A/N: Thank you so so so much to everyone who keeps reviewing and reading this story. Your insight is so important to me, so PLEASE keep it coming. This story isn't nearly over, so keep letting me know what you think so I can keep my motivation up! xoxo

Chapter 30: Ill With Want

"Hey."

Hugo looked up at me from where he was sitting in the library.

"Lily told me you were here," I said as I sat down across from him. "Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?" he said without looking up at what he was doing. From what I could tell, he was writing something, but I couldn't tell what it was from my angle.

"I mean, I've probably only seen you in the library twice since you've been at Hogwarts."

His mouth twitched a bit, but a full smile didn't come. "I'm working on Quidditch plays. The common room was too loud."

"Hugo."

Hugo finally looked up at me. He looked wary and tired. The gleaming light that was always in his laughing eyes had dimmed to almost nonexistence.

"What's wrong?"

He shrugged.

I wasn't sure, but I thought I might know what was wrong. I felt the feelings myself over the last few days. The feeling that things were too good to be true—that any minute the other shoe was going to drop. I felt a strange edginess that was only dulled by Scorpius's presence. "Dad's okay," I tried. When I saw Hugo's features tighten a bit, I knew I had hit the nail on the head. We'd gone through something fucking difficult. It was hard to just act like everything was okay even when it seemed to be. "He's okay, Hugo. You know that, right?"

He looked at me with slightly wild eyes. "That was scary, wasn't it?"

I nodded. "It was awful."

"I mean, they were sure he wouldn't make it. And now he's just, what, fine?"

"Hugo—"

"Nothing's ever that easy and simple in this family."

"The healers said they found—"

"No trace of the curse, I know, but I still… I don't know."

"Hugo." I reached out and touched his hand. He was so caught off guard by the rare show of affection from me that he jumped. "Ron is fine. It's normal for you to be—nervous or whatever—after just going through something like that a few days ago. It was intense and scary, but you can't let it control you. You can't just be afraid that he's gonna drop dead any minute."

He sighed and nodded. I could tell he knew I was right but that he was still scared to admit it. I was just as scared, but it was different for me because I had Scorpius to distract me. I knew that was exactly what Hugo was down here doing—writing plays and trying to distract himself from his thoughts. I knew he was doing that because before Scorpius, that had been my exact M.O. I couldn't even begin to count all the hours that I sat in the library alone trying to get out of my own head and stop thinking about my entire life.

"Where have you been anyway? I haven't seen you in the common room and Meg said you haven't been in the dorm."

"I've been with Albus," I said without hesitation. He was my go-to excuse nowadays.

"You're lying," he shot back. "Albus has been hanging out in Gryffindor with Fergie." He arched an eyebrow. "Which you would know if you'd been around."

I opened my mouth to respond but he cut me off before I could mumble out some other half-assed excuse.

"I just think you're more stressed out about dad than you're letting on."

I sighed, grateful that he had formulated a reason in his own mind about my absence. He must have thought I was off sulking alone. What else would I be doing? Of course he would never think that I was off in our professor's quarters, fucking him senseless.

"I know it's a tough situation—wait, why are you talking to Meg about me? Is she your spy or something?" I saw the tips of his ears turn pink—a telltale sign that something was up in the Weasley family—and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Hugo," I said in a warning tone.

"She… we…"

"Spit it out."

"I think we're kind of seeing each other. Or something."

"What!" I screeched. I couldn't have been more shocked if he'd said he was going to drop out of Hogwarts and join the circus.

Hugo's face reddened. "Well—"

"For how long?"

He cleared his throat. "A few weeks."

"Weeks! Hugo!" That was all I could say. I was so utterly speechless. Now, that conversation her and I had had last week made more sense. She didn't want to spend her time hating me if she had a thing for my brother. She felt better about moving on from Hadley because she had another guy—and a much more amazing one—to occupy her time. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know. I just… I don't know, I saw her one day in the common room late after everyone had gone to bed. And she just looked so sad. So I asked her what was wrong, and we talked all night. Look, I know you don't like her—"

"Hold it right there," I said, holding up a hand. "Meg and I have had shit in the past, but… we've come to an understanding. I—well, I think it might have something to do with you."

