A/N: So I wrote this a while back, and I am now in a place to finish it, but I hated this chapter so I've done a huge rewrite. I hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas!

The doors to the Great Hall open, and we enter it together. It's empty apart from McGonagall who is waiting to greet us. The room looks amazing – and even more so for it being night-time. The ceiling is depicts a clear starry night, and the glow from the candles on the many Christmas trees illuminated the hall in a soft, magical glow. Despite having already seen it earlier, I'm still in awe.

"Mr Malfoy, Miss Weasley," McGonagall says with a smile. "You've really pulled it off."

"Oh it was all Rose, Professor," Scorpius insists.

"Yes," McGonagall says tersely. "I do not doubt it."

Scorpius is unfazed.

"You both look very smart," McGonagall tells us. "And you look beautiful, Miss Weasley."

"Thank you," I say, beginning to feel the pangs of anxiety strengthening.

"Are we ready?" McGonagall checks her watch. "I imagine there will already be people waiting outside."

I nod, numbly and straighten my posture, hands behind my back to appear like the calm and collected Head Girl I always aim to be. Scorpius mimics me, but one of his hands snakes around to clumsily grasp mine.

"You're okay," he mutters under his breath.

I squeeze his fingers in appreciation and he withdraws his hand to behind his own back just as McGonagall flicks her wand in the direction of the vast double doors and the open, letting in a flood of excitable students who are all exclaiming and gasping at the enchanted winter wonderland. Only Fourth years and above had been permitted to go, much to the disappointment of the lower school.

The music starts and it's not long before the entire room is full of laughter and chattering. Scorpius is, quite frankly, in his element as a host. He glides effortlessly between the groups of people, chatting and flirting whilst I tag alongside him almost wordlessly. I try my best, but it's not even an hour before I feel burnt out. I want to go to my dorm and take off this dress and the several pounds of makeup off my face. I don't feel like myself. I want to go to bed.

"Hi! Emily!" Scorpius pulls us over to a group of Hufflepuff girls who we have Potions class with. "Are you enjoying your evening?"

Emily is blonde and tall and pretty. "Hi Scorpius!" She chimes. "Hi Rose!"

"Hello," I say as brightly as I can manage. "You look amazing, Emily! You all do!"

"Thanks Rose," Emily smiles. "You look stunning. Where've you been hiding that figure, huh?"

I blush furiously. "Thanks," I stammer. I think it's a compliment. I spot Lily over Emily's shoulder and I force another smile. "Sorry excuse me – I'm just going to go say hello to my cousin."

Departing from the group, I join Lily, letting my cheery façade drop. I roll my eyes at her.

"Hi Lil," I say. "Where's Al?"

Lily shrugs. "Last I saw he was snogging Alicia Fields."

"So what do you think?"

"I think you look miserable," she tells me with a grin.

"I meant about the party," I snap.

"Yeah, I know what you meant," Lily winks at me. "I think it looks great. And you look great. So why are you unhappy?"

"I just don't like big events, you know this," I say.

"Hold on," Lily disappears for a minute and then comes back with two drinks, handing one to me. "You look like you need it."

"Thanks," I mutter and take a sip, resisting the urge to spit it back into the cup. "Ugh what the hell is that?"

Lily winks. "It's got grownup juice in it," she hisses.

I consider throttling her. "Have you spiked the punch bowl?"

"No!" She insists. "Just our cups. You looked like you needed some liquid courage. I was trying to help!"

Out of the corner of my eye I see Scorpius touching Emily's waist and bowing his head to say something in her ear which makes her giggle. I down the entire glass.

"Atta girl," Lily says appreciatively. "Now get back there with Scorpius and charm him away from Emily Gable because you look fucking gorgeous tonight." She pushes me and smacks my ass in the process. I turn to shoot daggers at her before I'm back with the group.

"Hello again," I say. "What did I miss?"

Emily smiles. "Scorpius was just telling me what an amazing job you've done here."

"Was he indeed," I say. "Well Scorpius did things too."

"He did?" Emily asks.

"I did?" Scorpius looks confused.

"Yes," I insist. "Wasn't it your brilliant idea to have the ice sculptures in the Hogwarts house mascots?"

"No," he frowns. "That was you."

"Hm," I think. "No you're right. But you still turned up and looked charming."

