A/N: Hello! I just want to say thank you to everyone who is sticking with this story. I know it's long, so thank you to everyone who has been reading it from the beginning, and a special thank you to those who keep on reviewing. It means a lot to know that this story is being enjoyed by you! Thank you!

Chapter 36: After Party

"I'd like to raise a toast."

We weren't even an hour into the after party of the Quidditch match, and Hugo was already drunk out of his mind. The music stopped, and I laughed as Hugo climbed up onto a table in the common room and he muttered a curse when he slipped a bit. A few people chuckled, and he finally got his balance and stood up with a broad grin and a drink in his hand.

"I'd like to toast the beautiful men and women of the Gryffindor Quidditch team," Hugo slurred. "I was worried about all of you at first—"

"Hey!" one of the beaters shouted in protest.

Hugo laughed along with many other people in the room. "But you got it together and brought it home for us today. I'd like to"—he hiccupped—"toast all of you!" He gestured outward to the room with his hand that was holding his cup and a significant amount of his drink sloshed over the side of his cup. I covered my mouth to stifle a giggle. "We play for ourselves, but we also play for you. We couldn't do any of this without your sup—supper—erm—cheers from the stand and all that. I'd like to toast myself," Hugo said, pointing to himself with the hand holding his cup. "Woops!" he laughed as he spilled some of his drink down his front while pointing to himself. Laughter rose up from the crowd that had gathered. Then he continued with his speech. "For being the best damn captain that Gryffindor has ever seen." The common room erupted with cheers, and Hugo grinned broadly.

"And finally… I'd like to toast my sister." My cheeks heated as dozens of eyes turned on me from where I was standing in between Hadley and Lucy. I looked over at Hadley who grinned and nudged me with his shoulder. "I knew from the first day of trials that Rose would make an amazing seeker, and she proved me right today. Rose…" He held his cup to his chest like he was trying to hold in his emotions. "You're the best sister anyone could ever ask for, and the best fucking seeker a captain could ask for." My eyes widened when I noticed his eyes fill with tears. "I don't know where I'd be without you." My eyes met Hugo's and he smiled. I returned it as I felt my own eyes fill with tears. God, my amazingly sweet, funny, drunk brother. I loved him. "To my team, to me"—he smirked and everyone laughed—"to Rose"—he held up his glass—"to Gryffindor!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Everyone shouted and cheered and toasted as the music started again, and Hugo jumped from the table he was standing on. He was enveloped in hugs and slaps on the back as he stumbled his way over to where I was standing, grinning broadly at him.

He returned a goofy, lopsided grin to me and I gasped and then giggled when he swept me up into an enormous hug, making the tips of my feet leave the ground.

He held me tightly, and after several moments, Hugo put me back on the ground and gripped my shoulders as he looked at me with a sincere look. "Didn't I tell you you'd be great?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yeah, yeah, you're the best damn captain Gryffindor has ever seen," I said, mirroring his words. "So you have good instincts."

"Nah," Hugo said bashfully, glancing down at the floor and shaking his head with a smile—that was his classic shy look, and the ladies always fell for it. "I just have a good team," he said with a shrug.

"Oh?" I said with a laugh. "So that speech was all about…?"

"That was just for them, Rosie, you know I—"

I laughed and shoved at his shoulder when his ears started to pink and he looked embarrassed. "I know, stupid," I said. Hugo was an amazing captain and he knew he had put together a good team, but that speech was all for the crowd. I knew my brother, and if I knew anything about him it was that he was the most humble man on earth.

He looked up at me and grinned. "Well, you're a kick ass seeker, sis," Hugo said. Then he turned to Hadley who had been making polite conversation off to my left, and he slapped Hadley on the back. "You, too, Underwood. Good job out there today."

Hadley grinned and stuck out his hand for Hugo. Hugo looked down at it and with a returning grin, he grabbed it and shook it hard before pulling Hadley into a quick hug. I rolled my eyes. Boys, I thought. Not two weeks ago Hugo had been telling me that he hated Hadley and that he would never forgive him for what he had done to Meg and me, and he swore that the only reason Hadley was on the team was because both Meg and I had asked him not to be so drastic about all of it and because Hugo had to admit that Hadley was a good chaser. "Otherwise that prick would be out of here."

