Well, It's a Start

Rose visited the now conscious Scorpius Malfoy more frequently, and they struck up an odd friendship. It was not a very close one, but the bond they had was friendly enough to make anybody look twice. Rose spent nearly all of her spare periods in the hospital wing, bringing homework from Scorpius' missed classes and sometimes some food to retain his strength. They would waste the hours talking about absolutely nothing, usually arguing on their drastically different opinions on just about everything, from Quidditch to how the way each of their professors marked their assignments.

In the couple of weeks that followed Scorpius was well enough to get out of bed. He did not even have to keep the bandages around his head anymore. By that time it was the beginning of December, and the students at Hogwarts were already talking about the holidays.

"What d'you reckon your parents will get you for Christmas this year, Rosie?" Lily asked one chilly Saturday morning; the sky in the Great Hall reflected the weather outside: a white sky with soft snowflakes fluttering gracefully towards the floor, but they did not pile up into snow; instead they would disappear into nothing.

"I didn't ask for much, I never do. I just enjoy the time we all spend together. It's priceless." Rose replied before gently placing a small forkful of scrambled eggs into her mouth. She was not ashamed to be part of the crowd already excited for the holidays; Christmas was her favourite time of the year. As a child she enjoyed the presents she received from her parents and vast relatives but when she grew older she realized that she realized that spending time with her loved ones was enough to make the holidays special.

"Cliché." Randy rolled his eyes.

"Corny." Mandy agreed before shoving half a piece of toast into her mouth. Albus snickered and Jane glared at all three of them. Lily sighed and rested her chin on her hand.

"I figured that it was time I told Mum and Dad about Lysander, but seeing that Albus has already gone nutters over it, I'm not so sure anymore...and don't even get me started about James." She muttered as she blew upwards to take her ginger tinged bangs out of her eyes. Out of the corner of Rose's eye Albus was bristling.

"Oh, I reckon that's the usual behaviour for older brothers when they realize that their little sister's old enough to start dating," Rose assured her younger cousin, "Albus and James shouldn't be a factor in all of this. Your parents' approval is what counts."

Albus looked as if he was going to leap out from his seat, but luckily Hugo and Randy were flanked by his sides to prevent him from doing so. Dominique rolled her eyes and muttered something in sarcastic French.

"'Shouldn't be a factor'? What am I, a lump of coal? I absolutely have a say in all of this-Lily's my bloody sister!" Albus cried, his green eyes flashing, "And Lily's right-you think my reaction's bad, just wait when James finds-"

"He doesn't have to find out." Lily interjected before taking a sip of her orange juice, "I don't even know if I'm going to break the news to Mum and Dad yet."

Albus' shoulders slumped and he crossed his arms, muttering something under his breath that sounded like "Why don't you just break it off so I don't have anything to worry about?"

"Well what about you, Al? Are you going to tell your Mum and Dad about Lisa?" Rose asked slyly, knowing this was going to get him good. Albus' cheeks flushed a vicious scarlet and grabbed his pumpkin juice to take a long swig, making sure that the glass was covering a good portion of his face.

"No-it's too early." He said quickly, coughing because the pumpkin juice went down a little too quickly. Lily, Rose, Mandy and Dominique laughed at Albus, who only blushed a deeper shade of red. Hugo patted his shoulder comfortingly and Randy gave him a sympathetic look.

"S'okay mate, they're your relatives, they have the right to do this to you." He said sympathetically. Albus buried his face in his hands and moaned quietly to himself.

--

"I completely forgot." Scorpius moaned as he stepped outside into the snowy outdoors; it was a Hogsmeade weekend and he had spent so much time in the hospital wing he had lost track of the days. He ruffled his hair with cold fingers as he trudged along the pathway, following the throng of students that were excitedly marching towards the little village not so far away from the school.

"It's not your fault. You were in the hospital wing for the past few weeks, and plus you got hit in the head with a Bludger. Those are good enough excuses, don't you think?" Holden asked as the first couple of small buildings came into view; Scorpius made sure he was a safe distance away from Tatia's line of vision.

"Oi, Honeydukes is this way!"

Scorpius' head whipped towards the familiar voice; Hugo Weasley was dragging his older sister by the sleeve towards the sweet shop. The lanky, shaggy haired boy was at least half a head taller than Rose, and his limbs looked out of proportion. His loose clothing concealed the worst of his awkwardness at least.

Maybe you should get Weasley a Christmas present.

He reverted to the old habit of calling her by her surname since he found the whole first name basis too new for him; he decided to try it again when he thought he was ready. He continued to watch Hugo and Rose fight until the elder sibling gave in; Scorpius could not help but smile as both Weasley siblings walked inside Honeydukes together, their arms slung around each other's shoulders. Rose's hair was dappled with white snowflakes and her cheeks were flushed pink from the bitter cold; she looked pinker than her brother. She was laughing...oh how he loved to hear her laugh…

"Er, Malfoy? Malfoy?" It took at least five minutes of Porter Parkinson's hard tapping on Scorpius' shoulder to snap him out of his thoughts; the blond whirled around and glared at his friends.

