Note: Alright, here's the third chapter. Hope you enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated! Fourth chapter is in progress and should be up soon.

Rosie's First Attempt

The day was rainy and stormy. A week had passed since Rosie's encounter with Scorpius and she and Al now sat in the Great Hall at the Gryffindor table.

"Alright, so I've got it all figured out," said Al as he rolled out a piece of parchment in front of himself and Rosie. "Except, should we go to Honeydukes first on next weekend's Hogsmeade trip or should we go to Zonko's first? I was leaning towards Zonko's. What do you think?"

"I think there are more important things you could be worrying about," said Rosie.

"Such as…?"

"Well, you could be trying to help me make friends with—" started Rosie but she was cut off by Al.

"I told you, I wasn't going to interfere in his life," said Al. "Besides, I don't see you putting any effort to befriend him."

"I've been busy," she snapped, "I've been doing my homework like a good student. Not mapping out Hogsmeade plans or ordering merchandise from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."

"Hey, we get discounts. I think discounts are something to take advantage of, don't you, Rosie?" he said. "Rosie? Rosie? Oi! Where're you going?"

Rosie had disappeared from her seat besides Al. He could see the last bit of her hair disappearing through the doors of the Great Hall. Al shook his head while rolling up his parchment and tucking it safely away.

Rosie had just spotted Scorpius leaving. His platinum blonde hair was unmistakable, even in the crowded Great Hall where everyone just seemed to blend in to form one massive black, amorphous shape. Rosie planned to corner him alone (which couldn't be that hard to do, she thought, seeing as he's got no friends) and talk to him. She wanted to get to know this solitary Slytherin some more and she knew the only way to do that was to make sure they were both alone.

Scorpius was now making his way up the stairs. Rosie made sure to follow at close distance. She didn't want him to notice her just yet. Scorpius continued his journey until he was on the seventh floor. Rosie noticed him continue down the corridor. She followed him until he stopped in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Rosie watched him curiously as he walked back and fourth three times and that's when it happened. A door had magically appeared there. Scorpius walked inside; Rosie blinked and it was gone.

Now, this was Hogwarts and Rosie was used to strange doors. But all the doors that had appeared and disappeared so far were just the walls of Hogwarts pretending to be doors. And furthermore, James had shown Rosie the Marauder's Map he had nicked from his father's belongings once. She remembered the seven passageways it had shown but couldn't recall there ever being a hidden room here on the seventh the floor.

Rosie, deciding it was safe, walked over to the very spot Scorpius had made the door appear. She stared at the blank wall for several moments. How in the world had he made that door appear? She tried mimicking his behavior first. She walked past the wall three times and stopped, but there was no door. She put her hand to the wall, it felt like a normal wall. She knocked on it, sounds like a normal wall.

Rosie walked around in circles, thinking, until she got dizzy and sat down on the floor. If she couldn't figure out how to get in, well, she'd just have to sit here and wait for Scorpius to come out. The only worry on her mind was that he had possibly spotted her and would leave through some other door that might be hidden from view. Well, if it gets too late, I can always try talking to him tomorrow.

Rosie sat and waited. She was already wishing he'd come out. It could be hours before he did and she didn't even have a good book to read. She looked at her watch, lunch had just ended. Everyone would probably be up in their common rooms, the weather simply wouldn't allow for anyone to go outside. Only the Gryffindor Quidditch team would be outside practicing. Rosie sighed as she stared at the wall, waiting and wondering; her eyelids were getting heavier by the minute…

Rosie could feel something trying to prod her back. She automatically waved her hands away to bat it off. The poking only continued harder. She sat up and opened her eyes.

As Rosie sat up, Scorpius had jumped a mile back as if scared of her. Rosie had stood up by now and looked around wildly until she spotted Scorpius. He had his wand in his hand. Evidently he had been poking her with his wand in order to wake her up.

"I'm not going to bite you," said Rosie rather amused.

"What were you doing sleeping out here?" shot Scorpius.

"Waiting for you, I just wanted to say hi and—hey! Get back here! It's rude to just leave while people are trying to talk to you!"

Scorpius had already turned the corner and was hurrying down the stairs. He was a stubborn one, but Rosie was too and was determined; he wouldn't get away that easily. Not without at least getting a proper greeting from him.

She quickly followed him to the stairs. She had just taken two steps down when she lost her balance and fell into Scorpius causing him to tumble down the rest of the stairs.

Scorpius landed with a dull thud and Rosie was on top of him. He began to wriggle beneath her.

"Geroff!" he croaked.

Rosie quickly did so before she was told a second time. She stood up and straightened her robes. "You okay?" she asked him shyly. This is not how she had pictured this going.

Scorpius had stood up weakly. His hair was once more in disarray from the fall but his face free from any bruises or cuts. His skin was fair and pale but he looked much better without purple and red colored on his face. "What the hell is your problem?" he spat now. "Why won't you leave me alone?" He was rubbing his shoulder which he seemed to have fallen on.

"You're okay, aren't you?" asked Rosie.

"No thanks to you," he grumbled. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to say hi," she said. "And maybe get to know you a little better. You seem like a very nice person and I thought of maybe introducing myself—"

He laughed coolly. "I know who you are; you're one of the Weasleys. Rose Weasley, daughter of Hermione and Ron Weasley. You have a little brother Hugo Weasley and you've also got about fifty cousins running about this place. You think I don't know who you are?"

