A.N: Don't forget to review my lovelies.. Property belongs to JKR, L. Frank Baum, and Dashboard Confessional

We love in secret names
We hide within our veins
The things that keep us bound to one another

There is a secret that we keep
I won't sleep if you won't sleep
Because tonight may be the last chance we'll be given
We are compelled to do what we must do
We are compelled to do what we have been forbidden

"I can't wink," Rose confessed.

"You can't wink?" Scorpius asked, incredulous. "How is that even possible?"

"I dunno," Rose shrugged. "I just can't. Watch." And with that Rose turned her face toward Scorpius' and attempted to wink. She succeeded in screwing up in her face in a comical manner before closing both of her eyes. Scorpius could help himself and burst out laughing.

"That's hilarious!" Scorpius continued to cackle, while Rose pretended to glare at him for a few moments, before busting up herself.

After yesterday's big storm, the heat had mellowed and the temperature was quite manageable. Rose and Scorpius were laying out in the grass by their fountain and swapping stories. Both were laying on their backs with their heads together and their legs in opposite directions. Scorpius was close to the long layers of red silk he dreamed about so much, and Rose was feeling light-headed after discovering that the honey scent that hung around Scorpius was a product of the type of shampoo he used.

After the pair had quieted, the conversation came to a lull. Scorpius twisted his head around to look at his companion. She was wearing a pale blue sun dress and her eyes were closed as she absorbed the sun. Her forehead had little creases in it from squinting at the sun's blinding glare. She had shed her shoes (her toes were still bright red), the freckles on her face had darkened, and the very tip of her nose was pink due to the sun. He watched as she picked up the familiar necklace around her neck and started fiddling with it. Although the heat and humidity had subsided, the burning desire that Scorpius had yesterday to kiss Rose had not abated. But not wanting to push her and not knowing whether or not yesterday was a fluke, he resisted. Even now though, as he watched her innocently lay in the sun, her crimson locks smelling so sweet near his eager hands, her necklace making soft chiming noises as she spun the ring around, Scorpius felt his resolve wavering.

He could just imagine how those soft pink-lips would feel beneath his own, her slender fingers as she dug them into his hair, her soft moans as he teased the skin of her neck, what she would smell like, what she would taste like...

A soft moan from Rose cut off Scorpius' fantasies. Oh shit. He hadn't been thinking out loud again had he? Oh sweet Merlin....

"The sun feels nice." Rose murmured. She turned her head to look at Scorpius, and Scorpius felt his heart skip a beat or two. "I'm glad the humidity broke. Makes it all so much more bearable. Don't you think?" She was looking at him with those disarming blue eyes again, and Scorpius felt himself nod in agreement. In that moment we would've agreed with anything Rose Weasley had to say. The wind blew a large gust of Rose-scented air in his direction, and he felt himself pulling his face toward hers. The grass beneath his fingers, bare arms and exposed skin tickled. He heard the trickling water in the fountain in his head and his thudding pulse pounding in his ears. Her sweet breath as she gasped, her eyes lingered on his lips, and his searched hers vigorously. He was mesmerized. He needed to taste her now. He was sure if he were to wait another moment he would explode. Just as he was turning his head to avoid the inevitable bumping of his nose against her chin, he heard the clock toll.

It was three o'clock. Damn. Time's up.

Taking a deep breath Scorpius gathered every inch of strength he had, and pulled away with a disappointed sigh.

Rose's eyes were wide. After he pulled back, her head cleared and she recited a vile stream of curse words in her mind. She had to go. She didn't want to but she had made a promise, and Rose Weasley is selfless. She isn't one to break a promise. She muttered a pathetic-longing-filled groan.

She had to go. She promised little Lily Potter that she would have lunch with her. They were both done with exams and were just waiting for the test results to come back. Lily had cornered her the other day, demanding that they get in some quality girl time before summer break, before they would be sequestered in their respective house with no one but their annoying brothers for company (Lily's words).

Rose sighed. She didn't want to move, but she knew that she would never break her promise. "I've…" Rose began, sitting up.