And now, all it took was a few firewhiskeys and a successful Quidditch match for Hugo to forget all of his hatred for Hadley. I rolled my eyes, and Hugo caught it, and with a grin he yanked me toward him and wrapped his arm around my shoulders so he could dig his knuckles into my hair.

"Shit," I said, my voice muffled in Hugo's shirt as he held me against him. "Goddammit—Hugo!" I shoved off of him and he released me with a howling laugh. I tried to frown at him, but his good mood was far too infectious.

"Enough funny business," Hugo said, and I gaped at him, making him laugh. "I have a girl I need to see."

I glanced at Hadley quickly and I saw a dark look pass over his features when Hugo mentioned the girl—Meg.

"Save a dance for me, Cheeks?"

"Yeah, whatever," I said, trying again and failing to hide my grin. He nudged me with a smile, nodded at Hadley, and then strode across the room to where Meg was standing with a group of girls. I smiled to myself when I saw him wrap his arms around her from behind and nuzzle into her neck. I was so freaking happy for both of them.

A bit later, I was on my second glass of spiked punch, listening to Ainsley go on and on about Otto Daltondale, the Head Boy she had a crush on, when a hand came up and covered my eyes. I heard Ainsley gasp.

"Guess who?"

I jumped and turned around quickly. "Albus!"

Albus laughed and pulled me into a hug. I embraced him tightly and then pulled away.

"What are you doing here?"

"Ferg invited me," Albus said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder to Fergie, who was standing with a couple other people trying to pretend like he wasn't occasionally looking up to see where Albus was. "Hey, Ainsley."

Ainsley smiled and blushed a bit. Even though Albus was gay and he'd been fooling around with boys almost since puberty, Ainsley Dale still had this strange crush on him. It was understandable—he was handsome and popular and amazing—and she always got so bashful when he was around. I thought it had something to do with her suppressed love for my cousin, James, but I wouldn't tell her that.

"Hi, Albus."

I smiled at Ainsley and ushered Albus away so we could talk a bit more privately. "I'll see you in a minute," I said to Ainsley, and she just smiled and waved at us as I pushed Albus away.

"So, things are good with you and Fergie?" I asked Albus when we got into a secluded corner.

Albus frowned. "Yeah, why wouldn't they be?" I gaped at him, and he grinned. "I know, I know," he said, holding up his hands in surrender. "But no really, everything is great."

I sighed. "Good. Okay."

"You did well today," Albus said.

I laughed. "You sound surprised!"

"Well, I… I don't know, I didn't expect you to be so fast." He shrugged.

I arched an eyebrow. "You're nervous, aren't you? You think I may just stand a chance against you."

"Whoa, whoa. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

I laughed and pushed Albus lightly in his shoulder.

"Well, thanks anyway," I said with an eye roll.

"How's your boy?" Albus then asked with an eyebrow raise of his own.

I sighed happily. "Perfect. Just absolutely fucking perfect."

"Have you told him yet?"

I sighed, knowing exactly what Albus was referring to.

"No…"

"Rose! What the hell, why haven't you told him!"

"I don't know!"

Albus shook his head. "Goddammit, Rose."

"I'm scared," I whined.

"Stop," Albus said sternly. "Seriously, shut up, I'm over that."

I pouted. "Fine."

"That won't work on me," he said, referring to my puppy dog eyes and protruding lower lip. "You have nothing to be afraid of. You love him, he loves you. That's all there is."

"Fine. Whatever. I'll tell him tomorrow—"

"You'll tell him tonight," Albus interrupted sternly.

I rolled my eyes in an attempt to hide the trepidation that I knew was probably all over my features. "Fine," I said for what felt like the hundredth time. "Tonight." I knew I was lying even as I said it.

"You're lying, but whatever."

"Oh, my god," I said, slapping his shoulder. "Look, do you want to get drunk and dance with me, or do you just want to stand here lecturing me about my love life all night?"

Albus rolled his eyes, but his happiness was apparent. "Well, get drunk, but—"

"Nope," I said, cutting off whatever more he was going to say about Scorpius and me. "You've made your point. Now," I said, filling up a cup with punch and handing it to him. "Chug this down and let's get this party started."

