When Professor Higgins had said that Scorpius and Rose coming together would be good for the houses he was right. Nearly two weeks into the arrangement there were half as many fights between houses as there had been before. Even as they sat Rose could count a handful of Slytherin's and Gryffindor's ...sitting at the opposites table without any repercussion.

"So it's Hogsmeade today." Blake commented. Her dark hair braided back to clear it off her pale face. "Who wants to bet that Charlie and Albus aren't going together?"

Albus and Charlie hadn't spoken since she'd kissed him. He had avoided her at every turn, but Charlie didn't seem to mind. Finally after expressing her feelings to Albus she had gotten her answer. He wasn't interested. So now Charlie was going on a date with Neville Longbottoms youngest son Alexander.

Rose laughed, "Don't you have practice this weekend Blake?"

"Nope. Your dear cousin put it off for Sunday."

"Well isn't that sweet of him." Rose said knowingly. "Who are you going with Blake?"

"Well I was going to ask if you minded if I tag along with you for a bit," She admitted.

"Yeah I don't care."

Blake smiled, her fair face lighting up. "Good. I'll meet you outside in an hour."

"Will do!"

Rose turned to Scorpius as he was in between bites. "So how is this trip going to work?"

"Al and Collin are coming with."

"So is Blake." Rose said flatly.

"Then what's the question…?"

Rose shook her head. "Just wondering what the plan was."

"Well," He said in a teasing voice, "You see we get into our muggle wear, we get into a carriage…and then we go-to-Hogsmeade."

"Hysterical Malfoy. Your finest work really."

Rose rolled her eyes and turned the opposite way to strike up a conversation with Charlie who was reading the Prophet two seats away. "So, how's it going?"

"Perfectly fine thank you." Charlie retorted.

"You excited for your big hot date today?"

Charlie swept her long dark hair out of her even darker eyes. "I'm trying to hold it all in, right now."

"Well if it gets boring-"

"I doubt it will be, but if it is, I'm not spending time with you guys." She paused and looked at her and Scorpius. "It's weird you two go from being the most civil divorced couple, to an actual couple every five seconds." Charlie whispered to Rose with a laugh.

Rose blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Okay," She smirked, "Suit yourself, but I know you Rose Weasley."

"What's that supposed to mean Charles?"

Charlie said, "You're a bright girl. I'm sure you can figure it out."

Rose opened her mouth, but her ears caught a conversation quite similar was happening only a few inches away from her. Except it was between Scorpius and Albus.

"I'm just asking what your intentions are with my cousin." Albus said casually in a low voice.

"You're suggesting I'm doing something." Scorpius retorted.

"No, I'm just saying you two seem …chummy. And I know it's been awhile since you've had a girlfriend."

"So you're saying I'm going to make a move on your cousin…because I'm lonely."

Albus let out an aggravated sigh. "No…I'm saying you two have been getting… close lately and I've seen the way you've been looking at her."

"Now I know you are just trying to bust my balls." Scorpius laughed and he lied. "I haven't been looking at her any differently."

"Fine. Lie to your oldest friend in the world." Albus said, "But I'm not the only one who's noticed…You both can't keep the smiles off your faces when you're with each other."

Rose froze and listened very carefully, as she felt her face flush again. Scorpius also was intrigued by Albus's observation. Had she been smiling more than before? There was no way he could know that, but Albus would have been able to tell.

"You think she's happier being glued to me everyday?" Scorpius scoffed skeptically. "I think she just likes her hair too much too rip it out everyday."

"Yes, as messed up as that is, I think both of you are happier being stuck together."

Scorpius shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. We're just…"

"What?" Albus grinned all-knowingly. "What's the end of that sentence? Are you two even bold to admit you've become friends? Or are too chicken to admit that maybe perhaps you are more than that?"

Wiping his face with his hand. Scorpius gave his friend a clap on the back and turned to Rose. "You ready to go Weasley?"

She jumped and tried to pretend she hadn't been listening intently. "Uh yeah sure."

They returned to their common room and quickly changed. The procedure between them had become so routine that the tension growing between them made that system work slower than usual. It was electric, and burning more and more as time went on.

