Chapter 12- Pick up lines

The next couple of weeks passed fairly quickly and Ruby was pleased to know that the papers soon got bored with the lack on new information on her so reported on other stories, such as the upcoming wedding of Teddy and Victoire. Ruby and Scorpius were allowed back on day shifts and Ruby was glad that the rumours of their apparent relationship had been quashed by everyone in the hospital so they could just get back to normal.

It was a Friday evening and Ruby was just picking up her things to go home when Scorpius entered the office.

"Hey, what are you doing back here?" She asked.

"Just forgot one of my books, got a test on Monday."

"Which one?"

"Childhood diseases."

"Oh, that one's not too bad, don't worry…" She began but then Penny Shacklebolt walked into the office and looked at Ruby.

"I'm glad I caught you Ruby, any plans for tonight?"

"Not particularly, why?"

"Amber has just had a horrendous shift and I want her to go out, Baxter is away so can you take her?"

"Sure, I think Alice is free as well, do you want to come Scorpius?" She asked. Scorpius looked surprised.

"I was planning on meeting up with Hamish in that club we went to, we could all meet up there?" He suggested and Penny looked pleased.

"Brilliant, thanks you two, I'll send Amber up, it's the first child death she's dealt with so company and alcohol will probably help." She disappeared and Scorpius put his book back on the desk.

"I'll meet you there then?"

"Can you wait here while I run and get Alice, then we can go together?"

"Sure."

Ruby went to the Potions department and found Alice just packing up her things, she appeared to be in a bad mood.

"Alice, do you want to go and get good and drunk with Amber?" She asked. Alice looked up.

"Rubes you are an absolute lifesaver, I've had a horrible day…"

"So has Amber, Penny asked me to take her out. Scorpius is coming too and bringing his friend."

"Great, where are we going?"

"The Muggle club in Birmingham." They made their way back to the office and found Scorpius looking very uncomfortable with a tearful Amber.

"Oh, look Ruby is here now." He said, looking relieved.

"Ruby! It was horrible!" Amber said, throwing herself onto Ruby.

"I heard, come on, let's get out of here."

Twenty minutes later they were sat in the club downing shots of questionable origin. Scorpius's friend Hamish was nice company and he appeared to have caught the attention of Alice who blushed as he sat next to her.

After a few more shots Amber's mood improved and she dragged the group onto the dance floor where they laughed and danced to the muggle music.

When the song 'Ironic' came on Ruby and Scorpius looked at each other and smiled before returning to the bar and getting some more drinks.

"So, you worried about Monday?" Ruby asked, thinking about the test.

"Nah, I reckon I can nail it."

"Pride comes before a fall, Malfoy." She said, taking a swig of her cocktail.

"What?"

"Oh, it's a muggle expression my Uncle Harry uses."

"It's so weird that you can just talk about Harry Potter like that." Hamish said, coming over to join them. "Like he's not a fucking legend or anything!"

"I thought you were Muggle-born, you can't have heard of him till you were eleven." Ruby said.

"Scorp been talking about me then? Talks about you all the bloody time!" Hamish said, picking up a green shot and downing it.

"Does he?" Ruby said, turning to Scorpius who coloured quickly.

"Well…you've left quite an impression." He said, before standing up and walking over to the bar. Hamish followed him and Alice sat down next to Ruby.

"Okay, so I like Hamish." She said, looking over at him.

"I noticed." Ruby said, still looking at Scorpius who was ordering a round of drinks.

"And I've noticed that you like Scorpius." She said bluntly. Ruby turned to her.

"Look, Alice…"

"Rubes, we've been best friends since before we could talk, you can't hide stuff from me. Anyway he's a nice guy, and good looking too."

"He's…"

"A Malfoy. I know Rubes, just be careful."

"What do you mean?"

"Just don't do anything you'll regret until you're sure it's what you want."

"I…I don't know what I want. After Henry all my instincts…"

"Don't let that twat dictate your choices…oh shit, Amber snogging some guy. I better keep an eye on her, statue of secrecy and all that." Alice slid out of her seat and walked over to Amber. Ruby looked back over to the back of Scorpius's head.

There was no denying it now, she did fancy him but… it was complicated. Scorpius returned and passed Ruby another cocktail.

"Thanks."

"So Ruby Weasley," Hamish said, putting his arm around her. "You over that pillock yet?" He asked.

"Hamish, leave her alone," Scorpius said.

"Just trying to help you out mate, Chang's always been an attention-seeking prat!"

"You know him?"

"Yeah, he tutored me in Arithmancy in my third year, complete wanker. Only tutored me because he knew it would look good on his application to Gringotts." Said Hamish loudly.

"I didn't really talk to him in Hogwarts." Ruby said, looking at the table. The alcohol was bringing out her melancholy state.

"From what I saw Ruby he hadn't changed much. 'Hello, Mr Important-Who-I-Should-Know, I'm Henry Up-Myself Chang, Banker with Gringotts and Ruby's Never-Going-To-Be-Worthy-Of-Her girlfriend, can I use your name in my next investment?'" Scorpius said, in a sing song voice, Ruby looked at him, surprised. Hamish laughed and he clapped his friend on the back in appreciation.