Emily and her friends laugh but Scorpius gives me a confused look.

"Well ladies," Scorpius places a hand on the small of my back to steer me away. "We would love to stay here and chat with you all night, but we should go and mingle either everyone else. Have a wonderful evening."

"Bye!" Emily says.

"What was that all about?" Scorpius asks me through the corner of his mouth.

I sighs. "Sorry, I guess I got a bit. Weird."

"I'll say," he says. "Rose, can I smell alcohol?"

"Just a little bit," I admit. "Lily's got a hip flash shoved down her cleavage."

"God what a good shout," Scorpius says as we make our way through groups. "Wonder if she'd let me have a swig."

"The Head Boy and Girl can't be drunk at their own event," I say.

"Says you," Scorpius points out.

I don't argue with him.

We mingle for a bit longer until I really have had enough. Scorpius is flirting his way through another group of girls, Lily is snogging some Ravenclaw in the corner, and Hugo is dancing with his girlfriend, neither of them properly touching each other. It I wasn't so tragic I'd probably be laughing.

Suddenly, I've had enough. Trying not to draw any attention to myself, I turn and slip out of the Great Hall into the blissfully silent Entrance Hall. For the first time tonight, I truly and properly feel like I can breathe.

Or rather, as much as I can being as this dress is limiting about 73% of my lung capacity.

I turn around and head off the corridor in search of somewhere quieter. I find a medieval tapestry which when I pull it aside, I find an alcove. Perfect. Seven years in and this place still finds new ways to surprise me.

I slip inside and sink to the floor, settling on the dusty stone, not even thinking twice about my dress. It's pitch black and deathly silent and my brain feels clear. The sensory overload of the Great Hall is too much and there's only so much one woman can take. Resting my forehead on my knees which are drawn up to my chest, I wrap my arms around my shins and count slowly to ten.

"Well, well, well," there's a sudden influx of light and when I look up, there stands Scorpius towering above me, pushing the tapestry back with one hand and holding two bottles of Firewhiskey by the necks with this other. "Look who it is."

"Where did you get those?" I demand.

Scorpius grins. "I have my ways and my secrets. Now shift over," he says. I begrudgingly shuffle over to the side and he steps in, letting the tapestry fall behind him and plunging us into darkness again. "Lumos," Scorpius says, lighting up his wand to a gentle glow and letting it rest on a small ledge next to him. The small amount of light illuminates his features. "So do you want the bottle or not?" Scorpius prompts.

"Oh, sure," I say taking it from him. "Thanks."

For a few minutes, we're both silent. The only sound comes from the glug of liquid as we tip our Firewhiskey back.

"So," Scorpius finally tries to break the ice. "This is cosy."

"You should go back to the party, Scorp," I say tiredly.

"I'd rather not," he says cheerfully.

"It doesn't look good that neither of us are there."

"No one will miss us for a bit," he shrugs. "We've hosted and welcomed everyone, so I'd say we're allowed to sneak off. Just for a while."

Scorpius is certainly right though. It's pretty bloody cosy in this tiny, cramped alcove. I'm suddenly startlingly aware of Scorpius's thigh pressed against mine and the heat of his beside me.

"You couldn't find anywhere better to sit and sulk, huh?"

I turn on him immediately incensed. "Hey," I start hotly. "I didn't ask for you to join me in here, pal. And secondly – I am not sulking."

Scorpius laughs. "Chill out, Rosie," he says. "I'm just fucking with you."

He reaches up and runs his fingers through his hair and drops the same hand down to his collar, loosening his tie and easing it open. His fingers then begin to undo the top button of his shirt.

"Scorpius, stop taking your clothes off," I say.

"Don't flatter yourself, Weasley."

"In your dreams Malfoy."

We sit companionably, and in a surge of Firewhiskey fuelled affection I put my head on his shoulder. He doesn't do anything for a minute, but then I feel the pressure of his head on top of mine. We stay like this for a few minutes.

"You look beautiful tonight, Rose," Scorpius says quietly. I am very glad that he can't see me blushing, both in the darkness and in the position we're in.

"Are you taking the piss?" I ask.

"Not at all."

"Oh," I say. "Thank you."

I straighten up and take a deep breath, massaging my ribs.

Scorpius frowns. "Are you okay?"

"I can't fucking breathe in this stupid dress," I groan.

