordlessly on his first go."

"No arguments there."

She frowned, as if she couldn't apply logic to what Scorpius had said, and he cracked a grin. "Alright, fine. McGonagall took the liberty of sending me an outline of the classes I would miss. I had a go at the Avis spell this morning."

The tension left her forehead then, though she pushed around the food on her plate, still not eating, and Scorpius wondered if something else was bothering her.

He was about to change the subject, but then—

"I'm sorry," she said, suddenly.

"For?"

She cast her eyes down to the table, still toying with her food. "I should've listened to you. I uh…" She bit her lip. "I heard you yelling my name but I was so mad at you I just…refused to listen. It's my fault you're in here."

Scorpius nodded. "That's true. But that Bludger was going for the crowd whether you were there or not."

Rose looked up and met his gaze. "Would you have intercepted it either way?"

"No," Scorpius said, without missing a beat.

Her eyes seemed to soften at that, and Scorpius was careful that his face wouldn't give anything away - not that there was anything to give away, of course - but then her eyes trailed back down onto her plate, and she resumed eating.

"Oh." Rose put her fork down suddenly, cradling her plate on her lap as she reached for her satchel on the floor and dug around in it a little. She extracted a slip of parchment and held it out for him to take. Crooking an eyebrow at her, he smoothed it in his hands and scanned it.

He recognised Xavier's handwriting straight away, and his gaze was drawn to the bold "O" in the corner.

A perfect Veritaserum potion, Miss Weasley and Mr Malfoy. I would like to offer my personal congratulations for your achievements and have taken the liberty of adding your concoction to the Hogwarts' potions storage. As an aside, please do observe the outcomes of professionalism and cooperation.

He could feel Rose's eyes on him as he considered the information.

"Professionalism and cooperation, huh?" Scorpius asked dryly.

Rose shrugged. "Was he wrong?"

Scorpius put his empty plate on the bedside table next to him, and leant back, folding his arms across his chest. "I'd like to see you professionally cooperate with Nigel McDougall and get the same grade."

Rose rolled her eyes and plucked the paper out of his hands so she could inspect it again. "I suppose it might have something to do with this particular partnership."

"Oh, I didn't say anything about any partnership. I was referring to myself." He smirked. "And perhaps the addition of four Lionfish Spines?"

She pursed her lips before pressing them together and shaking her head at him. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

Scorpius shook his head, smirking, and then the main doors swung open, and they turned their heads towards the entrance.

"Miss Weasley," the nurse said in surprise, as Rose hastily shot to her feet. "How nice of you to be here for Mr Malfoy's release."

"Oh, I didn't-" Rose started, but when Scorpius looked at her, she faltered. "It's um...no problem."

Pomfrey smiled at her, and picked up the clipboard at the base of Scorpius' bed, checking a few boxes and scribbling some notes as she peered at the empty bottles on Scorpius' nightstand.

"Any lingering pain, Mr Malfoy?" she asked, still scribbling.

"None at all," Scorpius assured her, rolling his shoulders for good measure.

"No headache?"

"Only since she arrived."

At Rose's affronted expression, Scorpius' laugh turned into a hasty cough, and he shook his head. "No, ma'am."

"Good."

Pomfrey unclipped the sheet of paper from her clipboard and put the clipboard back into its holder by the bed. "Well, then, I am officially discharging you, Mr Malfoy. Enjoy your evening. Goodnight, Miss Weasley."

She nodded at the both of them and headed for her office. "Oh, and Mr Malfoy?" She paused and then turned back. "Don't do that again."

Scorpius could feel Rose's eyes on him, and as he glanced at her she flushed, casting her eyes to the floor.

"No promises," he murmured, throwing his legs over the bed and standing for the first time in three days. He wobbled a bit, his legs still weak, and he let out a long breath.

"Everything okay?"

He met her concerned expression. "Fine. Just, you know, getting my sea legs."

"Do you need me to carry anything?" she offered, moving forward as Scorpius piled his textbooks into his hands.

Scorpius blinked in surprise. "Uh…yeah, sure. Thanks." He removed the top textbook from the significant pile in his hands and reached out for her to take it. At her unimpressed look, he took off another.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't forget anything."

