After getting over the initial shock of seeing a Slytherin in the Gryffindor common room (and not to mention, four seemingly angry Gryffindors to accompany him), Rose realised that Scorpius was still in his damp clothes. He hadn't even had a shower yet. She said, "Why is he wet?"
"Really? That's the first question you ask?" Lily said, rolling her eyes.
"Also, we think you have a pretty good idea about why he's wet, Rose." Alice said. Rose then realised that Hugo wasn't there. But before she could ask, Lily said, "Hugo is at the library, finishing his Herbology essay." Rose nodded stiffly, wondering for the hundredth time if Lily had the ability to read minds.
"Okay. Why are all of you here?" Rose said, shifting from facial expression to facial expression. Their facial expressions weren't really different, though: All of them had disbelief written all over their faces. Fred was the first to speak, "Al said that he caught you and Malfoy snogging." The way he said Scorpius's name made Rose feel a strong urge to hex him.
"Really? He said that did he?" Rose said, coolly. She eyed Albus, giving him a once over. She decided that she could take him if she had to. All of them must have noticed the coolness in her tone because they looked at her, slightly frowning. She said, "And does dear little Albus here have any proof? Or is it just his word?"
"Just his... word." Alice said, in response. But it sounded like an echo. Rose smiled and said, "Well then forgive me if I don't believe him. I tell you that we decide to call each other by first names and you jump to the conclusion that we were snogging?! Really, Al!"
"Well I did catch you kissing someone!" He protested.
"Yes, you did." Rose said, pretending to be thoughtful about it. But, in reality, she was trying her hardest not to blush.
"Well?!" Lily said after the silence was too much to handle.
"Well what? It's not going to work. That's all. Now, would you mind if a Slytherin used the Gryffindor showers?"
"Yes." They said in unison.
"What if that Slytherin was the Head Boy?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. They shared a quick look (something that Rose didn't miss) and then glanced at Scorpius. They seemed to come to a mutual understanding without words and Albus said, "Fine." Elongating the "i". Rose smiled a real smile and nodded at Scorpius. Surprisingly, Fred offered to escort Scorpius upstairs. But Scorpius declined the offer with an air of hostility. He started up the stairs but was quickly joined by Fred, who had received a very pointed look from Rose. He said, "Why did you follow, Weasley?"
"Because I received a very pointed look from your girlfriend." He said.
"She's not my girlfriend." Scorpius said through gritted teeth, trying to sound annoyed.
"What happened between both of you?"
"Can we not do the whole bonding thing?" Scorpius said, taking a turn into what he hoped was the seventh year dorm. It thankfully was. Fred gave him a flat look but dropped it. Scorpius went into the bathroom, peeled off his wet clothing and got into the shower. And that was probably the first time he had ever hated taking a shower. Because it gave him time to think and kick himself for being so stupid:
After kissing Rose- the memory made him smile goofily- he had started down the corridor to go to the Prefects' bathroom. But on his way, he had been ambushed by none other than Albus Severus Potter. And his trusty sidekick (not to mention, sister) Lily Luna Potter. The interrogation had begun almost immediately: "Why are you wet?" "Did I see you in the woods today?" "Have you seen Rose?" "Do you know where she went?" "Were you snog-" "Lil! Have you seen her at all today?" "Are you sure you haven't?" Needless to say, Scorpius barely had time to answer the questions and was mostly confined to "yes" or "no" when an opportunity for response presented itself. And when he did reply, there was a pause which was filled with some intense whispering between the siblings before the resumed their pointless interrogation. Finally Albus said, "It could have been him. It was blonde-ish." Just loud enough for Scorpius to hear.
"Well why didn't you say so before!" Lily said, not bothering to lower her volume.
"Well I didn't think it mattered!"
"Everything matters, you idiot!" Lily said, throwing her arms up to emphasize how much it mattered. Then she turned to Scorpius and said, "You are going to come with us. Accio Scorpius's wand." And Scorpius's wand zoomed from his pocket and into Lily's outstretched hand. She smiled with triumph and said, "You are officially overpowered. If you try to escape, we will ki-"
"Lily!"
"-tie you up and take you with us." Lily finished hastily, glancing at her brother. Scorpius rolled his eyes but went with them because he didn't want to find our if Lily's words held any weight. When they reached the Fat Lady (the portrait behind which the Gryffindor common room was), Lily glanced at Scorpius and beckoned the Fat Lady to come closer. She obliged and Lily whispered the password into her ear. She nodded and swung aside, throwing Scorpius a dirty look which Scorpius quite readily responded with. They went into the common room and Scorpius was taken aback by how homely it was. Although the Slytherin common room was home to him, he knew that if he was a newcomer to the common room, he would have found it very formidable. With the green glow and the large, shadowy serpent on the wall, the Slytherin common room was anything but homely. The Gryffindor common room was different. Although it was foreign, it was accepting. The fire in the grate cast a warm golden glow on the well-worn sofas in front of it. The huge Gryffindor banner covering a part of the wall gave the room a sense of protection. And the scattered bean bags and tables made it seem like a combination of a living room and a study centre. Although Scorpius would never admit it, he actually liked the Gryffindor common room. But then he realised that he was face to face with one Weasley and the other girl "Alice" with whom Albus Potter had been snogging.
"Well this isn't a reunion I was planning to be a part of." Scorpius said, nervously.
"Shut up, Malfoy " Weasley said. Then he realised that all four Gryffindors were studying him intently. And, although he wouldn't care to show it in a million years, he felt a little insecure at the moment. Especially since he was wearing a white shirt which was on its way to becoming transparent. Finally Albus said, "I don't know, Lily. It may or may not have been him."
"But he's drenched and Rose-" that's when Rose appeared and they fell silent. Which was how Scorpius was now here, in the Gryffindor bathroom, having a shower. Something he had never expected to ever be doing. He was soon done and went out, got dressed and went back downstairs. They were all sitting in silence downstairs, on the couches. There was heavy tension in the air and Scorpius decided that the Gryffindor common room wasn't as homely as it had seemed. Rose saw him and stood up, instinctively, smiling at him with her eyes. Her face lit up noticeably even though she didn't smile. Then she gave the others a deadpan look and said, "We're going to go back. This isn't going to be an issue, is it?"
"No." They said in unison and Scorpius had to fight back a laugh. Rose nodded at them and then tilted her head towards the door, indicating to Scorpius. He nodded and they exited the common room. He said, "What did you tell them?"
"That we were just friends."
"With benefits."
"The more you say that, the more we're going to get closer to being just friends with no benefits." Rose said, curtly, making Scorpius shut up.
"So we're not 'just friends' then." He said, after a pause. Rose stopped and looked at him, frowning. She said, "No! Why? Do you want to be just friends?"
"Oh Merlin no!"
"You're coming off a bit desperate but that's okay." Rose said, smiling at him now. He looked at her, cocking his head to one side and she said, "What?! I find it cute, okay!"
"Okay, Rosie." He said, immediately feeling like an idiot after saying "Rosie". She laughed slightly and said, "You don't have to call me Rosie just because everyone else does, Scorpius."
"Thank you." He said, grinning at her. She couldn't resist it when he gave her that kind of goofy grin. She got onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his for a moment. He responded in that moment and then she broke it before it could deepen. She didn't want it to deepen. It was innocent and perfect this way. He looked slightly disappointed but he understood. She said, "You're so cute."
"I've been told." He said, smirking at her. She rolled her eyes but smiled nevertheless.
"I knew it!" Sounded the familiar voice of a very familiar Lily Potter.
