Chapter Two
Blood and Tears

The next morning at breakfast, Rose was sitting next to Albus who was paying the delivery owl for his copy of the Daily Prophet. Rose was helping herself to a piece of toast when Albus suddenly gasped, unrolling the newspaper.

"What? What is it?" Rose asked, watching his eyes widen as he scanned the front page.

"Look at this!" he said in a breathless voice, pointing at the picture of a beautiful black haired woman being lead away by two aurors. He began reading out loud, "Astoria Greengrass-Malfoy, wife of Draco Malfoy, has been tried and convicted of the murder of Helena Finnigan, wife of Seamus Finnigan, the very auror that took down Greengrass's parents, Octavius and Cassandra Greengrass, who were both Death Eaters in He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's inner circle."

Albus trailed off, wonder on his face. Rose scanned the Slytherin table, noticing Scorpius was no where to be seen. She pursed her lips. "When did this happen, Al?"

Albus checked the date. "They took her away early this morning."

Rose's brow creased in confusion. None of it made since. Last night, this morning. Rose was nearly drowning in her curiousity. She had to know what was going on. She had no right to directly ask Scorpius, after all, they did hate each other.

She got a sudden idea as she saw Scorpius's friend and fellow Slytherin, Jim Hawkins, get up and leave the table.

"I'll see you in Potions, Al," she said, eyes on Jim as he walked out the Great Hall. She grabbed her bag and forced herself to walk calmly, noticing several people watching her curiously. As she reached the Entrance Hall she sped up, eyes fixed determindedly on the back of her target's head.

"Hawkins!" she said sharply. He stopped in his tracks and looked back at her, a smirk almost worthy of Malfoy's on his face.

"What, Weasley?"

"What do you know about this?" she demanded point blank, shoving the paper in his face. His smirk deepened as he took it from her, sneering at the front page.

"No more than you do. Scorp wasn't in our dorm or the common room when I woke up. Haven't talked to him since yesterday. Why do you care, Weaslette?

"If you think I care about him, you're greatly mistaken," Rose spat, her nose wrinkled in distaste. "Besides, I know you're lying. You always try to act like Malfoy when you're lying."

Hawkins glared at her. "I do not!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "You're smirking like a pompous prat, so I'd say you are."

Hawkins snorted. "You're lucky you have a pretty face, or I wouldn't even waste time talking to you."

Rose felt herself beginning to blush. Her? Pretty?

Hawkins continued with a smirk. "I better leave before someone catches me talking to you. If Scorpius found out, he'd beat my face in."

"Why would he do that?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow. Hawkins only sneered at her like he knew something she didn't, then he turned on his heel and headed for class, just as people began to file out of the Great Hall. Puzzled by what he had said, Rose slowly made her way to Potions.

Rose's curiosity about the article on Mrs. Malfoy deepened as Scorpius didn't show up in any of his classes. When she arrived in Defense Against the Dark Arts, the last class of the day, she asked the Slytherins, who all shrugged and told her exactly what Jim Hawkins had that morning, noticing how several of them were smirking at her in a very annoying manner. Deeply disturbed, she pursed her lips and took her seat and remained silent. Her best friend, Jessica Poe, noticed this and laughed at her.

"Why are you so interested in where Malfoy is, Rosie?"

Rose glared at her. "His mother was accused of the murder of an auror's wife!"

"So?"

"So!" exclaimed Rose. "Am I the only one worried about a possible uprising of Death Eaters?"

Albus, who was sitting with them at their table in the back of the room, looked up from his homework from the previous night. "Malfoy's probably at home with his father. Probably went to say goodbye to his mother."

"Al's got a point," Jessica pointed out. Rose rolled her eyes, unconvinced.

"I don't know . . . ."

"Merlin's beard, Rose! It's none of your concern! Since when have you ever given Scorpius Malfoy -Scorpius Malfoy!- even the smallest care in the world about what he's feeling?"

Rose sighed in defeat. "You're right. I haven't. Until now."

Albus and Jessica looked at each other in surprise.

"Excuse me?" said Albus, staring at his cousin as if she had grown an extra head.

Rose shrugged. "How would you feel if your mother was being shipped off to Azkaban for murder? But, I guess you're right. Scorpius Malfoy deserves going through that."

Albus's jaw dropped. "Wow, Rose . . . you actually have a point. I'd be devastated . . . even humiliated."

"Exactly. As cold and heartless as he is, not even Scorpius Malfoy deserves to go through that . . . at least not alone."

"He's not alone, Rosie," said Jessica, a smirk on her face. "He's got his equally cold and heartless father to comfort him."

Rose's mouth twitched as she fought the urge to smile. "That's not funny. Besides, how is he suppose to be comforted by a father who doesn't love him?"

"How do you know his father doesn't love him?"

"Since when does any Malfoy care about someone other than themselves?"

"Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy ditched Voldemort for their son, didn't they?" said Albus.

Rose shrugged again. "They were an exception."

Albus rolled his eyes at Jessica, then looked back at his homework.

"If I didn't know any better, Rose, I'd say you wanted to comfort Malfoy."

Rose started, staring at Jessica in disbelief. "Are you insane? I don't care about him. I care about why his mother murdered Helena Finnagan!"

"Whatever you say, Rose," said Jessica, casually looking over Albus's shoulder and copying his answers to the homework she "forgot" to do.

Rose glared at her as she got her own essay out of her bookbag. As Professor Johnson came around to pick up their assignments, Rose once again glanced over at the Slytherins who were grouped on the other side of the room. Jim Hawkins caught her eye and grinned, and not in a kind way. She shivered involuntarily and immediately looked in the opposite direction.