"I know," Scorpius replied. He too sat up. He stretched his arms above his head and watching the way that made the muscles in his arms tighten almost made Rose lose her will to leave. Almost. But then he stood completely and held his hand out to her. "You've got to go."

Rose grabbed his hand and tried to ignore the heat rushing though her body at the casual touch, she felt the blush climb up her neck and make its self known on her pale cheeks. "Yeah," She mumbled before lifting her body off the ground with Scorpius' help. Before he released her hand, he pulled her close and pushed a piece of hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear.

He was so close, she could smell his honeysuckle shampoo again, and found her concentration wavering. "See you soon?" he questioned, his eyes dark.

"Yes," She whispered. "Later. After dinner. In the library," She continued, knowing that the back room where they had studied a mere five days ago would be incredibly empty now that exams were done.

"Ok," He breathed. It was only then that Rose noticed that his breathing was a bit uneven too.

"ROSE?" Came a voice from the school. Rose whipped her head toward the noise, hitting Scorpius in the eyes with her long ponytail, before taking a large step away from him.

Scorpius, too busy dealing with the fact that his stinging eyes were watering, didn't take much notice to Rose's abrupt distancing.

Lily Potter was walking toward them with her usual determined gait. She too had shed her school robes, and was wearing a pair of tattered old jeans, with her bright red hair in a sloppy bun at the base of her neck. "Rose." She called as she walked toward the fountain, and Rose felt the blush creeping along her face again. She tried to remember that she had been doing nothing wrong, but couldn't quite bring herself to believe it. She only hoped that Lily would be too distracted by her own problems to notice Rose's red cheeks and averted gaze.

Scorpius cleared his throat loudly, and Rose felt her eyes snap to him. Lily had come within hearing range now, and Scorpius thought it was best to get the story down now, before the littlest Potter could go running to her siblings. "So I'll see you later for Prefect duty right? We have to patrol the fourth floor." Scorpius turned to Rose and winked.

This made her even redder than earlier, but something about the way Scorpius was looking at her now emboldened her, because she added a cheeky. "I hope we can continue this conversation then." Before giving Scorpius her twisted version of a wink as well. He started laughing, the gleam of something less innocent in his eye.

"Definitely." And with that Scorpius took is hormone ravaged body, and hungry eyes back to the castle. As he passed Lily he ruffled her red-head and gave her a bright "Hiya Potter."

Lily smirked at him before answering with the customary "Sup Malfoy?" Scorpius smiled and headed to the Ravenclaw Tower.

Scorpius shook his head as he wandered the halls. It was odd that the person he knew the most and got along the best with from the Weasley-Potter Clan (with the exception of Rose, of course) was the little Lily Potter. Scorpius knew Lily before he even knew Rose. In Lily's second year she had asked Scorpius to help her raise her Defense Against the Dark Arts grade. Scorpius was one of the best in his year at the subject (the irony of which he already knew and didn't need pointed out to him, thankyouverymuch), but when he asked her why she wanted his help, her answer shocked him. Sure, she could go to her older brothers, or her brilliant red haired cousin, but then soon the entire family would know that she was struggling in Defense. Defense of all subjects! And while she knew her family would love her regardless, and her parents would never be anything but proud of her ('I can do no wrong in their eyes' Lily had said), she didn't think she was able to deal with the level of scrutiny that would come with having her entire family know her failings. Plus she knew that Scorpius would never talk to either of her siblings and she was desperate to avoid their teasings if she could help it. So what did he think? Could he help her out?

