"Yeah! It was great!"
"Great!" said Dani happily. There was a moment of silence as the two walked back into the castle and then Dani spoke again. "So did you two kiss?"
"What?" asked Rose, appalled. "Dani, people don't kiss on their first date!"
"I did," said Dani with a wink. Rose sighed.
"Oh, by the way, Scorpious beat someone up today." Rose stopped abruptly and turned to Dani, eyes' wide.
"What?" Dani shrugged.
"I don't really know how it started. I mean, the boy was just teasing him. I think it was a Ravenclaw...anyway, the boy says something, and next thing we know, he's lying on the floor, his nose broken, screaming as if his soul is being pulled out of him or something."
"What happened to Scorpious?" asked Rose urgently.
"He's got detention every day for a week. Albus tried to ask him what happened but he just pushed him away. Won't talk to anyone. We're thinking maybe you could get through to him."
"Me?" asked Rose, startled.
"Well, you're also his best mate, Rose. "
"Oh, I don't know," said Rose anxiously. "You'll think he'll speak to me?
"I know he will," said Dani confidently. Rose looked up to see they had already arrived at the common room.
"You go," she said stifling a yawn. "I've got to talk to Robert."
"You've been talking to Robert a lot these days," said Rose curiously. Dani's eyes' sparkled mischeviously.
"Tell me about it. Trouble is, I can't seem to get a word in edgeways if you...er... know what I mean." She winked at Rose and skipped down the stone hallway. Rose sighed.
"Password?" asked the fat lady.
"Erm...flubberworm?" she asked. The portrait door swung open. Rose looked around, oblivious to it banging soundly behind her. She saw Scorpious sitting on his own, attempting to finish his charms eassy and walked quickly to him, falling onto the seat next to him.
"Hiya!" she said brightly. Scorpious nodded in acknowledgement and turned back to his essay. Rose cleared her throat.
"So, er...how are you?" Scorpious curled a lip.
"Fine. You?"
"Good. So...do you want help with your essay?"
"Nah, I'm alright thanks." There was silence besides the occasional scribbling coming from the quill Scorpious was writing with. Finally, Rose put her foot down.
"Scorpious, what the hell is going on?"
"What are you talking anout?" he asked boredly. Rose stood up.
"You haven't been talking to me ever since the match, you avoid me, you punch a guy's face in for no reason... Is something bothering you?" There was a moment of silence as Scorpious's grey eyes' fixed on hers and then he spoke.
"Yeah. There is a problem."
"Then what is it?" asked Rose desperately.
"You." The word stung Rose as she tried to make sense of it.
"M-me? What do you mean?"
"I mean you're my problem. You just piss me off all the time."
"I- what?" Rose felt hurt beyond comparison. She couldn't believe this was Scorpious talking. "So you're saying that I'm...your problem. That our friendship was a...a mistake?" Rose asked incredulously. She couldn't believe he was saying this. Scorpious. Her best friend since first year.
"The biggest mistake I have ever made," replied Scorpious calmly. Rose looked at him for a moment. Then burst into tears and fled the room.