Scorpius and Rose were in their common room. Both of them were pondering over an essay for Transfiguration. By this time into the school year, they had an unspoken agreement that they would do their homework together in the common room since they were receiving so much and so, if one of them had a head start, they could exchange essays. Although they hadn't exchanged essays even once so far. They hadn't even spoken to each other since they had caught the two fifth years snogging. Lily was still convinced that they liked each other while they were bent on not speaking to each other. Every time one of them were going to start a conversation, the other would leave the room. It was almost telepathic. And it was one of those nights during which both Head Girl and Boy were swamped with work and nearly drowning in parchment. Rose was having a particularly difficult time concentrating on her homework because her mind was on other things. Like the way Lily had been acting for the past two days. As a matter of fact, Lily, Fred, Hugo and Roxanne had all been acting the same way and nobody had told Albus anything because he was the biggest blab in Hogwarts and none of them had told Rose. But that evening, something different happened. It started with Roxanne bursting through the door, saying, "Rose! The Astronomy Tower! Now!"

"What happened?" Rose said, standing up immediately. Scorpius stood up too, although his presence was yet to be acknowledged by Roxanne.

"They're saying that someone's stuck up there. Magical invisible wall or something. You need to get there quick!" Rose nodded and followed Roxanne out of the door, glancing over at Dumbledore's portrait, which was empty. She hoped he would be back by the time she got back to her common room. Somewhere along the way, Roxanne morphed into Lily. Rose didn't notice when the transition had occurred but she assumed that following Lily was the right thing. She said, "I think I can find my way to the Astronomy Tower."

"I'm still helping you." Lily said and made three more turns. She had obviously taken some shortcuts because they were at the foot of the Astronomy Tower. Lily nodded at Rose. Rose started up the staircase, hoping desperately that there really was someone at the top because this tower was forbidden unless lessons took place. When Rose turned around, Lily wasn't there anymore. Her eyes widened. She realized that she could get detention for being out of bed at such an hour. Then she remembered what Lily had said about a boy's true nature coming out during detention. But she was too late. She could already hear footsteps.

Scorpius had somehow mixed up all the flaming red hair. He realized soon enough that he wasn't following Rose but that he was following Roxanne. They turned another corner and ran into Professor McGonagall. Professor McGonagall stumbled and while Scorpius caught her, Roxanne melted into the shadows and disappeared. It was then that he realized that this was a set-up. But why would someone-especially Gryffindors- set-up him and Rose Weasley.

"Mr. Malfoy! What do you think you're doing out of bed at this hour?!" Professor McGonagall looked outraged. Just then, Fred Weasley II appeared and said, "Professor! Rose! The Astronomy Tower!"

"Doesn't she know that it's forbidden! Honestly… with a Head Boy and Girl like this…" she trailed off and started down the corridor. Scorpius followed her with Fred following them at a slight distance. Scorpius had a feeling that he was going to disappear at some point of time.

And he was right.

By the time they had reached the Astronomy Tower, Fred was nowhere to be seen. But by that point, Professor McGonagall didn't care anymore because there was a loud noise from above. Professor McGonagall went up the stairs, Scorpius right behind her. Once they reached the top, they found Rose, standing there, wand out, tip lit. And the light of the wand was falling on the wall where there was a big black patch. It looked like a firework has burst over there (and Scorpius strongly suspected that it had). She looked like a deer in the headlights (something Scorpius had heard from the countless muggles around him) as she stared at Professor McGonagall with wide, scared eyes. If the situation hadn't been so dire, Scorpius might have felt a stronger urge to just hold her. There was a very slight urge right now. Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, felt no such urge. On the contrary, she was furious. She breathed heavily and said, "Head Girl and Head Boy. I thought you'd know better. Do you know what time it is?! It's past midnight! The office. Now." Professor McGonagall had taken over Dumbledore's old office as her 'office' but she still preferred her Gryffindor staff room to this office. The minute they entered Dumbledore's office, Scorpius and Rose were overcome with awe. They stared around the office, taking in as much as possible. Behind the desk was a huge portrait of Dumbledore. He was currently in it and wide awake, looking at them with amusement. Professor McGonagall paced before them, not bothering to sit down or offer them a seat. Rose stared at the ground, her face red with embarrassment. Scorpius did the same, although his gaze darted all over the room, looking at everything out of the corner of his eye.

"Such careless behaviour! I thought your houses meant more to you! You are so lucky that we aren't living in Potter's school time when the Dark Lord-" she was interrupted by Dumbledore.

"Surely you can say his name now, Minerva." He said, his eyes twinkling.