In less than twenty minutes they were both fully dressed and ready to go. More then once when they walked their hands hit each other, but every time they just laughed awkwardly and pretended it didn't happen. They almost reached the Great Hall when they were stopped.

It was Professor Higgins who had interrupted them. "I wanted to speak to you-"

"We are being perfectly behaved Professor," Rose assured him, and then before she could talk herself out of it, she side hugged Scorpius, much to his surprise. "See? All kinds of friendship and camaraderie. No fighting whatsoever."

He smiled. "That's excellent. Actually-"

"Professor Higgins," Andrea Hutton, a fifth year student interrupted, her big brown eyes full of tears. "I need to talk to you."

"Yes, of course." He addressed Scorpius and Rose, "I'll talk with you two later."

After the Headmaster left, Rose rested her arm on Scorpius's shoulder. "What was that about?"

"I'm more concerned about you," He said, eyeing her.

"What? What did I do now?"

"All kinds of friendship and camaraderie?" He mocked.

Rose removed the arm that was leaning on him and smacked him. "Act right Malfoy."

"Bloody bird." He scoffed walking on.

Scorpius Malfoy had only three real friends. Albus, Derek and Collin. Derek Zabini was taller than Scorpius, with dark hair and even darker skin. Collin Morgan was pale with a very scrawny body and the highest cheekbones had ever seen. Derek couldn't stand Rose or Albus. He made it perfectly clear where his feelings on the Weasley/Potter clan stood. Collin on the otherhand was very Switzerland about the whole thing. He was the nicest Slytherin Rose had met, and as soon as he and Albus rounded the corner, his whole face broke into a warm smile.

"Collin!" Scorpius grinned, shaking his hand like men do.

Collin grinned back, but his attention turned to Rose in a heartbeat. "Weasley, you are looking foxier and foxier every time I see you."

Rose smirked, today her red hair was pulled back in a high ponytail and she wore a stripped oversized shirt, black boots and jeans. Though she did put some minor make-up on, in her opinion she didn't look anything special. Collin was infamous flirt and sought any excuse to rile Rose up, especially since Albus loathed it.

"Collin really? You've been here five seconds. Can you keep it in your pants today?" Albus sighed in irritation.

"What? She loves it. Don't you my rose pedal?" Collin winked at her.

An uncontrollable laugh escaped her lips. She crossed her arms and said. "You know I just ADORE, when you call me that."

"Oh I know my darling."

"Can we go now?" Albus whined looking at them with distain.

Rose smiled and shook her head. "We are waiting for Blake."

"Ask and you shall receive," Blake called as she walked over to the group, a wide smile on her face.

"Well come on then," Scorpius said shortly.

Rose gave him a weird look. Scorpius looked annoyed, but she didn't understand why he looked that way. Albus and Collin were his friends, shouldn't he be happy to see them?

Blake talked with Rose about a Transfiguration project before switching over to her Quidditch woes. With Blake everything always came back to Quidditch, she was obsessed with it, which is precisely why she got on so well with Albus. Collin was telling Scorpius and Albus a story, that had them howling with laughter before they were about to arrive in the carriages.

"Never," Collin proclaimed, "Will I do that again!"

"You always do try don't you?" Albus cackled running a hand through his unruly hair.

Blake helped herself up into the carriage, and Rose was about to do the same when Collin came out of nowhere. A bright smirk on his face, his hand went out to help her.

"My lady."

"Not necessary Collin." She laughed.

"But for one as beautiful as you Rose it is."

"Morgan," Scorpius spoke nudging him out of the way. "You know we can't be more than three feet away from each other."

Collin grinned joining Scorpius in the carriage, "Only for another week and then she's free as a bird. You weren't planning on seeing anyone where you Rose?"

"No one has asked." Rose replied avoiding his answer.

"Well then there is one more Hogsmede trip next month," Collin started suggestively as the carriage began to roll to the village.

Albus let out an irritated sigh. "Shut it Collin! I've had enough. Quit hitting on Rose."

"Aw," Rose pretended to be touched. "My cousin coming to defend my honor."