He cast his gaze around his bed before turning back to her. "Right. So…shall we?"

It wasn't long before they had reached the corridor of the Heads dormitory, and they both blinked in surprise at the sight of Albus and Gen who were engaged in fervent conversation with John Wyatt. Rather, John Wyatt was engaged in fervent conversation with them.

"Now, you don't wanna twang the string too hard now, I could tell y'all stories about all the times I-"

Upon seeing them, John took off his hat and waved it vigorously.

"Tenderfoot! You look good as new." He scratched his head, still grinning. "Though that there outfit is a little…er…"

"White?" Rose supplied.

"Yeah, white as I ever seen."

Scorpius pursed his lips. "Nice to see you, John." He turned to Rose. "I can take those books back now, Weasley."

John fixed his hat back onto his head, and he sat back down on his bench, picking his guitar back up and plucking some notes. "That was mighty brave of you, tenderfoot," he said. "Flyin' out in front of a big ol' ball of steel-"

"Iron," Scorpius and Al interjected quickly.

"Whatever it was," John said airily. "Would've taken serious-"

"Balls of steel?" Scorpius asked archly, smirking. From next to him, Al snorted.

John shot him an amused look and went back to plucking. "You've got a committed partner there, don't ya, Miss Weasley — Miss Weasley?"

Scorpius turned his head to look at Rose; her attention was caught completely by something at waist height, and when Scorpius followed her gaze, it landed on Al and Gen's entwined hands. He blinked.

"Rose?" Gen asked, biting her lip.

Rose started, and cast her eyes around the group, frantic. "Sorry, what?"

Scorpius' brow furrowed, and he didn't miss how Rose's gaze kept darting back towards her friends' hands, like she couldn't help it. He cleared his throat.

"How're you feeling, mate?" Al asked. "Still feel banged up?"

Scorpius shook his head. "Nothing Pomfrey couldn't fix." He grinned conspiratorially. "You better bring your A-game."

Al rolled his eyes good-naturedly before silence fell upon the group.

Rose still looked like she was having trouble believing what she was seeing, Genevieve was steadily tearing a hole in her bottom lip, and Albus was clicking his teeth, and Scorpius thought maybe it was time for him to be leaving.

"I should probably get to sleep," he said, finally. "You know, rest up or whatever."

Al nodded thoughtfully, whilst Gen still stared at Rose, her eyes beseeching an empty audience as Rose continued to stare at the ground. "Yeah, good idea. See you in Transfiguration."

Scorpius raised a hand in farewell and flicked his eyes towards the redhead beside him. His "Goodnight'" caught in his throat when he saw she was still staring firmly at the ground, and he instead turned towards John. "Leo Anguis."

The portrait swung open, and Scorpius climbed through.

Before the door had fully closed behind him, he heard Al take a deep breath before saying, "Rosie, there's something we need to tell you."

A/N:

Hi guys :P I know I sound like a broken record, but seriously, as always, I really hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry for any of you who were enjoying getting back into the angst of things, but I think it's good to shake things up a little. Some of the recent reviews I've been getting have been so, so sweet (I teared up a little ngl) and I've been tempted to reply to some of the lengthy ones but some have been left by guests so I can't - but just know, I read everything that gets sent to me, and they all mean the world ❤. Hope all of you have gotten adequately ready for summer (side note: how the frick frack is it summer already?). Wear sunscreen and hats! Chapter titles both come from the same song, incidentally, though that might be because this is one of my all-time favourites: Fall Out Boy's Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes.

~ Rach

P.S. Contrary to what you guys might think, I don't actually envision Rose and Scorpius as Holland Roden and Alex Pettyfer at all (as per my cover image for the fic) - it was seriously just for the aesthetic (and for the actual utility of a cover image) :P Just wanting to put that out there.

P.P.S. Gods, when y'all have said you've read the fic in one sitting, I never thought too much of it until I realised that as it currently stands, it's longer than both the Philosopher's Stone and the Chamber of Secrets. This thing is a full-length novel. You guys are amazing ❤