A/N: Feel bad for posting this when I should be working on my WIP. I don't think I'll ever finish that one. As much as I'd like, I'm not good for writing long stories. Short stories is more my thing. So here's another one for whoever, if anyone is, reading this little random collection of one-shots.
Annie Cave: I'm so sorry that it took me this long to reply. If you're still reading this, first of all, thank you for reading. I put it under Rose/Scorpius simply because that was the first chapter. In reality, this isn't any specific pairing. This is sort of just a collection of random one-shots that I'd just like to get out there for people to read.
Even with her least favorite person of all time in the vicinity, (why did he have to get picked as the male representative for Gryffindor prefects?), the prefect meeting was going spectacularly. It was exactly as she imagined it to be. The Head Boy and Girl opened the meeting, speaking about the responsibility of the prefects, nothing they hadn't already told them on the train to the school. (Rose was proud of herself. She didn't zone out once during this part.) Then they'd moved on to discussing changes made to the school over the summer – not many important ones: the Whomping Willow had contracted some tree disease and been healed of it, a couple of the teachers had relocated to a different classroom because of Billywig infestations (Merlin knew how Billywigs had gotten into the castle), Hagrid had a section of his cabin expanded a bit for his dog, which was having puppies. The prefects were asked to be of help to any teachers who looked like they were still having trouble with their new classrooms, were assured that the Whomping Willow was completely safe (except that it had gone back to attacking people that got too close to it), and were asked to stomp out any rumors about Hagrid or the Whomping Willow.
They were once again warned about the consequences to those found abusing their power of deducting and adding points, and once again congratulated on their appointments of prefect-ship.
Now the time came, allotted at the beginning of the meeting, to discuss patrols. There was a sudden increase in noise level as everyone began pairing up, but the Head Girl forestalled them all by announcing that the first term would be conducted with the partner of your House and year. The second term would be with a partner of a different House, to promote inter-House unity, and it would be decided after the winter holidays whether or not partners would need to be assigned.
Rose was decidedly less proud of herself as patrol schedules were set and the meeting adjourned - she barely caught the second half of the Head Girl's speech, distracted as she was by the predicament she now found herself in.
She was stuck with Scorpius Malfoy as patrol partner, successfully avoided for five consecutive years, though in the same House and year, therefore with the same classes, common rooms, breakfast tables, etc., etc. She was stuck with a boy who's very molecular structure was a polar opposite to her own. Where she was wild (and red) haired, his platinum blonde hair always stayed where it should; what she was passionate about, he could care less about; the subjects she had trouble with, he excelled in; and so on and so forth until the only similarity Rose could find between them was that they both had exceedingly pale skin (though hers was more often covered in freckles than not).
Even if not for all this, Rose heeded her father's words, spoken all those years ago on the train station platform mere seconds before she set off to Hogwarts for the first time: a warning to stay away from Scorpius Malfoy. Rose had never found reason before not to obey her parents; more often than not she understood where they were coming from with their rules and advice, and though there was nothing particularly dangerous or disturbing about Scorpius Malfoy, she supposed all those differences were reason enough.
Still stuck in these concerning thoughts, she didn't notice the very subject of the thoughts approaching her until he was directly beside her and speaking.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Rose asked, blinking rapidly to shoo the thoughts away, before realizing, to her horror, that there he was.
"I said, we're partners, then, Rose," Scorpius Malfoy repeated, sending a smile her way.
Rose's first thought was that Scorpius Malfoy was rather handsomer up close than he had ever seemed from a distance, and for a short time this rendered her rather incoherent. She cursed her easy blush, which she could feel spreading rapidly up her cheeks, cleared her throat, and said, "Right. Yeah. We are," which she didn't feel thoroughly convinced Scorpius Malfoy that she wasn't crazy; but he was nothing if not easygoing, she realized, as he simply held out his hand with another smile, and said, "I'm Scorpius Malfoy. I don't think we've ever properly met."
She took his hand and shook out of sheer disconcertion. "Rose Weasley," she repeated her name, even though he already seemed to know it.
"Right," he smiled. (He smiled a lot, Scorpius Malfoy did.) "So, Al Potter's your cousin, isn't he?" Scorpius Malfoy asked, making small talk (she supposed) as they headed out of the room (they were both going to Gryffindor Tower, after all).