"Maybe," he said, looking a bit sheepish. "And probably also the fact that Hadley is such a dick and he treated both of you like shit."

I chuckled a bit, but I had to get back to the topic at hand. "So is she your girlfriend?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. That's another reason why I'm down here. I just have so much I need to think about."

"Like what? Meg is gorgeous. She's…" I didn't know what else to say. She was gorgeous, and generally a nice girl, but I still did have bitter feelings toward her despite the talk we'd had. I didn't know what to think. It was all so completely unexpected. I didn't even know Hugo and Meg even knew each other, let alone that they knew each other well enough to date. This was so confusing.

"She has a reputation."

Okay, that made me angry. I knew Meg had a reputation and I knew exactly what that reputation was, but if he liked her, he shouldn't have been hung up on something like that. "Who cares?" I said angrily. I didn't know why I was defending Meg, but I felt like I had to. "If you like her—"

"That's not…" he sighed. "We've been seeing each other since that night I guess. We've stayed up late talking almost every night since. We've snogged. A lot. And I took her on a date."

"So what's the problem?"

"When I even come close to bringing up the girlfriend/boyfriend topic, she freaks."

I sighed. "She's scared. Hadley burned her, Hugo—wait. That's why you've been so angry with him."

"No, I'm angry with him because he tried to rape my sister," Hugo hissed.

"Hugo!" I snapped back.

"Sorry," he shot back, although he didn't sound or look sorry at all. "But yeah, I guess Meg is another reason why I hate him."

"Well, you just have to see it from her perspective. I understand her completely. She dated Hadley for a year and then he cheated on her and destroyed her. Hello." I pointed to myself. "I turned into a royal bitch for an entire year after Hadley did that to me. You have to give her some time."

He sighed and looked at his hands, and I could tell he wanted to say something else. I liked this. I liked sitting and talking with my brother. Normally it was him comforting me and telling me everything was going to be okay, and it was nice to be the one who was needed for once, rather than the one who was needing.

"It's not just that," he said finally, quietly.

"What is it?"

He sighed again. "She won't—" he cut himself off and started again. "We've been dating for two weeks, and…"

"And what?"

"She—I mean, she has this reputation, you know, and I don't know, she just… Well—shit." He shook his head and then apparently decided to just spit it out. "All she'll do is snog!"

I gaped at him.

"I mean—"

"Hold on," I said, holding up a hand. "You mean to tell me that you're upset because Meg won't fuck you?"

Hugo looked horrified, and to my relief, he looked embarrassed. This conversation had certainly taken a turn for the worst…

"No!" Hugo shook his head wildly, and looked around the library frantically as if expecting someone to pop out of the shadows. But it was Saturday, and the only people in the library were the kinds of people that were going to be so absorbed in their work that they wouldn't hear Hugo and I if we screamed. I knew that because I had often been one of them. "No—Rose, god, no. It's just… Shit, forget it."

I sighed and tried to release some of my anger. "Just explain."

"It's not that I expect her to… you know," he whispered. "But it's been two weeks and there's been nothing. I just… I feel like if she really actually liked me, she'd want to, you know?"

"Given her reputation?" I said with an arched eyebrow.

"I shouldn't have said it like that," Hugo said quickly. "It's just… Why doesn't she? She's older. She's… experienced. I just… And she won't be my girlfriend. I don't want to be a rebound, Rose."

Ah. That made much more sense. He was just feeling vulnerable because he clearly really liked her and he was afraid that she didn't like him in the same way. But I thought the very fact that she was going slow meant the opposite of what Hugo thought it meant. She must have wanted things to be different. She must have wanted Hugo to like her for more than just that, the way so many other boys at school hadn't. And even though he was my brother, I could admit that Hugo was a catch. He was handsome and tall and athletic, and he was adorable and hilarious, and everybody loved him. Meg must have wanted to make it work—and obviously her formula hadn't been working for her before so she wanted it to be different this time. I understood completely. I explained as much to him, and after I finished, he seemed like he felt a lot better.

"Just follow her lead," I finished. "She'll show you when she's ready, but you have to give her time."

"I like her a lot, Rose," Hugo said.

I smiled. "I can tell."