"Oh, gross!" Albus yelled over the music that was blaring loudly in my ears. The common room had a silencing charm cast around it so that no one walking around the tower would hear the raucous noise coming from inside. And it was a ruckus.

The party was well underway, and people were dancing and laughing and yelling at each other while they continued to drink the seemingly endless supply of adult beverages that we had in the common room. Some people had already disappeared upstairs into the dormitories, and most of the younger kids were cooped up in their dorms, hiding out from the crazy party that the older students were throwing. Hugo had vowed that he was going to cast memory charms on all of them tomorrow morning, and I thought he was only half joking. But almost all of the fourth through seventh years were hanging out in the common room, celebrating the Gryffindor victory.

Although rumor had it that Slytherin threw the best parties, tonight, I had a feeling that Gryffindor was giving them a run for their money.

Albus and Fergie were dancing with me currently, and I was honestly having the absolute best time with them. Right now, the three of us were dancing in a circle, but we had been in all kinds of positions throughout the night, and their favorite one was me sandwiched in between them while they grinded against me like idiots, laughing their heads off.

I looked over my shoulder to where Albus was pointing and yelling, and I saw my brother a few feet away, with his tongue so far down Megaera Bloodworth's throat that I could hardly tell whose mouth belonged to who.

I made a vomiting gesture and then hurled the empty cup I had in my hand at the two of them. It hit Hugo squarely on the back of the head, and Albus and I high-fived right as Hugo pulled away from Meg to look at us. She looked flushed and confused, and when he saw Albus and I laughing, he flipped us two fingers. I smiled and waved, and he laughed, unable to hide his mirth. Then he turned back to Meg and said something to her that had her eyes fluttering right before he dragged her up toward the fifth year boys dormitory.

"I think your brother's about to score with your friend," Fergie said loudly above the music.

"Gross!" Albus and I both said together.

Albus and Fergie then laughed, but I just frowned and shook my head, not really wanting to think about Hugo having sex with Meg. Yuck. Honestly.

"I need more to drink if I'm gonna have this conversation," I said before turning away and heading back to the punch bowl on the other side of the room.

I had to squeeze my way through a crowd of hot, sweaty Gryffindors, but I didn't care. I was too happy and too tipsy to care about anything. I finally made it to the table, and I filled my glass halfway before I gulped it down and filled it all the way up again. My head started to spin a bit, but I didn't care, and I chugged down half my cup.

"Easy," I heard a voice say in my ear. I turned and saw Hadley standing there with a wide grin on his face. "Jeez, don't drink it all at once."

"Hadley!" I said loudly with a big smile before I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, and he laughed and gripped me to him around my waist. I pulled away slightly so I could look at him. "You aren't drunk enough," I said before shoving my cup toward his mouth. He grinned and chugged the rest of my drink down. I smiled and pulled out of his grip so I could fill up my cup again and fill up a cup for him.

He took the cup and leaned against the table with one hand. I gripped my cup with two hands and sipped it while peeking up at him through my eyelashes.

"You look great tonight, Rose," he said.

"Do I?" I said happily, smiling and looking down at my outfit.

After the Quidditch match, I had changed into an indecently short Gryffindor-red mini skirt that came up to my mid-stomach with a tight, black, cropped tank top that left just a sliver of my stomach exposed. I paired it with a long gold chain with a lion pendant hanging from it, and a pair of gold hoops. My hair had started off in loose curls that hung around my shoulders, but it was now on top of my head in a messy bun since it was so unbelievably hot in the common room.

"Yeah," Hadley said, looking me up and down. I frowned at him.

"No funny business," I said, wagging a finger at him.

He laughed and held up his free hand that wasn't holding his drink. "No funny business," he said.

"Okay," I said, nodding in mock seriousness.

"Let's dance," he then said, grabbing my free hand and pulling me to the middle of the dance floor.

I leapt with glee and followed his lead, excited to get back out there. I glugged some of my drink, and it wasn't long before I was lost in the music. Hadley kept his distance, only occasionally grabbing my hand so he could spin me around. I started to think about Scorpius. I wished that he could be here, dancing with me, making out with me, and making me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. I wanted to press my body against him, and feel him hard against me. I wanted the world to know that he was mine, and I wanted him to be here so I could show everyone—so that everyone would know that Rose Weasley had gotten the guy, and he was hot and sexy and smart and he knew how to use his tongue in so many ways.

