The Bath Before the date
I watched Marley carefully rub some pink eye-shadow onto her eyelids and Vera twirl her hair around her wand, curling it effectively. I was still lying in my bed in my pyjamas propped up against green pillows. It was so comfortable here. I really couldn't be bothered to get up and get ready. I wanted to go to sleep. My eyes slowly closed. Just as I was about to sink down further under the covers, something hit me. Something big silver and soft. A Pillow. I pulled it over my head and turned over.
"Oi! You! Get up! You have a date!" Someone came over and pulled the pillow from on top of my head. Vera. I groaned and pulled the duvet over my head but Vera waved her wand and the duvet floated higher and higher until it was out of my reach. Then my pillows rose up of their own accord and started buffeting me. Sheltering my head with my hands, I reached out to my bedside-table and groped around for my wand. When I found it, I picked it up and waved it. Immediately both the pillows and duvet fell back onto the bed, lifeless.
"Oh no you don't! You take her arms Marley, I'll take her legs." Suddenly I felt myself swung out of bed and onto the floor. My two best friends had lifted me bodily off the bed and dropped me on the floor.
"Ow! Stop bugging me, you guys!"
Marley grinned. "It was part of our Valentine's game to actually go on a date with the people who were chosen and then meet up together for lunch with them." I slowly got up with another groan. I glared sullenly at the two of them.
"Fine!"
"We knew you'd understand," Vera said sweetly.
"Humph!" Then we all burst out laughing. Still chuckling, I reached for my dressing gown and quickly wrapped it round myself. Then I summoned a towel, a bikini and slipped into flip-flops. I was going for a bath.
"Sandal-wood Soap," I said. It was the password for the prefects' bathroom. A prefect had told me with little persuasion. I opened the door and stepped in. The beautiful lighting and marble floors never failed to awe me. The wonderful bathroom was permanently filled with the pleasant smell of bubble-bath. I pulled off my dressing gown, and hurriedly replaced my pyjamas with my bikini. I couldn't risk going into the bath naked, as someone might suddenly come in. I had learnt that from my Dad. I sat on the balls of my feet on the edge of the bath and reached over and turned every tap on. As I watched the hot foamy water of different colours gush out of the taps, my mind drifted aimlessly over things. Classes, teachers, boys, the date with Jason Zabini, Vera and James, Hugo and Marley, Honeydukes, the date with Jason Zabini…
Soon the huge bath was filled with swirling bubbly hot water. Steam was rising from the multi-coloured foamy surface. It was absolutely heavenly sinking into the bath. As I floated, the hot water soothed my still-sleepy body and sent me into a dreamy state.
I was just dreaming about the lead singer of one of the muggle bands, the Jonas Brothers. He was just holding me in his arms and about to kiss me when I was jolted out of my dream by the sound of the door slamming shut. The echoes reverberated from the wet walls. I went under in surprise. When I came up again, I found a certain pair of grey eyes watching me. At first I thought he was going to smile, but then his well-shaped mouth curled into a sneer.
"What are you doing here, Potter?" he asked.
"Having a bath," I replied coldly.
"I thought this bathroom was meant for Prefects," he said after a moment.
"Are you one?"
"No."
"Then shut-up." He laughed.
"Very good, Potter." I had to restrain a smile. One up for Lily. Scorpius pulled off his T-shirt. I tried, and failed, not to look at his wonderful physique. He was extremely well-developed, but not grossly so. He caught me looking and raised an eyebrow. I turned away, blushing with embarrassment.
As I started to swim to the other side, I heard a splash and knew he'd gotten in. I both wanted him to go away and also to collide with his chest at the same time. I closed my eyes and turned onto my back. I had to get the image of that stupid Slytherin's six-pack out of my head. I tried to force it out with thoughts of what Joe Jonas looked like under his T-shirt. I had almost succeeded when I did indeed collide with Scorpius. Have you ever been told to be careful what you wish for? Well, do. As he steadied me with a strong arm, my pale skin, which was so prone to blushes, due to my red hair, turned bright red. It wasn't like I'd never touched a boy's skin before, puh-lease, but…I don't know. I guess it was the inherent hatred all Gryffindors have for Slytherins erupting inside me. Right? Right? I scowled at him.
"Can you try and step aside when I'm coming through?"
"No." I glared at him. I wish I had my wand in my hand. He would have gone running out of the bathroom with green hair. I tried to take a deep breath and let my anger flow out of my skin into the water. Something weird started to happen. All the bubbles in the water flew down beneath Scorpius and pushed him up on a cushion of foam. This cushion of foam carried him, with his feet quite a few inches above the ground, sideways, so that the way was clear for me to go through. As soon I was past him, then cushion broke up and the foam returned to its original place. As he swam away, with smooth strong strokes, I heard him mutter,
"Freak."
I fumed. I don't know why I cared so much what he thought. I guess I wanted to seem perfect in all boys' minds. I drooped slightly, trying to think of how to redeem myself in his mind. But I couldn't. Well, never mind. He was just some random Slytherin. I walked through the water to the edge of the bath and pulled myself up. As I rose, dripping, out of the water and climbed onto the marble floor, I felt Scorpius' eyes on me. I turned and found him staring at me. It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. I reached for my towel and quickly dried myself. Then I wrapped my dressing-gown around myself and walked out of the door. Scorpius hadn't taken his eyes off me all along.