Hi! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just the plot to this story.

Chapter 6

"Are you okay Rose?" Lorcan asked timidly, handing Rose her hat, untying the scarf from his neck, and slowly sitting down on the chair next to her in the Ravenclaw common room.

Rose was roughly scratching writing onto a roll of parchment on a side desk, her face a scowl. She snorted at Lorcan's question.

"Of course I'm okay Lorcan," she said snidely, continuing to scribble on the parchment.

"Come on Rose, don't be like that, you know it's just a little joke he likes playing, he'll grow out of it soon enough." Lorcan spoke up, smiling.

She turned to him, carefully putting her quill down on the table, "you really think after 6 years of this, he is going to ever stop, even Lysander's not that delusional Lorcan."

"What am I supposed to say? I can't read Albus' mind, and unless you want to learn Legilimency, there is no chance you'll ever know why he does it, unless he tells you." He replied offhandedly, unzipping his coat and leaning back into the chair.

"That's a good idea actually, and I definitely don't think that Albus is skilled in Occlumency. Thank you Lorcan," Rose finished writing something on her parchment, and folded it in half. She got up and straightened her jumper.

"You're not seriously taking what I said to heart, are you?" he asked quite surprised, seeing as Legilimency was a banned practice, and Rose was not usually into breaking the law.

"Well it's either that or Veritaserum, and I don't have the time, nor the ingredients to make it." Rose said, picking up her extra parchment and quill, and gripping them tightly in her hand.

"Rose, be serious now," Lorcan said, shaking his head as she began her walk towards the exit.

"I am far past being adult about this situation Lorcan, Albus Potter will get his comeuppance, I can promise that." She said adamantly opening the door to the common room.

Lorcan rolled his eyes and leaned back, and rather than think about Rose's growing insanity, he thought about the kiss Emma had given him a mere hour earlier.

XxX

Rose tried to keep her composure as she went down the spiral staircase to the fifth floor. She heard footsteps as she made her way to the staircase leading down to the fourth floor, and turned swiftly.

Scorpius was looking at her with a confused expression.

"What's with the face?" he asked as he stopped in front of her, Rose had her arms folded glaring at his chest.

"Don't act like you don't know Malfoy." She muttered, he didn't answer so she looked up, he was smiling, a full toothed grin.

"Don't you smile at me like you weren't part of the whole plan," she said frowning. However Scorpius continued to smile down at her, not saying anything.

Rose waited a few seconds for him to say something, but he stayed silent, keeping that lopsided grin of his stuck on his face.

She stared, her anger slowly dissipating because of his smile, her own smile growing on her face, and before she could restrain herself, she was grinning also.

"There you go, that's what I wanted to see," Scorpius said, turning his grin into a small smile. "Now where are you going? Dinner's not for an hour." He asked, allowing Rose to start going down the staircase.

"The library, I have some research to do," she said, reaching the landing, and turning to him. He jumped down the last stair, and stood next to her.

"Maybe I can help you, what's the subject being researched?"

"Oh, just Legilimency," she said casually and began making her way down the corridor.

"What do you mean 'just Legilimency' you do realise that it's banned and there won't be any instruction manuals in the library." He replied, an eyebrow raised.

Rose sighed, "I suppose, do you know anybody who can teach me?" she asked, facing him.

He laughed and grinned again, "of course Weasley, I know plenty of people who can teach you Legilimency, it's common place magic in my family, seeing as we are destined to rule the world with mind interpreting and truth serums."

She huffed out again, "your way of mocking me, only insults yourself Scor- I mean Malfoy." She corrected herself quickly, blushing profusely.

Scorpius smirked at her mistake, "it's more likely you'll find an instruction manual on Occlumency I'm afraid, not as dangerous you see."

Rose looked at her feet and crossed her arms again.

"Don't worry Weasley, I'll help you, it's quite easy to get your own back when Albus is involved. His problem is that he is way too confident in himself to look behind him." Scorpius said simply.

She looked up again, and raised an eyebrow, "really? And you'd help me?" Rose asked, continuing to the library and opening the door. Scorpius followed her in.

"Yeah, I don't see why not," he replied lowering his voice to avoid the librarian's watchful glare.

"I'm surprised he doesn't hate you for being friends with me, you can't just suddenly start siding with me all of the time, it looks very suspicious." Rose whispered, and taking a seat by a table right at the back of the library, placing her parchment and quill on the table.

"I think I'm allowed a few more friends than just Albus, he'll have to live with it, plus I like you Rose." He replied smiling, and sitting across from her.

"Hmm, you truly perplex me Malfoy. Now since you have decided to betray your best friend, you will spend the next hour helping me." Rose smiled back and Scorpius nodded slowly, leaning back into his chair, and putting his arms behind his head.

XxX Albus XxX

Albus was lying on his bed when Scorpius said he was going to quickly get a book from his cousin Alastair Nott down in the dungeons.

It had been 45 minutes and he wasn't back, that definitely meant that he had gone somewhere else, and wasn't planning on coming back to the dorm room.

Albus was slightly glad that Scorpius had decided today was not the day to betray him again, and though he didn't exactly help him today. The fact that Scorpius had insulted him – though in an unconscious way – was quickly forgotten. He didn't even really care about Lorcan and Emma. It's not like he loved her, he was fine with just being friends with her.