What could he say? He knew the kind of pressure that your family could put on you, and he could only imagine what being the kid of famous Harry Potter meant in the self-confidence department. He didn't even want to imagine the kind of stress that her family (and the ever present press) had unintentionally put on her little shoulders. So Scorpius ditched his friends every Thursday night of fourth year and spent the majority of the time tutoring Lily in the abandoned Astronomy tower, until her grade was raised to a respectable level. Professor Creevey was pleased. And oddly enough, so was Scorpius. Sure he'd never been able to tell a soul about his good deed (Lily threaten him with Bat-Bogeys if he so much as muttered a peep), but he found that he didn't want to. He genuinely enjoyed Lily's company. She was a straight forward kind of girl who put up with no pretenses. She rarely whined, and knew how to throw a good right hook if she needed to. (Scorpius knew from experience. Apparently Lily was the only one who was able to take cracks at her older brothers. Scorpius had to tell everyone that he had tripped into a doorknob until the swelling in his black eye become less noticeable). In the end, they had remained friends on the sly and occasionally met back up in their impromptu classroom and talked about their lives.

Turned out that she was more Potter than Weasley and for that Scorpius was grateful.

When he walked into his dormitory he noticed something odd. His school bag that he had left on the floor was now on his bed, and it's contents spilled across the dark blue coverlet. Lifting his eyebrows, he searched through the mess. He sifted through parchment and notebooks and other rubbish to find Rose's battered green-covered copy of the Wizard of Oz (on loan from her, with a promise to let no harm come to it whatsoever). He pushed the mess aside and sat down, idly flipping though the dog-eared pages. Who had been looking through his bag? He was concerned and a bit peeved. Who had the nerve to just rifle through his personal belongings? What if they had spilled ink on Rose's precious book? What if it had ended up ruined due to someone else's carelessness?

And then Scorpius had a thought that froze the blood in his veins. What if someone knew it was hers? What if someone had been riffling through his things, because they suspected him and Rose? What if it was someone who had no qualms about telling his father what Scorpius had been doing with his free time?

He felt his face pale. He knew that he and Rose had been doing nothing wrong. But still he had been very careful to keep his new-found extra-curricular activities from his doting parents. He doubted that they would approve. His mother would probably get over it quickly, claiming it to be nothing more that a childish infatuation, but his father...

Scorpius threw his head back on his bed, knocking his temple against his Arithmancy book in the process, but he was panicking too much to really care. His father would not get over it. His father would be appalled, bitterly angry and very put out. After all it was thanks to Rose's brilliant mother that Draco had managed to finally get his father out of prison, but apparently Rose's father did not approve. It had ended in Ron and Draco getting in a fist fight in Weasley Wizard Wheezes, and destroying nearly 200 galleons of merchandise in the process. No. Father would not be pleased. Draco hated that he had to rely on Hermione Granger of all people (for she was still Granger then) to help him with his family problems. Mildly put, Hermione had come to Draco's rescue and he still felt indebted to the girl. Whenever anyone mentioned the Weasley children in his father's presence, Draco gave a great sneer and abruptly changed the subject.

Oh yes, Scorpius could just imagine what his father would say when he found out that his only son was in love with a Weasley. Scorpius shuddered at the thought.

Before Scorpius could submerge himself in his panic and dread too deeply though, the lavatory door open to revel his roommate and sometimes best friend Dylan Heyman.

Dylan was of Scottish decent, with thick brown, curly hair that was never tame. He had a look of perpetual confusion on his face due to his heavyset eyebrows that protruded just a bit too far off his face; it made him look a bit like a neanderthal. He had an intimidating build, that made him the perfect beater for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, and despite his outward appearance, was actually quite jovial and clever. Currently he was standing with a towel around his waist muttering some nonsense about joint rigging and apple tarts, his wet hair dripping on the floor.

Scorpius just turned his head mournfully in Dylan's direction (earning another knock with an Arithmancy corner). "Hey."

"Good God?! Is it true!? Why yes I do believe that it is my best friend," Dylan responded thick with sarcasm. "I thought you died. I was just about to write you mother conveying my condolences."

"Ha. Ha," Scorpius said humorlessly. He turned his head back to the canopy above his bed as Dylan unabashedly began getting dressed. "What's new?"

"Not much. Just been taking my awful exams and messing around. Where have you been?" Dylan asked pointedly

"Nowhere. Around," Scorpius said, hoping Dylan wouldn't pry, but knowing he would.

