I've been working super hard on this chapter, and so far it's been the most fun to write out of the three! Onwards, darls, to chapter three, which I've made much longer just for you all, my beautiful readers!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. If I owned Scorpius...*naughty thoughts*
Flinging the door shut and locking it behind them, Rose banged her head against the window, the paper curtain pulled down to block the Heads from view of the Prefects and passersby. Scorpius chuckled, amused by the whole situation, which only made Rose screw her face up tighter. She looked like a child who'd lost their favourite toy to a younger sibling because it wouldn't stop crying.
"The train trip won't be very comfortable with you standing by the door the whole time," Scorpius insinuated, his smirk becoming more pronounced as Rose turned to face him, glaring like a kitten who thought it was a tiger. With a huff of defiance, she plopped down on the chair currently occupied by Scorpius's feet, shoving said feet off the seat roughly.
Pulling a thick novel from her shoulder bag, Rose proceeded to ignore Scorpius as he put his forearms on his knees and simply stared at her, the same small smirk present on his face. After only reading two pages, Rose lifted her gaze, her brown eyes locking with Scorpius's emerald green.
"Do you mind?" she asked, raising a slim eyebrow and ignoring the tingles that shot down her spine. He'd looked at her the same way exactly six years earlier, and the intensity behind the stare hadn't seemed to have lost its effect.
"No, not really," Scorpius replied, continuing to stare unabashed as Rose rolled her eyes and went back to her book.
Another tense half hour passed before the young red-head slapped her book into her lap and groaned in frustration.
"What, okay, what? Do I have something on my face or on my shirt or something, or are you trying to drive me insane?" Rose demanded, glaring when she elicited a loud laugh from Scorpius.
"You're impossible!" she cried, flopping back in her seat and staring out the window at the rushing green landscape.
Silence ensued as Rose gazed out of the window. It could have been seconds, even hours, but eventually she heard a soft sigh, prompting her to look at the only other person in the cabin.
Her chocolate eyes widened as she watched him stand, his head about half an inch from hitting the ceiling before taking a seat right next to her, though he was conscious enough to keep a reasonable space between them.
"Look," Scorpius began, clasping his hands and letting them hang between his knees. His voice was gentle, all the teasing gone as he looked over at her; Rose found herself trapped in his smouldering gaze, "I'm sorry if I upset you."
Rose was speechless. For the first time in her life, there was no witty retort, no snarky comeback waiting at the tip of her tongue. Scorpius Malfoy had made her speechless.
"I-it's fine. No hard feelings, right?" Despite her dislike for him, Rose couldn't seem to stop her gaze from raking up and down his body, from his expensive looking shoes to his long, jean clad legs to his form fitting, dark grey shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, revealing pale white, hard muscled forearms, to the tips of his wild platinum hair. Scorpius chuckled softly, his brilliant eyes mirthful.
"No hard feelings," he agreed, "I won't hold the fact that you're crazy about me against you." Rose felt her eye twitch. Her being crazy about that prat was as likely as James and Fred not pulling the annual Potter-Weasley Prank-a-thon.
"Okay, okay, sorry, that was uncalled for," Scorpius apologised again, reading the potentially violent vibes of annoyance that rolled from Rose in waves. Having spent six years provoking her bad side, he knew exactly when to back off, or risk having certain parts of his body hexed into a state of oblivion that no amount of spells and potions could reverse.
Suddenly the train gave a great, shuddering lurch. Rose, who had turned in order to unleash one of her patented comebacks, fell forward onto Scorpius, who instinctively put his arms around her waist to steady her. The train screeched to a halt, and the lights flickered out.
"Attention all students, please remain in your cabins. No one, including Heads and Prefects, is to be in the halls until further notice. Thank you," The voice had come from a recently installed PA system. The new headmaster was a little more tech-savvy than the previous ones and knew the value of an overhead speaker system in avoiding widespread panic, even if the one they had was a little outdated.
"What's happening?" Rose whispered, all too aware that Scorpius had not yet removed his arms to let her go, while trying to ignore the desire to sink deeper into his warm, comforting embrace.
"Something must be wrong with the train," Scorpius concluded. Despite his attempt to seem oblivious, he knew Rose was in his arms, and was purposely not letting her go. He'd waited years for the two of them to be like this and damned if he wasn't going to take advantage of the situation.
