Disclaimer: I do not own any recognisable characters in this Fan Fiction

Chapter 9: No In-Between

Two weeks, one day, twenty-one hours, forty-five minutes and twenty-eight seconds. That was how long ago the most Earth shattering kiss had happened. That was how long ago Scorpius had been lost in the pool of sweetness that was Rose Weasley's mouth. He kept replaying it over and over in his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling he felt in his stomach whenever he thought about her lips on his. The wistful smile that graced his lips when he dwelled on it.

Nothing had happened since apart from one lingering kiss when he dropped her off at the common room a couple of days after the ball and a very confusing, almost heartbreaking, conversation one day, fifteen hours, fifty-eight minutes and forty-nine seconds ago. What he did understand was that she needed time. Time to think, gather her thoughts and figure out what she wanted. He understood that she was scared, more so than himself. He'd seen what it was like for her with Wood and he knew it had drained her. He had experienced that first hand in the dungeons when they had had their detention together. He didn't want to push her. Ever.

Deep in thought Scorpius rounded the corner and collided with a solid body, "Sorry," he mumbled before walking on.

"Malfoy wait," Scorpius's head snapped up to see a Scamander and the younger Potter boy, "we need to talk to you," Potter said.

"I've already had the 'don't break her heart or I'll break your neck' lecture from your oh-so considerate brother and I'm not in the mood for a fight," Scorpius said.

"We aren't here to fight," Scamander said in a dreamy voice. This particular Scamander was more like his mother than his twin brother but was placed in Gryffindor. His brother was more outgoing and seemingly more confident but was placed in Ravenclaw like his mother. Scorpius couldn't help but think that it was slightly ironic.

"Ok, what do you want then?"

"We want you to know a little about Rose before you walk away from her," Potter said in a firm tone.

Ignoring the comment about leaving her Scorpius simply said, "Ok. Elaborate."

"We've noticed that Rose hasn't been... one-hundred percent recently."

"Oh you did, did you?" Scorpius said through gritted teeth, "and why didn't you help her?"

"Because she didn't want us," Scamander said, "Rose is a proud girl. She does not like asking for help, to ask one of us would have been the ultimate sign of weakness to her." Scorpius understood this. She was not the most open of people, even to him, and it had been hard to gain her trust.

"Ok," he said eventually, "how does this have anything to do with me and her?" he couldn't say relationship because what they had could hardly be classified as that.

"We've also seen that she seems to trust you and as you may know she doesn't trust easily," Scamander replied.

"What we wanted to tell you was that with her there is no in between," Potter said, "she is highly emotional; she either loves someone or loathes them, she's either angry as bull or mellow as a summer's day. She never has an indecisive emotion. What we want you to know is that you will break her heart, that is certain, but no matter how you break it, you have to make sure you're there for her." Scorpius was a little thrown by the 'warning' the boys were giving him but knew that this was their own way of protecting their cousin and friend.

"Thanks, I guess," he said, "but know that I never want to break her heart. I know how that would destroy her."

"We know, but she won't and even if you tell her so she will not believe you. She's like that," Potter said, "thank you. For everything. She needed you," and then Potter did something that Scorpius did not expect, he held out his hand to be shaken. Scorpius copied the action, they shook hands and Scamander did the same. After shaking hands with both boys they parted ways.

Studying with her was getting harder and harder for Scorpius. He felt totally relaxed with Rose and felt like he could talk to her about anything, but ever since The Kiss she has made it awkward. He did not know where they stood anymore, even less than before the Ball but now he was especially confused. The Kiss could not be blamed on the drugs; it was real and passionate and said every word he could not, but he was not acting on it. She was not either which increased the worry because he was scared that he was the only one who felt it.

He was considerably worried after the conversations that he had had about it: first with Rose herself and second with he cousin and Scamander. The second conversation had been a week ago now and Scorpius was getting increasingly annoyed at the lack of relationship between the two of them. From the way that her cousin had spoken, he thought that they would be an item soon and her indecisiveness was something that worried him into thinking that it would never happen. His worry made him nervous around her which only made the situation worse, especially if he had had a particularly vivid teenage boy dream the night before.

These situations were the reason he started a conversation with her that Thursday in the last weeks of November. He needed answers, and although he knew she did not like to be forced into anything, he hated stepping on eggshells around her.