Scorpius who sat next to Rose muttered, "As if you have any," under his breath as he looked out the window.

No one else heard him, but Rose certainly did. Her chest tightened and she glanced and saw the hollow in his cheeks were constricted in annoyance. Rose had this urge to reach across his lap and grab his hand. It would have been easy, a gesture surely common enough to go unnoticed, but not in that carriage. Not with everyone watching. The urge had been so easy for her to imagine it scared her, but she didn't think on it. After all she didn't grab his hand or say anything to him.

If he was mad at her or just mad at everyone that was his problem. He knew he could talk to her. Didn't he?

Scorpius grew increasing more and more angry as the day went on. At first he blamed the boring shops they went into. Then it was the over sugared coffee he drank, but by the time they settled into the three broomsticks around midday, he finally was unable to deny what had been bothering him. Collin, one of his best friends in the world was pissing him off. It had been festering in him all day and finally when they were about to order he'd had enough.

"Weasley, look a bunch of couples are dancing. Don't you want to join them?"

After five hours of being hit on Rose was looking worn, but she was still taking Collin's teasing in stride. "Collin, I love you. You know I'm a big fan of your work, but you also know, as I have told you, that I can't go farther than three feet away from Scorpius."

"Scorpius?" Collin hooted, "Since when do you call him that?"

"Since I spend everyday next to him."

Collin adored that. "Really? Then Scorp old man, why don't you ask this fine damsel to dance?"

"Collin," Albus laughing rubbing his temples. "Lay off."

"No, Al," Blake intervened, her grey eyes glowing with amusement as she put a hand on Albus's boney shoulder. "I want to see where he takes this."

"Well Scorpius? Am I going to dance with her or-?"

Rose couldn't take it anymore. She stood up, dragged Scorpius to his feet and pulled him over to the dance floor. Tensely, she took his hands and put them on her waist before dropping her own on his well-toned shoulders.

"What-is-the-MATTER-WTH-YOU?!" She hissed furiously up at him as they stood perfectly still. "You've been acting like a right git ALL-DAY!"

His lips thinned. "I've done nothing of the sort."

"Bullocks! Every time you've looked at me it's been a glare, and everything you've said has been spiteful and …hateful."

"I've done nothing-"

Rose's hands moved up to his face in a flash and she forced him to look into her eyes. "What's wrong?"

He couldn't say it. He just couldn't. So he just stayed silent.

"Fuck it. Forget it." Rose dropped her arms from him, gave him a dirty look and began to walk away.

She knew that magically she wouldn't be able to get far. He would have to follow her out of habit and out of necessity. But she wasn't going to try to talk to someone who clearly didn't want to talk to her. Scorpius couldn't let her walk back over to Collin though. Scorpius knew his friend was kidding around, but he also knew his friend would tease Rose all day. And he couldn't take that. So he grabbed her arm and swung her back around into him like someone would do while dancing.

Letting out a high note of surprise, Rose gasped, her brown eyes widening as she was flung into his arms. Scorpius was hit by the smell of lavender as her bright crimson hair came out of her hair tie and dropped down to her elbows.

His arms circled her waist; his grey eyes conflicted, stared into her eyes. After a beat he began to move and then they were dancing. "I'm not being a prick on purpose."

"Well whether it's on purpose or not, you're doing it." She said, her voice not as sharp as before. "What I don't get is why it's being directed at me. What did you say that before? That I have no honor?"

Guilt seized him and he unintentionally pulled her closer. "I didn't mean that…Collin was just getting on my nerves."

"By why were you lashing out at me?"

He opened his mouth, but then shut it, avoiding her glance. "I'm just sorry."

"…I don't understand you at all," Rose frowned, looking away, but still following his lead. "I thought we're doing good…"

"We are." He insisted.

"Well," She pulled away and crossed her arms, a torn look on her face. "Then you figure out what you're problem is and get back to me."

Rose then strutted off and sat back down next to Blake. Until he wanted to talk to her and explain why precisely he was projecting on her, she wasn't speaking to him. Sulking, Scorpius sat across from Rose in a worse mood then when he left the table.

"What's wrong?" Blake muttered to Rose, "You look in a right state."