"Around?" Dylan asked incredulous. "Around where? Whenever I see you lately you are either studying, taking a test, or off with that girl... whatshername? The pretty Prefect-y one? Gryffindor?" Dylan trailed off, trying and failing to tame his hair in the mirror in front of him.

"What are you on about?" Scorpius asked playing dumb. He was on the defense. Maybe he could confuse Dylan enough to try and make him forget what he saw...

"Don't even play innocent with me. I'm the master at that." Giving his hair up as a lost cause, Dylan turned to address Scorpius' guarded eyes. "What's going on mate? Who is she?"

"She's..." Brilliant. Unbelievable. The girl I'm hopelessly in love with. Aphrodite herself. "She's no one." Scorpius heaved a sigh. The statement was not all together untrue. He and Rose seemed stuck in friendship mode. Stalled in first gear, unable to move forward. Another sigh.

"She doesn't look like no one. Why are you always with her?" Dylan was only slightly interested now, his hands inching toward his broomstick, eager to abandon the room for the pitch.

Scorpius considered for the briefest of moments telling Dylan the whole long story. About how he was going against his father's wishes and his mother's expectations and was falling in love with Rose Weasley. He wanted to tell his friend how she made him feel. Light, buoyant, like he hadn't a care in the world. He longed to express how he dreamed of her, imagined her in hundreds of scenarios, thought about her non-stop. He briefly entertained the notion of what Dylan would stutter out when he found out that his best friend had become a love-sick sap.

In the end, he expanded on his lie from before. "She's a prefect with me," Scorpius said, brushing Dylan's inquires off. "It's nothing. We've just been doing some patrolling together lately."

Dylan, already half-way out the door, took the lies as the truth. "Oh. Cool." He shrugged, as his large hand clamped around the handle of his broom. "See you later."

Scorpius breathed a sigh of relief. He'd done it. He'd managed to lie his way out of another's questions. He threw the scent off he and Rose's relationship. He should be triumphant.

It made him feel awful. Something that made him so happy shouldn't have to be covered up. Right?

"You'd tell me if anything happened right?" Dylan warily asked, his foot out the door.

Scorpius got a funny twisting feeling in his gut. "Of course." He knew it was lie before he even spoke.

"His name is Edward Davies. Fifth year. He's brilliant, and funny, and incredibly beautiful. He also has no idea I exist." Lily moaned, as she placed her head on the table.

She and Rose were sitting in the Great Hall, eating an early dinner. Lily was currently in the first stages of her first full blown crush, and had been talking Rose's ear off for the past hour or so about the rather perfect (in her eyes) Edward Davies. Refusing to even speak his name before now, seeing as he had been sitting with his mates at the other end of the long Gryffindor House table.

"I highly doubt that Lil," Rose said, eager to continue the conversation. If she could keep Lily absorbed in her own drama, she would be able to keep the littlest Potter's keen eyes off her and Scorpius.

'Stop it! There is no you and Scorpius!' Bellowed the logical portion of her mind. 'But there could be,' The devious part reminded her in a singsong voice. 'Shut up!' She shouted at them both.

Rose's self-berating was interrupted by Lily's very unladylike snort.

"Please!" she scoffed. "No one ever sees me as anything but the Littlest Potter. Lily number two." She raised her head off the polished mahogany enough to give Rose a deadly glare through her red fringe. "Even you." She lowered her head again with a thunk. "Besides, James would kill Edward if he knew." She raised her head again. "You better not tell him either. Or Albus. Or Hugo. Or Fred. In fact, pretend this conversation never happened." Lily, once again, thunked her forehead to the table.

Rose couldn't help a giggle. 'Ah! The glory and humiliation of the first crush.' She poked Lily's wild red hair. "I'll take it to the grave," She told her little cousin with all seriousness. "So what are you going to do?"

Lily's head shot up, bright hair flying in every direction. "Blah!" She shook her hair out of her face and attempted to tame it behind her ears. "I don't know." She shook her head again and seemed to regain her mind. "Meh. But look at me, sitting here, blithering on like some sort of whinging cow instead of doing anything about it."

There's the Lily, Rose knew and loved. The one with gumption, in spades. She truly was her mother's daughter.

