October had come as quickly as September had left and brought newly fallen leaves and the chilling yet festive feeling of Halloween to the Hogwarts grounds. Gigantic pumpkins had littered the gardens and Nearly Headless Nick was again spreading the word of his annual Deathday Party.

There was an orange glow in the Great Hall as students walked in excitedly. Halloween decorations filled the entire room and small pumpkins and candles floated in the air. Rose made her way over to the Gryffindor table, eager for the feast to begin. As soon as Rose sat down platefuls of food appeared on the table. Live bats circled above her in Halloween fashion and her classmates around her started to dig in. Rose helped herself to chicken and potatoes and brought a book out from her bag to read.

"Why are you reading?" Hugo asked her, his mouth full of biscuit.

"I have my first N.E.W.T. level exam in Charms net week and I need to be prepared," she said annoyed. She continued to read and took a sip of her Pumpkin Juice.

"Weasley needs to study anyway."

Rose turned around at the sound of the familiar voice and saw Scorpius reading the book over her shoulder. She and Scorpius had learned last summer that they both passed their Charms O.W.L. with an 'Outstanding,' along with Potions, Arithmancy, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, and Herbology. The only places they had differed was that Rose received and 'Outstanding' in Transfiguration while Scorpius did not and he received a perfect 'Outstanding' in Defence Against the Dark Arts while Rose was only able to produce an 'Exceeds Expectations.' They were still sharing all N.E.W.T. level classes and were back to competing for top marks.

Rose simply smiled at Scorpius and then turned back to her book.

"Manage some non-verbals yet?" he asked teasingly as he sat down next to her.

"Yes," she said satisfied. "Just yesterday I levitated a chair without saying a word." Scorpius took some chicken off of her plate and ate it.

"My dad taught me a really good one this summer," he said, taking a swig of Rose's Pumpkin Juice. "But it's really dangerous and we'd be in detention for the rest of our lives if we used it."

"Is it like one of the Unforgivables?"

"Should be," he said with a nod. "It's really bad."

"Well don't use it," Rose said firmly. "And especially around me. I don't fancy having detention for the rest of my time here."

"Of course I'm not going to use it!" he said angrily. "Unless there was an emergency or a really good reason."

"What reason would you have to use it?" she asked incredulously.

"I dunno," he took another drink of her Pumpkin Juice, "To save someone's life?"

"Would you save my life, Scorpius?" Rose asked him sweetly. She could tell that it was making him uncomfortable.

"No way," he said pushing her away. "'Go ahead and have her' is what I would say." Rose slapped him across the arm and returned to her book. He grabbed a biscuit from her plate and left to the Slytherin table, waved away by Rose.

Rose turned and watched him walk over to his house table and sit down. She had spent the last summer and beginning of this year fantasizing about the possibilities if Scorpius had been sorted into Gryffindor. There would be late night common room conversations and maybe even a holiday visit to her house. Rose was perfectly aware of her father's reaction to her and Scorpius's friendship and tried hopelessly to convince him that Scorpius was not that bad. And although her father had said that it was not Scorpius himself that he disliked, it was the fact that the name Malfoy was attached to him.

Rose watched as Scorpius took some food from a nearby platter and set it on his plate. She turned back to her book and sighed. She and Scorpius got along reasonably well when they acted perfectly friendly towards each other and Rose thought it best to keep it that way. She had often found herself staying up into all hours of the night wondering why he had not shown her the same affection as that night in his room. Rose could only come to blame herself for this and the recent rift in their friendship and kept any thoughts like these in the back of her mind.

As the feast ended Rose walked back to her room and thought about what Professor Longbottom had told her and other Sixth-Years about their future careers. There were all sorts of wizarding jobs out there and both her father and mother and tried to convince her to work in one of the Ministry departments.

"Weasley, where are you going?"

Rose recognized Scorpius's voice as he followed her up the stairs.

"I thought I should patrol the corridors," Rose said absentmindedly.

"Wow, your life is just one adventure after another," he said dryly.

"You're a Prefect too!" she retorted. Rose continued walking up the stairs until she reached the fourth floor and began to look down the corridors for any students misbehaving.

"Scorpius?" she asked. "What do you want to do when you leave school?"

"Celebrate," he said grinning.

"No, like with your life."

"I always thought being a Hit Wizard would be pretty cool," he said. Rose agreed with him.

"But that would be dangerous, wouldn't it?" she asked him concerned. She knew that Hit Wizards worked in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and went after rogue wizard and witch criminals. She suspected it could be only a little less dangerous than being a full-fledged Auror.

"Probably," he said brightly. "But life is dangerous." He turned to her. "What are you going to do?"

"I think that I want to write," Rose said confidently. "You know, maybe for the Prophet and then a book of my own someday."