"Right, where are the others? It's time for drinking games, this is a Muggle place and it's what they do!" Hamish disappeared to collect Alice and Amber and Ruby looked at Scorpius who was looking back at her with a strange expression on his face.

"Do you think he ever actually liked me?" She asked.

"Course he did, no one could not like you. He just liked your name more. I had a similar problem with a girl last year."

"Really? Who?"

"Lauren Baxter."

"The first year that Amber's with?"

"The very same, I think she was only with me because I was going into Healer school too so I could help her revise for her NEWTs. I dumped her when I realised she was only after my brain."

"Sorry, Scorpius." She said but he shrugged.

"I'm over it, you'll get over it too you know?"

"I know, to be honest he was starting to annoy me before the proposal, I suspected that he was just after my name. Dominique had the same problem a couple of years ago, they don't care about us, they just want a Weasley or a Potter, I'm quite the catch when it comes to families."

"You're quite the catch anyway Ruby, and it's nothing to do with your family." Ruby looked at him for a moment but it was broken by the arrival of the others, Hamish was carrying a tray of clear shots.

After an indeterminable amount of shots courtesy of a game that Ruby suspected Hamish had invented the group found their way back onto the dance floor. A guy with black hair moved next to Ruby and smiled at her.

"Hi, did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" He asked with a cocky smile.

"Excuse me?" Ruby asked, laughing.

"I'm Patrick." He said, smiling still.

"Ruby." She replied.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

"No, thanks."

"Come on, one drink!''

"I'm fine, thanks."

"You won't let me buy you one tiny little drink?" He asked in a childish voice and sticking out his bottom lip in a pout.

"She said no," Scorpius said, coming to stand behind Ruby.

"Back off," Patrick said, moving to grab Ruby's hand. Scorpius pulled her away.

"She said no, fuck off, come on Ruby let's get some air." They left the Muggle in the middle of the dance floor and Scorpius pulled her outside, she took a deep breath of the cold December air and found it refreshing.

"You alright?" He asked. She leaned back on the wall and he stood in front of her.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks for that."

"No problem, didn't look like your type."

"What would you know about my type?" She asked, looking into his grey eyes.

"I just imagined you'd go for someone with a bit more intelligence, with a better pick-up line at least." Ruby laughed.

"It was shocking, don't you use pick-up lines then?" She asked.

"Nah, I just tell the truth."

"Really, that works? Like what?"

"Like I don't know exactly when I started to fall for you but when that idiot proposed to you I wanted to punch the living daylights out of him. Like I know how complicated things are but I'm not sure I care. Like you should be with someone who cares for you and not your name, someone who would appreciate how incredibly beautiful and amazing you are and not sell you out to the papers. Like I really want to kiss you but I'm not sure if you really are over him or just putting up a front." Ruby looked at him and then down at his lips, her heart rate accelerating.

"And…and that works?" She asked, breathlessly.

"You tell me" He said.

"I…I think it would work on me…" She began and then his lips were on hers and they were kissing. She, Ruby Ariana Weasley, was kissing Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, outside a Muggle club, and she was enjoying it.

Scorpius put his right hand on the small of her back and she leant into him and put her hand in his hair. His tongue ran along her bottom lip and she opened her mouth to give him access; he tasted of the tequila they had used in the drinking game and a small part of Ruby wondered how much of this was the alcohol talking but she pushed the thought aside because she was enjoying snogging him so much she didn't want to think of anything else.

The back door to the club banged open and they broke apart quickly, a Muggle couple staggered past them and then Hamish and Alice came out, guiding an incredibly drunk Amber between them.

"They're closing, do you wanna get to the Floo point?"

"Yeah, here Alice I'll help," Scorpius said and Alice swapped places with him so that Amber leant on him and not her. They walked towards the pub slowly, Ruby and Alice linking arms and walking behind the others.

"We better let Amber crash at ours." Alice said.

"Yeah, good idea." Ruby said distractedly, her mind still with the kiss.

They parted ways at the Floo and Alice hugged both Hamish and Scorpius goodbye, leaving Ruby to feel she should do the same. Hamish was easy to hug; he was a nice bloke. Scorpius hugged her and she could smell the coconut again, the hug lasted a little longer but she didn't think Alice would notice and Amber was practically unconscious.

"See you girls, let me know when you have a crap shift again, that was fun." Hamish said, waving to them. Scorpius locked eyes with Ruby but then the Floo whisked her away and he was gone.

A/N So things are starting to move a bit faster! I've updated this early because I'm having a hip operation tomorrow so I won't be able to update for at least a week. Please review and let me know what you think about the kiss!

Next chapter; Another Sunday at the Burrow, we meet Annabel and Immy and Hugo gets a surprise at Uncle Charlie's birthday drinks!

Thanks to mozie for beta-ing!

witchprincess33- Thanks, it took me ages to think of a present that would be appropriate but also show how much Scorpius notices Ruby.

xXMizz Alec VolturiXx- You'll find out how the prison trip went soon.

- Lol, he's not gone forever but for a while at least.

LUG-14- You'll find out about the prison trip soon, and the twins are in the next chapter!