"I'll think of something. It'll be fine," Lily reassured, a determined gleam in her eye. Rose knew that look, and was sure that Edward Davies was going to have no idea what hit him. Possibly quite literally. Blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes Lily changed the subject abruptly and without any finesse.

"So what's the deal with you and Malfoy?"

Rose froze. 'How much did she know?'

"What?" Rose inquired. Playing dumb was probably the best strategic move right now. "What are you talking about?"

Lily quirked a ginger eyebrow. A look that said 'Don't even attempt to pull that on me.' "You. Malfoy. Together. Earlier. Any of this ringing a bell?"

Rose felt the blush creep up her neck. "Oh." She clutched the goblet in front of her, desperate for a distraction. "We are... We're just...friends," Rose trailed off lamely, her eyes searching the Great Hall for a distraction.

"Hmmmm..." Lily said, ominously.

"What?"

"Nothing." Lily eyed Rose speculatively. Rose's eyes were wild and bright, there was color to her cheeks, and a certain air about her. That little bit of je ne sais quoi. Lily wondered what could have put such a look on Rose's usually sensible face. She had a feeling it was the boy she was currently quizzing Rose about, but didn't want to jump to conclusions.

But it was an awful coincidence...

"It's nothing," Rose said with conviction, looking a bit more like herself. "We patrol together sometimes. He's..." she trailed off, unsure whether or not to go on.

"He's something alright," Lily stated, her voice deliberately blank. She took a quick sip of her pumpkin juice, and eyed Rose in a critical manner again.

"Stop it," Rose said. Lily shrugged and took another sip. She looked away to the entrance of the Great Hall, where James was entering noisily with his quidditch mates, which included a reluctant Albus, trailing along after Lucy who was engaged in a very secretive looking conversation with Fred. It looked as if they were planning another prank on the teachers.

Everywhere she looked there were family members, or family friends. Her parents friends. It was impossible to keep a secret in this place.

"You know nothing could ever happen right?" Lily asked leaning in close to Rose's tan shoulder. "Uncle Ron would have an aneurysm. And I'm pretty sure my mom would have a conniption fit that would do Grandma Weasley proud. And not to mention your mum--"

"Lil," Rose interrupted, keeping her voice low as well. "Do I look like an idiot? Of course nothing could happen." Rose shrugged and turned her eyes away from Lily's. "Besides, I don't even like him that way."

Lily highly doubted that, but noticing the fierce look on Rose's face, and seeing as the rest of the Weasley-Potter troupe was about to join them, she wisely kept her qualms to herself.

Rose was examining her reflection in her vanity. She was due to meet Scorpius in a few minutes and was taking a few calming breaths in the mirror before she set out.

"The cyclone had set the house down very gently--for a cyclone--in the midst of a country of marvelous beauty. There were lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately trees bearing rich and luscious fruits. Banks of gorgeous flowers were on every hand, and birds with rare and brilliant plumage sang and fluttered in the trees and bushes. A little way off was a small brook, rushing and sparkling along between green banks, and murmuring in a voice very grateful to a little girl who had lived so long on the dry, gray prairies."

Rose ran through the story in her head. What would Dorothy do? What if Auntie Em said she wasn't allowed to go to Oz. It wasn't right. No adventures for you Dorothy, she would say. Would she still go? Would she still have such a great time knowing that it was wrong somehow? Knowing she was upsetting her family? Going against their wishes? Would she still sleep inside the house as the cyclone brought her closer to her adventure? Not be worried, but excited some how?

Rose had a feeling she knew what Dorothy would do.

With one last glance, she went to go meet Scorpius.

Scorpius was pacing. Sure it looked like he was just trying to decided between two books in the library's Business section (Leadership Lessons From The Lap of Horace Slughorn on the far end, and Think You're Ethical? You're Not! on the near side) but really he was pacing.

She was late.

Why would she be late? What was holding her up? Maybe she had been waylaid on the way over? But why? Was it his snooper? Asking her questions about him? Was he becoming paranoid?