"Yeah, that's him," Rose answered, rather absently as she was currently squinting up the dimly lit passage ahead of them, trying to remember if the shortcut up to the sixth floor was just ahead or if they needed to turn right here. Scorpius Malfoy squinted up for a second too, but as he obviously couldn't see what she was trying to envision, he continued as though it hadn't happened.
"Plays on the Quidditch team with me, Al does;" and here he sent yet another smile at her, "he's told me a lot about you."
"Yes, you play Chaser, if I'm right? With Al," Rose added, as she decided it was definitely right and was able to turn her full attention back to the conversation.
"Yeah, he–" Here, unfortunately, Scorpius Malfoy was cut off because of a little incident on Rose's part. You see, Rose was on the left side of Scorpius Malfoy, and as Scorpius Malfoy continued to walk straight, Rose attempted to turn right – and promptly rammed straight into her new patrol partner. They would have both gone down to the floor if Scorpius Malfoy hadn't conveniently staggered back ward a bit and hit the wall.
"Sorry," Rose said, straightening herself hastily and blushing (argh) again. "Sorry, did I hurt you?"
Scorpius Malfoy gave a little laugh as he pushed himself off the wall. "Nah," he said casually, "you don't hurt half as much compared to a Bludger," and grinned.
Rose hurried to explain herself. "I was just going to turn right down that corridor," she pointed beyond Scorpius Malfoy's left shoulder, "'cause if I'm right, there should be a shortcut right down that passageway."
"A shortcut?" Scorpius Malfoy swiveled on his heel to peer down the same way her finger had just pointed. "Al's full of shortcuts too," he said, "and his shortcuts usually work, so . . . lead the way!"
"Right," Rose said, and the two of them marched down the corridor together.
"So, you say Al talks about me a lot?" she asked, eyeing Scorpius Malfoy out of her peripheral vision.
"Oh yeah," Scorpius Malfoy replied easily, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Complains about you mostly, really," (half-apologetically but grinning). "Sometimes goes into these random fact modes, though, where he'll just spew random facts about his relatives as we're changing. Is it a Weasley thing?"
"Is what a Weasley thing?" she asked, startled.
"The acting like you're a bit off your rocker thing," he said, "and I don't mean that as being, you know, accusing you of anything," he amended quickly, " . . . but I think that it's something in the genes. Makes you guys loads of fun, really," he alleged, noticing her slightly offended glance (she supposed).
"Isn't incest what really makes you crazy? Loads of old blood families to prove it," Rose replied cheekily.
Scorpius Malfoy grinned. "Touché."
He glanced around as they entered the shortcut. "Don't think I've been in this one before," he commented.
"Don't think Al has much cause to wander around the prefect rooms, does he?" Rose said in reply.
"No, he doesn't," Scorpius Malfoy agreed.
They emerged from the shortcut rather quickly, and entered another one in companionable silence.
"Definitely been in this one," Scorpius Malfoy said.
"Arithmancy classroom's in this wing," Rose twisted her mouth, thinking. "Is that it?"
"Al doesn't take Arithmancy," Scorpius Malfoy pointed out.
"Hmm . . ." For all her supposed braininess, Rose couldn't think of what else resided on this half of the sixth floor.
The two appeared from behind a tapestry some ways down from the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor. As they loped back towards it, Rose said, "Well, if you think of whatever it is that's on the sixth floor, tell me."
"I will," Scorpius Malfoy said. "Dragon bloom," he added, and the portrait swung forward to admit them. "See ya later, Rose," Scorpius Malfoy said, as they parted to go their separate ways in the common room, throwing one last smile at her.
"See you later, Scorpius Malfoy," Rose echoed.
Scorpius Malfoy's widening grin shined in the dim lighting of the common room. "Just Scorpius."
"See you later, Scorpius," Rose repeated accordingly.
With one last smile exchange, Scorpius headed off towards some corner of the common room, and Rose headed towards her dormitory, where her friends were undoubtedly waiting to learn what she thought of her new partner.
It didn't occur to Rose until after the tale was told, exclamations were made, defenses and excuses were given, and they were all getting ready for sleep that she had knowingly invited close contact with Scorpius Malfoy. Just Scorpius, that was. Well, Rose supposed this could be one of the times where her dad couldn't hold judgment. After all, he hadn't personally met Scorpius Malfoy – just Scorpius.