Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Rose's POV:

Rose glanced up from her steaming chicken breast and green peas supper to find Scorpius Malfoy's hawk like gaze once again settled upon her. Rose could not help but notice that Malfoy had been watching her more often over the past few weeks than he ever had before. When she walked to classes she could feel his eyes on her back and when she ate she would look up and notice him watching her. He would glace away immediately but she would always catch the tail end of his piercing steel blue eyes. She thought about asking Albus about it but she did not want to draw attention to it.

Rose finished her dinner and stood up. She had eaten quickly tonight in order to get some good time in on the Quiditch pitch. Even when she was on her broom lately she had the feeling that she was being watched by Malfoy which she knew was impossible because she made sure no one followed her or had seen her fly.

"Hey, I'm going now," Rose leaned down to whisper in Jasmine's ear.

"Okay, see you later," Jasmine replied without looking up from her delicious supper.

Rose walked out of the dining hall getting lost in the stream of people leaving. As she walked through the doors she glanced back and once again found grey-blue eyes watching her. Rose turned quickly, her uniform skirt swishing on her thighs, and her shoes clicked as she walked away.

Finally after a long day she was up in the air again. She balanced skillfully on her broom about fifty feet in the air and let go with both hands to free her long curly red hair free from its elastic. Air flowed through her thick hair as she shook it out letting it cascade down her back in a waterfall of red.

Rose released the tiny clear training snitch and watched as it disappeared into the darkening evening. There was still a small amount of light out because the very top of the some peaked out over the edge of the horizon. She inhaled deeply enjoying the crisp fall smell, she turned in the opposite direction and set off to find the snitch.

Rose molded her lithe body to the handle of her broom as she spiraled tightly toward the ground at a ninety degree angle. She pulled the handle up sharply with great force not two feet from the ground. She winced slightly feeling the muscles in her shoulder complain as it was being warmed up in this first move. Her gloved hand encased in green dragonhide gloves encased the almost invisible snitch.

She loved the feeling of having something encased in her grasp and trying to get out, it gave her a sense of power. She felt accomplished and powerful having something so small yet so hard to grasp with in her own hand.

While she felt the thrill of the capture she loved more the freedom of flying. It was the only time she could be herself. She could let go and be free. Speaking of free, Rose released the snitch again and sat hovering giving it a moment's head start. She shot off into the night.

The moon was out now which cast shadows on the pitch but lit up the sky. She soared in the cool night keeping a sharp eye out. There, she saw a flash of movement where there should not be one and she shot off towards it. Her insides trembled at the adrenalin of the chase. When she realized the path of the she became even more excited, the set up was perfect, she could try a new move she had made up.

Rose slowly stood up on her broom. She was about four hundred feet above the ground, she balanced carefully as she walked cat-like down the the very tip of the handle. Then she jumped, the handle of the broom shot downward and then curved up higher. Rose did a back flip through the air, closed her hand around the clear snitches sphere shape and landed sitting sideways on her broom.

Rose laughed out loud at the delight of her new move. She had planed and made the move up about a month ago and her first attempt could not have gone better. She smiled joyfully and straddled her broom once again.

Rose flew down to the grass and walked over to the shed to put her stuff away. She had ended her practice shorter than usual because she had wanted to end on a good note. She pulled a towel she had brought with her in her bag and wiped her glistening face. She took a huge swig of water and gulped it down loudly. Rose carefully placed her gloves in her bag along with her practice snitch and zipped it up. She walked briskly through the woods to the Shrieking Shack where the passage back to the castle was.

As she was walking she heard a crack, Rose stopped and pulled out her wand.

"Revelio," Rose said quietly not wanting to give herself away.

A small light issued from behind a tree not far from her right. She walked quietly with her wand out and walked around the tree.

"Stupify!" Rose cried loudly.

