Chapter 6
"This isn't what it looks like," Rose cried out as soon as she realized that her cousin was standing in her room. Scorpius could see that Al was taking the scene in. His cousin. On the rumpled bed. With Scorpius' hand touching her there.
Slowly, Scorpius removed his hand from Rose's bra. He didn't want to piss off Al any more than he already was. Without saying a word, Al rotated and stormed out of the room. Scorpius, knowing the Rose would want to go after him, sat back. Sure enough, as soon as he got off of her, Rose jumped up, straightened her clothes, and raced out the door.
Scorpius, however, stayed still. He was trying to think of a good, plausible reason why Rose wanted his hand down her shirt. Not that he was complaining. Having dreamed about that exact moment, Scorpius was glad that he could actually experience it. The only part that wasn't in his dream was Al walking in on them, but that was just his dream.
Rose was supposed to be over him. She was, after all, going on a date next weekend after the Quidditch game. Since he broke up with her, he wasn't supposed to be feeling this either. It wasn't normal. But, then again, it wasn't a normal break up. Scorpius didn't want to break up with her. Every second of every hour of everyday he was thinking about her. He would never get over her.
And now, this happened. Al walking in on them when nothing was even happening- but it sure as hell looked like something was happening. Scorpius thought that Al was somewhat fine with them dating before. But now, he must be ready to curse Scorpius' face off. After ending it with Rose, Al never talked to him anymore. And Scorpius hadn't gone out of his way to talk to Al. Now, talking to Al was all he needed to do.
After Al had seen them, Scorpius felt that he had to explain it. Scorpius felt like he had to man up and talk to both Rose and Al without getting mad at what they were saying to him. First, though, he wanted to talk with Rose privately. He didn't know what she was telling Al right now, but he needed to find out. After all, their stories had to match so that Al wouldn't think they were lying.
Scorpius got up from Rose's bed and ambled out the door. He couldn't look to eager to talk to them. Hopefully, Rose would be done with talking to Al because Scorpius didn't want to be there when that showdown happened. He needed to talk to her alone. But, with his luck, the entire school would be there. Trudging down the stairs, Scorpius unlocked to dorm to their dormitory and stepped out. He needed to find Rose.
[-**-]
"Al, you have to listen to me," Rose yelled, running down the hall. She could see Al trying his best to get away from her by ducking into a secret passage. Slowing her pace to a walk, since she knew that the secret passage had only one outlet, she began to think about what she was going to say to him. Knowing Al, he would not believe the truth and assume that the worst had happened. Rose shuddered, not wanting to think about the worst.
One part of her was praising Al for barging in. Who knows what would have happened if he had not. And Rose, for one, did not want to find out. Yet, another part of her did want to find out what would have happened. She had felt alive for once in her life. Rose wanted to see how far they would have gone. If they would have just made out, or it they would have started to shag each other. Part of her wanted to see that while the other part was screaming at her to get out of the situation.
Rose finally caught up to Al. Though she still didn't know what she was going to say, she pushed the drapes open and found Al. "Al, you have to listen to me," Rose started simply.
"I don't have to do anything," he retorted, shifting his body so that he was facing away from her.
"But you don't know the whole story. Please let me explain," she pleaded.
"I don't need to hear the whole story. What I was pretty graphic for people who aren't even friends anymore," Al said, trying to push past her and into the corridor.
Rose did not want him to leave. Who knows what he would do if he left. Pushing him back, she cried, "It wasn't what it looked like!"
"Then what was it?" questioned Al, still pushing against her. Rose felt deflated as she tried to think of a god story that would sound realistic. "Any day now, Rose. I still have practice to go to," Al impatiently said.
"You know what," Rose said, letting Al push past her, "I don't own you any explanation. And how did you get in my dorm anyways. It's for Head's only. I didn't give you the new password."
Al, after he successfully pushed his way into the corridor, said, "I asked Lily. She said that you were probably up there. And I was looking for you for Quidditch practice." But he waved his hand aside at the detail. "Tell me what happened in your dorm."
Rose now stepped out into the corridor as well. She might as well, seeing that there was no one there. "She had no right telling you that. As for what happened in my room, you can think what you want, but it's not going to change anything. I don't have to tell you anything," she commented, staring into his face.
"What if I tell everyone?"
"You won't because I'm your cousin. No one would believe you anyways," Rose offhandedly said.
"What about Lorcan? Can I tell him what dirty things you do in your room with Scorpius?"
Rose stopped. Her date with him was next week after the Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Al was not ruining that. Even if she still loved Scorpius, Lorcan was a good friend. "Do not say a word to anyone. If anyone finds out about this, then I'll tell everyone about your parents."
It was Al's turn to freeze. Though Rose felt terrible about playing that card, she couldn't risk having Al running his mouth about her and Scorpius. Al twisted sharply and began to walk away with a disgusted look in his face. Then, turning around to face her one last time, he said, "I never thought that you would sink that low. Maybe Scorpius is right for you. You are just a bunch of Slytherins."
Rose slowly sank down to the floor by leaning against the wall. She was surprised that she had threatened Al with his parent's divorce. And here she was trying to make things better between them. Maybe Scorpius was rubbing off on her. Just as Rose thought that, she was Scorpius appear in the corridor.
