Disclaimer:Not Jo, or Maroon 5. Sorry.

One quote that inspired the heat of this chapter (both literally and figuratively) is from 'Atonement'

"It was my father's belief that hot weather incouraged loose morals."

Chapter Four:

Secret

Our road is long.
Your hold is strong.
Please don't ever let go.
I know I don't know you,
But I want you so bad.
Everyone has a secret,
But can they keep it?
Oh no they can't.

The hair on the back of Rose's neck was damp with sweat. The library was uncommonly humid today, her last day of exams. Try as she might, she couldn't get her attention to focus on the Defense notes in front of her. He legs were sticking to the back of the wooden library chair, and all she wanted to do was take a dip in the Black Lake. It was worth risking bodily injury (by way of the giant squid) just to find some relief from the heat. She looked around her, her keen blue eyes taking in her surroundings. All around, her fellow students were also suffering from the sluggish, hazy and drowsy influence of the heat.

She turned the page in her notebook, forcing her eyes back to the black ink there. "Defensive wand movements and their advantages" the headline said. But after reading those words (for the third time) Rose, once again found her attention wavering. Her shirt sleeves were rolled up and her forearms were sticking to the desk top. She felt a trickle of sweat make its way down her back, and fought a moan. It was so hot. Too hot to concentrate. Too hot to study, too hot to do anything but lie around and moan about how hot it was.

Throwing her quill down, Rose sat back in her chair. She couldn't concentrate, she knew this, but she needed to study. After briefly weighing her options, Rose decided that she could study outside, with her feet were submerged in the cool waters of the Black Lake. Wiping the seat from her brow, she gathered her unstudied books, and headed outside. Leaving the stuffy library behind her.

It looked as if it was going to rain, and Scorpius was okay with that. It was so hot that rain would be a welcome break in the humidity. Loosening his tie, he attempted to cool himself from the overwhelming heat. 'Focus!' Scorpius told himself, as he once again found his attention wandering. He was in the Great Hall, attempting to study for Herbology. 'You need to do well on this exam.' A voice that sounded suspiciously like his mother said in the back of his head.

But it was so hard to concentrate. He was getting a headache, and a burning desire to go outside and dip his feet in the Black Lake. The heat was making his hands clam up, and his pant legs felt as if they were suffocating him.

Another thought plaguing him, was the fact that he hadn't spoken to Rose in two days. And he was beginning to miss her. Their fight (if you can even call it that) was so stupid, and meaningless. And even now, if you were to ask Scorpius why he and Rose weren't speaking he wouldn't be able to give you an answer. He didn't care if it was his fault, or if it was her fault, or who should be the one to apologize first. He didn't care. He just wanted to be on speaking terms again.

He hadn't even seen her for two days, their schedules so rarely coincided usually, and on finals week it was even worse. He missed her red head, and quiet logical voice. Sighing, he tried to move his thoughts from an enchanting red-head to the difference between the lulling lilies, and the captivating and confounded chincherinchees.

But that didn't last very long. Recognizing a lost cause, Scorpius gathered his books and headed outside. 'Just one quick dip.' He told himself. 'Maybe a cool down is exactly what I need. Get my head back in the game'

Rose felt like she was stepping into an oven. It was no cooler outside and to make matters worse the air had taken on a shimmery, wavering and thick quality. It was so humid, it was practically palpable. Stepping out of her black heels, and adjusting her shoulder strap, Rose made her way towards the lake.

The sky was darkening above her, and she fought against a hot wind as she made her way to a secluded section of the Lake. She knew a spot near the Forbidden Forest that no one ever went to. It was the perfect quiet place for her to sit down and study.

Fighting through a couple of unruly branches Rose made her way towards the ancient dock that had been haphazardly constructed about 15 years ago, unbuttoning a few more buttons on her blouse as she walked.

When she looked towards her safe and cool haven though she noticed something amiss.

There was someone there already.

In a rare act of cowardice, she leapt behind a tree and surveyed the interloper. It was a male, pant legs rolled up, feet dangling happily in the cool water. It took a moment for Rose's sluggish mind to catch up with her eyes however, and it wasn't until she saw his tousled blonde head did it register.