"Why don't you all bugger off? I have a few things to do on my own here." Scorpius growled, his eyes narrowing into slits. One of Holden's elegantly groomed eyebrows were slightly raised; Porter, Princeton, and Vincent looked as if they were hit in the face with a snowball.

"Let's go." Holden began to gently push the gaping three Slytherins away from Scorpius. When he was far enough the dark boy turned back to give him a sly smile and a nod towards Honeydukes. Scorpius felt his cheeks grow warm despite the cold and he immediately spun on his heel, marching down the snowy path.

What the bloody hell would she want for Christmas? Would she even accept anything?

You don't even have the slightest idea of what to give her, so why are you even worrying?

His slate grey eyes scanned his surrounding area, feeling hopelessly lost despite the fact that he had visited Hogsmeade many times before.

"Scor?"

The voice was shy and a little haughty-it had to belong to none other than Scorpius' own sister, Lyra Malfoy. He spun around to face her; she was staring at him questionably, her green and silver scarf flapping against her black coat in the wind.

"What is it, Lyra?" He asked wearily. His sister only talked to him when she felt like bothering someone-the usual little sister attitude. As he expected, her thin lips curved into a smirk, reminiscent of his own and their father's, and took a couple of steps closer towards her older brother.

"You look disturbed. As your sibling it's my obligation to console you on whatever's bothering you." She said slyly, peering into his face as if she was searching for something. Her ebony hair floated around her face and she almost looked as if she were underwater. He averted his gaze from her, looking up towards the sky as if he found something interesting up there. His silence was all she needed; she jumped up and laughed deviously.

"You're getting a present for a girl, aren't you?" She rubbed her gloved hands together and smirked again, "Lemme help you; I can help you find the perfect gift. Who is it that you're shopping for?"

He would have gladly accepted his sister's help if it were not for the fact that he was looking for a gift for Rose Weasley. She probably would have been repulsed if he mentioned her name. Instead, he shook her head and held his hand up, silently refusing her offer. Lyra glared at him, her grey eyes boring holes into his own.

"So you don't want to tell me who this mystery girl is, hm?" She scoffed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. She began walking towards a path with a group of carolers, "Fine, that's your decision. Don't come crawling to me once you get rejected!"

Sighing in relief, Scorpius turned the opposite way and began trudging through the powdery snow. He had better get a move on before anyone else caught him in the act.

--

"Have we got everything?" Hugo peered over Rose's shoulder, his arms stuffed with bags from different shops. Rose peered down at the list they had made earlier; it only took her a few seconds to scan it from top to bottom. She turned to smile at her brother.

"I'm pretty sure we've got gifts for pretty much everyone in the family. It's surprising that we actually finished our shopping in one day, considering how many people we have to buy for." She stuffed the list into her jacket pocket and made her way outside of the shop, her arms laden with bags much like Hugo. The moment they stepped into the chilly outdoors, she spotted a familiar Slytherin heading into the Three Broomsticks. Mandy came rushing into view moments afterward, her face flushed from the cold and probably from running.

"I-I just saw Scorpius Malfoy looking at Pygmy Puffs." She then broke out into hysterical laughter. Hugo snorted, suppressing his own laugh, and Rose could not help but hold a hand to her mouth to prevent from bursting out like her sister. Scorpius Malfoy, looking at Pygmy Puffs? He was probably looking for a present for his sister, but still, the thought of him examining such tiny furry creatures made her giggle.

"When he caught me looking at him, he turned as red as a tomato and took off somewhere; I thought I just saw him run into the Three Broomsticks…" Mandy mumbled as she recomposed herself. Hugo wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Well, I'm going to go find my mates. I'll see you two later." He said and walked off into the snow. Mandy said the same thing afterwards and dashed off. That left Rose on her own with an armful of shopping bags. She stared straight ahead into the entrance to the Three Broomsticks; she did not want to scour the town to find Lorcan or Thomas, and she was pretty certain that Albus and Lisa were off on their own doing who-knew-what, so she decided to join Scorpius.

She felt a warm relief as she opened the door into the Three Broomsticks; a few students were scattered around the room, drinking and sharing small talk with each other. In the farthest corner of the room sat Scorpius Malfoy, sitting on his own and miserably sipping a steaming mug of Butterbeer. Her heart jumped to her throat as she approached him; his eyes looked lighter for some reason and his hair looked more out of control, probably from the harsh wind and the snow. There were little sparkles of water droplets dappled on his wayward blond spikes; the snowflakes had melted the moment he had arrived.

