And from the ballroom floor we are in celebration

One good stretch before our hibernation

Our dreams assured and we all

Will sleep well

Sleep well

-Stolen; Dashboard Confessional

CHAPTER 5

ADRIAN ZABINI

Scorpius evidently didn't know how much he was in love with Rose. Or how obvious he was being about it. He didn't even try and cover up his constant glances and furtive smiles towards her. Fortunately for him, I was okay with it. Honestly, I thought she was good for him. Rose brought out something in Scorpius that I'd never seen in him. When he saw her, his eyes lit up. It was obvious to everyone around him how fucking in love with her he was. Obvious to everyone but him. He still denied it, even after he spoke to her in the Three Broomsticks while her fucking cousins were there. He evidently doesn't know what to do; because I think even he knows he just gave her hell in the form of Albus Potter and Dominique Weasley.

"Are you honestly going to tell me that you don't like her?" I almost laughed, sitting down at a table with my Firewhisky.

"Er, yeah, because I don't." Scorpius replied stubbornly. I snorted at him.

"If you don't like her, then I'm a hippogriff. And Scorp, trust me, I'm not a hippogriff." He couldn't help but grin at me. He opened his mouth to make a 'witty' remark when I interrupted. "Look Scorp, you're my best mate. If you do like her, I won't hold it against you. Like I said before, I think she's good for you. For the past week you've been all distant and I can tell it's because you're thinking about her. You can't hide anything from me, I know you too well. You may not think I notice your little glances and smiles at her but I do, and I'm telling you now that I'm okay with it. Honestly. You can tell me or not, but it doesn't change anything because I know you do anyway." He stared at me almost guiltily, and then took an unnecessarily large sip of his drink. "So enough with the mushy guy moment, because we've got a more pressing issue at hand." I said, and he raised his eyebrows. "Brown's been trying to catch your attention since we sat down, so if you don't tell her to fuck off, then I will."

Scorpius looked at Fate and she sprang up out of her seat and walked over to us in what I think she thought was a sexy way, but it actually made her look like she had a deformity or something.

"Scorpius! I can't believe you're here! I haven't seen you in ages!" She squealed, and I swear to God I almost punched her.

"You saw me yesterday, Fate." Scorpius said in a bored tone. Fate looked momentarily flustered, but then she composed herself.

"Yes I know, silly!" she hit him playfully on his arm. I looked at her in disgust. Desperate whore. "But we haven't, er, talked in ages!" She put emphasis on 'talked' I guess to try and not make me realise she meant 'fucked'. Stupid bint.

"Fate, that's because, well, I really don't like you. I mean I literally can't stand you. Your voice makes me want to punch something, and the way you dress actually makes you look like more of a whore." Scorpius said flatly, and she looked like he'd slapped her. I laughed and she glared at me. Except when she glared she looked a bit like a cross panda, and there's nothing funnier than a cross panda. I laughed harder, and Scorpius started laughing too. Fate burst into tears and ran away, which I thought made the whole thing a lot more amusing. Unfortunately, when we started laughing it became very difficult to stop, and by the time we'd finished our drinks – which, admittedly, was a lot harder than it should've been because we were laughing so much – we were doubled up.

We'd got into our dorm room and Scorpius was about to go shower when I brought up Rose again.

"So are you going to tell me that you like her or am I just going to have to torment you until you do?"

"I don't like her." He said, grabbing a towel. He must have thought I didn't hear him whisper, almost inaudibly, "Much" as he shut the door behind him.

He was such a clueless bastard, that I decided I'd talk to Rose. If I just talked to her, maybe she'd understand why Scorpius, for one, spoke to her in front of her cousins; although I'm not sure I quite grasp that myself.

I figured she'd be at the library, seeing as that's where she always is. Scorp couldn't have picked a girl with a life to fall in love with? I was walking there when someone ran into me at full speed, almost knocking me over. I looked to see who it was and saw red hair. Lily Potter.

"Adrian Zabini!" She exclaimed, and I noted the use of my full name. "Er, I… sorry I was… I was just trying to, er…" She trailed off.

"Run away?" I offered, and she nodded. "From who?"

"I, er…" Then she remembered her Potter-ness. "Why do you care?" She said resolutely, standing with her hands on her hips.

"Because I want to know what's got Little Potter quaking in her boots." I said calmly, trying not to notice her perfect figure. She might just be a fourth year, but she wasn't exactly unattractive. She sighed, her shoulders slumping.

"Lysander Scamander, you know, in your year? He's been hassling me about Rose, you know 'cause they used to go out, and now he wants her back and he keeps asking me to talk to her and this time he, er… never mind." She rambled, but her voice trailed off at the end. She hid her arm behind her back.

"What did he do?" I almost growled. Scamander was such a twat. She looked around nervously and gulped. She held her arm around towards me and I almost gasped; there was a large, deep cut on her upper arm, obviously still bleeding. She bit her lip and I could tell she was about to cry. She looked so adorable, so vulnerable, that I couldn't help myself. I pulled her into a hug and tears started rolling down her cheeks. I held her head against my chest and she sobbed into it, wincing from the pain in her arm. I pressed my lips to the top of her head and she looked up at me with her big brown eyes.

"What are you—?" She started to say, but before she could finish the sentence I leant down and kissed her. She melted into me and kissed me back, my hands still wrapped firmly around her waist. I kissed her harder, and she ran her fingers through my hair. I don't know how long we stood there, our lips locked together, but when we broke apart it seemed darker than before.

"What was that for?" She breathed, her arms still around my neck and my hands slotted into the curve of her waist.

"I have no idea." I smiled and kissed her again. She smiled back at me and she turned and walked away. I turned back around, walking back to the common room. It wasn't till I got in there when I remembered why I'd been out there in the first place. I shrugged to myself.

I'll talk to Rose tomorrow.

I walked into my dorm and saw Scorpius lying on his bed reading my Quidditch magazine.

"Where have you been?" He said, setting down the magazine and raising his eyebrows at me.

"Just… out for a walk." I said, deciding that it would be best not to tell Scorp about my thing with Little Potter. For now, at least. I'd tell him when he admitted he was in love with Rose. His eyes lingered on me for a moment, before returning to the magazine. I clambered into my bed, suddenly exhausted. I closed my eyes, and Lily's face swam in my mind. I grinned to myself, trying to remember how that even happened. After a while Scorpius turned out the lights and fell asleep, and I knew I wasn't the only one dreaming about a member of the Potter-Weasley clan.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

hey guys! thought i'd post chapter 5 before christmas, even if it is just a day before.
so yea, merry christmas!

i quite liked this chapter; i liked the little Adrian/Lily spontaneous kiss thing. I did that on purpose, btw, it was meant to happen out of nowhere. i thought i'd make Adrian a love interest and Lily was the natural fit. i know she's two years younger than him but whatever.

so questions? comments? please review!

thanks

beccasophX