It was Scorpius.

He had shed his white school shirt, and was wearing only a tight tank top. His head was tilted back, and his eyes were closed. He looked serene. Rose further scanned the area. His books and white shirt and tie were hanging up on a nearby tree, and his shoes and socks were sitting next to him.

The hot summer wind was raising his hair in little tufts, and Rose found herself with the strong desire to run her fingers though it. The blistering summer sun was playing peek-a-boo with the dark clouds, and their viscous battle was making Scorpius' blonde hairs shine with each victory of the sun.

Rose felt her heart speed up. Her eyes roving over his still form. The muscles in his arms were taught and strained, and Rose felt her eyes following their long and lean lines.

He looked god-like, and Rose quickly found herself converting.

She started playing with the necklace around her neck again, and found her thoughts drifting. Her overactive imagination was rapidly constructing a scene in which those strong arms were wrapped around her, his soft lips were kissing her, his rough hands were making trails down her body. She bit her lip as the Scorpius in her fantasy began murmuring sweet words, as his hands continued to incite shivers all down the length of her body. Her legs, her arms, her chest. All of it was for him to touch, to explore. His lips were soft, and playing with a sensitive spot on her neck. "Rose." Dream-Scorpius whispered into her hair. His arms were holding her close. "Rose." Dream-Scorpius repeated. The way he said her name made it sound like a prayer.

"Rose?"

Rose was abruptly pulled from her daydream with all the shock of cold water. There was no dream-Scorpius, just real-life-Scorpius. The same Scorpius that she had avoided for the past two days. The one who was currently standing before her, pant legs still rolled up, feet wet, and with a most inquisitive look on his face.

"Oh. Hi." Rose said in a breathless panic.

Scorpius was leaning back on his hands, and enjoying the cool waters of the lake, when it happened. He had slipped his eyes closed and was trying to think of anything other than Rose Weasley. He was failing miserably. He missed her. And just as he was beginning to think that maybe he should seek her out so they can both get over this stupid thing between them, it happened.

He smelled her. A distinct lilac scent combined with the slightest hint of parchment and ink. It was carried on a strong gust of hot summer wind.

At first Scorpius just thought it was a fluke. It was just because he was thinking of her, surely she couldn't be here. But once the wind died down and her scent hadn't disappeared, Scorpius found himself opening his eyes to investigate.

There she was, a short metre and a half away from him. She was partially hidden behind a large tree, her hair was pulled up in a long ponytail, that was being blown recklessly around by the pre-storm wind. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily. Scorpius' eyes roamed from her slightly parted, panting lips to her throat. He watched as her throat worked in a furious swallow, his eyes trailing to the partially unbuttoned white shirt. He could see the beginnings of a lacy white bra. He knew he should look away, it wasn't right his Conscious said. But his Conscious was quickly bludgeoned by the more interested and devious part of his muddled mind. The white cotton blouse was strained with every pant that came from Rose. And Scorpius was transfixed by the motion of the buttons.

He felt himself move before he was aware of giving his limbs the command to do something. He was still fixated on those white buttons, and he didn't remember any thought to move, all he wanted to do was relieve those strained buttons of their burden. He imagined slipping those little buttons out of their holes, his nimble fingers making quick work of the long line of buttons. He would kiss her, and whisper in her ear, and finally run his hands in those long red locks. He would wrap her up in him, he would... he would...

His brain had stalled on what would happen after that.

And it was that lack of imagining, that brought him back to reality. His mind cleared from the fog, (not completely, it was still a bit muddled on the outskirts) and he was shocked to see his hand was stretched out before him. Quickly shoving the offending body part in his pocket, he looked at Rose. She hadn't noticed his inappropriate intentions, in fact Scorpius was pretty sure she hadn't noticed any of his movements. Her eyes were still closed and as he watched she licked her lips, a quick darting of tongue over chapped lips. She looked pleasurably pained and that got Scorpius thinking. What was wrong? Was she having some sort of fit? What was she even doing here? And how long had she been here to begin with?

The thousands of questions that ran through Scorpius sufficiently cleaned mind, he had a great many things he wanted to say. However all that came out was...

