Chapter 5:
The morning following the party, all Dominique could talk about was Colin Finnegan. In only a few short hours, she had completely transferred her love interest and now would not shut up about it.
"Oh, Rosie you should have seen him!" She sighed happily at breakfast. I was listening like the best friend and cousin I was supposed to be though truthfully, I was far more interested in my bacon and toast than her antics of the previous night.
"I was crying because I saw Fletcher with that awful Penny Bakers from Hufflepuff and he came right up to me! Do you know what he said Rosie?"
"No. What could he have possibly said?" I asked sarcastically.
"He said 'any guy who could turn you down would have to be mental!'" She squealed with delight. I admit, it was nice to see Dominique smiling about another male other than Fletcher, especially since this one was actually paying her some attention.
"Oh, he was the sweetest thing all night! He comforted me and when he kissed me…" She trailed off, staring at a fixed point in the ceiling. A dreamy smile spread across her face and she absently twirled her wand, causing her toast to rise in the air and flop off the table.
I glanced down the end of the table. Speak of the devil, here came Colin Finnegan strutting down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw table. He was closely followed by Finley Thomas.
"Don't look now, but here comes Sir Dreamboat." I whispered to Dominique.
Colin stopped next to Dominique, pressed a big kiss to her hair and sat down next to her. Her face lit up immediately.
"Morning, beautiful." He said happily.
Finley stood by awkwardly. There really wasn't room for him to sit down now. I patted the space next to me, feeling friendly.
"Come on, Finley. Join the single side of the table." He flashed a grin and sat down next to me, reaching for a roll and some tea.
"Thanks." He said, now buttering his roll.
I finished my breakfast and left for the library, letting Dominique know where I was going. I hardly think she heard me however. She and Colin were shooting lovesick glances at each other as they ate.
It was a quiet Saturday morning and I planned to spend it studying for an upcoming Potions test I had heard would be quite difficult. I took a longer way to the library that led me by some windows. It was a gorgeous day outside; the sun shining bright against a clear blue sky. There was a light breeze rustling the trees and the lake glittered like blue diamonds against the green. If I had been any good at Quidditch, I would have thought about heading down to the pit. Though I like flying and I'm not necessarily bad at it, Quidditch was not one of my strong suits. Hugo had never been on a broom before because he had acquired mum's fear of heights and flying. So our side of the Potter-Weasley family wasn't exactly Quidditch oriented.
The other side was bursting with talent. James was the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year and took it very seriously. There were days over the summer where he would do nothing but polish his Quidditch captain's badge and plan out plays and moves. Albus was a prize seeker on the Quidditch team, following in the footsteps of his father while James was the highly respected Keeper. Lily was like me. Good at flying, but not into Quidditch. Still, no one showed more support than her at a school game and she always practiced with Al over the summer when James was with his girlfriend.
I stopped by one of the windows and leaned against the frame. Perhaps today I could study outside. While the thought was entering my mind, I hadn't heard certain company approach me from behind and that's why I was thoroughly startled when Scorpius Malfoy appeared next to me.
"Lovely day." He remarked casually. I jumped about a foot in the air.
"What?" He asked, faking a hurt expression. "Do I offend?"
"Yes. A face like yours should come with a warning." I said coldly as I leaned down to pick up a book I had dropped.
He winced. "Ouch. That one actually hurt a little. My heart is stinging." He rubbed a hand over his chest. I rolled my eyes.
"Glad to know I caused some feeling. Granted, I didn't know you had a heart." I felt accomplished with my response and proceeded to walk away towards the library. Malfoy however followed me.
"What did I do to deserve such cold treatment?" He asked. I knew he was probably joking, but it was a sick joke. He had to know he had caused me some pain when he left me hanging. Malfoy and I had never been friends and we still weren't friends. That didn't mean he couldn't pretend it had never happened.
"You know well what you did."
"I truly am sorry for that. I feel like an arse for it." He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture I was starting to notice. He did it subconsciously.
I continued to walk, Malfoy falling into step beside me.
"Why are you even talking to me?" I asked, genuinely interested. As stated before, we weren't friends.
"I can't talk to you now?" He asked. I didn't answer. "Okay. Well, if you must know. Hayden is spending the day with his new girlfriend and if you haven't noticed, I haven't got any other friends. So that leaves you."
"Me? Why me? Up until this year, I had never talked to you in my life. Now we're acquaintances?"
"No one ever said we were enemies. Jesus, Weasley. If you want me to leave, you can say so. I'm bored and looking for something to do. I saw you, and I want to make up for my atrocious behavior in the past."
I thought about this. It would be amusing to have Malfoy on my side for once. Not that he had ever done anything against me before, but there was an invisible line between the Potter-Weasley clan and everyone else at the school. People knew who they were and if they could cross the line.
"Alright, Malfoy. You can make it up to me."
"How so?"
"Do what I say." I replied.
"As in?" He responded cockily.
"You know. Do some of my homework when I'm tired, carry my books, deliver my mail for me. Nothing huge. Oh, and you'll listen to my problems. All of them. Without leaving this time."
Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "How many could you possibly have?"
"I'm a teenage girl Malfoy. I've just been dumped by my longtime boyfriend, found out he already has a new girlfriend, and my best friend is lovesick and unable to communicate with."
He stopped. "Ah, I see. Well then, hand them over."
A confused look crossed my face. "Hand what over?"
"The books." He gestured to the many textbooks in my hand. "I thought you said I was to carry them."
I almost smiled. Placing the books in his hands, I readjusted my bag on my shoulder and kept walking.
"Where to?" He asked, now walking slower with the weight of the books but keeping a steady pace behind me.
