Chapter Nineteen

Rose takes an early morning walk

That weekend lie in never came for Rose, barely five hours after she had fallen asleep she was woken up again by light streaming in through her open windows and light curtains. She decided that lying in bed was not an option so donning a muggle pair of jeans, a jumper and scarf she headed out to the light crisp spring morning. She passed by the empty corridor, the silent great hall and on into the grounds that still kept a light dusting of snow on them. Unthinking she let her feet do the walking as her head thought. She walked from the castle to the great lake doing a circle of the lake taking nearly two hours as she let her head just think upon the day before. Looking down at her feet she nearly stumbled into perhaps the only other person up that morning.

"Scorpius?"

"Rose," he seemed less surprised than she was to see the other out on this weekend morning.

"I couldn't sleep," she said by way of excuse.

"Me neither," he confessed "I received a letter from my grandmother."

"Scorpius," she began "if I was rude to her then I apologise but that is all."

"I am sure she was just as rude to you her ideas belong in another century but the letter did do one thing it gave me hope as I hadn't let myself hope before. If your feelings are the same as they were in December then simply say so and I will never speak of I again. But if your feelings have changed…." he let himself peter off.

"Scorpius," she said smiling as she looked up into his open face she had never been this close to him in her life and she saw his pale skin, his dark blue eyes and his blonde hair close up. "I know what you did for Abi and I imagine for Lily you secured their happiness."

"You must know," he interrupted it was for you "all of it was for you."

"I have to confess," she began a little shake in her voice "that I love you completely" he smiled at her echo of the exact words he had used just months earlier. He lowered his face to hers and Rose felt his lips meet hers there was that spark that people talked about the one you thought that you would never experience yourself and as Scorpius deepened the kiss and pulled Rose by her waist.

Scorpius took her hand and they walked back into the school. It was a little harder to enter the school than it had been to exit a few students sat at the house tables in the great hall and they met more than one student in the corridor. A few raising eyebrows at the head boy and girl holding hands but none passed comment more than likely due to the likelihood of detention if they did so. They entered the little common room they shared as head boy and girl and Scorpius shut the door before reclaiming Rose with his lips again she began to open his shirt and take off her own t shirt. But Scorpius caught her.

"Are you sure?" he asked her kindly.

"Yes," she breathed deeply "I love you."

This was good enough for Scorpius who finished taking off his shirt before they still in a partial state of dress headed to his room where a large double bed stood in the middle of the floor Picking Rose up as though she was no lighter than a feather he placed her on the bed before joining her as he pulled on to him. An hour later Scorpius lay asleep and Rose took a lock of his hair twisting it around her finger they had missed breakfast but neither really cared. Rose watched him as he slept his face just peaceful no worries that doing exams and running a manor and looking after a younger sister put on him. His face was smooth and his torso exposed to the sunlight beating through the window. Neither where wearing any clothes and Rose at least had no desire to get dressed and simply wanted to lie with him forever. "How?" she thought "had she been so stupid not to know the truth."

"I love Scorpius Malfoy," she said aloud.

"Good to know," said Scorpius turning over his blue eyes meeting her brown ones.

"I didn't know you were awake."

"Just," he stroked her face as he said, "I love you Rose Weasley." She smiled at him.

"I don't want to move she said I want to stay like this forever."

"You don't want me even to do this," Scorpius asked as he kissed her nose or this kissing her forehead "or this," and kissed her lips.

"Yes," Rose whispered her voice heavy.

This time Rose and Scorpius both decided they really had to rush before they missed dinner as well.

"I want you to meet my family and friends," Rose said smiling as she took his hand and led him out the room. As they entered Gryffindor common room Rose saw Charlie and Lily playing chess in which he was being beaten and the other members of her family and friends watching.

"Guys," she said to the assembled group "I have an apology to make after last night I am sorry I was rude it's just being insulted tends to make me cranky." There was a general acceptance of the apology from all except Lily who was smiling at Rose watching her hands intertwined with Scorpius' and guessing her secret already.

"Rose," said her brother in an apprehensive voice "are you trying to tell us you are dating Malfoy?"

"Yes," she said simply.

"I thought you hated him," Fred said simply.

"He is here Fred," she said sarcastically.

"Hate?" Scorpius asked amusement playing across his face "that's not what you said these last few hours."

"It was the night of the Halloween ball you said you would not dance with me as I was too plain."

"You heard that?" Scorpius asked looking a little shocked with Charlie whom Lily had evidently never told that piece of information either.

"Yes," replied Rose.

"I was just dying to get Charlie to stop asking me to dance with girls if I had danced with you I was sure I would have kissed you on the dance-floor and that would not have been proper."

"But if you had you would have saved us the last three months of this soap opera," Roxanne said smiling. After a night of playing chess in which Scorpius was quite apt the couple headed back to their head boy head girl rooms. Rose was sure this would prompt speculation but she didn't much care.

"Bye Rose," Scorpius said as he reached the door of his room.

"No way," she smiled and took his hand waltzing into his room. "I have only just started dating you there is no way I am leaving you for even one night again." Scorpius smiled and captured Roses mouth before pulling her onto the bed.

"I love you," he said looking her in the eyes and "you have no idea how much."

"Yes," she replied sternly "yes I think I do."