I smiled and bit my lip, and I don't know why—maybe it was the music or the fact that I'd had too much to drink or the fact that I was horny and I wanted Scorpius—but suddenly I pulled Hadley against me and started to grind against him. He smiled and wrapped an arm around my waist to pull me close, and I tipped my head back and closed my eyes, and imagined that it was Scorpius. I imagined it was his hands on me, his body against me, his breath on my neck.

But then I leaned forward—my eyes still closed—and breathed in, and the scent was all wrong. It wasn't Scorpius. Not at all. It was Hadley's cheap cologne that he had been wearing since we were 15. It wasn't Scorpius's clean, masculine smell. It was a cheap imposter who could never be what Scorpius was.

Suddenly, I pulled away from Hadley, and he looked down at me with a frown.

"What's the matter?" Then he smiled. "We were just getting started."

"Erm…" Ew, no, gross. "Loo!" I said. "I've got to pee!"

What the hell are you doing, Weasley?

Then I rushed from the common room and ran up to the dorm.

When I got into the room, I slammed the door behind me and leaned against it, panting. I couldn't think straight. My stupid drunk brain was too cloudy, and I needed to think.

Think.

Okay. Think.

Dammit, Rose, think!

The loo.

Yes, right, the loo.

I stumbled through my dark dormitory and flicked the light on in the bathroom before I went over and sat on the toilet. I listened to the trickle into the toilet, and suddenly I thought of Scorpius.

Scorpius!

I stood up and yanked my underwear up. I stood up too quickly and the room spun for a minute, but I quickly got my balance back. Scorpius. I wanted to see him. I wanted to see him now. I stumbled out of the bathroom and rushed over to my bed. I flicked my wand at the lamp beside my bed and the flame came to life. I then leaned over into my trunk and dug out the rolled up piece of parchment that Scorpius had charmed so him and I could communicate.

Hi.

He responded quickly. Which made me think that he had been waiting to hear from me. The thought made me grin and bite my lip.

Hey you.

Where are you?

My quarters, laying in my bed, thinking about you. Where are you?

I giggled and scribbled a quick reply.

I escaped the after party. I'm drunk and I'm sitting in my bed thinking about you too.

I'm a professor, Ms. Weasley. You can't tell me that you're having a party where you've been drinking.

"Hmph!" I said out loud in my dorm, but I was still grinning like an idiot. God, I loved him.

My apologies professor. Should I also not tell you that I'm wet in my bed and all I can think about is fucking you?

Rose—I could practically hear his groan from here—come to me, baby. Leave the party.

It would be bad form. It's sort of in my honor.

Fuck honor.

I'd rather fuck you.

I'm coming to Gryffindor. Get ready for me.

I yelped and leapt off my bed. Then I did a little happy dance before I scribbled out a response.

No no I have a better idea. Meet me in the room of requirement.

God, I can't wait. Don't even bother to say goodbye to everyone. Just come to me. I'm already walking up the stairs.

I jumped and threw the parchment down. I ran over to the mirror on the back of the bathroom door, and I checked my appearance in the mirror. My face looked flushed and my mascara was a bit smudged, so I swiped underneath my eyes and smoothed my outfit. Scorpius was going to wild when he saw me in this.

I went to head out the door, and at the last second, I decided to do something devious. So I slid my panties down my legs and tossed them into my trunk with a grin.

I ran back down to the common room, taking the stairs two at a time, and I tried to push my way through the crowd of people. I was shocked for a moment because while I was in my dorm, I'd forgotten how loud the music was and how insane everything was down there, but I couldn't think about that. I just had to push my way through and get to my man.

I was almost to the door when a hand caught my elbow. I jumped. "Where are you running off to?"

"Al! Jeez, you scared me."

"You were in your own world," Al said, pushing a hand through his messy black hair. His eyes were bright, his cheeks were red, and his lips were swollen. He had clearly just been making out with Fergie.

"I'm going to see Scorpius. Go back to your guy."

Albus grinned widely. "Are you gonna tell him you love him?"

I nodded and bit my lip.

"Then go!"