"I could help you out with that," Scorpius says piously.

"Behave yourself," I say irritably.

He laughs. He's only winding me up, but after the other night I wonder if there's something more to it. Something more substantial under the bravado and the charm.

"Come on then," he says finally. "You've dragged it out long enough, and I'm getting pretty tired of asking. What's your problem with this ball?"

I sigh and busy myself with another swig of Firewhiskey. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

I pick at the label on the bottle. "It's stupid and you'll laugh."

"I won't," he looks genuinely wounded. "How about if I guess?"

"Fine, if it will make you happy."

"It will," he says and then concentrates. "Did Albus once humiliate you at a ball and it's made you nervous about them ever since?"

I laugh despite myself. "No," I say.

"Hmm," Scorpius pretends to think even harder. "You're terrified of ice and snow after your cousins once buried you in the garden."

"How do you know what we did to Hugo," I say suspiciously. "I thought we swore a blood oath."

Now Scorpius laughs. "Your parents have set you up with an arranged marriage and tonight is the first night you're going to meet him."

"You're terrible at this game," I say.

"That's because I'm not really trying," he says jovially. The atmosphere suddenly shifts from light and joking to something more serious. The laughter falls from his face and Scorpius' expression turns genuinely thoughtful. "Maybe," he says in a tone that makes my stomach flutter. "Just maybe. The reason you hate big events is because you're scared of not being noticed. Your over-zealous cousins are all here getting dates and attention without even really trying, and no one even asked you to be their date tonight. Even your kid brother is here with someone."

"That's not fair –" I start, but Scorpius shakes his head, jaw set.

"Let me finish," he says firmly, adjusting his position to face me even more and I mimic him. "Did you ever consider, Rose, that the reason no one has asked you out, is because they are intimidated by you?"

I gulp. "Don't take the piss," I say in a voice that comes out crackly and uncertain, dropping my eyes.

"I'm not," he assures me gently. He reaches across and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and I feel as if I'm on fire. "You are beautiful, and clever and terrifying. And being rejected by you would be the worst feeling of their entire life." I hardly breathe. I have a feeling he's not talking about boys as a collective anymore.

"You think I'm terrifying?" I ask, unable to hide a smile.

"You sure scare the hell out of me."

Our faces are so so close. I look at him. His eyes are steady. Somewhere along this conversation, we've finished out Firewhiskey and the bottles have been set down. I look at him and he is the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen in my life. So without another thought, I lean in and I kiss him. I kiss him properly this time. Deliberately and carefully. Scorpius gives a content sigh and pulls me closer, one hand at the nape of my neck and the other across my body on my waist.

As our tongues entwine, we shift as one and suddenly I'm straddling him with my dress hitched up around my thighs. Scorpius' hands slide under the fabric and up the bare skin of my hips, gripping them tight. I wrap my arms around his neck and we kiss even more desperately.

Scorpius' mouth moves to my neck, kissing down and along my collarbones. I moan. "We – shouldn't – do this – here," I manage to say though heavy breaths. God I want him. "We should go back to the Great Hall," I tell him. Scorpius chuckles.

"Are you going to stop sulking now?" Scorpius asks, kissing my cheeks.

"Depends," I say.

"We can carry this on later if you cheer the hell up."

"Deal."

With a great reluctance, I get off him and stand up, brushing down my dress. Scorpius stands and re-knots his tie and soothes down his hair. He picks up his wand, muttering 'knox' and we're plunged into complete darkness before he pushes the tapestry back open and we step out into the corridor.

We catch each other's eye and grin. Scorpius kisses me again and we hold hands as we walk back to the Great Hall and manage to slip in unnoticed.

Lily passes me by and raises an eyebrow as she clocks mine and Scorpius' messy hair and flushed cheeks. "Nice," she mutters. "Real classy."

"Hark who's talking," I shoot back out of the corner of my mouth.

Scorpius and I integrate back into the crowd and my mood has lifted considerably. Lily sneaks us some more of her 'grown up juice' and I've somehow managed to rarely have my hand without Firewhiskey disguised as punch in my cup. His hand barely leaves mine and as soon as the last student has left the Great Hall, McGonagall congratulates us for our hard work, but we're both so eager to leave.

As soon as she dismisses us, we practically run back up to our common room.

Finally.