"Rose?"

He watched her eyes snap open, and suddenly he was assaulted by how blue they were.

Blue, and slightly dark. But quickly becoming more and more agitated.

"Oh. Hi." she was panicked, Scorpius could tell.

And then they both stood there and stared at each other. It was the most uncomfortable of experiences, and just before Scorpius was going to burst with discomfort, his rattled brain came up with some words.

"Hi." Not very elegant or loquacious, but it did the job of breaking the mounting tension.

"Hi." she said again, her eyes roving back and forth between his. Scorpius felt as if he was being looked into. As if those blue eyes were looking into his thoughts. And considering where his thoughts just were, he felt himself begin to blush. And of course just the mere thought of what he was thinking about before this little interlude, brought Scorpius' thoughts right back to that vivid fantasy. Unable to take her gaze he looked down.

She was barefoot, and her toenails were bright red. That threw him. He never imagined that Rose Weasley was the type of girl who bothered to do such frivolous things as paint her toe nails.'Curious.' Was all Scorpius' over-stimulated mind was able to conjure.

Somewhere between Scorpius looking down, and a bright red pinky toe, Rose had started talking. Well not talking per se, more like keeping up a long, breathless, and slightly panicked monologue that was becoming more and more frenzied. All Scorpius caught as his depraved eyes traveled back up her shapely form, were the words "apologize", "James", "git", "steamed", "mood" and "Are you even listening to me?"

Scorpius, his eyes locked firmly on her full, blabbering mouth, nodded. Even though he hadn't been listening. Well not completely. How could he, when her blouse was gaping open like that again?

She began looking around uncomfortably again, and Scorpius found the words tumbling out of his mouth.

"Do you want to sit?"

She looked at him suddenly, and Scorpius thought that maybe he was just glutton for punishment. How on earth could he sit next to her, and her blue eyes and pink lips and actually hold a conversation? But when she blushed pink, smiled shyly, and pushed the sweaty strands of hair out of her face, he found that he really didn't care if he was going to end up stewing in a pot of hormones, all that mattered was that smile and keeping it on her face.

"Yeah" she mumbled, dropping her bag from her shoulder and walking towards the dock. "I'd like that." and with that she put her bag, shoes, and tie at the end the dock and sat down, dipping her red toes into the cool water. Scorpius just watched her, a dazed sort of smile on his face.

A while later, Scorpius' mind was clear once again, and he was happily dangling his feet in the cool waters of the Black Lake. From the moment he had sat down next to Rose his mind had been in a frenzy, but once the tips of his toes had touched the icy cool of the lake, he found himself calming down. He was able to think clearly again, and control himself enough so he did not say, or do anything insane (or at the very least morbidly embarrassing). And now he was happily enjoying something that had been missing from his life for two days too long; Rose's company.

Sure his tee-shit was still sticking to his lower back, his pant legs were still attracting he sun to him like a homing beacon, and he was fairly sure his nose was a bit sunburned, but he found he didn't mind all that much. His feet were cool, the sun was shining and a beautiful girl was sitting next to him, telling him tales of the past two days. Her voice was steady and as soothing as the cool water.

"I know that James was only being the over-protective git he always is, but the things he was saying..." she trailed off, her long red ponytail being thrown about in the pre-storm winds. She turned to him, blue eyes squinting against the suddenly bright sun. "It wasn't right." she mumbled.

Scorpius was anything but shocked at her story. James' attitude was to be expected. His father, James' father and Rose's father had a history. A lot of history. And he knew this, and he understood it. Despite all of Draco Malfoy's faults, Scorpius still loved him, and couldn't stop the fact that he was his father. He wouldn't want to change that fact. If his father hadn't been who he was, Scorpius wouldn't be who he was today. His father's mistakes taught him a lot, and his father's past had toughened him to criticism. It was only natural that he was going to be compared to his father, and expected to have the same thoughts and beliefs that his father had when he was his age. That didn't change who Scorpius was. He wasn't like his father. He didn't care a lick about pureblood, or muggle-borns or any of that. And the best part is that Draco had never forced to be his son to be anything other than himself. He never pushed his ideals on him, and Scorpius respected him for it. Scorpius was allowed to be his own person, and he had spent most of his Hogwarts career trying to differentiate himself from his father, and let people see him for who he really was.