"The library. I've got some studying to do and you're to keep quiet while I do it and help me take notes."
I could almost feel the smirk on his face.
"Weasley, my hand hurts."
I ignored him.
"I must have taken a thousand pages of notes already. My hand is cramping. It's bloody painful."
Silence.
"Have a look." He pushed the notes over my parchment. I thumbed through them.
"Please, Malfoy. You've only taken three pages. And I thought you were going to keep quiet."
He took the notes back and continued writing.
"Is this what you do every Saturday?" He asked. I didn't answer again. Maybe if I didn't talk to him, he wouldn't be encouraged to interrupt me.
"It's bloody boring here. Too quiet and stuffy."
"It's a library. It's supposed to be quiet and stuffy." I answered stiffly. I had taken about five or six pages of quality notes and was now ready to revise them.
"It's also a Saturday morning. No lessons, and you're basically still in school." He drawled. He had completely stopped writing altogether. I took the notes from him and sorted them in with mine.
"Don't you ever have fun?" He asked me. I shot him a look.
"I went to that party last night, didn't I?"
"You hardly looked like you were having fun."
"Well, what would you like to do Malfoy, seeing as I'm not going to get any work done with you chatting me up here."
"Let's go outside. It's a beautiful day and you're spending it indoors. Not to mention, you're white as the Bloody Baron."
"I am not!"
"Weasley, I've met albinos tanner than you."
I rolled my eyes again. Stuffing the notes in my bag, I slung it over my shoulder and stood up.
"Well come on then. I suppose I can revise these outside. I was actually thinking of studying out there anyway until you came earlier."
"Why didn't you say anything then?" Malfoy grabbed my books and hurried towards the exit.
Within a few minutes, we were out the castle doors and on the grounds. It was a beautiful day. Students were all over the place. There were some first years at Hagrid's hut carving pumpkins for Halloween (which was next month) and some fourth years by the greenhouses.
Malfoy led the way down to the lake where several students were spread out around it, surrounding the perimeter. A few boys were even swimming in the lake, splashing girls on the grass. I always thought people who actually swam in the lake were mad. Didn't they know there was a giant squid down there? And I had heard enough tales from Uncle Harry about demon mermaids living on the bottom.
Malfoy finally stopped at a tree near the water's edge and sat down. I accompanied him and pulled out my notes and a quill.
"You're not really working are you?" Malfoy asked in disbelief.
"I thought that's what we came down here to do."
"Maybe that's what you came for. I came to relax." He placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. I resisted from making a snarky comment.
It was almost peaceful, editing my notes and feeling the breeze while Malfoy quietly "relaxed" beside me. I actually got done earlier than I thought I would and seeing that Malfoy really was asleep, I pulled out a muggle romance novel and opened to the creased page.
Time passed and it was so quiet that I almost forgot Malfoy was next to me. That is, until he grabbed the cover of the book and pulled it towards him to see it.
"Summer Meadow Skies." He snorted and looked up at me. "You really read this shit?"
"Shut up, Malfoy." I returned to my book, determined to ignore him.
He got up and stretched, and then started making his way towards the lake. Good, now I'm rid of him for a minute I thought to myself.
However I was rid of him for less than a minute. In less than thirty seconds, Malfoy had managed to splash me from the lake's edge; single-handedly destroying my book, my hair and most of the contents of my bag.
At first I was too shocked to say anything. But as Malfoy doubled over with laughter and other students started to stare, my speech came back to me.
"You insufferable git!" I whipped my wand out of my pocket and had it against his chest in seconds.
"Relax, Weasley. It was only a joke!" He said, still smirking. "I'm just trying to get you to loosen up!"
"I'm loose!" I shouted louder than necessary. He rolled his eyes while smiling as if thinking 'poor girl. She's delusional'
"Could you please remove your wand?" He asked pointedly. I pocketed my wand and then grabbed my things. Malfoy could spend the rest of the day by himself for all I cared.
"Weasley, it was a joke!" He shouted. I ignored him. Maybe he found the whole thing incredibly funny, but being sopping wet had surprisingly not brightened my day. I fast walked back to the Gryffindor common room while grumbling curses under my breath. Albus was sitting by the fire with Hugo and James when they saw me.
"Why're you all wet Rosie?" Hugo asked.
"Because I decided to take a dip in the lake, fully clothed Hugo!" I snapped. Hugo looked taken aback.
"What's got your wand in a knot?" James spoke up. I sat down by the fire and started to dry off myself and my bag with my wand. Most of the notes I had so carefully copied in the library were ruined beyond repair.
"I'm sorry. I'm just angry."
"You've got that right." Albus said, pulling out his own wand and helping me dry some of my things. "So who got you wet then?"
"Scorpius Malfoy." I mumbled.
"What were you doing with that idiot?" James asked skeptically.
"Nothing. I hadn't planned to spend my day with him. Thanks Al." I tossed the destroyed notes into the fire and shouldered my bag.
"Where're you going?" Hugo asked as I started to leave.
"To the library to get these notes copied again. Thanks to Malfoy."
I thought about what James had said. What was I doing with Malfoy? The only thing he seemed to know how to do right was annoy me in various ways. I don't know why I put up with him. I would dismiss him from his "repayment" on Monday in Potions. God only knew if I could put up with such nonsense for however long it lasted.
A/N: Hello! Here's another chapter for you all(: I like to think that Rose and Scorpius were never really bad enemies and I prefer to read them as friendly with some hard edge to the pair. How are you liking Scorpius? Review! I appreciate each and every one of them! New chapters coming soon, I promise!
~ yours in eternity :*