Scorpius tucked his neck into his navy blue jacket, flipping its collar up for protection against the wind. He was early and cold and regretted his decision to go. Why did he agree to this? Rose? Ah yes. Bad idea Scorpius.
"Hey," Rose bundled in a Chudley Cannons sweater came bouncing down the steps. He eyed her purposefully. "Father's idea of subtle brainwashing. Warmest thing I own unfortunately."
"Hey, each to their own!" He raised his arms in surrender. "Your mother owled me this morning. Said she couldn't match the magic used with any magics used in previous wrong doings. So that's a good sign, can't be Rebirth."
"Why is my mother telling you all this? Where are my letters huh?" She accused him playfully, faking a right jab into his arm.
"Hey guys!" Jonathan Vayne came out of nowhere bringing Melinda Webb with him, "Look who I found!"
They walked down to Hogsmeade together, Jonathan Vayne up front with Rose. He watched as Rose mercilessly denied Jonathan her hand to hold five different times, stuffing her hands into her jumper as an alternative. Scorpius couldn't be happier.
Melinda Webb followed along by Scorpius's side chatting away about different plants and things, and how she hoped to score an internship after Hogwarts at one of the wizarding world's 'most prestigious magazines Homebound Witches'. The kind of magazine witches bought for recipes and tonics and gossip and things.
Scorpius found he barely listened, following Don's education of 'oh' and 'uh huh's at the appropriate intervals, watching Rose on her date instead.
They walked through the streets entering different shops at their pleasure, Melinda tugging on his arm at different intervals. Did Melinda think this was a date?
They went through Zonko's before turning back to the Leaky Cauldron for something warm to drink. "I'll have a tea thanks!" Scorpius ordered.
"Come on mate, it's the Leaky Cauldron, order a ButterBeer for Merlin's sake." Jonathan it seemed was the type to friendly and ceremoniously thwack one on the back as a sign of friendship. He despised him.
"I don't really like ButterBeer thanks, the tea is fine with me." Scorpius sighed, moving around them so the girls could order.
"I don't like it either. An apple cider please," Rose ordered politely.
"Well, you two are crazy I'll take one," Melinda exclaimed.
After ordering their drinks they all took a seat by the window, each pair sitting opposite to the other. At least Scorpius could be thankful for that.
"So, a month in already huh?" Melinda began conversation.
"Yeah," they all murmured awkwardly, the conversation dying promptly.
"It's so great that you two can still be friends!" Melinda exclaimed attempting to resurrect it once more.
"What-do-you-mean?" Rose blurted with her arms folded over one another, her eyes glaring.
"You know, after the break up?" Melinda eyed them both, Jonathan crossed his arms defensively obviously not liking the thought.
Rose scoffed, actually scoffed. "We never dated. We're just friends, still are aren't we Scorp?"
Scorp? "Uh huh," he managed.
"Oh!" Melinda managed, "Well I guess that was a false rumour then. Heard so many things…" Her voice trailed like she'd remembered something else.
The drinks arrived in time for a well-deserved silence, Jonathan seemed to chug down his drink whilst everyone else sipped theirs quietly, Scorpius blowing on his tea in turn.
"So Advanced Potions, tough this year ey?" Jonathan interrupted the silence, nearly dropping his mug. Klutz!
"It seems fine to me, we managed to get our last one in order didn't we Rosie?" He teased through the steam of his cup, watching her redden at the nickname.
"I don't know that was all me back there." Rose exclaimed, setting her cup down.
"You? I'm practically a Potion Master legacy!" He boasted playfully.
"Oh and we both know how you love your legacy," she said saucily but it stopped him short. He got up and walked out.
"Scorpius! Please!" She chased him out and ran across to find him storming off away from both the school and the city's centre. "Why am I always chasing you and your hurt feelings? Scorpius!"
He didn't look back but continued down an offbeat track, quickening his stride.
"Scorpius please! Stop, I hate chasing you!" She cried, tripping over her feet. They were heading in the direction of the Shrieking Shack. Lovely.
Only when they were by its gates did he finally stop. "Rose. Please don't."
"Scorpius, you started it." She smiled in triumph, he had finally stopped running from her after all. "You know I hate being called Rosie!"
"What was that Scorp bullshit then? When have you ever called me that?" He pointed an arm out in exaggerated gesture.
She bit her lip guiltily, "That wasn't for you that was… I was mad at Melinda that's all. She was fishing for gossip on us and it made me mad. I over extended, I'm sorry." She extended her apology to a whine, hoping him to find her pathetically endearing. "Here," She stuffed a brown packet from her jumper pocket into his hands.
He opened the brown packet carefully, trying to suppress a smile when he did.
"They're not the same, but I thought they were a lot better than what you were using," She tried smiling, scratching at her hair as she did.
Inside the bag were four thin, small quills, each a bright colour, none of them green or grey or black. She didn't want them to appear Slytherin at all or remind him of his family at all. "I bought them today when Melinda was dragging you around the parchment."
He thanked her quietly and they turned to stare out at the Shrieking Shack, his smile slowly returning as he stuffed the brown packet into his own pocket.
"Can I ask you for something? Something more than quills I mean." Scorpius sounded serious again, quiet.
"Um, maybe. Depending on what it is I guess." She quivered against the rising wind, pulling the hood of her jumper over face.
"I want to see it," he whispered. "I want to see the scar."
She turned to him suddenly breathless.
"The scar you have because of me." He whispered quieter still.
"You can't see that, no one wants to see that." Rose whispered to him.
"I do. I'll. I'll make you show me or something I don't know. I need to know, I need to see it." Scorpius turned to her but hung his head inward so that she couldn't see his face over his growing fringe.
"Why?" She barely managed a gasp.
"I don't know, I don't- I just-"
"Okay!" She whispered leaning into him so that they were almost a foot away from each other. She pulled up from her jeans, taking her whole sweater off throwing it to the floor. She lifted up the shirt underneath and exposed her belly to him.
She watched him inhale suddenly, then let him trace the pinkish scar that rest there, back and forth, from just above her belly button down to her right hip.
"Apparently I was sloppy with the whole stabbing thing and the whole pulling it back out thing. They said that the aparating could have opened it more, they're not sure. Ssh! It's okay. You saved me," She hushed him as he reacted to the thought of hurting her more. "If you didn't, I would have died. They said there was something on the blade, which is why they couldn't heal the scar up completely. They really wanted to do a number on you it seems." She tried her best at sounding cheerful but it didn't help at all.
He glanced at her face for a second before turning away from her but something caught his eye. He closed the gap between them resting an arm around the back of her waist as if it were second nature to him. With their bodies pressed against each other he tugged at the chain hiding around her neck and under her shirt.
It was the necklace he'd given her last Christmas.
He looked at her questioningly.
"What?" She trembled. "Can I put my sweater back on again?" She tucked the little silver snake back into her shirt and picked her jumper off the ground.
He stood there looking at her as if he had a thousand questions and a thousand things to say but he appeared immobile.
Fine. She walked away refusing to look back at him.