Rose's heart was pounding as she sat up, Scorpius's arms still wrapped around her small waist. Her hands rested on his chest, her eyes glued to the small patch of seat left between them. She felt one of Scorpius's hands leave her waist, and was shocked when she felt one of his fingers curl under her chin, lifting her face to look at him.
There was something strange in his eyes, something Rose had never seen before. They were only centimetres apart, their breath mingling. Scorpius smelled like peppermint and the distinctive sweetness of magical residue.
"Rose..." he murmured, brushing his thumb gently along her cheekbone. The intimacy of the situation was astounding. Not five minutes earlier she had been flinging insults at him, and now...something, everything, was changing.
Conflict reigned in Scorpius's radiant eyes. He was struggling with something; normally Rose would have been able to pick up on exactly what that was in an instant, but her mind was currently foggy and dense, focused only on the much unwanted sensations that shot through her blood stream.
Rose felt her breath hitch as Scorpius began to lean in gradually, their faces inching closer and closer with each agonizingly slow second. Her hands gripped his shirt unconsciously, her body buzzing with anticipation. This was wrong, this shouldn't be happening at all.
But it was, and it seemed Rose was powerless to stop it, no matter how loud her mind screamed at her to lift her hand and slap Scorpius clean across the face. Except her hand would not move, instead staying on his chest, fingers bunching his shirt in her hand as the distance closed between them.
Their noses were so close they brushed together, lighter than a feather as her eyes began to close of their own accord. Rose swallowed compulsively, her heart beating so fast it felt like a hummingbird was living in her chest.
But she came crashing back to Earth as the train whistle sounded, the lights flicked on and the carriages rolled forward. The voice over the PA was back, explaining that students were now permitted to exit their cabins and that they would be arriving at Hogwarts shortly.
The two of them broke apart simultaneously, putting some much needed distance between them once more. Rose played shyly with the hem of her shirt while Scorpius ran a hand through his hair. They hadn't...kissed, the word sending an electric thrill down her spine, but they had been close. So close.
"Look, Rose," Scorpius began, trying to alleviate the awkward tension that hung in the air, "I'm-"
"It's fine, let's just-"
"Pretend it never happened?"
Rose nodded, both relieved and disappointed to hear the door jiggle, before the familiar swish of a wand and the word 'Alohamora' sent a small burst of blue light seeping through the crack between the frame and the door as the catch clicked open.
The door slid to the side, revealing Albus, Bridget, Lily and Hugo on the other side, Albus poised with his wand in his hand.
Damn him for being of age already.
"See," Lily sighed, rolling her eyes and slapping Albus on the arm, "Nothing happened! I want my 25 back!" Albus groaned in annoyance, shoving his wand back in his pocket and pulling out the 25 he had garnered from his sister, dumping it reluctantly back into her palm. Lily smiled triumphantly, counting out the silver and gold. Hugo ran a hand through his hair and exchanged a 'the things we deal with' kind of look with Bridget.
The four of them piled into the cabin, flopping down onto the seats; Hugo sat himself between Rose and Scorpius, giving the Malfoy heir a look of suspicious contempt. Scorpius raised his one of his pale eyebrows in response, the mischievous glint once again returning to his eyes.
"So, what do you guys think just happened?" Hugo asked casually, but every few seconds he would throw a not-so-subtle glance in Scorpius's direction, indicating that though he was younger he wouldn't hesitate to take him on.
"Maybe there was something with the engine," Rose mused, embarrassed beyond all reason that her cousins made a bet that something would 'happen' between her and Scorpius before they got to Hogwarts.
Even though it almost had.
"But there's never anything wrong with the engine," Bridget countered, pulling her legs up under her on the seat. Albus put an arm around her and rubbed her arm gently as she leaned her head on his shoulder, breathing a sigh of deep contentment.
Looking at her cousin and her best friend, Rose felt a strange stab of jealousy at the ease with which they could be together. Try as she might to ignore the signs, she couldn't help the little buds of hope from sprouting in her heart when ever Scorpius looked at her with those beautiful, powerful eyes, eyes that both chilled her to the bone and made the blood in her veins run hot and fast, all at the same time.
It was all so confusing!
But, having a healthy dose of both Weasley and Granger blood, Rose was not about to sit around and let some boy, let alone a Malfoy, make her question herself in any way, shape or form.