"Rose," he said. She looked up at him from her History of Magic essay before answering.

"Yes?"

"What did you feel when you kissed me?"

"I-I-What did you feel?" she said.

"Answer the question first and then I'll tell you," he said in his calmest voice, ice biting at the edge of his words.

"I liked it," she said.

"That's not an answer! You want to know how I felt? I felt... amazing," he said, knowing that if he told her exactly what he felt he would feel less of a man, she also did not seem that interested, "but if you don't want more then all you have to say. I for one want more than just the one, hell a whole lifetime of kisses like that would make it worth living, but clearly you aren't interested so just it say and I'll never mention it again." She said nothing; she just looked at her through narrowed eyes before gathering her books up and storming out of the library leaving a bewildered Scorpius behind. 'What did I say?' he thought.

He had Charms first thing the next day with her. He was dreading it. He hated the fact that she was upset with him and that it was because of something he had said, despite the fact that he could find no fault with his words after going over and over them in his mind the night before. Austin had tried to cheer Scorpius when he had come back from the library in a temper and the next morning at breakfast to no avail. Scorpius was angry and there was only one person who could calm him down but she was apparently so upset with him that she could not face him at breakfast; despite them being on the opposite side of the hall from him.

He slumped into his usual seat in the Charms classroom and scowled around the class. He saw Potter enter the room without his cousin and his Scorpius's eyes narrowed further. Just as the class was about to start Rose stumbled through the door and into her seat. The first half of the class was uneventful but whenever Scorpius looked over at Rose she seemed to be drinking from a hip flask. She also seemed to be swaying slightly in her seat. All his anger toward her slowly drained away and was replaced with concern. 'Please, no.'

It wasn't until Flitwick asked her a question that his worst fears came true. She was slurring her words and swearing openly. After several attempts at answering the question she said, "Fuck this I'm going for a fag." Potter's attention seemed to heighten at this statement; there were also several gasps at what the goody-two-shoes had said. Rose then started to stumble to her feet, using the desk for support. Flitwick was shouting at her in his squeaky voice for her to sit back down in her seat as she wobbled over to the door. That was when she tripped. As if in reflex Scorpius jumped from his seat and caught her before she could reach the floor.

"Oh, it's you," she spat, "what makes you think I needed your help. You can't come with me if that's what you were thinking; I've learned not to share anything with a Malfoy." Scorpius ignored the comment and the venom she put into saying his last name. Instead he tore his gaze from her drunkard face and turned to a very flustered Flitwick.

"Professor, can I accompany Weasley to her dormitory. Any punishment you wish to issue her with could you reconsider until further notice? She isn't in the right frame of mind at the moment."

"Oh, alright, but be sure she doesn't go anywhere but her dormitory," Flitwick squeaked.

"Of course sir;" and with that Scorpius guided the stumbling girl up to the Gryffindor Tower and, after a slurred password, into the common room. He placed her on the settee in front of the fireplace and crouched before her swaying body. When she seemed to have focused on him a little more she spoke.

"What made you think I want you here?" she said, "haven't you said enough already?"

"I don't know what I said," he replied, anger resurfacing.

"You said I don't want you. That that kiss was nothing to me," she said anger now raw sadness.

"Well you wouldn't answer my question, what was I supposed to think? You made no indication that you felt, feel, the same way I do."

"But I do," she said tears visible in her eyes now, "You want to know what I felt? That kiss was earth shattering. It felt like we were the only people in the whole world; like we were untouchable, unstoppable; I felt passion and love all in that kiss. Nothing else mattered. I felt safe, loved, beautiful, and sexy. I felt like a woman. Like you were a man. Like I could fall in love with that man." The whole time she was saying these words Scorpius tried his best to keep eye contact, which was made difficult with her state but when his gaze did meet hers he could see the innocence in them, "and," she said, her voice barely above a whisper "I trust myself." With those words she flung her arms around him and embraced him like she would never let go. It was in that moment that he understood that there really was no in between.

A/N: Not brilliant but I need some filler before the Christmas ball. I'm thinking of doing that in two parts, but I don't know. I'm also going to rewrite the last chapter because you didn't seem too impressed with it.

I'm thinking one more chapter before the Christmas ball.

Reviews as always are welcome and constructive criticism is also great. Hope you enjoyed.