"She's just…" I watched a small smile form on his face as he stared at a spot on the table. "Beautiful. And sweet. And kind… And she just… We have a lot in common. We think the same way. She makes me laugh, and she makes me feel good about myself. I just… I don't know."

"Hugo," I said in a slightly awed voice. I had never seen him like this. "You really like her."

"Yeah," he said, looking up at me. "I really, really do."

I smiled and then let out a small huff. "We should go," I said, checking my watch. "Ron and Hermione will be waiting."

He rolled his eyes at my use of their first names and stood up to shove things into his bag. We left the library and headed for the exit to the grounds that led to Hogsmeade—McGonagall had charmed it so it would open for us. When we left the castle, Hugo nudged me with his shoulder.

"Thanks for listening, Rosie," he said with a grin.

I rolled my eyes and punched him in the shoulder. "Don't call me that."

We walked the rest of the way laughing and joking. His mood was much, much better after he had been able to talk about what was bothering him. I was glad I could do that for him. Briefly and suddenly, I thought of Scorpius, and the longing I felt for him overwhelmed me. The feelings came on so suddenly that I almost felt lightheaded. For a brief moment I thought of running back to the castle away from my brother and my parents before my rational mind came back and told me to relax. What the hell?

The bell above the door tinkled as we entered the Three Broomsticks. I immediately spotted my father's red hair in the corner, and my mother looked up and waved to us brightly. I waved back and we walked over. I tried not to be worried that it seemed a bit of a struggle for my father to stand. Hermione must have noticed the worry on my face.

"Oh, don't mind him, he's being dramatic," she said with an eye roll as she embraced me. Then I turned to my father and Hugo went to hug Hermione. "Getting so tall," I heard her murmur as I hugged Ron. He looked a bit paler than usual, but otherwise he seemed fine. He was grinning broadly and when I pulled away, he brushed a hand down my hair.

"You get more beautiful every time I see you, Rose," he said quietly. I blinked back the tears that immediately burned in the back of my eyes. To think that I had almost had to go the rest of my life without a hug from my father—the thought was unbearable. "You look different," he then said, tilting his head a bit.

I shrugged, blushing a bit. Scorpius was changing me. I could feel it, and it struck me that my father could see it on my features, in my eyes.

"I think she has a secret boyfriend," Hugo said after holding my mother's chair out for her and letting her sit down. She looked at him with pride before taking her seat. He then sat down next to her—across from me, with my father on his right at the circular table—and my dad and I sat. I shooed him off when he tried to pull out my chair like Hugo had done.

"I do not," I said.

"Rose—"

"Stop," I said to my mother. "Don't believe a word he says. Hugo has a secret girlfriend."

His face reddened and he gave me a look. "Rose," he hissed.

"Hugo!" my mother screeched almost exactly like I had. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Mum, it's not—"

Luckily for my brother, he was saved when the elderly but still beautiful Madam Rosemerta came over to take our order. She chatted with our parents for a while—she'd known them when they were at Hogwarts, and of course she knew them from the war. She asked how my aunt and uncle were, and finally, she left with our order, and my mother immediately started in on Hugo like no interruption had even occurred.

"I'm going to kill you," Hugo said to me before he was forced to answer her questions. I just smiled and looked over at my father who was grinning like a fool. I realized in that moment how incredibly, ridiculously, embarrassingly happy I was, and I adopted a matching grin because in this moment, my life was perfect.

After Hugo and I got back to the castle, I hugged him goodbye—which shocked him—and headed for the Room of Requirement. I knew Albus had never said specifically that we were having practice, but I knew that he liked to jam during the day when he didn't have Quidditch practice, and I had it on good authority that the Slytherins weren't practicing until tomorrow afternoon (it paid to have a boyfriend on the inside).

When I got inside the room, I was greeted by a familiar, and yet not-so-familiar sight.

My eyes immediately went to the area near the drum set, and I saw a back to me—a strong, muscular, bare back that had nails raking down it. The back belonged to someone with brown floppy hair, who was straddling someone I couldn't see. Both were lost in each other, not noticing at all when I walked in and the door clicked behind me. There was a small heap of clothing on the floor, apparently belonging to the two people who were snogging each other soundly, making moaning and whimpering noises occasionally.