"Someone seems to have some holiday spirit." Rose grinned as she took the seat across from him. Scorpius' mercury grey eyes flitted from his Butterbeer to her face; though his presence was oddly suffocating, she liked being around him.

"I see you've done some Christmas shopping. How do you manage to buy gifts for your vast family?" He asked, peering at her bags with a raised eyebrow. She giggled and set her bags on the floor, then rested her elbows on the table to prop her chin in her hands.

"I heard you've been doing a bit of shopping yourself. Found a suitable enough Pygmy Puff, have you?" She asked teasingly. Scorpius coughed into his Butterbeer and she giggled again.

"It's not what you're thinking-"

"Unless the Bludger that hit you did some permanent damage to your head, I know you weren't looking at Pygmy Puffs for yourself. I never knew you did Christmas shopping." She said after ordering a Butterbeer from a passing waitress. Scorpius smirked (Rose felt her heart skip a beat or two) and set his mug down on the table. He ruffled his hair and the water droplets shook out, falling down and shimmering in the light like sparkling diamonds.

"I don't, actually, but I was-" He hesitated for a moment and covered it up by taking another swig of his Butterbeer, "I was looking for a gift for my sister."

Suspicious, Rose leaned in a little closer, looking directly into his eyes. They were a metallic grey, smoky in the dark, but silvery in the light. They were fascinating, alluring even. His stare was intense; it drew her in like a magnetic force.

"Oh really now? Your sister wants a Pygmy Puff?" She asked skeptically. The waitress came around to pass Rose her Butterbeer; she thanked her and took a long sip, her eyes never leaving his. Scorpius leaned back in his chair and nodded, though he was now staring at something past her shoulder, trying to avoid her prying gaze.

"Sure, why not? She's a girl...and girls like cute puffy things don't they?" He said casually, and Rose shook her head. Boys were so typical.

"I guess so, if you're talking about Tatia Schultz." She muttered grumpily. She hid her face behind her mug to hide her disappointment. So that was who he had been shopping for. Lyra did not seem like the type to like Pygmy Puffs...she could not find any other logical solution. Scorpius laughed and gulped down the last of his Butterbeer.

"I didn't buy one, if that's what you're thinking." He stood up and donned his jacket, sweeping it over his shoulders before shoving his arms into the sleeves, "The person I'm shopping for deserves something a little more...decent." He threw his money on the table and stalked off, leaving a confused Rose Weasley.

--

It was evening now, way past suppertime, and Scorpius was lying in his bed in his dormitory, playing with his stolen Snitch. It whizzed and buzzed in front of his face as he contemplated in the dark.

He ended up not getting anything for Rose, for he could not find anything in Hogsmeade that seemed to be worthy of buying for her. Rose was worth more than candy, school supplies, or a bloody Pygmy Puff. He caught the Snitch in his fist and turned on his side in disappointment. Maybe there was still time…

He stared at the Snitch in his hand, its thin wings twitching, desperate to escape from his grip. A light went off in his head and he bolted straight up from bed, a triumphant smirk on his face.

He had just the thing.

--

The weeks passed by pretty quickly and the much anticipated holidays have finally arrived; the school was practically half empty now due to students leaving to stay home for the next couple of weeks. Rose dragged her trunk all the way to the station with Albus and Jane; the rest of their family had already boarded the Hogwarts Express.

"Christmas is going to be fun this year, especially with little Henri." Jane said excitedly as they heaved their trunks into the train compartment. Henri was their nephew, the son of Victoire and Teddy Lupin. He was born just a month ago.

"Oh yeah, I can't wait to see the little bloke. Hope he can change and all just like Teddy." Albus said as they made their way into the train. Rose smiled and began to climb aboard…

"Weasley."

Rose found it difficult to breathe as she whirled around to face Scorpius Malfoy, looking as serious as ever. His eyes stared straight into hers; in his pale hands was a small square package wrapped in shiny silver wrapping. It was topped with a baby blue bow. She looked down at it and gasped; she did not even get him anything!

"Thank you." She barely whispered as he wordlessly handed it to her, "But I didn't get you anything…"

Scorpius smirked and shook his head, his wild hair moving along with him, "Don't worry about it." He leaned in and whispered in hear ear; she could feel his lips caressing her skin as he spoke in a low voice, "Just make sure not to open it until Christmas, do you understand?" He stepped back and stared at her, his eyes making her feel weak. She nodded and he nodded back.

"Good. Happy Christmas, then. See you in two weeks." He then turned around and walked off to another compartment, his hands casually in his pockets. In an instant he paused, then turned around again.

"Oh, and I didn't get her anything, if you were still thinking about that." He swerved on his heel and resumed walking. She stared at him with wide eyes and a slack jaw. She then proceeded to stare at the prettily wrapped package in her hands.

Scorpius Malfoy got her a gift.

And he did not get Tatia Schultz anything.

She fought back the urge to jump up and scream in joy; Christmas looked good so far.