. . .

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Jessica asked her, looking up from the book she was reading.

Rose nodded, bringing her hand to her mouth and stiffling a yawn. "It's just my Astronomy notebook, I can get it on my own. Besides," she continued, glancing at her watch, "we still have an hour till curfew. I can be back before then."

Jessica nodded reluctantly and watched Rose exit the common room.

Rose hurried through the dark corridors towards the astronomy tower, lighting her wand to see where she was going.

At the foot of the tower she looked up at the twisting staircase, feeling a bit impatient at the long climb ahead of her.

"Well, would you look who it is."

Rose spun around, shining her wand into Jim Hawkins's eyes. He squinted in the bright light, shoving her hand away from his face.

"What are you doing here, Hawkins?" she snapped, feeling annoyed and a tad bit uneasy, remembering that grin he had given her. He was wearing it again, staring at her as he casually leaned against the threshold of the tower door.

"I see why Scorp wants you for himself," Hawkins sneered.

"Excuse me?" said Rose, eyebrows raised.

Jim nodded, staring intently at her. "Threatened anyone who dared to even look at you wrong."

Rose's eyes widened and she fidgeted uncomfortably. "What . . . what do you mean?"

"I mean," he said impatiently, as if she were some stupid first year, "that Scorpius Malfoy has a fancy for you."

Rose felt her cheeks flame up. "You liar," she snapped. "He does not."

Hawkins rolled his eyes as if she were stupid. Which she was not. He grinned at her again, and this time she saw his eyes travel farther down from her face. When she realized he was looking at her chest she raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

He started laughing coldly at her. "Hey, Weasley, I've always wondered what a Gryffindor tasted like."

Rose glared at him in disgust and pushed past him. He suddenly grabbed her in a place very innappropriate and she swung around and punched him in the face. He stumbled back, caught off guard, clutching his bruising eye. Rose stared at her own fist, surprised by her own strength.

"How did that taste, Hawkins?" she hissed, before turning away from him and beginning her climb up the steps. She was relieved when he didn't follow.

Still fuming and with burning cheeks, Rose reached the top of the tower a few moments later, slightly out of breath from her furious climb.

She crossed the tower room and picked up her notebook that lay where she had forgotten it during class last night.

As she was turning to head back towards the stairs she noticed she wasn't alone. Someone was leaning his back against the railing, arms folded and staring at her.

Rose felt heat flame across her cheeks and nose as Hawkins's words echoed loudly in her ears, "I mean that Scorpius Malfoy has a fancy for you."

No matter what Hawkins had said, Scorpius was glaring at her.

"What do you want, Weasley?"

Looking away from him she casually lifted up her notebook, then turned away to walk down the stairs.

"Wait!" he suddenly said, startling her. She turned back to look at him, blushing despite herself. "I - " he fell silent, looking away. Rose wondered if he was blushing . . . she couldn't tell, it was too dark.

"I saw the Daily Prophet," she said quietly. She saw him nod. "I'm . . . uh . . . sorry, Mal - Scorpius."

He looked at her suddenly, and she had a feeling she had surprised him.

"Is it . . ." she started uneasily, "true?"

She heard him sigh tiredly. "I don't know." He turned around, looking out across the grounds. She cautiously walked forward and stood next to him, seeing his face for the first time that night. She was surprised to see his tear streaked face and bloodshot eyes. The sight sent a pang of pity through her, that . . . and something else.

He caught her staring and sighed again. "Go ahead, Weasley. Take a good look and laugh. Go tell all your friends what a wreck Scorpius Malfoy is."

"I . . . don't want to," she said truthfully. He turned his head to look her straight on. She saw his stormy gray eyes widen in surprise as he realized she was telling the truth.

"Uh . . . thanks," he murmured awkwardly.

"Your . . . welcome," she muttered, just as hesitant.

They stood in awkward silence, Scorpius looking one way, Rose the other. Rose looked from the moon to her hands, noticing how close they were to Scorpius's. She looked up at his face, watching in amazement as a single tear rolled down his cheek. Cautiously, she slid her hand along the rail, it gently brusing his. He started, but then relaxed.

She watched him closely, silently begging him to show the emotions she never thought he had.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked her. She shrugged, amazed at how soft his voice was, while it was usually sarcastic and arrogant.

"Enemies can be friends," she whispered, her hand now fully covering his, "even if only for one night."

Scorpius stared at her, and she wondered what could possibly be going on through his head. As she thought about what had happened at the foot of the tower with Hawkins, she blushed again, breaking the contact with Scorpius's intense gaze.

The moments dragged by and Scorpius found himself wishing the night would never end. He glanced at his silent companion and watched as she blushed at their touching hands. He found himself wondering, for the millionth time that night, what she was thinking about.

She suddenly looked up at him, smiling slightly. "I don't expect anything to have changed between us tomorrow. I expect the same cruel Malfoy in the morning." She then suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. Just before he could respond she had let go, blushing furiously. She then picked up her notebook and, smiling shyly at him, ran towards the stairs.

"By the way," she said turning back to look at him. He smiled slightly, noting the sharp edge back in her voice. "Tell your buddy Jim Hawkins to keep his hands off my body."

The smile was immediately replaced by fury as Scorpius watched her hurry down the stairs, lighting her wand as she went. Jim Hawkins . . . touching Rose? Scorpius gripped the rail so hard his knuckles turned white, feeling jealousy pumping madly through his veins.

He. Would. Pay.