"Well, if you know who I am then you should also know that I am a very nice person," replied Rosie. "I just wanted to get to be your friend. And I don't have fifty cousins running about this place. I've only got about eight. Only seven of them are in school and one's about to be married."

Scorpius rolled his eyes at her. "So then, why would someone like you want to be my friend? Why would the daughter of a man and woman who hated my father want to get to know me? Just so you can humiliate me just like everyone else who tried to be my friend?"

"Look, who cares about the relationship our parents had? That has nothing to do with us. I don't think you're being very nice here. All I'm trying to do is be friendly and all you do is push me away like I'm some sort of bug or disgusting creature."

Scorpius stood there glaring at her; Rosie kept her gaze firm. She wasn't backing down. Scorpius would be her friend whether he wanted to or not. Sure, it sounded kind of harsh, but when she put her mind to something, she never gave up.

Scorpius heaved a sigh and turned around and started walking off once more.

"Hey!" said Rosie. "Can I at least get a bye? Don't just walk off like that!"

Scorpius didn't stop walking or even look over his should; he merely muttered a small 'bye' and continued on his way, disappearing into the many corridors of the castle.

And although Rosie was disappointed by his departure, she did learn a bit more about him. People had clearly tried being his friend before but had only lied to him to make a fool out of him. She could use this piece of information to her advantage. She'd show him that she didn't just want to use him to make fun of him like others had done. She would show him she was serious. She wasn't joking around.

Rosie looked up and was surprised to find herself in front of the Gryffindor common room. Apparently she had walked here without even knowing it. "Horse liver," she said. The familiar portrait of the fat lady had swung open and let her in.

She wandered in and sat down in one of the squishy armchairs in front of the fire. She looked out the window and realized it was dark. Wow, I must have been sleeping in that hallway for a couple of hours. Her head then turned as the portrait swung open again to let in James. She quickly jumped up and ran over to him.

"Just the man I wanted to see," she grinned.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously. "What do you know that I don't know?"

"Maybe something and maybe nothing," she said. "You still have your dad's map, right?"

"You mean the Marauder's Map?" he asked. "Yeah, I do. What about it?"

"Well, can I see it?" she asked. "I know you keep it on you at all times, so go on, let's see it."

James still had a suspicious gleam in his eyes but Rosie just smiled innocently while he took out the map. He placed the piece of parchment on a nearby table and took out his wand. He tapped the map with his wand while murmuring, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." The map then magically appeared before their eyes along with hundreds of moving dots with names written above them indicating exactly which person each dot represented.

Rosie quickly picked up the map and scanned the seventh floor. For minutes she looked over the seventh floor at the place where the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy should be but to her dissatisfaction she saw no hidden room indicated. Just a wall—the wall that had always been there.

"Your map is broken," said Rosie as she handed it back to James.

"It is not broken!" James said with the air of just having been insulted by a best friend. "It works perfectly. Your eyes are the things that are broken."

"My eyes work perfectly well and to prove it, you tell me if you see any hidden room on the seventh floor. Particularly in the area where that tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy is."

"Why should I?" asked James.

"Because there's a room there," said Rosie. "Not on the map, but in the castle. I followed Scorpius today and he disappeared into the room. Either that or he can make doors appear and walk right through walls."

James had been listening intently and nodded wisely. "Ah, yes, I'd go with the latter if I were you. Now, stop bothering me and go run along and play." He patted her head as if she were a small puppy and walked off with map in hand.

Rosie sighed heatedly and sank down into the nearest chair.

"Hey, Rose," said Al as he entered the common room himself now. "Where have you been? Haven't seen you since lunch."

"I hate your brother, he's useless," said Rosie while Al had settled himself beside her.

"I…er…sorry about that. But for the record, I don't think mum and dad would appreciate it if you killed him, so please don't," said Al.

Rosie sighed once more. "I won't," she muttered. "I just wish he was a bit more helpful sometimes. I wish all of you were a bit more helpful."

"Sorry, Rose, but go on, how do you know Malfoy even wants your friendship?" asked Al knowing exactly where she was going with this. "He might just like being by himself. There are people like that in this world. Dad said You-Know-Who was like that. He liked working alone, he didn't like depending on anyone. He had no friends. Maybe Malfoy's the same way."

"But he's not," insisted Rosie, "I just know he isn't. And it's not like he's You-Know-Who anyway. You-Know-Who was a freak and an evil wizard. You can't possibly compare Scorpius to You-Know-Who. This is a completely different situation."

"Suit yourself," said Al. "All I'm saying is you're fighting for a lost cause. The guy doesn't want friends."

"How do you know?" Rosie asked.

"Have you asked him?"

"Have you asked him?" she shot back.

"Just get some rest, alright?" continued Al. He clearly wasn't going to pursue the subject any longer; which was fine by Rosie. She had already stood and walked up the spiral staircase and into the girls' dormitory. Of course she wasn't about to get some rest (she had slept for quite some time in front of that Barnabas the Barmy tapestry), she'd be thinking of new ways to talk to Scorpius and convince him she wasn't at all like everyone else.