Muttering curse words to himself as he climbed the spiraling staircase to the clock tower of Hogwarts, Scorpius mused over how he couldn't get the image of Castora Dursley, the Muggle-born Gryffindor, out of his mind. The girl was…oh, how could he put it? There was no word for this girl. She was, well…um…

She was off limits. They could never be. Even after how perfect that kiss felt back in the Ball (which was still going on, he could hear the revelry continuing still), Scorpius knew that it was impossible for him to have a relationship with Castora. His father, for one, would go absolutely ballistic. It would be destroying the pureblood family line and wiping out two noble houses that went back for centuries. Not to mention, not many of the Slytherins would be thrilled by it. As much as he despised the fact, being a rare pureblood, Scorpius was like a crown jewel in the House of Slytherin, whether he liked it or not. He did occasionally have girls try and ask him out with at least a half-blood status. Draco had encouraged Scorpius to lean towards this one sixth year who was interested, Asterope Rosier, who was related to Draco's grandmother, Druella, who married into the House of Black.

Merlin, there was just too much wrong here….but once Scorpius got Castora's gorgeous smile back into his thoughts, all those problems seemed to fade away. He felt like a hopeless romantic, which wasn't what he was. He was a practical boy who didn't want girls to ruin his life. So why was she so different?

Well, Scorpius couldn't have said it better himself back in the Ball. He'd kissed a goddess. She wasn't a mudblood. She wasn't a Gryffindor. Ugh…what did houses MEAN anyway? Just some friendly competition gone horribly wrong, was what Scorpius was always impressed as it being, although growing up an only child with both parents being pureblooded Slytherin alumni. His mother, Astoria Greengrass-Malfoy, had died last year of some form of what Healers called 'cancer.' Even wizarding spells couldn't heal it, and Astoria passed quickly, leaving Scorpius the sole heir to two pureblooding houses (three, if Greengrass was counted). He was the crown jewel of that world, his father's world. If Draco had gotten wind that even now, Scorpius was heartsick over a 'mudblood,' there would be hell to pay for him, no doubt.

But why should blood status matter?

Scorpius decided to put those thoughts on hiatus until he got up to the clock tower. No one but he knew of this place, but once in the clock tower, if one had enough upper-body strength to climb a few crossbeams, there was a cozy little seat big enough for one person in the upper corner of the tower, just underneath the 11 on the clock, where one could look out and get the best view of the grounds. Scorpius had used this spot as a getaway many times when a row between houses broke out or when Albus wouldn't leave him alone.

But when he looked up, preparing for his ascent, he realized that the spot was already occupied by a kinky redheaded goddess that made his heart stop beating as he looked up. Bashfully, he ducked behind a beam, but not out of sight. Castora was cuddled in the little window, talking to herself like Scorpius had been doing in his head.

"Malfoy…" she muttered. "What does it matter that you're a Slytherin? I'd disown my house just to see you again. How can I? We've gone to school together for five years without even knowing it. Why couldn't I have been my wizarding Uncle Harry's child instead? Then, at least I wouldn't have had NO blood in me. Why does it have to matter so much who I am?" Castora muttered to herself. Scorpius felt his heart beat again and pick up speed. She was talking about him! Licking his lip, Scorpius carefully clutched up onto a beam and began silently climbing up towards Castora.

The moonlight weaved through her hair like a half-finished tapestry with a few loose threads here and there. The moonlight brought out a few faults of her too, like the lone zit she had on the corner of her chin, and her somewhat larger nose, but other than that, Scorpius thought her beautiful.

"Scorpius Malfoy…" Castora muttered hesitantly. Then she smiled to herself and sighed. "Mrs. Castora Malfoy…Mrs. Scorpius Malfoy…Mrs. Castora Dursley-Malfoy…ugh, why must my last name suck so much, it doesn't go with—"

"—HOLY SHIIIIT!!!!" Scorpius suddenly yelled, the beam he was climbing on collapsing from underneath him all of a sudden. The one beam breaking led to a few more breaking, including the one that supported where Castora sat. With a high-pitched scream, she began tumbling down, along with the broken beams. The clock tower bell began tolling due to the constant vibration of the collapsing beam system. Castora managed to grab onto a safer beam so she didn't become smashed on the floor of the tower. Scorpius, his fall being much shorter, landed safely on his rear on the ground. Luckily, not enough beams had been broken in the process to totally collapse the tower.