So, holding her head high and rejoining the idle chitchat, Rose tried to ignore the persistent, dull throbbing in her chest that reverberated deep in her soul, and seemed to be beating out the name she tried so hard to ignore, especially when he excused himself to go change and check on the patrolling Prefects.
The small group talked about everything and nothing for the duration of the train trip. Eventually, the two boys departed from the cabin to change into their robes, leaving the girls with their privacy.
"I swear, Albus could talk about Quidditch for days if you let him," Lilly muttered, shedding her muggle clothes and replacing them with her brand new Hogwarts robes. Ginny made it a point that her children would not be stuck in hand-me-downs like she was as a child. Harry said it was silly, and that hand-me-downs had never done he and Ginny any harm, but she was steadfast.
"I'll not have my children running around in rags when we can afford perfectly good robes for them to wear instead," she argued.
"He's almost as bad as dad and Uncle Ron, isn't he Rose?" There was no answer from her cousin. Lily looked up from buttoning her shirt to see said cousin gazing vaguely, almost forlornly, at the door.
"Hello? Earth to Rose, come in Rose!" Lily demanded, using the same phrase she'd used when Rose had turned into a space cadet on the platform. Lily hated being ignored by anyone, especially the one person she could usually rely on to listen to her. Rose seemed to snap back to reality, the misty veil that had been over her eyes lifting slightly.
"Huh? What? Sorry, Lil, must have zoned out a bit," Again. Her cheeks were tinted a light, nearly imperceptible pink. Lily, despite her great parentage, never seemed to feel the need to think outside the box of her own free will. She'd rather have someone do the thinking for her and get the credit, than have to do it herself.
Not a great reputation for the only daughter of Harry Potter, by anyone's standards, but it was who she was. Lily Luna Potter, the youngest of the clan, more interested in boys and fashion than living up to the family name.
Still, she was not dumb. Lily had a great aptitude for reading people, for seeing things in a situation that no one else would even think. It clashed with her otherwise shallow personality, which could make for very confusing conversation. Grandma Weasley was convinced her granddaughter was a little bit psychic, and was well on her way to convincing Harry and Ginny.
"That's twice today," She huffed, running a brush through her long red hair before tying it up in a ponytail and securing it with a gold ribbon. Bridget, who had been unusually quiet for most of the train trip, put a hand on her best friend's shoulder and gave her a serious look.
"You okay, Rose? You seem a bit...distracted," Rose simply nodded, putting a hand over Bridget's and squeezing it. Something in her hazel eyes suggested that she knew there was more to the story, but Bridget knew better than to ask with Lily in the room. Among everything else, Lily was a notorious gossip. If you wanted something kept secret, she was the last person you told.
Soon the boys came back to collect Lily and Bridget. A message had come over the PA, explaining that the train would be pulling into the station in twenty minutes, and all students were to return to their allotted carriages and cabins.
Scorpius arrived five minutes after the others had left. Rose didn't want to admit it, but he looked amazing in his green and black robes, the colours matching his eyes and contrasting with his skin and hair perfectly.
But Rose wasn't about to get all gushy after one little slip up. Even if there was something real between them (which wasn't at all likely in the least) nothing could come of it. Everything was against it; their families, their houses, their stations as Head Boy and Girl, not to mention their blood lineage.
Although it was less prominent since the Battle of Hogwarts, there was still a great social stigma against muggle-borns and half-bloods marrying into pureblood families and 'tainting' them with their 'dirty blood'. Or so the columns of propaganda still rampant in the Daily Prophet said, despite Hermione's valiant attempts to have all of them removed.
Unfortunately for everyone the all too familiar figure of Paula Baxter was hovering at Scorpius's shoulder. She was also dressed in her school robes, her long dark hair parted to the right and flowing around her face in waves, the right side pulled back with a glittering clip studded with green and black stones.
"Weasley," she said simply, folding herself next to Scorpius as he sat down on his seat, the one he had occupied before this whole disaster began.
"Baxter," Rose replied, narrowing her eyes at the haughty Slytherin princess, "Where's your little gang? Too tired from throwing up to come down here, or are they already trying to do the teachers for good grades?" Scorpius coughed to squelch a laugh, earning a burning look from Paula.
"Funny, Weasley. I should have known you would buy into the nasty rumours," Paula countered, studying her nails nonchalantly. She sighed with what could be construed as some form of regret, "Mudblood children are so gullible."
In an instant, Rose was standing and almost as quickly so was Scorpius, placing a restraining hand on Rose's shoulder, holding her back from making a rash decision.