I laughed as Albus pushed me, and I rushed the rest of the way to the portrait hole so I could clamber out of it.

I smoothed my skirt as I practically ran to the Room of Requirement. I was wearing four inch black heels, but that didn't slow me down. I turned a corner when I felt someone grab my wrist and I yelped.

"Albus, I told you I'm going to—"

"Hey."

"Hadley. Oh. Hi." Apprehension—real and intense—swept through me. "What are you doing?"

"I followed you."

He was clearly extremely drunk. All my adrenaline from my conversation from Scorpius and rushing through Gryffindor had sobered me up a bit, so I could tell how drunk Hadley was. His eyes were red and glassy and he could hardly stand up straight.

"You ran off earlier," he slurred. "Why?"

"What?"

"Earlier," he said. "When we were dancing. You ran away."

"Oh," I said stupidly. "Loo." I was nervous. Hadley kept getting closer and closer to me, and I was trying to back away and I could smell the liquor on his breath and I just wanted to get to Scorpius and—

"Loo," he said. "Right. Yeah."

My back hit a wall, and suddenly I was afraid. I had never seen Hadley like this, and when he was sober he was intense enough. I swallowed.

"Yeah, well, okay. See you." I tried to slide down the wall, but suddenly his arms were on either side of me, caging me in.

"You keep running," he said quietly. "Rose, baby, stop running from me."

"Hadley—"

"Rose, I see the way you look at me."

"What? I don't—"

"I know you're still upset about what happened in that classroom when Malfoy found us, but you have to stop being mad at me for that, baby. I just want you so much. I can't control myself." He leaned in and I froze as he trailed his nose along my neck. I tried to turn away, but when I moved, he grabbed my shoulders and slammed me against the wall.

"Hadley—stop, Hadley, you're scaring me."

"I know you're scared, baby. Scared of me—how I make you feel. Scared of us. But don't be scared." His grip on my shoulders tightened and he looked down at me, his face inches from mine. "Think of how good it will be. Think of how good it will feel when you finally let me take you all the way there. Think of how good we are together—like this. Imagine how I'll feel inside you. How—"

"God, Hadley, stop." My fear was replaced by anger. "Gross. Seriously." I moved my arms and tried to shove at him, but he gripped my wrists.

"Don't fight it, Rose," he said, his voice rising. His voice had an edge in it the made me afraid. "I love you, Rose, and I know you love me, too."

Then his mouth was on mine and he pinned my wrists above me. I clamped my mouth shut as his tongue tried to get inside my mouth. I turned my face away, and yelped.

"Hadley, stop!"

He moved to put his mouth on mine again and I thrashed my head back and forth. He pressed his body against mine, pinning me to the wall with his broad frame, and his grip on my wrists tightened. I thrashed wildly, trying to get away but it was no use.

"Hadley—please—stop!"

I felt something hot and wet on my face, and I realized a moment later that I was crying. I tried to scream, but his mouth on mine muffled my attempts. Then, one of his hands left my wrists and he used one of his big hands to grip both of my wrists above my head. His free hand then traveled down underneath the hem of my skirt and he was touching me—touching me in the place that only Scorpius had ever touched me. I managed to break my mouth away from his long enough to yell at him to stop, and suddenly he was gone.

The weight was no longer there. I was no longer trapped.

I opened my eyes that I didn't realize I had closed so tightly just as I heard a resounding crack and a thump. I looked up and saw Hadley's head hit the wall right before Scorpius fisted Hadley's shirt in his hands and yanked Hadley toward him so he could connect his fist with Hadley's face again.

"Scorpius!"

The third time that Scorpius punched Hadley, Hadley fell to the ground and gripped his nose. Scorpius bent down to grab him again, but I ran forward and put myself in front of him. I grabbed his arms and looked at him.

"You can't," I said quietly.

"Rose, goddammit." He was angrier than I had ever seen him—possibly more angry than I had seen anyone ever. "He was—"

"I know what he was doing. He's drunk. I'm fine."

"You're not—"

"Scorpius, you can't." I gave him a knowing look. He was our professor. He couldn't beat Hadley up when he did something wrong. That wasn't the way this worked. If he was just my boyfriend, then maybe I would let him do that, but he wasn't just my boyfriend. He was our professor.