Rolling my eyes with a grin, I cleared my throat. Both figures jumped, and the boy with brown hair and a muscular back looked over his shoulder quickly.

"Hi, Fergie."

I heard the figure underneath Fergus Bossenen groan when he recognized the sound of my voice. A moment later, my cousin's black-haired head peaked around Fergie's frame.

"Hey," Albus said.

"We gotta stop meeting like this," I said as I walked toward them and Fergie moved off of Albus. I noticed then that Albus was down to his boxers and I suddenly felt a bit bad. They were clearly in the middle of something pretty heated… "I can come back," I said quickly.

Fergie laughed as he reached down and yanked his shirt over his head. I couldn't help but admire his abs right before he did so. I looked at Albus, who had been looking to, and when he looked back at me, he didn't even bother to blush. He reached for his pants and stood up to yank them on before sitting back down and grabbing his shirt to pull it over his head.

"No worries, Rose," Fergie said. "I was… We were done."

Albus shot Fergie a look, but Fergie kept his eyes on me. I frowned a bit, but didn't say anything.

"Are you guys supposed to be practicing?"

"No," Albus said, narrowing his eyes at me.

"No, I just wanted to play, and I knew you'd be here." I grinned. "I didn't know you'd be here like this, though. I'm sorry. I really can just come back later."

"No, no," Fergie said, smiling. Then he leaned down to kiss Albus goodbye. "I'll see you later, baby," he said right before he pecked him. But before Fergie could pull away, Albus put his hands behind the other boy's head and held him there, kissing him soundly. Fergie put his hands on Albus's shoulders to steady himself, and I just watched, happy and amazed. "Whoa," Fergie said when he was finally able to pull away. Albus grinned and wiped his lower lip with his thumb.

Then Albus stood up and put his hand on the back of Fergie's neck and leaned in to whisper something in his ear. I saw Fergie nod, and when he turned around, his face was bright red.

"I'll see you later, Rose," Fergie said hoarsely before he rushed from the room. As soon as he was out the door, Albus collapsed back into his seat and rubbed both hands down his face before looking at me.

"He's so hot, isn't he?" Albus asked, glancing at the door Fergie had just exited from.

"Majorly," I said, reaching for a nearby chair and sitting in it, facing Al. "What was all that whispering?"

Albus smirked. "Just a promise for later."

I shot him a disgusted look. "Gross."

Al laughed. "Oh, don't give me that. I know you've been off in the dungeons fucking Malfoy for the past two days."

My eyes widened. "Stop," I said through a short giggle.

"I knew it," he said, shaking his head.

"So are you and Fergie official or something?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Not really. We're just having fun."

I arched an eyebrow and suddenly became serious. "That's not what he thinks and you know it."

"Rose, I'm taking it slow. I'll let it get there. I promise."

"What did you just whisper in his ear?" I said in an accusatory voice.

Albus flushed, confirming my suspicion that it had been something illicit. "It's not like it matters," he said. "He won't do anything but snog."

I scoffed. "You should talk to Hugo," I muttered, standing up and walking toward the piano we had set up in the corner.

"What?"

"Nothing. Do you want to play?" I knew that if I pressed Al more about Fergie, we would just both end up upset with each other. I knew Albus still had feelings for Lysander whether he chose to admit it or not. I knew that he was trying with Fergie, though, and that was really all I could hope for. There was no use rehashing the same conversation we'd already had a dozen times.

"Rose, we haven't even gone on a real date yet," Albus said as he walked over and grabbed his guitar. "I'm not going to be—I don't know—intense about something that's so fresh." I supposed I understood. Not everyone could be like me and my near obsession over Scorpius when he'd only become officially my boyfriend the day before.

"That's fine," I said. "I get that. Just don't make him think it's more than it is. You know he's crazy about you."

"I know."

"Okay," I said. "Then let's play."

We got finished with practice late. Lysander and Nate had showed up later, and we'd jammed almost all night, since we'd gone so long without it. It felt amazing. We got better all the time, and things between Lysander and Albus had finally seemed to cool off. They were being normal with each other—no bitterness, no sexual tension, just the two of them being like they'd been before.