Castora, once the beams had finished falling, let go of the steady beam and let herself fall much safer, to the earth. But she still landed with quite a thud. Scorpius shot up to help her to her feet. Once he did so, Castora moaned and slumped to one side. Her ankle was twisted.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Are you MAD?" was Castora's reply. "You really think these old beams can support the weight of two?!"

"Not really," said Scorpius, wanting to smack himself for his stupidity. Castora's angry look didn't last long, however. She smiled after a moment, though it didn't seem up to its full potential.

"I'll just send you the hospital bill, well….good night…" she said, rather quickly, turning on her uninjured heel. Scorpius grabbed her wrist.

"Where are you going?" he asked, rather offended that she didn't choose to stay longer.

"Scorpius," she sighed after a moment. "We can't see each other. We just…can't."

Scorpius looked at her for a moment and saw the horror on her face. "Why?"

Castora rolled her eyes. "You idiot! We both know why!!" she said, losing a bit of her control. "You're a Slytherin and I'm a Gryffindor! You're a pureblood and I'm a—"

"—Castora, I don't care what we are. There are so many more important things! Slytherins aren't bad people, if that's what you're implying…"

"I KNOW they aren't, but it's still REALLY dangerous! What if someone caught wind of us sneaking around?" Castora looked over her shoulder at the entrance to the clock tower, as if she expected someone to arrive any moment.

"What if they didn't?! Castora…Merlin, that name is beautiful…you know, I'm not ashamed of kissing a Gryffindor."

Castora looked at her feet a moment. "Neither am I, of kissing a Slytherin."

Scorpius moved in a little closer to Castora. "They what should the problem be? We're at a school we should be safe!"

"But we're not! Last year, my cousin was almost killed, and two months ago, so was I. A curse almost hit me!" Castora said, showing Scorpius a scar on her left elbow. Scorpius took it in his hand and gently caressed it. Castora felt a chill go down her spine.

"We're protected! Not only by the school and the ghosts, but by the spirits who died here twenty-four year ago so that we could live in peace! They'd be on our side, Castora. I'm sure of it…"

Scorpius and Castora leaned in to each other and kissed again. This time, the kiss went deeper, deeper into their souls. Scorpius wrapped his arms around Castora, as she gently fingered Scorpius' neck.

Suddenly, she broke away again. Scorpius stumbled backwards.

"It still could be dangerous!" Castora warned.

"There are ways that it doesn't have to be dangerous!" protested Scorpius.

"I'm listening. Like what?" asked Castora, crossing her arms. Before Scorpius could reply, a mess of footsteps approached. A few professors were coming up to the clock tower to see what the hell had just happened.

Scorpius made haste with his next words. "Do you love me?"

Castora blinked. "What?"

"Do you love me, Castora?"

Castora gasped as shadows began to dance on the wall behind them. "Someone's coming this way!"

"DUCK!" Scorpius commanded. Both students ducked in opposite directions. Castora fell behind a stone column, and Scorpius crouched behind some of the debris. Just after they'd concealed themselves, Minerva McGonagall, Professor Neville Longbottom (Herbology) and Professor Dennis Creevey (Muggle Studies) entered the room.

"Merlin, what in the name of Hufflepuff happened here?" muttered Professor Creevey.

"Might have been a renegade hippogriff…" McGonagall hypothesized, the deep wrinkles in her forehead becoming more pronounced with each word. "Happens sometimes during this season, their migratory season."

"Then how come there are no holes in the walls, Headmistress?" asked Professor Longbottom.

As the three adults discussed the possible explanations for the damage, Castora saw a chance to sneak out. Scorpius peered his head out from under the debris just in time to see Castora tiptoe towards the door. He motioned for her to stop, and she did out of fright.

Scorpius signed with his hands and mouthed "meet me in Great Hall tomorrow?"

Castora's frightened eyes came back. "No!" she mouthed.

Scorpius shrugged and mouthed "why?"

Castora signed with her body as silently as she could: she first pointed at him and made a snake-like movement with her arms, and then she pointed at herself and made her mouth look like she was making a lion-like growl in pantomime. Then she quickly made her way to the door and dashed out of sight. Scorpius groaned under his breath and hid until the professors had moved to the other side of the tower, and he got make his own getaway.

Once out in the hall and safely away from the professors and the damaged clock tower, he quickly ran in the direction of Castora. He could vaguely hear the light pitter-patter of her shoes as she ran/limped away, but she was already well out of sight, and Scorpius had no hope of finding his goddess again tonight.