Scorpius closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before he opened them again. Then he grabbed my shoulders and moved me over and walked toward Hadley.

"Scorpius—"

He held up a hand to silence me, and then he pulled out his wand and pointed it at Hadley's head. He muttered a few things under his breath that I couldn't hear, and then suddenly a blank expression graced Hadley's face. He looked up at me.

"Rose?"

I just stared at him.

"What am I doing here?" He touched the patch of skin above his top lip. "Am I bleeding?"

I glanced at Scorpius, but he had turned his back to us. I knew he was still beyond angry, so I turned to Hadley.

"You fell," I said simply. "You're drunk. Go back to the common room."

"Rose—"

"Hadley, go."

With a confused look on his face, Hadley clambered to his feet, and with a brief glance at Scorpius, he walked quickly back toward Gryffindor.

"Scorpius—"

"Don't."

"Scorpius."

He rounded on me.

"God damn you, Rose!" he shouted.

My eyes widened in shock. "Are you mad at me?"

He gaped. "Wha—of course I'm fucking mad at you! God—Jesus, I told you that that boy was in love with you. And what did you say to me?"

"I—"

"You said 'you have nothing to worry about, baby,'" he said in a high-pitched voice. "You said you could go back to normal. Is that fucking normal to you, Rose? Has your head become so fucked by that boy that you think that it's normal for him to force himself on you?"

"No! Oh, my god, Scorpius, no!"

"Well, it seems like it's becoming a pretty fucking normal occurrence, Rose! This is the second goddamn time that I've caught him forcing himself on you, and you better listen to me, Rose." He took a step closer and pointed his finger in my face as he lowered his voice. Unconsciously, I backed away. "If he ever lays a hand on you again—I don't care that I'm a professor—I would rather lose my fucking job—lose fucking everything—then know that he put his hands on you. If he ever does it again, I'll kill him."

My heart rate sped up and my breathing became a bit labored. I knew in this moment that Scorpius meant exactly what he said—that if Hadley was here right now and he even came near me, Scorpius would probably end up in Azkaban.

He took another step closer to me, but this time I didn't back away. I stepped forward because my body was naturally drawn to him. "Am I scaring you?"

"Yes," I breathed.

"Good." Then he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Rose, you have no idea… what you mean to me. You have no idea how much I—how much you're on my mind at all times of the day. I want to make you happy—I want you to be happy—and I want to protect you. From all things, I want to protect you, and goddammit I can't do that when you get yourself into these situations."

"Get myself!" I exclaimed, ignoring all of the other incredible things he'd just said—ignoring the way my heart fluttered at his words. "It wasn't my fault! He followed me!"

Scorpius clenched and unclenched his jaw. "Okay," he said. "But please tell me that you see why I don't want you spending time with him. Please tell me you see that he is a piece of shit and he will fucking stop at nothing to get you back. He wants you, Rose, and I may have made him forget this time, but he's not going to forget his feelings for you." He took another step toward me, and I stood my ground. Then he brought up his hand to brush my cheek with his knuckles. I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch. "You're mine, Rose. Do you get that? You. Are. Mine." I opened my eyes to look at him and the look of fierce love and lust and passion and possessiveness made my stomach do flips. "And I protect what's mine. I—"

"I love you."

His eyes widened so much in shock that I had to laugh. I dipped my head down a bit as I laughed, and he put his hands on either side of my face so that he could tilt my head up and look at me. My laughter died in my throat.

"Rose—"

"I love you, Scorpius. I've loved you since the night I saw you after my father woke up—I don't know, maybe before that—but that was when I knew. You made love to me, and then you looked at me, and I knew. I just knew I was in love with you right then. And I've only fallen harder and harder and fucking harder since then. You are perfect. You are everything I could ever or will ever want. There will never be anyone but you. I love you so much that it hurts—like it actually hurts my heart to love you so much, but I can't stop it. I can't stop loving you."

He was staring at me with wide eyes, but I just kept spewing out words. I had been holding all of this in for so long and I had to get it all out.

"That's why I was so mad at you after Halloween. I'm fucking in love with you, too, and I just wanted the way we told each other to be perfect. I didn't want you to be drunk—"

He laughed. "I think you're drunk."