However he was pleasantly surprised to hear Rose defend him to her cousin. It gave hin a bit of a swooping feeling in his stomach that wasn't all together horrible.

"I'm sorry." Rose suddenly said, eyes downcast. That pulled Scorpius from his musings and made him look at her.

"Why?" he asked just as suddenly.

"For my family's attitude. It's not right." Her shoulders were stooped and her voice was small. "They shouldn't put you into a group just because of who your father is. James knows how much it sucks, and he should really know better. Flaming hypocrite." She had said the last bit with an edge to her voice that Scorpius didn't like.

"You can't change what your family thinks Rose." Scorpius said before she could get any darker. "You don't think that way." Suddenly he wasn't so sure. "Do you?" he asked meekly.

"Of course not!!!!" Rose exclaimed. Her head whipping back up, her ponytail grazing his shoulder and tossing her lilac sent back into the air. "I wouldn't... I could never... I don't..."

Scorpius cut her off before she got herself even more tongue-tied. "Alright then." he said simply. Privately relieved that the girl he fancied didn't hate his existence or upbringing, he lay back on the dock and allowed his body to relax.

Rose, biting her bottom lip, watched him, confused. Was it really that simple? She wondered. She had practically told him that her family was actively prejudiced against him and it was okay? He accepted it with a small shrug and a fleeting smile?

"Are we okay?" she asked, uncertain.

"Of course." His eyes were closed, and he was supporting his head with his hands. After a moment, he squinted one grey eye at her. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Still unsure, Rose looked across the lake to where she could see the hazy silhouette of the castle. "I don't know." was all she was able to come up with. "I just... I don't know."

"We're fine." Scorpius said with finality, and closed his eyes again. His face the very image of peace.

"Okay." came Rose's reply. And with that she joined him in laying back on the dock, feet in the water, and enjoying the sun.

They stayed that way, laying next to each other and soaking in the sun. Rose was humming faintly a tune she had long forgotten the words too, and Scorpius was smirking lightly at her warbled notes. The sky above them still had heavy dark clouds hanging in it, and Scorpius thought that it was going to rain soon. But even though he knew that the forthcoming storm would break the humidity and make living bearable again, deep down he didn't want to the rain to come. He didn't want time to move, he didn't want his Herbology exam to come. He didn't want anything to happen that would take him from Rose's side.

When Rose stopped humming, he squinted at her again. Her eyes were closed and her forehead was puckered in thought. Her full lips were pink against her pale, but freckled skin. The sun was bringing out the gold in her red hair, and the wind was teasing with her limp locks. Scorpius found himself jealous of the wind. He wanted to badly to run his hands in her hair. He, just once, wanted to feel it. Know if it was really as soft as it looked. 'It has to be.' he thought, and he wondered if her scent would linger on him if he buried his face in her soft hair. What would...

"Do you want to study?" If Scorpius had not been watching her so intently he wouldn't have known she spoke, that's how soft her voice was.

"Not even remotely." It wasn't a lie.

"Me neither." Rose said. She turned her head to face his, and shielded her blue eyes with her hand.

And for the longest time they lay like that. Looking at each other, just close enough to touch, but not quite. Heat radiating off each other, and adding to the muggy air.

In an act that would've done the brave Godric Gryffindor proud, Scorpius grabbed Rose's hand. He watched her smile widen and her blush spread from her neck as he did. Still he did not look away. He was shocked when she turned of her side to face him, and even more shocked to find himself mirroring her motions.

Rose was not nearly as surprised as she thought she would be. But deep down she knew that she had sat down on this dock for one purpose. To find out if there was even going to be anything between her and Scorpius. Anything more than friendship that is.

But as she watched Scorpius watch her so intently, smelling as sweet as he did, and looking as rumpled as he did, she found that all her clever moves, and organized thoughts flew right out of her head. She was up in the cyclone again. And judging by the way Scorpius was holding on to her hand, she assumed he was along for the ride.