He looked down at his hands and sighed again, he still knew that the reaction Rose had given him wasn't good enough. He wanted more, he wished she'd been able to get out of her wand and hex him. Albus felt better when he got a true reaction out of her, it meant that he was making a difference, making her see how he felt...

Except, Albus wasn't entirely sure how he felt. He knew he didn't hate Rose, no he used to love her once, no he still did. It was everyone else's obsession with her, her good grades, and her perfection. He wanted everyone to see her in her tarnished form. Imperfect and real. Then they would at least treat her normally, not like some gift from God, because Merlin, Albus had had enough of it.

It was jealousy, complete jealousy, and Albus didn't care. He'd admit it, he'd even admit it if he was asked. But nobody ever did.

'Why do you always pull pranks on your cousin Albus?"

He'd wished for those questions from the start, it was like he wasn't even making a dent in Rose's veneer of perfection. Then whenever she'd hex him or jinx him, he could tell something had changed, he could read it in her face. They may have been the best of cousins before, but Albus was too self-centred to keep coming in second best to his cousin.

Albus got up and ignored the question Jake Thomas asked him, opening the door and making his way through the common room and out of the door. His hands in the pockets of his jeans and slumping forward.

Once he had reached the fifth floor staircase he heard giggling coming from the corridor of the fourth floor. It sounded like Rose's laugh.

He continued down slowly, and peered around the corner, spotting Scorpius and Rose walking towards the staircase down to the second floor. Their shoulders so close together that their hands were nearly touching.

Albus frowned and stepped onto the landing as they pulled back the tapestry to the staircase and descended down to the second floor.

XxX Rose & Scorpius XxX

"Don't fall this time Weasley," Scorpius asked sighing.

"Don't worry, I'll watch my step, I don't want another conversation with Moaning Myrtle thank you very much," Rose said laughing and pulling back the tapestry, and slowly making her way down the staircase.

Rose reached the bottom of the staircase and held her arms out, "ta-da," she said smiling, Scorpius smirked and pushed her as he reached the bottom.

"Hey, you should be careful, I might hex you," Rose said walking towards the next staircase.

"More empty threats Weasley, come on, really." He replied sighing again, and stepping down the stairs.

"They aren't empty," she said following after him, her arms crossed. "I just haven't gone through with them, yet." She continued simply, reaching the bottom of the first floor steps.

They continued on reaching the ground floor and began their walk down the hallway to the great hall. Several other students joining them.

"What are you planning on getting me for Christmas then Weasley, since we're like best friends now?" Scorpius asked casually, a smirk playing on his lips.

"How do Doxy droppings sound?" she asked.

"I'm already getting that from Albus, he's taken a liking to those Doxy's," he replied, now smiling at Rose, who was frowning.

"Is this some sort of pivotal moment now? Our first obstacle in this friendship?"

"I suppose you could say that, and since I spend about 50 percent of the Christmas holidays with Albus, and therefore 40 percent of it with you, I think it's important to establish some sort of rule." He said offhandedly, finally reaching the Great Hall and stepping in.

"Something simple and small, plus we don't want Albus thinking that we're best friends, he'd hate that. He already hates me enough at the moment." Rose replied running a hand through her red curls and sighing.

"He doesn't hate you," Scorpius said, surprisingly softly. Rose gave him a look and he was smiling. "Come on Weasley, he'll get over himself." He said putting an arm around her shoulders. Rose stiffened slightly and he quickly let go, though several people had saw what he had done.

They both sat down at the Gryffindor table and Rose was looking at the jug of pumpkin juice in front of her. "Thanks Scorpius."

He smiled, taking the jug and pouring himself a glass, "no problem Rose."

XxX Albus XxX

Albus had continued slowly after the pair, however too far for him to hear their conversation. He watched as Scorpius put his arm over Rose's shoulder and quickly pulled it away. Albus couldn't help silently groaning. Rose was just getting closer and closer to taking everything he had away.

He took his usual seat next to Scorpius, but did not look at Rose, who was slightly smiling at what Scorpius had just said.

"So did you get your books?" Albus asked, unenthusiastically taking a steak from a dish in the middle of the table, and eyeing it precariously. Behaviour unlike Albus.

"Oh, thanks for reminding me Al." Albus held back a sneer as Scorpius quickly got up and jogged over to the Slytherin table.

Albus looked at Rose who was looking back innocently. "Stop doing this Rose." He said.

"I'm not doing anything Albus," she replied casually, scooping a spoonful of mashed potatoes into her mouth and smiling.

"Scorpius is my friend, not yours," he said sternly, gripping his wand in his pocket. The back of his neck slowly heating up and turning red.

"Now is little Albie jealous?" she asked smirking.

"Just stop it Rose, I've had enough of you taking everything from me." He said plainly, getting up and walking out of the great hall. Leaving all of his food unfinished, something that Albus never did.

Rose looked after him, confused at what he had said, but when Scorpius got back with his book, she couldn't give him an answer as to what was wrong with Albus.

Though Rose was completely aware of Albus' strange behaviour. He had never in her entire 16 years left his plate unfinished, and had never ever left the Great Hall before desert. She knew something was wrong, and she had to make the decision whether to interfere or not. Her choosing the latter making all of the difference.

A/N: Just quickly saying that Alastair Nott is Scorpius' cousin because Theodore Nott married Daphne Greengrass. And you know how Astoria Greengrass is Scorpius' mum. Just making it clear. :D