"You can't let him beat you, Rosie."

But would it really be so bad to talk to him once?

Rose Weasley was having intense problems with her hair, as it wouldn't stay in its clip, and curls kept falling down and tickling her nose while she was trying to write. It was very distracting, and she didn't feel like doing her entire routine just yet. Her main character was right about to have a big fight.

"Rosie! Breakfast!" Her father called from downstairs and she sighed. Victor wouldn't fight hoards of armies just yet. She got up, and changed from her nightgown into a plaid skirt and blue vest. Mother had bought her that, saying that it brought out the blue in her hazel eyes. Rose didn't really see it, but loved the polished look. She stared apprehensively before taking the clip out. She waved her right (never your left, or things will fly upside down, Mother said) hand towards her open bathroom door, and her de-frzzing cream floated gracefully over to her. She'd been practicing that all summer, ever since she first got her letter and Mother said she'd teach her a bit. Although most of it was chemistry, and things she wouldn't learn in wizard school, there was a few freevies like this.

She reached for mascara and hoped Mother could send her more when she ran out. She wouldn't be right down the street from the corner store anymore. Her whole routine, the rest of her makeup included, only took about fifteen minutes, and she clipped her now tamed hair up again before heading downstairs.

"Hullo, Dad." She said, snatching a pancake from the towering plate next to the griddle. "It's a nice morning."

"Hmph. I would be, if these damn pancakes didn't keep sticking to the pan." He grumbled.

"Ron!" Mother exclaimed. "I will use that swear jar your mum sent for Christmas!"

"It wasn't even that bad!" He complained.

"Ron, don't make me."

"What would you blackmail me with anyway?" He said irritably, turning back to his testy griddle. Like its owner, Rose thought.

"I could call you Won-Won." Mother suggested, giving him a sly smirk. He turned redder than his famous Weasley hair, and began flipping pancakes quickly, adding in blueberries. Mum loved blueberry pancakes.

"I think I'm gonna vom-vom." Hugo quipped, "Mum, please never call him that again."

"Yes, please never cal me that again." Father said hopefully. Mother smiled at him and snatched a pancake like Rose had.

"Are you guys excited?" She asked, "First day back and first day in general! I could hardly eat anything on my first day, I was too busy trying to remember potions and the order of the stairs. Hugo, you've got to show Rose around, like Fred did for you."

"Yes, mum," He said, rolling his eyes at Rose, who stuck a tongue out at him. Once, he'd used the floaty string spell he and James loved to make a middle finger follow her around the whole day, just so he could have the last word after she stuck her tongue out. It was likely these quarrels would be more fun when Rose knew spells too.

"Have you been reviewing your books?" Mother asked and Rose sighed in exasperation.

"Yes mother, I've been using the flashcards and everything. I'm sure to wow all of the professors, especially Potions because Hugo practically failed that class last year, didn't he?" Mother didn't pick up on her dry sarcasm, but Hugo did.

"Hey!"

"Oh look Hermionie, it's Malfoy's boy." Father sneered, cupping his arm around Rose, "Scorpius. Never let him beat you, Rosie."

The thought! Rose was smart. She knew she was the smartest. She knew that no one could beat her in any kind of contest of her age level, except for maybe physical fighting, and that didn't really count anyway. She knew she would undoubtedly be in Ravenclaw, unless the Sorting Hat miraculously decided to continue the line of Weasleys in Gryffindor, which was unlikely. She'd researched the houses with Albus a thousand times, and if she wasn't a Ravenclaw, she'd be a Slytherin. She knew her own self better than anyone else, and accepted what she would be.

However, would it really be so bad to talk to him the once?

She turned to look at her apparent rival, the boy her brother freely called a snake, but was too late, and only saw the back of a white blond head, and an identical father who had a protecting arm around his shoulders, like her own. With luck, she'd never have to meet him. Naturally, Mother explained that the Malfoy-Weasley-Potter feud had been long over, but the children both knew that their father had a bit of a grudge and Hugo had accepted it willingly, while Rose simply preferred to avoid it.

"Alright loves, it's time." Mum announced, clasping her hands and trying to look happy to pretend her eyes weren't glistening. She clung to them in one last group hug, and kissed them each on the forehead goodbye, and Dad ruffled their hair, and for once Rose didn't protest that he messed up her curls. Hugo gleefully skipped onto the train, immediately darting off to find his friends, but Rose took her time, waving to her parents and admiring the maroon upholstery and heavy brass fixtures, the sliding glass panels that kep the compartments sealed away from the world. Or in this case, the rest of the hallway.

Which, she realized, was a bad idea, because in this time she had taken to admire, Hugo had ditched her and she now lost in a giant magical train, toting a heavy wooden trunk and her satchel, which was beginning to make her shoulder ache. Dammit Hugo, of course all of our parents' warning about keeping me safe flew out the window the second you got on the train! All of the compartment doors were closed, except for one, and a single shadowy figure sat inside. Did she have another choice?