A tall body fell face down with thud. She looked at the blond hair glistening in the moonlight on the back of the person's head and she did not even have to turn the person over to tell who it was. She did so anyway and was not surprised to see the handsome face of Scorpius Malfoy. She wondered if he had seen her flying. Her guess was probably because she could have sworn she felt some one watching her the past week. It must have been him. She smirked at his blank face and wondered what his explanation would be for watching her fly at night. She pointed her wand humorously at him.

"Enervate."

Scorpius's POV:

Scorpius inhaled with a gasp and looked up to see pool blue eyes looking at him mere inches from his own. They eyes drew back and he could see now that ivory skin and red hair framed Rose's shockingly blue eyes.

Scorpius tried to recall what had happened in the last few moments.

He walked quietly through the dark shadowy woods following Rose after her Quiditch practice. She had ended it sooner that she usually had surprising him and he hurried into the shadows behind the red head. Shit! He stepped on a stick and it cracked loudly. Quickly, making as little noise as possible he ducked behind a tree and squeezed his eyes tight hopping she did not notice the loud crack. The woods was silent except for the small rustling of nightlife and the cooing of owls. Then suddenly a red light issued toward him. As it hit him he could feel himself slumping against the tree and then everything went black.

The damn redhead was laughing at him mockingly and the happy laughter issued through the dark woods and was absorbed by the night. Scorpius glared at Rose and sat up rubbing his head, he guessed he had hit it on something when she had stunned him.

"Was it really necessary to stun me?" Scorpius asked annoyed.

"Yeah, creep. You were walking behind me in the woods what did you expect," Rose said saucily.

"Well I don't know, not a stunning spell," Scorpius said scathingly.

"Why were you following me?" Rose demanded.

"Well," he paused not sure what to say next, "I was walking back from the Quiditch pitch, I go there every night to think."

"Scorpius Malfoy thinking! That's rich!" Rose said laughing hysterically.

"Well I do think about things even if you don't think so. What are you doing in the woods at night Weasley?" Scorpius said spinning the question back on her, he was interested in her response.

"Well... well I was... I was-"

"Weasley! Spit it out! I don't think you'll surprise me."

"I was flying," Rose spit out.

"Well, Weasley you didn't surprise me there," Scorpius smiled, "I have seen you fly before-"

"I knew someone was watching me! I felt it and you have been watching me more than usual during school too! You're such a creep, following a girl through the dark woods every night, watching her fly, and then watching her during the day!" Rose ranted at him then she turned to go. Scorpius reached out quickly and grabbed her arm tightly.

"Wait, I'm sorry I should have said something it just seemed that you're flying was something you wanted to be private," Scorpius said softly.

"Why you would you assume that?" Rose replied indignantly.

"Well, let's see, you practice at night with no coach or friend and you sneak in and out of the castle through a secret passage. I don't know what lead me to believe that you wanted this to stay private." Scorpius responded sarcastically.

"Hey, hey, don't get all grumpy again, for a moment there I almost thought you were being nice to me so don't stop now. You're right no one knows about my flying and I do want to keep it that way-"

"But your an amazing flier! Any team would sign you instantly and your team would win the Quiditch cup if you played."

"Thanks, that's really reassuring. No one's ever seen me fly. It's nice to know that someone thinks I'm because my parents don't believe in me, they don't think I can do it, they think I am throwing my life away. They mean a lot to me but at this point, I don't want to listen anymore. They don't understand me, no one does, not Al, not Jas, but maybe one day someone will."

"Umm okay this conversation turned really awkward considering we are not even friends and you just told me your innermost thoughts, but here's where I surprise you and say maybe someone will surprise you because they do understand you you just don't realize it. Hey, while we're on the topic of feelings do you maybe... I don't know..."

"Just say what you're going to say already because at this point this night can't really get any more unusual."

"As I was saying, let's be friends!"

A loud silence echoed through the woods as Rose thought this over. Suddenly her face lit up in a bright smile.

"I'd really like that. I think you and I could get along famously if we tried. Goodness know Albus will be happy that we're not arguing all the time."