"Shut up," I said, trying to hide my own laughter. "No, shut up, don't make me laugh, I have too much to say."

He nodded curtly with mock seriousness. "By all means, Ms. Weasley."

I giggled, but then I turned serious. "I'm sorry about Hadley, baby," I said, walking forward and sliding my arms around his waist as he slid his arms around me. "You were right. You were right about all of it, and I shouldn't have been so stubborn. But I meant what I said. Loving you makes me want to be my whole self again, and I thought that meant being friends with him, but I was wrong. He's no good, and I don't want to be around him if that messes up anything I have with you. I love you."

Scorpius smiled and looked at me for a long hard moment before he leaned in and kissed me, deeply, passionately—a kiss that consumed me and warmed me from the inside out, a kiss that made me want him desperately.

"Come on," he whispered. "Let's go back to my quarters."

I shook my head. "I can't wait," I said, burying my head into his chest. "Room of Requirement."

I looked up at him and he smiled and nodded. "Okay," he said. "Anything the lady wants."

"I love you."

"God, I love hearing you say that."

I grinned. "I love saying it."

"Come on." Scorpius put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side as he guided me to the Room of Requirement. "I have to be inside you now."

I blushed at his blunt words as we turned the corner, and Scorpius grinned as he suddenly stopped me and leaned down to kiss me. I smiled into the kiss and gripped the fabric of his t-shirt at his waist so I could pull him closer.

He leaned back and smiled at me, and I tried desperately to contain the wild grin on my face, but I couldn't. I loved Scorpius. He loved me. It was perfect.

With a grin, Scorpius pulled away and grabbed my hand, practically dragging me the rest of the way down the seventh floor corridor until we finally reached the Room of Requirement. He flashed a heated glance in my direction, and I felt the heat curl out from my chest all the way down to my toes. I stood back and watched as Scorpius closed his eyes and paced in front of the wall, and my smile got impossibly wider as he looked at me over his shoulder—the heat in his eyes darkening—and the wall opened up to form a door that led to the Room of Requirement.

When I got into the doorway, I gasped.

Scorpius had imagined a room that took my breath away. The lights were dim, and there were floating candles all around that provided the dim light to the room. Another source of light came from a fireplace that was crackling happily with a dark red couch in front of it and a dark red shag carpet in between the couch and the hearth. Behind the couch—and the centerpiece of the room—was an enormous bed with black satin coverings and dark mahogany posts.

I looked up at Scorpius, and he looked down at me and smiled at the look of pure happiness and love on my face. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get the words out, I reached up and threw my arms around his neck so I could smash my lips into his. I smiled into his mouth when I saw his eyes widened in shock as he stumbled back a bit, but he gathered his wits quickly and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist so he could pull me close.

Scorpius walked us into the room and I heard the door slide shut and seal behind us. Scorpius's tongue found its way into my mouth, and I groaned with pleasure as I sank my hands into his soft, white blonde hair that I loved so much. I licked at his tongue fiercely, wanting more of his taste in my mouth, and I felt his erection pressing against my stomach right before my knees hit the back of the bed and I fell against it with Scorpius tumbling down on top of me. He leaned up a bit to remove his shirt, and I scrambled up the bed, biting the corner of my lower lip as he watched me and crawled up after me after tossing his shirt to the floor.

Scorpius's hands went to the heel on my right foot, but he stopped—as if he had thought better of it—and scooted up a bit further so that his hands found the waistband of my skirt.

"You look incredibly sexy tonight," he said as he hooked his fingers in my skirt and pulled it down. He breathed in sharply when he saw I wasn't wearing panties. He tossed my skirt aside and closed his eyes to breath in. I thought he was trying to regain his control, but when he opened his eyes, I saw fury there.

"Scor—"

"He touched you."

"Wha—"

"He had his hands under your skirt." Oh, I thought. Hadley. "He touched you. I'll kill him." Scorpius jerked back as if he was going to get up and go find Hadley but I leaned up quickly and grabbed his face in between my hands.

"I'm fine. I love you."

"But—"

"He's your student. You can't hurt him. It's okay."