"Not now, Albus. Oh alright. You are so lucky that we aren't living in Potter's school time when Voldemort was still alive. The school isn't all that dangerous with him gone. But that doesn't make what you did tonight excusable. You are the Head Boy and the Head Girl of the school. You are supposed to set an example to the school. Not wander about in the middle of the night, up and down forbidden towers. And from my own house too! Twenty points from both houses and you shall both receive a combined detention this Tuesday. Report to my office at eight. Now go back to bed and if I see you out of bed again…" she trailed off again making this threat more severe than it would have been if she had simply finished the sentence. Rose and Scorpius nodded, leaving the room immediately and going back to their common room in silence. By the time they had reached the portrait, Dumbledore was back. He heard the password, slid aside and they went in, both of them muttering good nights to him out of respect and guilt. Without another word to each other, they went upstairs to bed, their Transfiguration essays lying on the table, forgotten.

-Tuesday-

Ever since the night they had got detention, Rose had refused to speak to anyone except Albus, Lysander, Lorcan, Alice and Lucy. Roxanne, Hugo, Lily and Fred were being given the silent treatment. When Tuesday finally came, both Rose and Scorpius trudged down to Professor McGonagall's office in silence. Rose knocked on the door and they entered when Professor McGonagall said, "Come in." She looked up and nodded at them, tight-lipped. Then she said, "You shall be polishing trophies in the trophy room. Without magic, of course. Please leave your wands here and then you may go to the trophy room. Filch will be supervising." Rose and Scorpius shared a look of sadness and, placing their wands on McGonagall's desk, left the room.

"I can't believe he's still alive." Scorpius said, on their way to the trophy room. This was probably the first time one of them had initiated a conversation since they had caught the snogging fifth years.

"Who? Filch?"

"Yeah."

"Well he is a wizard."

"No. He's a Squib."

"Wizard who can't do magic. Same difference." She said, climbing up a staircase.

"And his stupid cat, Mrs. Norris." Scorpius said, making a face. It was a well-known fact that Mrs. Norris was the only thing in the entire school that was worse than Filch. Of course, this was Mrs. Norris II. But she was just as nosy as the first and she would still catch students 'committing crimes' and run off to get Filch. He would return with her a few minutes later. Rose had been told that everyone at Hogwarts had wanted to kick Mrs. Norris I and now everyone wanted to kick Mrs. Norris II. But now that Filch was older, he was slower so the student usually had enough time to clean up after themselves. Although Filch would still claim to have caught them in the act and, judging by who the student was, he would make up a crime which would land them in detention.

"I know." Said Rose, grudgingly. Just then, Filch loomed into view and he smiled a sickly sweet smile at the two seventh years. He said, "Well well well. What do we have here? Thought you'd go for a little midnight walk, did you? Well you got caught didn't you? Oh it feels so good not to clean the trophies. And because of Weasley's family and friends, there are so many more than last time. Potters, Weasleys, Longbottoms, Grangers, Lovegoods, everybody!" He looked so happy about this, it almost made Rose feel sorry for him. Nobody should be this happy about not having to clean trophies for one night. Filch then led the way to the Trophy Room and motioned towards the many shelves on which trophies stood. He handed both Rose and Scorpius buckets of soapy water and washing cloths and told them to get started. And they did.

"This is horrible." Scorpius complained, within the first five minutes of cleaning a trophy.

"Cleaning trophies? Well we were out of bed after midnight." Rose said.

"So was the rest of your family!" Scorpius shot back and Rose went slightly red.

"I know." She said, in a small voice.

"Sorry." Scorpius said and Rose's eyes widened. From what she had heard, Malfoys never said the following words: thank you, sorry and please. Scorpius must have realized too because the silence in the room had now become uncomfortable. They continued to clean in the awkward silence when Scorpius broke it again, "Do you hate me?"

"What?!" Rose exclaimed, the trophy nearly slipping out of her grip.

"Do you hate me? Honestly, Weasley, I think it's a pretty straightforward question." It was but Rose didn't know how to answer. She felt like she was supposed to hate him. No, not hate. That was too strong a work. She was supposed to intensely dislike him. But she felt neither emotions towards him. So she said, "No. Do you?"

"Do I hate me? Of course not. I have good looks and charm. I have no reason to hate myself." Scorpius said, smirking at her. Rose rolled her eyes and said, "No, Malfoy, do you hate me?"

"No." He said, simply. He didn't even think about it. Rose suddenly felt guilty for actually considering the thought of hating someone.

"Thanks." She said and went back to cleaning her trophy. A minute or two passed and Malfoy said, "Weasley?"