"Malfoy is being a prick…" Rose made a noise as if to laugh. "Nothing new I suppose."

"Oh…Merlin…Rose look who just walked in." She whispered in a shocked voice.

Rose looked up just in time to see Alexander Longbottom walk inside hand in hand with Charlie. They were laughing about something or another. At first no one noticed, but then Albus happened to glance at the door. Before he never showed any interest in her whatsoever. Not even the slightest quiver of anything. But at that moment she saw that it wasn't true. His bright green eyes, that had been so guarded, showed full hurt. Then in a fluid movement, as Charlie and Alexander made their move to head towards them, Albus stood up and walked out.

"So," Blake whispered, "We finally know how he feels."

"Yeah." Rose said, watching her cousin pass their window and keep walking. "Blake can you do me a favor?"

Blake let out a sigh, and she pulled on her jacket. "Yeah yeah, I'll go after him. What are teammates for?" She clapped Rose on the back lightly before picking up and leaving too.

Charlie waved to Blake, snorting, "Where is she going?"

"She wanted to grab something at the Quidditch store," Rose lied naturally, "It's been bugging her all day."

"Ah," Charlie nodded as she and Alexander moved into Blake and Albus's now empty seats.

Collin shifted over and whispered to Rose, "Just an hour ago, Al said he didn't care what Charlie did."

"I know right? He's so full of it." She said quietly so only he would hear her.

"I'm not making you actually uncomfortable right?" Collin asked, his blue eyes beaming with sincerity. "I mean I feel like you're taking it the way its intended…but I feel like Scorp and Al do not."

Rose wrapped her arm around his and hugged it. "They just think you're serious…though I don't know why that bothers Scorpius."

"Isn't it obvious?"

She frowned. "What is?"

"Think Rose pedal," He smirked, as he rose to go get another Butterbeer. "What part of my behavior is the most offensive?"

Rose gaped after him, trying to figure out what he meant. Scorpius and Alexander Longbottom were discussing Quidditch while Charlie looked bored. Wordlessly, she moved over and began talking to Rose.

"What's up?"

"Nothing."

"Well I was having a nice date before your boyfriend and started talking to him about Quidditch." Charlie pouted.

Rose snorted, "He's not my boyfriend."

"Who are you kidding? You totally have mamihlapinatapei."

Blinking she asked, "What the bloody hell is that?"

"Look it up nerd." She grinned, but then it faded. "That's it. I can't take it anymore." Charlie grabbed Alexander by the collar and walked away with him as if he were a purse and not a fully-grown man.

Rose would have laughed, if at that moment Scorpius didn't look up and stare at her. It was so…intense. No one ever stared at her like that and yet here he was, three feet away. Staring at her, his lips thin, his grey eyes fixed in an unreadable expression.

"Rose-"

"This isn't over yet?!" Derek, the biggest git in Hogwarts exclaimed, sitting down in between Rose and Scorpius. His haughty face looked livid, as he glowered at Rose. "I bet you're just adoring this Weasley."

"It's actually a right pain in my arse Zabini," She snapped, "Much like you."

Scorpius could feel a fight coming on, so he rose. "Derek, bugger off."

"You're defending her?" Derek breathed infuriated.

"Oh Merlin," Rose groaned, putting her hand on her face. "Zabini, go back to the hole you crawled out of… Malfoy, let's just go back to the castle."

Derek's black eyes glittered as he sipped his alcoholic drink. "Weasley, don't think just because you're-"

"Derek, knock-it-off," Scorpius sighed standing up. "Come on Weasley."

Rose got up and moved to walk out with Scorpius. He wasn't her favorite person right then, but clearly sitting in the Three Broomsticks was not the place to be. Before she could walk past Derek, he grabbed her arm to prevent her from going on. She knew he was a shot away from being drunk. Rose was going to just point her wand at him and walk away. Scorpius wasn't going to wait that long. He reached forward, broke Derek's grip on Rose's arm, picked her up and placed her behind him.

"I told you to back-off."

"Oh put away your alpha-male bullocks." Derek scoffed hatefully.

Scorpius shook his head furiously, grabbed Rose's hand and walked out.