Scorpius closed his eyes and took a deep breath. While his eyes were closed I moved my hands from his face and down to the buckle of his jeans. Just as his eyes opened, I popped the button open and pulled the zipper down. Scorpius growled and leaned forward to yank my shirt over my head. I could see the anger still hidden beneath the surface, but it was melting away as he saw me lying naked beneath him in nothing but a long necklace, hoop earrings, and four-inch black heels. I glanced down to see him straining against his jeans and I leaned up to tug them down and free him as he reached up and pulled the tie out of my hair so that my long hair came tumbling around my shoulders.

I laid back against the pillow, and Scorpius looked down at me with such adoration that I wanted to cry. He was on his knees in between my slightly bent legs, and when his eyes slid up and down my body, I flushed. He looked up at me.

"Don't be shy," he said as he bent forward and kissed the side of my mouth. I leaned into his mouth, but he trailed it down to kiss along my jaw. "I want to look at your body," he said as he nibbled along my jaw, sending sparks right to my core. "You are so sexy." He went down to my neck and licked it before biting down and then sucking it. I whimpered. "I have to look at you." His mouth then latched over one of my breasts and I arched into him, crying out with the pleasure.

As he suckled at my breast, he reached a hand down and slid it between my folds. I let out a breathy moan as he moved his fingers through my slickness. I was desperate for him. I was panting and whimpering his name as he pumped his fingers in and out of me. My hips were bucking up toward him frantically, and when I opened my eyes to look at him I saw him staring at me with the most intense desire I had ever seen on his face. He smiled at me, and then slid down so he could dip his head between my thighs. I moaned loudly and shoved my hands into his hair as I hooked my legs over his shoulders and pushed my pelvis into his mouth. I was beyond shame—beyond caring that I was so mad with lust for him. We had admitted our love for each other—finally—and it only made all my feelings amplified more than they already were.

"Scorpius."

I whimpered his name and he flicked at my nub once, making me cry out as my orgasm trembled through me. He licked at me a few more times before he pulled away. I watched as he kicked his jeans the rest of the way off, and I was able to get a few moments of rest from his sexual onslaught as I watched him. He was incredible. His hair was beautifully disheveled from my hands. His gray eyes were blazing with need, and there was a very light flush on his cheeks from his arousal. His lips were swollen and glistening with my arousal. My eyes traveled down to his sculpted chest and the firm, lean muscles of his arms until I landed on his beautiful abs. I wanted to lick each and every one of them slowly. Not right now, though. Right now, the part of Scorpius that I really cared about led from his abs to a V that led down to his hard, throbbing length. I groaned quietly, and looked up at Scorpius who was smiling at me slyly. I blushed, and he laughed.

"Yeah, I caught you checking me out."

"I can't help it," I said with a smile. "I love you."

His eyes darkened and he dove down to capture my lips with his. He kissed me fiercely, his tongue twining wildly with mine. I moaned and arched into him, and then a moment later, he lifted up my hips and slid inside me. I moaned and wrapped my legs around Scorpius's waist. He leaned back and pinned my arms to my sides as he moved in and out of me.

"Look at me," Scorpius said hoarsely. I opened my eyes that I had closed in pleasure, and the look on his face told me so much. He loved me, and he wanted me. The intensity in his eyes almost alarmed me, but I loved him too much and was too turned on to care. I was so close. I could feel my insides quickening, and Scorpius must have felt it too because he picked up the pace of his thrusts, his eyes never leaving mine.

Just as I was about to climax, Scorpius leaned down so his mouth was next to my ear. "I love you so much. Forever."

His words unraveled me and I came with a harsh cry as I tightened my legs around his waist and arched up toward him. He spilled himself inside me a moment later with a low groan. He pumped a few times, making me twitch a bit each time when he extended my orgasm until he finally pulled out of me and rolled off before pulling me to his side so I could bury my face in his neck. I kissed his neck before I kicked off my heels and relaxed fully against him.

"I like those heels," Scorpius said. I looked up at him and he was smirking down at me.

"You won't like them when you're rubbing my feet tomorrow morning," I said.

Scorpius smiled. "I am madly in love with you," he said. I flushed with pleasure.

"So that means you'll rub them?"

He chuckled and pulled me closer. "Of course, baby. I'd do anything for you."

Next chapter:

It's Scorpius's birthday!