A dark cloud covered the sun and Rose was able to stop shielding her eyes with her hand. Bravely, before she could comprehend it, and before she could stop herself, she put her free hand in Scorpius' dark blonde locks. They were soft and her fingers felt good in them. Scorpius had closed his eyes and was leaning into her touch.

Their position was awkward, with their legs still suspended over the edge on the dock, their clothes twisted and spun around them in a damp mess, the heat making their sweat pool together in the hollow of their clasped hands. But neither of them moved. Scared to break the spell, desperate for the moment to last. A moment in which their were no labels. Not Ravenclaw, nor Gryffindor. Malfoy, Weasley, Pureblood, Half-blood. None of it mattered.

Rose licked her dry lips, her hand still in Scorpius' hair. Scorpius' grey eyes watched her, and grew darker. He was looking through her now. As if everything, her clothes, her walls, her knowledge, none of it made a difference. It was just her. It was his intense stare that made her exhale a breath she didn't know she was holding. Scorpius was looking at her lips now and she knew what was going to happen.

"Scorpius..." She breathed, giving him permission and expressing her own desire in one simple word.

Scorpius didn't need telling twice. He drew closer, so close, her scent was all around him. Closer and closer.

And just as Scorpius was closing his eyes and puckering his lips, the skies opened up.

It was the kind of rain that happens so fast that you didn't know what to do. It was also the type of rain that hurt. A lot.

And for one moment they continued to lay there, getting throughly soaked to the bone, staring at each other. Each unable to say anything.

And then a large drop hit Rose in the eye and she made a soft noise of displeasure. Suddenly she was up, and Scorpius was gathering their soaked bags, and shoes, and clothes. And Rose was leading the way back to the school. Both desperate to get out of the cold rain.

The heat had finally broken.

After what had seemed like the longest run back to the dry, safety of the castle, Rose and Scorpius stood, panting, dripping, and exhausted one of the lesser used back hallways, with no one but suits of armor for company

"Thanks." Rose said breathlessly, as she slipped her wet feet, and red toes back into her school shoes. She took two steps toward Scorpius and grabbed her bag from his outstretched hand. She fumbled a bit when she noticed that his shirt was soaked though. She could see ever curve beneath the stretched, wet fabric. She felt the blush roll up her neck, and quickly averted her eyes.

"No problem." Scorpius said in a choked voice. He too was noticing the rain soaked clothes. Rose's white shirt was throughly drenched, and he could just make out the soft curves of her breasts and her perky, pink nipples, through her lacy, wet bra. Eyes widening, he quickly found something interesting on the ceiling to examine, and tried to think of ice cubes.

"See you later?" Rose mumbled. She was scuffing her black shoes on the stone, and was pointedly not looking at the boy before her.

"Yeah." Scorpius said in a strangled voice, before turning on his heel. "See you." he mumbled as he made way to his dormitory.

He hoped that Rose wasn't too offended. But he had to brush her off. Because if he hadn't he was fairly sure that if he stayed there he was going to push her up against the closest wall and ... 'Stop!' Scorpius reprimanded himself. 'Don't even think it. Or it will make even walking the most difficult of tasks.'

And the only thing that Scorpius thought of as he adamantly did not think about Rose Weasley was one simple, true, and troubling fact.

He hadn't studied.

'Shit.'

Rose Weasley skidded to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, still a wee bit soggy and smelling of rain, with mere moments to spare. After taking her quill out of her slightly damp bag, and fending off a furious whisper from Lucy ('Where HAVE you been!?'), her mind went blank.

She didn't finish her studying.

And although that knowledge would've sent her into a panic attack normally, all she thought about was Scorpius' stormy grey eyes, and she felt her breathing calm.

A smile spreading across her face, Rose dipped her quill in her ink pot, and started her exam.

She wasn't prepared to take this, but for the first time in 6 years she wasn't nervous for an exam. And that had to count for something right?

Who knew Scorpius would've ended up saving her?

END FOUR

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story so far (and will hopefully do again). I am truly grateful.

I hope you enjoyed. But now I'm off to bed.

Chapter 5: Rose and Scorpius have an awakening of sorts, and lazy days are explored as test results are waited for.