I was exhausted. I'd gone a bit crazy at practice, letting out a ton of energy and tension. I was stressed about Scorpius. My feelings for him were too strong, and they terrified me. I needed the practice to loosen up and feel free and wild, rather than wound so tight from the coil that Scorpius had seemed to permanently wind in me. I wanted him so much all the time. It was ridiculous.

In order to satisfy my craving for him, even though it was well past midnight, I was walking toward the dungeons to Scorpius's quarters. I had wandered toward Gryffindor first so Albus wouldn't say anything when he saw me, and now I was walking quickly down, unable to hold in the little skip in my step as I did.

When I got to the entrance to his quarters, I pressed my palm to the wall, and the wall slide aside.

The room was completely dark except for a small candle that was almost burned completely out that was sitting on Scorpius's end table. Through the soft glow, I could see Scorpius laying on his back with a book on his stomach. I smiled and walked toward him as the door slid shut behind me.

I couldn't wake him. As much as just seeing him there, shirtless and stretched out, made me want him, I didn't have the heart to bring him out of his sleep. We'd exhausted each other the past two nights, and I knew he needed to catch up on his sleep just like I probably needed to as well.

Instead of waking him, I walked up to him and pulled the book from off his stomach and set it on the table. Then I blew out his candle, and I walked quietly to the other side of his bed. I shed my clothes quickly after I set my bag at the foot of his bed. I was down to my bra and panties, and then I crawled into his bed. Trying not to wake him, but also desperately wanting to be as close to him as possible, I shifted myself onto my front and laid my head on his chest and wrapped an arm around his torso as I snuggled close. He smelled so good and I took a deep breath.

Then Scorpius shifted, and I looked up at him—both wanting him to wake up and be asleep—but he was still asleep.

Then my heart leapt when I felt his arm move and curl around my shoulders. I looked up briefly but he was still asleep while all the while holding me closer. I smiled and snuggled closer to him. It wasn't long before sleep took me down.

I yawned and stretched as I blinked my eyes open. It took me a second to realize where I was since I still wasn't completely used to being in Scorpius's bed. I blinked a few times and let my brain focus. I heard the shower running, and I smiled when I realized that Scorpius had let me sleep—probably thinking the same thing I had thought last night and knowing that we both needed sleep.

I turned over and looked at the clock on Scorpius's end table.

Shit.

Hugo had told me yesterday that he wanted to have a Quidditch practice today, and the time he wanted us there was a half hour from now. I wouldn't have any time with Scorpius. Sighing, I slid out of bed. Then I smiled. I had to get ready, and I had to do it quickly. There was only one way. And with a grin, I took off my bra and panties and walked into the bathroom.

I opened the door to the shower and Scorpius whipped around to face me, gasping when he saw me standing there naked.

"Rose," he breathed. Then he reached a hand out and grabbed my wrist, pulling into the shower and up against his chest as he pressed his lips to mine.

When the kiss began to heat up, I pulled away. "Sorry, fritz," I said. "No time for any funny business. I have to get to Quidditch practice."

He groaned. "Are you serious?"

I nodded. "Sorry," I said with a smile as I reached around him and pulled his soap off the ledge.

I tortured him for the next ten minutes, cleaning myself slowly and letting him clean me, running his hands slowly over my body as I did the same to him—both of us lathering each other up in more ways than one. I wanted to stay—my entire body was on fire and all I wanted to do was have him touch me and take me to that place that only he could take me, but I couldn't. I promised Hugo I would be there, and that I would be there on time and ready to go.

"Stay," Scorpius breathed, running his hands down my hips and around to my arse, cupping it and yanking me against him.

"Stop," I sighed, reaching up and wrapping my hands around his neck. "I'll come back later."

He grunted in annoyance. "I have to go the greenhouses anyway."

"Okay, I'll see you after," I said. "But I can't stay all night. I have prefect duty."

"Rose," he buried his face into my neck and we both tightened our grip on each other as the hot water cascaded over both of us. "I shouldn't want you this much," he whispered.

I gasped and pulled back so I could look at him. "Scorpius."

"I shouldn't be so mad about not being able to spend a night with you. I should be able to live without you."