"A Day in the Life of a Humble Hag," Scorpius teased. "Yeah that'll suit you." Rose glared at him.

"I'll be writing intellectual books not an autobiography," she said. "I want to have something to show my children, you know?"

"Oh, intellectual books, excuse me," Scorpius gave her a low bow. "And what makes you think you'll have children anyway? It will be hard enough finding someone who will marry you."

"Oh really?" she asked, taking the bait. "I guess I'll have to marry you then."

"Me?" he said pointing to his chest. "Why would I marry you?"

"Because you've got no one else," she said smiling. He stared at her and Rose knew that she had caught him off guard. "So do I get to live in your manor with you?"

Scorpius looked at her with a quizzical expression on his face.

"I'll take that as a yes," Rose said as she walked ahead of him.

Scorpius walked with Rose up every staircase and down every hall. They checked every corridor but only saw Mrs. Norris, who Scorpius offered to kick into a suit of armor. They managed to escape Peeves's taunting and Rose could tell Scorpius was starting to get restless.

"We're just wasting time, Weasley," he groaned. "Everybody went to bed already."

"Alright, fine," Rose sighed. They turned a corner and Rose saw the image of a burly older student at the end of the corridor. "Hey wait –" Rose led their way towards the figure who, as they got close enough to see, was twirling his wand between his figures as he came closer.

"Weasley, let's go," Scorpius grabbed her hand and pulled her in the opposite direction. Rose pulled back, confused.

"Why –"

"Malfoy," the Slytherin boy who Rose was all too familiar with drawled. "I thought you would have dumped this filth by now."

Rose, who had never been so insulted by someone who was not Scorpius, was lost for words. She felt Scorpius's grip on her hand loosen and could tell he was reaching for his wand. Rose's eyes darted back and forth between Scorpius and his fellow Slytherin.

"Rose, don't listen to him," Scorpius said, keeping his eyes on the other boy.

"Why are you always around her?" the Slytherin asked. He had stopped twirling his wand and was now gripping it tightly. "You should be ashamed to even be seen with her! Her whole family put yours and mine in prison and you act like nothing happened."

"Some people deserved to be put in prison!" Scorpius was yelling now and walking closer to the Slytherin.

"You're just as washed up as your useless father," the Slytherin sneered. Scorpius pointed his wand at the Slytherin's chest and Rose finally found her voice.

"Scorpius stop –"

"Listen to your girlfriend, Malfoy," the Slytherin said daringly as he raised his wand as well. Rose grabbed Scorpius's arm, knowing what spell he was considering using. "She knows you shouldn't do something you'll regret later, even if her blood is dirt."

"Sectum –"

"Scorpius, NO!" Rose pulled his arm back and he swatted her away. He threw his wand to the ground and lunged at the Slytherin. Rose watched in horror as Scorpius brought the much bigger Slytherin down and punched him square in the face. The Slytherin struggled against Scorpius but was slammed back down and punched in the mouth.

"Stop it!" Rose yelled. She was able to pull Scorpius off of the other boy long enough for him to get up. She quickly raised her wand and pointed it at his face.

"Leave," she told the Slytherin. Scorpius was standing beside her panting, his knuckles bloody.

"Your righteousness forgives so easily then?" the Slytherin spat out.

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked angrily. She continued point hold her wand at his face.

"You just let all of the things his family did go?" he asked again. Rose looked at him, waiting for him to say more. "His family took your mum and tortured her in their home! They took your mudblood mother and almost killed her. His dad tried to do yours in! That's what I've heard from my family anyway. That's what his family's been boasting about."

Rose lowered her wand and turned to look at Scorpius. He put up his hands in defense.

"Rose, listen," he was backing away from her now and Rose could feel her eyes watering. "That was a long time ago."

"You never told me!" Rose said incredulously. "You hid this from me. You're supposed to be my best friend!"

"I am!"

"No, you're not! You let me go around with you not knowing who your dad was –" she paused then rounded on him again. "Who you are!"

"You know me, don't talk like that!" Scorpius tried to walk closer to her but she backed off.

"No, I don't! You come from this horrible family and who knows? You could be worse!"

"Me?" Scorpius asked her. "Why would you think that? Why would you say that?"

"Why would you lie to me?" Rose asked him. She turned away, leaving him alone with the Slytherin.

A/N: This is the shortest chapter in the story, so I'll throw in another soon! ABSOLUTELY FREE! This chapter and the next are so close that I had to cut this one down to hopefully have a good Seventh Year chapter. I really really appreciate the reviews, especially those from people who have reviewed most, if not all, of the chapters (jasmineflower27, ari11990, and Ninelli). It keeps me wanting to write Hit Wizards are mentioned very briefly in PoA, by the way.