AN: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, i've had Robotics 24/7 and still do so I won't be able to update as much but I'll try my best, alright? Here's the next chapter. I'm also slowly fixing the rest of 'em for the grammar and mistakes you guys point out. Thank you and keep up the good work.
On an entirely unrelated note, I had a lengthy conversation with the guy I like (who's also in Robotics) so I'm in a pretty good mood. Now for replies...
.16: Thank you for reviewing...5 times! Really, you're awesome, it made me so happy! So: Thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks. I think that's five thank yous. I'm glad you like the story so far, and I just wanted to say that I did the whole Dean's/Seamus' kids hating eachother thing as just an off-hand comment but I might actually incorporate it in to the story- or possible into any future stories as well.
It's useless trying to pay attention when she's around, something I'd rather not admit aloud but also something that couldn't be more true. Al asks me not longer after why I'd had to borrow a book on Werewolves from the library when we'd reviewed them in class and all I had done was wince and he'd immediately known. Fortunately, no one else in our year seemed to pick it up, including Rosie herself. I would be completely mortified if she ever found out. It was why I had to end it and why it had to end soon. There'd be no Great Scorpius Malfoy if this kept going on.
We're in Defense Against the Dark Arts, when the teacher, Miss Jewel, calls on me, "Scorpius, would you like to volunteer?" Volunteer? For what?
"Uhh…" I choked out, I hadn't exactly been paying attention to Miss Jewel or the lesson.
"Mate," Al nudges me, "Just go up there and cast the bloody spell. It's not that hard."
I wince, yeah...I hadn't been doing that well of a job of resisting that temptation, "Uh, what spell?"
Al blinks a few times, staring at me for a moment before faceplanting on the desk, "You're hopeless."
"Scorpius?" Miss Jewel asks, and I turn back to her.
"I'd rather not…" I say awkwardly because I still don't know what the spell is.
"Oh, come on up Scorpius, don't be shy." She smiles, and I have no choice but to stand and walk shakily to the front of the room, "And for our other volunteer. Oh, thank you Miss Weasley for raising your hand," I can't help but wince again- of all people it's her that I have to duel with?
As Miss Jewel answers one of the students' questions, I nudge Rosie, "What's the spell?"
Rosie turns to me, her red curls brushing my face as she whips around, "The spell? Scor, were you paying any attention?"
Yes, I want to say, to you and the color of your bloody hair. Instead, I settled with a short, "No."
Rosie laughs and I want to hit myself because I really shouldn't find her laugh adorable. Who finds someone's laugh adorable? "It's just colloshoo, Scor. We learned it years ago." Oh Merlin did I feel stupid now. This was getting bad. I needed to start paying...a lot more attention to my surroundings.
"Okay, Scorpius, Rose, in dueling positions, please!" Miss Jewel said, grinning brightly.
Rosie smiles, kissing my cheek lightly before wishing me good luck. Honestly, I don't remember how I managed to get into dueling position because my mind is wiped completely blank. I swear, she does it on purpose. Miss Jewel counts down to 0 and Rosie fires a spell that misses me, and I cannot tell if this is on purpose or not. But she's called out, 'Colloshoo,' and I realize that this is the spell. But...I don't know what it does. What if it hurts her? I mean, Miss Jewel wouldn't allow us to cast anything too bad but it could be any kind of hex that could cause her pain. My moment of hesitation allow for her to cast the spell again, this time, not missing me. I immediately feel my feet stick to the ground and glance down at them with horror. Oh, I was in for it now. I'd never lost a duel before, especially with Rosie as my opponent. And now? Now I was literally stuck. How would I explain this? The class went silent. Even Miss Jewel was speechless for a moment, before coughing to break the eerie silence. "Well, uh, good job, Rosie, Scorpius. You may sit down now." She casts a counter-spell at my feet and I nearly stumble over as they unstick. Trying in vain to keep my face from turning red, I quickly walk back to my seat, sliding in next to Al. My so-called 'best friend' smirks and gives me a knowing look before I can even explain myself.
I glare at him, "Not one word." My head falls on my desk, and I curse my current stupidity. It will wear off, I know it will, because I have to be the Great Scorpius Malfoy, but currently, it's not helping my case. Al snorts next to me and I groan. I'll never hear the end of this phase, will I?
When we get out, Al claps my back, "Welcome to the world of liking girls my friend." My best friend is an idiot.
Shoving his arm off of my back, I scowl, "I've liked girls before," continuing to walk through the hallway.
"No, that's different," Al shakes his head and begins talking like he knows everything, "Then you liked their assets. Now, it's different. Because aren't her eyes just so pretty and isn't her smile just so bright?" So much for being a bloody best friend, Al's not helping this situation. I can't help but think of her bright blue eyes and her wide smile that could light up even the worst of a day, and her- "Scor?" Al asked, raising an eyebrow, "Were you just-" thinking about the dreaded minx when I was supposed to be conversing with her god-awful cousin? Yeah. Just a little bit.