"Stop," I said, even though I didn't know why I said that. I didn't want him to stop at all. But I also couldn't bear to hear this. My feelings for him were already overwhelming, and when he said these things, it would only make everything harder. And I knew exactly how he felt. I loved him. I never wanted to be without him. All I wanted to do was stay in this shower and hold him for the rest of both of our lives.

"I'm sorry," he said. Why was he apologizing?

"I'll be late," I said suddenly. "I don't care." I pressed myself against him and I felt him pressing hard against my stomach. Hugo would just have to get over it. I needed this—needed him.

"No," he said. "You promised your brother. I get it."

I huffed and reached down between us so I could grip him in my hand. "It's fine," I said breathily. "I want you."

Scorpius stared at me long and hard for a few seconds and then he grasped me harder against him. "I'll be quick," he growled and turned me around, pressing me against the wall of the shower. My nipples hardened almost immediately when they were pressed against the cold tile. He brought a hand down in front of me, and a few swipes at my clitoris had me bucking against him. I was ready. Him lathering me up in the shower had turned me on wildly, and I could feel my arousal between my legs. He then slipped a finger inside me, and he knew as well as I that I was desperate for him.

"You're ready," he said.

"Always," I said, tipping my head back against his shoulder.

He kicked my legs apart and I felt his length rubbing along my folds. I moaned and arched back, and he dragged my hands up so they were flat on the wall in front of me and he brought his hands up to cover mine. His big hands dwarfed mine, and our fingers alternated before he began to rub against me, and his hands gripped mine against the wall.

"Keep your hands there," he told me before he slid his hands down my arms and cupped my breasts. I moaned and pressed my chest into his hands. He moved one hand away and rolled a nipple in between the fingers of his other hand. I felt him lining himself up with my entrance and then he was inside, and I bucked wildly as I moaned loudly. Then his other hand was on my nipple and he was thrusting hard and fast. There was no time, and he was trying to get both of us off quickly. I pushed myself back into him, meeting his thrusts, and he drove into me, whispering filthy words into my ear as I moaned loudly, unable to control myself, loving the feel of him and loving the sound of his voice whispering harshly in my ear. I wanted him so madly. Then he brought a hand down and swiped at my sensitive nub, and I was coming around him, calling out his name and clenching my walls around him. A moment later, I felt him spilling himself inside me.

We stayed like that for a moment, him inside me, panting into my ear and my head against the cool tiles of the shower as I panted along with him. And all I could think about was how much I loved him.

"You're late," Hugo said as I ran up to the pitch, miraculously only ten minutes late.

"Sorry," I said as I got up to the rest of the group. Hadley looked over his shoulder and smiled at me. I smiled back.

"It's fine," Hugo said exasperatedly. "I'm going to have the beaters first anyway. I was just telling the rest of them. I need to go over some plays with them. The rest of you stretch and warm up while we're doing this. It'll only be a few minutes"

"Hey," Hadley said to me after the group dispersed and I had walked over to the side—away from everyone as was my ritual—sitting on the grass and stretching my legs out in front of me. My hair was still wet from the shower, and I pulled it up on top of my head to get it out of my way. I felt warm and sated, and I tried not to let it show to Hadley or anyone else who might be looking in my direction. Hadley sat down in front of me.

"I haven't seen you in a few days," he said as he stretched. I couldn't help but admire the muscles in his arms as he did so.

"Oh," I said. "Yeah. I've been around."

"Are you still worried about your dad?"

I shook my head. "Not really. The healers said he'll be fine."

"That's great. I'm really glad."

Silence fell for a bit as we stretched. I watched Hugo, huddled on the grass with his beaters as he moved his hands around and demonstrated his new plays to them. I was glad all his angst from the day before had at least paid off on the pitch—the place he cared about most.

"Thanks for coming, by the way," I said suddenly to Hadley. Thinking about Hugo being worried about Ron made me remember that Hadley had come to see me when he was there. "You didn't have to do that."

He shrugged. "I wanted to. I had to know you were okay."

"Well, thanks," I said, looking up at him. When I looked up, he was already looking at me. He seemed to be regarding me, considering something, but then he just shook his head slightly.

"Did you see that thing in the Prophet about Lysander's mum and dad?"