Scorpius gulped at the thought and continued pacing, spinning the Ethics book in his hands as he went.

It was quiet tonight in the library. That was a bit of an understatement. It was dead. Scorpius was positive that he was the only living soul in the library, the cacophonic ghostly Librarian-in-training Myrtle, who was filling in for the ancient and crusty Madam Pince-Filch (who apparently had a date with her equally ancient and crusty husband) was busy floating about in the stacks, lamenting the end of her poor life. It was a favorite past time of hers.

Scorpius stopped his frenzied pacing at the nearest table. Tossing the book down he ran a hand though his hair and gave a great sigh. What was he doing? What was he thinking? This was bad. This was wrong. Father would absolutely kill him, and just the thought of his mother's green eyes narrowed in disappointment and exasperation at his actions had him shaking his head. What was he thinking? He knew that this was pointless. Hadn't he told himself weeks ago when this whole escapade began that Malfoy and Weasley didn't mix? There was plenty of proof, plenty of evidence, plenty of reasons why the butterflies in his stomach shouldn't exist. Dylan's cool, and barely noticeable disapproval at the mere thought of Scorpius taking up with "that Weasley girl" earlier, just being the first (and most recent) of many examples.

He knew what he had to do. Despite the pain he suddenly felt at the thought, he knew he had to. It was time to tell Rose that this was not possible. Friends? Sure maybe. But this... no. This couldn't happen. They had already done too much. Just the thoughts she was stirring in his mind were unacceptable. His chest ached at the thought. Somehow in the past weeks Rose had become his safe haven. The one place where he didn't have to be "Malfoy", his place where he could just sit and laugh and think of frivolous things for once. She kept the pressure off, and he felt the weight that had been so recently lifted off his buoyant shoulders begin to settle again.

Lord, he didn't want to do this.

Just then the sound of Rose's familiar high-heeled shoes rang on the stones of the hallway. Already he could recognize her gait. He could imagine how the black shoes would melt perfectly into those pale, smooth legs. Her knees, lightly bruised from hitting them on the underside of her desk, would appear next. He'd see the tiniest sliver of white thigh before her skirt would appear. He knew how it would flutter with her movements. Teasing and testing him with each stride. He imagined just how smooth those perfect legs would feel beneath his fingertips...

But no. He mustn't think of that.

He shook his head to clear it as her lilac scent drifted around the corner of the bookcase that blocked their meeting place.

He could barely see her in the low lights of the candles. But he was just able to make out the glint of the necklace around her neck, and the soft chime of the ring as she spun it on it's chain. A physical manifestation of her worry.

He turned to face her fully, as she stepped into the light. Her red hair shimmering like silk in the candlelight. Her full bottom lip between her teeth as she tugged and pulled in time with her worried spinning. It appeared she was working herself to say something.

To put off his unpleasant task, Scorpius waited for her to speak first.

"Scorpius," Rose breathed. Scorpius felt a forbidden thrill run through him at the sound of his name. "I have to tell you something."

Rose's blue eyes were wet. Almost as if she were about to cry. In that moment, he knew he could never leave her. He would have to stay with her, if only to make sure she never looked so heartbroken ever again. He'd would just have to figure out a way to deal with all the other obstacles.

He took two ringing steps toward her.

As he stepped forward, Rose took one step back. Doing this was going to be difficult enough without his scent in her head, dizzying her and making her resolve weaken.

With one long shuddering breath she began. "I'm sorry. But this has got to stop. This... this thing between us..." She felt her breathing accelerate when he took yet another step forward. "It's not..." She took another step back. Her shoes sounding too loud in the silence. "It's not okay. We both know that no one would approve." She looked down at her too loud shoes, like the coward she was. Too afraid to look him in the eye as she broke their hearts. "I'm sorry but it's not like we could keep it a secret or anything." He stepped forward and she took another retaliatory step back. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes and through sheer will forced them back. I will not cry. She vowed to the stones beneath her feet. "Everyone would know." As she whispered a loose hair fell in front of her face, shielding her shame.