"Merlin," I said heatedly, "Al you need to shut up and stop my traitorous heart even more reasons to find your bloody cousin attractive." I gripped my head- this was getting to be a bit too much, "Make it stop, Al…"
Al, the good best friend that he is, laughs and ruffles my hair, which he knows I despise. I've never run my hand through it myself, and I hex anyone who touches it, Al included. He's on the floor in two seconds flat and no one in the hallway even cares because this is a regular occurrence. Dylan, Frank, and Creevey have all ended up on the floor countless times as well- the lot of them never quite got that I didn't take too kindly to people touching my hair. The gits.
Later that day I find myself in the Heads Common Room along with Al, Frank, Dylan, and Creevey. We're in the middle of a rather vicious game of Exploding Snap when Rosie walks in with Alice, Frank's twin sister, and her best friend. Upon seeing the five of us and the cards, she raises an eyebrow, "Don't hurt yourselves too much."
I can't help but flush a little at the sight of her and it doesn't help that all my so-called friends nudge me when she speaks. I still manage to retain whatever charm I have left in me, and say something along the lines of, "We won't, no need to worry so much Rosie. Though I do appreciate it- your concern and love for me is quite endearing."
Rosie flushes as well, before barking out a laugh, "It's more of concern for the Common Room." She jokes, "Do your best not to burn it down, alright?"
The boys and I have never come anywhere near burning a place down, and I tell her this- "Not bloody likely we'll go that far." I pause for dramatic effect, "It'll just be your half."
Rosie rolls her eyes and opens her mouth to retort before abruptly closing it and letting a smirk spread across her face, "But lets save the bathroom, yeah? Merlin knows you love the memories."
I uncharacteristically flush, though by now, around her, it's rather common. My reply wavers slightly, but I manage to get the words out which gives me a moment of internal triumph, "Don't act like it wasn't planned Rosie-dear, perhaps you left the door unlocked on purpose." I finish nonchalantly, glancing down at my cards as I let my implication linger in the air.
She glares at me heatedly, "You wanker. I can't believe you have the audacity to allude to such a thing!" She huffs and crosses her arms and I can't help but find it incredibly cute. I curse her attractiveness for what seems the millionth time these past few weeks alone.
Al puts in his two cents- "You've got to get him back now Rosie. Do something he hates." I have half a mind to strangle Al where he sits.
"Oi, you git, you're supposed to be my friend!" I say, frowning. Who wouldn't want to be friends with me? I was Scorpius Malfoy after all, not some random bloke you could betray for the fun of it.
But Al's words had given Rosie an idea apparently, and she now crossed the room swiftly until she stood in front of me. I figured she was going to hex me or punch me or some violent action like such until her hand went to my hair and I nearly fell off my seat in surprise, "Bet you that you can't last 10 minutes with my hand like this." She quipped.
My hair was perfect the way it was without her messing it up, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her to knock it off because she doubted my capabilities. I was pretty sure my face was one of shock right now, so I quickly donned a smirk and played it off, "I could last more than 10 minutes Rosie-dear, don't underestimate the-"
"-great Scorpius Malfoy," Rosie rolls her eyes as she finishes my sentence, "We all know. Tell you what, if you last longer than 10 minutes, I'll actually write that biography. I'll even let you choose a title." Well, I wasn't going to pass that up. Plus, it'd be easy to last a short 10 minutes with her hand on top of my head- I wasn't that much of a perfectionist.
"And if you don't…" Rosie trailed off, her eyes alighting once she came across an idea, "You'll be telling me exactly what you thought during the incident." It was a good thing that I'd be able to last 10 minutes. I'd rather not tell her even part of what I'd thought- it was too humiliating to be voiced aloud.
"Fine," I agree, "But I'll be the one claiming my prize." I say to her before turning to Al, who's looking at me amusedly, "Start the count, will you?" And so, he does. Not even 5 seconds later, I'm regretting ever saying yes to this. Why? Because Rose bloody Weasley has taken to weaving her hand through my hair. And even though I'm supposed to hate anyone and everyone touching my hair, I don't mind when she does. In fact, I rather like it, which drives me up the wall. 2 minutes into it, she's practically massaging my head, slowly and sensually, and in a way that I'm starting to make it uncomfortable to sit. I try my best to actually focus on the game and not the minx sitting next to me, but I find it's rather hard to do. At the 7 minute mark, once I come out of a short daze, I figure that it's all well and good. That is, until her fingers brush the nape of my neck, decidedly warm against the coldness of my skin, and I shiver. Apparently, she notices this, and takes it as a go-ahead to do it again, and again, until all she's really doing is that. My grip on the table loosens and I can't help but lean back into her touch, and she takes the initiative to dip her hands underneath my collar ever so slightly, brushing her fingers against my tense back muscles and I just barely stop myself from making a noise I've never made in my life, and shoot up abruptly. My eyes, which I hadn't realized her close, are now wide, and my cards which have fallen to the floor long ago litter the ground. I can't help but glance at the guys who are laughing on the ground and Rosie who is smirking delightedly for a short second before flushing an even darker red and taking off for the Heads bathroom where I rush to remove my clothing and nearly jump into the pool of water. It's only then that I remember that I now have to tell Rosie what I was thinking the night of the incident, and that I'll probably wind up back in here after recalling it. It's only now that I realize who embarrassing it is to have a crush, and I can't help but feel bad for Rosie for all those years of liking me when I clearly paid her no mind in the romantic department other than trying to get her to write the biography. At this rate however, I'd probably be the one writing her biography. When had my life become so messed up?