I laughed and nodded. "They're always doing ridiculous explorations like that. Who ever thought one would ever actually turn out to be something?" The Prophet a week before had said that Luna Lovegood and Rolf Scamander had discovered a rare plant species while searching for "spargles"—distant cousins of nargles—that infest certain plants and have healing qualities (although magical creature specialists discounted their existence). They hadn't found the spargles, but they had discovered another rare plant species that most people had thought had gone extinct over a thousand years ago. "My dad always says that Luna found the only man in the world crazier than her."

Hadley laughed. "I think there's something to be said for that."

"It works for them," I said, laughing.

I watched him and it looked like something had suddenly dawned on him. "Are Lysander and Albus still…?"

I shook my head. "No. He's with someone else, but I don't know if I'm allowed to tell yet." I leaned in toward him and he smirked and leaned in. "It's Fergus Bossenen," I whispered.

His eyes went wide. "I didn't know ol' Bosse was gay! He never said anything."

"Oh my god, Hadley. He's lived in your dorm for seven years. And I fucking told you a million times. You never listen." I gave an exaggerated eye roll and he chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Maybe you might have mentioned it."

I raised both eyebrows. "Might have?"

He shrugged and laughed. "I can neither confirm nor deny. I'm getting old. My memory isn't what it used to be."

"Oh, shut up. Your birthday isn't for three months."

"You remember," he said with a smile.

I frowned at him with a smile on my face. "Of course I remember, idiot."

He laughed. "Well—"

Hadley was interrupted by Hugo calling for the rest of us to join him and the beaters, and Hadley nudged me with a grin right before we joined everyone else. The rest of practice went by smoothly, and I could tell that Hugo felt a lot better than he had after our last couple practices. He told us all to hit the showers and that he would let us know in a few days when our next practice would be. He said we could have some time off since we'd improved so much over the last week or so.

Hadley tried to catch me after practice, but I told him I was skipping the shower so I could go work on some things. He accepted my excuse since I'd been out for a few days, and he said he'd see me later right before I practically ran to the greenhouses.

I checked the first two greenhouses before I finally opened the door to the third greenhouse, knowing he was in there. I walked through rows of magical herbs and plants before I turned one row and saw him. My breath caught in my throat.

He was huddled over a short row of some kind of plant that I didn't recognize. He was pulling the plants out by the roots and wiping his sweaty brow occasionally. His shirt was off, and I could see the muscles in his back flexing as he worked. I leaned against a tall shelf that was housing rows of potted plants and crossed my arms in front of me so I could watch him work. He was moving with sensuality and fluidity and strength as he squatted in front of the plants. Each time he would reach into the row with his left hand, yank the plant up, and I would see the muscle in his bicep twitch as he did so, right before he moved the plant to his right hand and set it into a carrier. He had sweat glistening on his bare back, and he was wearing a pair of cut off jeans to keep him cool in the heat of the greenhouse, so I could see his muscular legs while he squatted. God, he was sexy.

And he was mine.

His head was turned slightly, and after he pulled out another plant, he wiped his brow again and blew a wayward piece of his blond hair out of his eyes before putting the plant in the carrier. The small movement was incredibly sexy and caused heat to pool low in my belly. After he did that, he paused, not immediately moving to his next plant, but bracing his right hand on the carrier, seeming to study the plants he had uprooted.

"How was practice?"

His voice made me jump and I gasped.

He stood up and turned to face me, and I had to stop myself from bringing a hand up to cover my mouth. His chest was glistening and covered with smudges and lines of dirt, and the button of his jeans was undone, revealing the V of his torso that led down to the area that I knew intimately. I drank in his body without shame—he was my man, I was allowed to look.

When I finally looked up into his eyes, he was watching me intently, and I realized that I was panting slightly, my chest heaving. I tried to get my breathing under control, but he was looking at me like that, and his looks always drove me mad. I ran my thumb across the tips of my fingers as my heart started to race and my body temperature rose.

He was on me in a flash.

His hands went around to grip the back of my neck so he could tilt my head up and do what he wanted with me. I responded willingly, letting his tongue slip easily into my mouth as little whimpers began to escape from my throat. I gripped his hips and yanked him closer, wanting our bodies to touch and never stop touching. He growled in response and moved to walk us back until my back hit a metal shelf and I heard the pots of plants rattle, but I didn't care. I inhaled sharply as his mouth left mine and moved to my neck—kissing and biting—and my hands moved to wrap around his neck as his hands slid down and cupped my arse. I sighed his name and ground my hips against his.