"Yes, Malfoy?"

"We're going to Hogsmeade this weekend," Rose started to blush slightly, the rest of the question forming in her head, "and I was just wondering if maybe- I don't know- you-" he was cut off by Filch coming into the room shouting, "I saw you use magic! I know you used magic, Weasley!"

"No I didn't! I swear!" Rose denied, turning out all her pockets to prove that there was no wand. The moment of intensity which had come with Scorpius' incomplete question was gone and there was only pressure.

"I'm watching you, Weasley. You too, Malfoy." Filch said with narrowed eyes, staring at the two of them, evidently content that Rose was in fact using her hands to clean and not her wand. Scorpius, on the other hand, was mentally kicking himself for almost asking Rose Weasley to go to Hogsmeade with him. She would have obviously said no. Not like he wanted her to say yes, anyway. He was now wondering what would have happened if she had said yes. His mind zoomed into an image of the two of them sitting at a table in The Three Broomsticks, drinking butterbeer and laughing. He shook his head slightly, clearing his mind. Just because she doesn't hate you, doesn't mean she likes you. A little voice in his head said. He agreed with the voice and went back to cleaning the trophies. Once Filch was out of earshot, though, Rose said, "Uh Malfoy?"

"Yeah?"

"What were you saying? Earlier. Before Filch came in." He had a feeling she already knew what he was going to ask her. He kept a passive face although he was worrying a lot inside. Should he lie? Should he go ahead and ask? What if she says no?

That's the plan, stupid.

But it would be nice if she said yes.

No, it wouldn't. You don't want that.

Scorpius agreed with the voice but wanted to know anyway. He opened his mouth to tell the truth and it was at the tip of his tongue. But then, a lie came out, "Nothing. It doesn't matter."

"Oh." Rose said, sounding and feeling a little disappointed. Why did she feel disappointed? She shook her head slightly, deciding that she would have probably said no. Although it would have been nice of him to actually ask. She thought to herself but went back to cleaning the trophies. Scorpius noticed her disappointment and felt slightly guilty about it.

It's alright. She would have said no anyway. Big deal.

"Shut up." He muttered to the voice, under his breath, and it did shut up.

Once they were done cleaning the trophies, they went back to the common room, tired, their arms sore and skin on the fingers wrinkled. They had got their wands, said the password to Dumbledore and collapsed on the armchairs; too lazy to climb the stairs. They stayed collapsed in silence for a few moments when Scorpius broke the silence again, "Do you hate my father?" Rose felt a tight knot in her chest when he said that. She didn't know how to respond to that. She had never actually met Draco Malfoy but the name was infamous back home. In her mother's stories, he was scared and didn't know any better (which Rose thought was a little pathetic) while in her father's stories, he was the ultimate villain who lived in a creepy mansion and watched as people died. She didn't know what to believe. She didn't hate him. She knew that. She was about to say so when she noticed Scorpius looking downcast. She must have hesitated too long. She bit her lip with guilt and said, "No, I don't." Scorpius became slightly stiff when she said this and looked up at her, as if searching her face for traces of sarcasm.

"I'm not being sarcastic, Malfoy." She said, rolling her eyes and breaking the ice a little.

"Thank you." Scorpius said and Rose's eyes widened. First a Sorry and now a Thank You. The only thing left was a Please.

"Why would you ask me something like that?"

"Well I assumed that you would. Please don't be offended. It's just that my father hasn't been exactly… er… civil, to your parents." But all Rose could hear was the word Please. All three words in one night.

"Well I believe that he didn't have a choice about who he wanted to be." The words tumbled out before she could stop herself. She didn't know why she had said this but she felt like this was meeting both personalities of Draco Malfoy halfway. He was scared and a villain because he didn't have a choice. It seemed fitting. It was also partly because Scorpius had said Please.

"Then you understand." Scorpius said, so softly that Rose had to strain her ears to hear him. When she heard it, she smiled. She placed her hand, without thinking, on Scorpius'. He didn't look at her but he felt a slight blush. Rose noticed the blush and decided that he was okay. She took her hand off before he got any ideas and felt herself going a little red too. Then she cleared her throat and, standing up, said, "I think I'm going to go to bed."

"Yeah, me too." Scorpius said, standing up after she stood up. They just stared at each other, the silence between them incredibly awkward. A few moments passed and Scorpius said, "Well good night, then."

"Yeah. Good night." She said and went up the stairs while Scorpius went up his. Once she got to her bedroom, she lay down and sent a mental message to Lily:

Not everything happens in detention.