"Don't you ever use that word around me again, you got that? How dare you even think it! My mother may have been muggle-born, but she's more than your pathetic excuse for a Death Eater family will ever be!" A stinging sensation surged across Rose's cheek as Paula's hand flew across the room faster than lightning, connecting with her cheek and sending her falling to the ground, her back hitting the seat edge hard.
Putting a trembling hand to her face, Rose realised Paula had slapped her.
"Hey! That's enough!" Scorpius ordered, holding Paula at arm's length as she tried to come at Rose again, "Paula, get back to your cabin before I write you up for a detention before the year even starts," With a huff and a flick of her hair, Paula flounced out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Rose's pride and her body were bruised. She felt traitor tears well up, threatening to spill over and shame her even more. Scorpius bent down onto his knees to inspect the damage. Rose pushed his hands away furiously.
"I'm fine, I don't need help," she insisted, but Scorpius wouldn't listen.
"It's okay, I'm not gonna bite. I just need to check for any real damage, okay? You hit the seat pretty hard," Reluctantly, Rose complied, allowing Scorpius to shuffle her forward for better access.
"I shouldn't have said that," she murmured, fiddling with a piece of her hair. Scorpius shrugged in dismissal.
"She had no right to say that about muggle-borns, let alone your family. You were well within your rights to defend yourself," he replied. Rose was stunned into silence by the eloquence and empathy in his words.
Scorpius's probing hands were gentle and careful; he avoided any place he touched which made her wince or whimper. Eventually he came to her face, running his thumb gently over her swollen cheek.
"It's nothing that Madame Pomfrey can't fix," he surmised, smiling in encouragement. Rose couldn't help but smile back, letting out a little bark of humourless laughter. The train trip had been the most humiliating experience of her life so far.
"Thank you, Scorpius," Rose said, "this is the nicest you've ever been to me."
"Well we all have our good side," he joked, tucking a loose curl of hair behind her ear. His hand lingered for just a moment, that same conflicted look returning before the train whistle sounded, announcing that the Hogwarts Express had arrived at its destination.
Scorpius slung his arm around Rose's middle and one of hers around his shoulders, helping her slowly to her feet. Outside the cabin they could hear the sound of thousands of feet trampling down the corridors, doors sliding open and slamming shut, voices buzzing everywhere. Rose couldn't ignore the fact that Scorpius kept one of his hands wrapped around the one dangling over his shoulder. He had warm hands.
The two of them made their way out the back of the train through a concealed exit. The Prefects were required to leave with their years, but the Heads were privileged enough to have a private escort to the Great Hall before the feast.
Waiting outside the train, under a stone arch hidden to the side of the platform behind the hanging tendrils of a great willow was Professor Julian McAllister, teacher of Charms and current Head of Ravenclaw. He was about 36, average height, stocky build with olive skin, almond shaped periwinkle blue eyes and slicked back, inky hair that was receding prematurely.
"Mr Malfoy, Miss Weasley, is everything alright?" The professor asked. He had a Northern England accent which at the moment was thick with worry as he jogged up to the two students, a frown creasing his forehead.
"Miss Weasley got hurt when the train made a sudden stop. Hit her back on the seat and her face on the door. We need to take her to the Hospital Wing for a quick healing," Scorpius explained, skipping over the fact, and the truth, that Paula had insulted Rose's family and slapped her in the face.
Professor McAllister simply nodded, leading Scorpius and Rose into the castle. Rose's back and face were aching with every step, and she was sure there would be an ugly bruise by the time they reached the Hospital Wing.
Still, she felt strangely warm and fuzzy where Scorpius touched her, the very same feelings she had squashed on the train coming back to the forefront. He was being so nice to her; it was kind of getting confusing. What happened to the Scorpius who readily threw insults at her, who was her natural enemy from the moment she was born until the end of her days? That Scorpius had been easy to deal with. Toss him a quip he'll toss it back, easy. No confusing feelings, no violent and sudden urges to snog the living daylights out of him.
There was definitely more to Scorpius Malfoy than meets the eye and Rose was determined to find out everything she possibly could, even if it meant doing the impossible:
Deceiving her entire family.
Bum-bum-BUUUUUUM! I love cliffies!
Hugs and kisses to all who read and review, and even to those who don't review, I'm not picky, I love you all! Hang in there for chapter 4, it'll be worth the wait, I promise!