Her heart ached with every traitorous word, but she knew this was what she needed to do. She was not a selfish being. She loved her family and was determined to live up to their expectations. 'After all, in the end Dorothy just wanted to go home to Auntie Em, despite her frivolous adventures,' Rose thought.

Just as she was accepting her breaking heart she heard Scorpius speak. "I know." He was agreeing with her. It made it easier, but it didn't make it hurt any less. "We should stop this." He said it in a matter-of-fact way. A passing comment that could've been about the weather. He took two steps closer to her. Rose took another step back and found her way barred by the bookcase. Spines of hundreds of ancient books pushed into her. As she glanced up at Scorpius, to ask what he was doing, to tell him to stop (or continue? She wasn't sure which) she got caught up in those eyes of his. Dark grey and smoldering. She couldn't stop her breath from coming from her lungs fast. She was practically panting. It would've been embarrassing if Scorpius wasn't doing the same, wasn't looking at her that way.

'Stop it! End this!' came Rose's conscious, which was taking the form of Lily Potter today.

"Friends?" Rose asked, putting her right hand forward in a very professional and frosty manner. 'Be professional, detached, cool' she muttered to herself.

Scorpius blinked, the look in his eyes, not completely going away but becoming veiled in a more polite manner. "Friends," he agreed, placing his rough, ink-stained hand in her soft one.

And then it happened.

When their hands touched it was as if a heated electric current ran through their bodies, centered and focused on where their skin touched. Rose felt it smolder through her body. It burned, it ached. With every gasping breath she wrenched from her lungs, it burned. It burned away all resistance and suddenly she didn't care. Not about her parents, or her family, Lily's prying eyes, Scorpius feeble agreement, or her thoughts on Dorothy and Kansas.

She no longer cared. It was time for her, for once in her life, to be a little selfish. To stop thinking about being the perfect daughter, cousin, prefect, student, girl.

But before she could truly grasp her new boldness, her new fierce selfishness, she felt Scorpius' soft lips on hers.

They were insistent and pressing. Her eyes widened for the briefest of moments before she responded. With gusto. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trapping him, securing him to her. He moaned when she ran her fingers though those blonde locks. They didn't feel like she imagined they would. They were better. Short and soft and undoubtedly manly. Something in the way the bristles twisted so perfectly around her nimble fingers urged her on.

She ran her tongue softly along the outside of his lips, and his response nearly undid her. His hands, that had been merely resting along her hips in the most sensible of ways slide up her sides. Fingers pressing into her skin and forcing her shirt up along with them. He pressed into her body more forcefully with his own. Determined to leave no space between them whatsoever. As he pressed, Rose felt the spines of the library books behind her against her skin. She couldn't care less. The entire library could be on fire for all she cared. All that mattered was Scorpius and his hands, his lips, his tongue, his hair, his sweet exhale as he pulled his lips from hers and began to kiss her neck.

Gasping for breath, her hands began to roam. Up and down his taut back, feeling the lines beneath her fingers finally. Her bold hands continued across his shoulders, and her nails inadvertently bit into him as he reached the sweet spot beneath her chin that was just so right.

Scorpius licked and nibbled and reached his hands up to those long locks he had always dreamed and fantasized about. Pulling the delicate clip from her hair, the tumbling waves of red silk were finally free for his greedy fingers to run through. They were softer than he imagined, and he found himself burying his nose in them and taking a deep breath, pausing in his kissing.

Rose took full advantage of Scorpius' distraction, kissing his neck, pay careful attention to his Adam's apple, and earlobes. As he moaned her name she felt powerful, she felt right, and complete.

Nothing was worth missing this. Not even her family.

Scorpius pulled away and as their eyes locked they knew the other was thinking the same thing.

They could never give this up. This was too perfect, too right, and too unbelievable.

They'd just have to find a way to keep it a secret.

END CHAPTER FIVE

A.N. 2:

I'd like to say thank you to my wonderful reviewers, whose encouragement keeps me writing and thinking about these characters that I've come to love.

Next chapter should be up soon, so keep your eyes open for that!