The greenhouse was so hot and humid and I felt a light sheen of sweat erupt on my skin as his kisses and his body pressed against mine just made me even hotter. I felt a bead of sweat begin to slide slowly down my chest between the crevasse of my breasts, and his head dipped down and he dragged his tongue up and licked it up, making me moan and wrap my arms tighter around him.

I didn't know what had happened—everything happened so fast, but before I knew it, the top of my Quidditch uniform was ripped open and he was yanking my pants down, taking my underwear with them. I kicked them both the rest of the way off before his mouth latched to mine again and I felt his chest pressing against mine. I sank my hands into his hair at the back of his head—starting at his neck and sliding them slowly up—and as his tongue fought mine, I tightened my grip in his hair. He groaned his approval, and his hands squeezed my arse before sliding a bit lower so he could lift me up against the shelves. I gasped and wrapped my legs around him tightly.

It was him. Only him. There was no one else and there would never be anyone else. He made me feel beautiful and sexy and loved and special. He devoured me and drank me in and ravished me like no one ever had or ever would. I wanted him so badly that my heart clenched painfully, tightening and bursting in my chest simultaneously. I whimpered his name into his mouth, and I reached down so I could push his jeans below his hips without parting our mouths. I felt him spring free and hit a spot right above where I wanted him to be inside. I wrapped my arms around his neck again, trying to steady myself, and he reached in between us and positioned himself before pushing himself inside.

I broke my mouth away from his and tipped my head back and moaned loudly, and Scorpius grunted low and long as he slid all the way in. My head was fallen back against one of the shelves and his face was buried into my neck as he began a steady rhythm, pushing up into me.

Would I ever tire of this? Would I ever not want him this desperately? Would his touch ever not ignite every part of my body? Would I ever stop loving him as wildly as I did?

He was so deep inside me with gravity pulling me down and him rising up to meet me. With each slide all the way in, I moaned as he breathed heavily into my neck, letting out heavy puffs of breath with each upward thrust.

Then it became hard for me to take it anymore—I craved release. I never wanted him to stop, but I also needed to feel the relief that only he could give me. On one particularly hard thrust from him, I bore down on him and clenched my walls, making him buck into me and cry out my name. He pulled his face out of my neck and kissed me, briefly swiping his tongue against mine before our mouths separated a bit but our lips continued to brush against each other as he thrusted into me and I bore down to meet each of this thrusts.

"So close… Scorpius… Ah, I'm so close. Like that, yes, like that. Like that." Our open mouths continued to brush against each other and I felt him shudder, warning me that he was close, too.

"So tight. Fuck you feel so good," he panted against my mouth. "I'll never get enough." Then he shifted his hips a certain way, and I came hard around him, tightening my legs around his waist and moaning loudly and continuously as he continued to push inside me, making my orgasm last as he rubbed against my sensitive walls and finally released himself inside me with a loud grunt.

After we were both finished, he slid out slowly, making me twitch, and then I dropped my legs, but he didn't back away. He bent his head and pressed his forehead against mine as I let my eyes drift shut while we both caught our breath, both of us clearly blown away but our raw desire for the other. Before Scorpius, I hadn't even known I was capable of feeling things like this.

Finally, he pulled his forehead away from mine, and I opened my eyes to see him smiling the sweetest smile at me.

I wanted to tell him then because I felt it so unbelievably strongly. I love you. Fuck my fingers, my entire body was tingling and humming, and my heart felt so tight in my chest. I tried to steady my breathing, but I couldn't. Not when he was looking at me like that after making me feel incredible.

"Rose," he said.

"Fritz," I responded with a smile and a shaky voice.

He shook his head with that adorable smile and my chest clenched painfully.

"You… Man…"

"What?"

"I don't know… You're driving me crazy," he said. "I don't know how or why, but whatever you're doing… don't stop."

Before I leaned in to kiss him, I whispered, "Never."

Next chapter:

A few weeks pass, and Rose and Scorpius get caught in a sticky situation.