Before he could say a word, Rose was already talking a mile a minute. "I'm sorry Scorpius. I shouldn't have done that. You broke up with me and made it clear that you don't have feelings for me. I was just really lonely and you were there."
"Rose, stop. It's fine. I don't hate," Scorpius said, not knowing what else to do.
Rose couldn't believe her ears. After what Scorpius had said to her when they broke up, Rose thought that he hated her guts. Apparently not. He was, after all, saying that he didn't mind touching her. But then again, all boys don't think when they get that close to girls. But, still, she couldn't trust him. He had broken her heart earlier that year.
"You don't?" she asked.
"No, of course not. How could anyone hate you?" Scorpius said in disbelief.
"You seemed to hate me before Christmas break," Rose shot back at him, staring hard into his eyes. But not too hard because she didn't want to get lost in them.
Scorpius looked uncomfortable when Rose said this. Under the glare of her eyes, he commented, "I never hated you."
"Well, you seem to be a good actor then," Rose said angrily, storming off. She didn't get two steps when Scorpius grabbed her. "Let go of me," Rose shouted, struggling to get free of his tight grip.
"What did you say to Al?" he questioned, not loosening his grip.
Rose stopped struggling. He did have the right to know that- unlike Al. "I didn't tell him anything. I knew that it wouldn't change his mind about what happened. He just believes that we were getting hot and heavy."
"Why didn't you just tell him the truth," Scorpius responded, letting go of her arm.
"He's not going to believe me no matter what I say."
"Isn't he going to tell everyone now?" Scorpius asked worriedly.
"No," Rose said miserably.
"Why not?" Scorpius asked. His brain seemed to be full of questions.
"Because I told him that I would tell the entire school about his parents if he told anyone," she responded, bowing her head in shame.
Scorpius let out a wolf whistle. "Wow, Rose. I never knew you could be that mean. I'm impressed. You should have been in Slytherin."
Rose nodded miserably when he said that. "That's what Al said to me." She still couldn't believe that she had done something that mean. She really should have been in Slytherin.
"Really?" Scorpius asked in disbelief as if he couldn't imagine a Potter saying that.
"Well," Rose started, "he really said that you must be rubbing off on me and that it was no wonder you were right for me." Her head was still bent in shame for what she did.
"Oh."
"I really have to go," Rose said, quickly turning away from Scorpius to walk back to their common room. Scorpius didn't say anything after her. Rose just saw him put both his hands in his pocket and saunter away.
[-**-]
Al could not concentrate on Quidditch right now. He was too busy thinking about Rose and Scorpius. After he found them yesterday on Rose's bed, he was thinking of nothing but them. He still couldn't believe that Scorpius had broken up with her.
The night before they broke up, Scorpius looked desperate to find her, as if his life depended on it. But then, during the next day, he seemed to have changed the way he felt about her. Even then, Al felt that something was wrong with the way he broke up with her. You can't go from loving someone to hating them the one day Al thought. Something just didn't add up. Al felt that something had happened to Scorpius that night that made him break up with Rose.
Even after they broke up, Scorpius was still watching Rose with loving eyes when he thought that no one was watching him. Al told Rose this, but she was still too upset from the break-up to think straight. She started yelling at him about giving her false hope and blame him for making Scorpius break up with her. After that, Al kept his opinions to himself. Still, he kept a close eye on his cousin's ex-boyfriend. Scorpius seemed to be much tamer after their break-up. Al noticed that he didn't mess around with girls anymore and got better grades in school. Though he was single, he never dated or had sex with another girl. Because of this, Al knew the Scorpius still had feelings for Rose. Now, Al was trying to figure out way he broke up with her in the first place.
Sure enough, Al saw Rose and Scorpius together to other day in her room. Though he knew that it would happen eventually, Al was still unprepared. After being blowing up at Rose, he wanted to find Scorpius and kill him. Well, at least talk some sense into him. Now that he was thinking clearer, Al realized that he couldn't do anything. Not only was it not right, but Rose threatened to tell everyone about how his parents might be getting a divorce. If she told anyone, the newspapers would have a fit. Though he knew that people would ultimately find out, he didn't want Rose to be the one tell them. Also, he wasn't too mad at Scorpius and Rose. Sure, he acted like it, but them being together really didn't bother him. Besides, it gave him something else to think about.
Al was still upset about his parents were breaking up. He didn't understand why they were doing it. He knew that it might be for the best, but he still felt bad about it. Though they didn't fight, when he found out, he burst into tears. Now, even though he didn't seem torn up, he was a mess inside. James, being the oldest and out of school, was coping better that he was. And Lily, if she was sad, she was very good at hiding it. He and James had written a couple letter's about it, but really didn't talk about it.
And now, he had to worry about Quidditch. Even though his team was flying fine, Al still felt worried. He had a feeling that something would go wrong at the match next week. But, then again, he had been wrong before. Last year, Al was sure that the Slytherins were trying to spy on them, so he made James, the Captain at the time, practice late at night. This was an attempt to make sure the Slytherins couldn't see them and their plays. Sometimes, Al didn't know what went through his head.
But now, it was time to go to sleep. After the hectic last two days, Al felt rather tired. Reluctantly, thought, he got into his pajamas and settled into a restless sleep.