"Excuse me, I'm afraid I must impose on your compartment until I find my idiot brother." She said, turning around to haul in her trunk. There was a snap of fingers behind her and the trunk easily floated in the compartment. So I'm not the only one who learned that trick...I'll have to try harder.

"Thank you." She said, running a hand through escaped curls.

"Oh, you're welcome." A smooth, cool tone flowed through the compartment, and she whirled around to greet her companion officially.

The green-gray eyes of Scorpius Malfoy were cockily observing her, the one eyebrow she could see raised, like he was so clever. Rose knew that look. Rose had perfected that look, although his was a great deal more smarky. Rose did not take kindly to having that look used on her.

"Oh, this is just perfect," She huffed, "I was supposed to stay away from you." Plunking down on the leather seat, she crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow back at him, mirroring the look.

"Stay away from me? But why would you want to do that?" His voice purred, Rose saw him very gently bite his lower lip, worrying it so when he let it go, it was pinker than the other. She stopped herself, and returned her sharp hazel gaze to the green-gray eye he had fixed on her, the other hidden by his curtain of hair. "You're awfully conceited for someone who hasn't introduced themselves yet."

"Oh, but I'm not, really. And why bother saying who I am? You already know, don't you? And I already know you. Just skip all of that, why don't we?"

"For one, there is not a we. There is a you, and there is an I. Secondly, since I won't be in here very long, and because I doubt I'll ever see you again, it wouldn't hurt to formally introduce yourself." She felt her heart pounding loud, as it always did when she was in a discussion and trying to seem worldly. Trying to win, although there wasn't an official way to win snarky dialogue.

"Aw, but why won't you stay?" His face fell, and he looked actually disappointed, which threw her off enough to make her widen her eyes.

"Why won't I...? Because we're rivals, Scorpius." Rose said in surprise. "Have you not been practically trained since birth to virtually 'beat' me in all academic endeavors?"

"So?" He said, grinning at her, "I didn't think it would be so bad to talk to you."

"This one time, maybe."

"There can't be more times?" He pouted. "But I like talking to you."

"We're not even talking!" She burst exasperatedly. "We're exchanging witty smart-aleck remarks within less of five minutes of meeting each other. We're already at each other's throats." Just like it's been foretold, I suppose. She sighed, and wiggled her own fingers so her trunk moved. He didn't look surprised, and ruefully, she stood up.

"Wait," He said softly, and stuck his hand out, graceful pale palm open to her. "I'm Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. First year."

Rose stared before extending her own hand. He shook it gently, and she was startled at how warm his hand was. He looked so cold, nestled in his muggle attire, a black sweatshirt. "Rose Weasley. First year." She sat back down cautiously, but her trunk still floated, ready to spring like a frightened cat.

"Are you going to tell me your middle name too?" He asked hopefully, "Mine's pretty ridiculous."

"It is, and I won't."

He clutched a hand to his heart, and slumped in the seat dramatically. "Oh, but you've wounded me!"

She couldn't help but break her poker face to giggle and his eyes lit up. It occurred to her that he looked a little lonely. "Why did no one else sit here?" She asked quietly.

He spread his arms to the sky. "You tell me. I'm a Malfoy, that's one reason, and people haven't ever let grudges go for us, I suppose. I don't know how everyone knows, it's not like I have a neon sign, do I?"

"No. But you do look exactly like your father."

"Well, you look exactly like your mother."

"My mother once punched your father in the face, did you know?" To her annoyance, he didn't crack his poker face either, like he already knew. Was she ever going to surprise him? It made her want to try harder. If she was ever going to talk to him again, that was.

"My father was an idiot." He said gamely. "Don't bother informing me. Where do you think your brother's gone, anyway?"

"Rose-pose!" Victoire stuck her head through the compartment, buttery blond waves cascading around her heart shaped face and framing her sapphire blue eyes. Victoire had always been beautiful, and rather like an older sister to Rose. Victoire had inherited her light way of speaking from her mother, and practically floated on air when she walked. The only thing that kept her from looking exactly like her mother was a spattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. "Who's he?"

Scorpius said nothing, just sort of gaped like a fish, and Rose put a hand to her temple. "Hello Victoire. He's a first year."

"You and I both know that's not what I mean," She winked, and a blush shot up Scorpius' pale face. "Come on anyway, Hugo's losing his poor mind."

"What's left of it." Rose muttered before standing up. Her trunk reluctantly rose from its comfortable floating position and she gave a small wave to Scorpius. Of all the conversations she'd had, their had certainly been the strangest she'd ever had. As she walked back arm in arm with her cousin, she replayed their exchanged. How strange, this feeling of bubbles in her brain. Someone as smart as her, who fired back responses just as fast as she did. The odds? Not high at all. The odds that he'd be a Malfoy, and the boy she could absolutely not let beat her intellectually? Even lower.

Well now. Rose Weasley had a rival.

Hehehehehehe next generation Dramionie. Yessss. *evil drumming of fingers like a super villian* Please review and let me know what you think. I'm going to try and update on Mondays?