-CHAPTER SEVEN-

I found Lily in a place where I never thought I would ever find her. The library. I know, it's almost enough to make you slap a hand to your forehead in utter shock – the fact that Lily Potter was in the library.

And not just that…she was working. She was hunched over an enormous volume, a slight frown on her forehead, clearly engrossed in whatever she was reading about. I dread to think what the world has come to if Lily Potter is spending her Saturday afternoon in the library working.

"Lily," I said relieved, slumping down in the chair next to her and casting a wary eye over the large pile of books that had accumulated on the table. She grunted in reply, but didn't look up. "Lily Potter," I demanded mock-angrily. "Are you going to ignore me?"

Her eyes lingered on the page just a few seconds longer and then, finally, she flicked her gaze up to my dishevelled form and bird's nest hair.

"Lily, are you actually…um…working?"

She peered down at her books and at the quill in her hand which she promptly dropped onto her piece of parchment before turning herself to face me. "I have no idea how you do it all the time, Rosie. I mean, it's just so boring!" I gave her a faux shocked look. "My OWLs are coming up, and the stupid teachers have predicted me straight P's. So, I thought I better put some work in, before my mum turns up and gets Professor Hagrid to feed me to a flobberworm or something."

My eyes widened slightly. I had missed completely everything after she had said straight P's. "You're predicted straight P's??!!? Do you even know what P stands for?"

She hesitated, and then smiled devilishly. "No, but apparently it's not 'Pass'. And failing all my OWLs certainly won't look good when I try to find work." I can't believe someone of my own flesh and blood was predicted all P's. She better be thanking the gods that she doesn't have Hermione Granger for a mother.

"Oh, shall I leave you to it then?" I asked, and Lily looked at me as though I was suggesting she go for a naked swim in the Lake. "Or I could tutor you?"

"No! I'm so bored, it's insane! I was thinking of giving up about now anyway, I don't think I can do any more work without my brain exploding," she replied, slamming the enormous book in front of her shut with relish. "You clearly have something you want to tell me…so spit it out." She peered over at me, trying to look nonchalant about me confiding in her, but I knew her ears were on high alert to picking up gossip.

"Well…" I hesitated, unsure of how to broach the subject.

"Well, what?" she demanded in an urgent whisper, dropping the act of being disinterested.

I eyed her in annoyance. "Well," I repeated, placing a delicate emphasis on the word. "Earlier I was in the Slytherin changing room after the game…"

Lily held up her hand, indicating for me to stop talking right away. "Hold on. You were in the Slytherin changing room?" I nodded, and she seemed taken aback by my offhand manner. "Why, exactly?"

"Oh, because me and Al were waiting for Scorpius to get changed, and he was taking ages…" Lily interrupted me with a wave of her hand again, and I sighed and rolled my eyes. At this rate I wouldn't be able to discuss these very important matters with her until after I'd graduated.

"Let me get this straight… You, Rose Weasley, were in a changing room where Scorpius Malfoy was in the process of changing?" I nodded. Lily's face suddenly turned to one with a glittering smile, and a sneaky glint in her eye. "And, I imagine, that at some point he was not wearing a shirt." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. She is so….teenage girl-ish.

"That's the problem here!" I exclaimed loudly, and a first year picking a book from a high shelf looked over at me in a slightly creeped out fashion, and promptly dropped the book they had just got out onto the floor. I gave him an apologetic look, and dropped my voice to a low whisper. "This is what I came to talk to you about."

"You think it's a problem that you saw Scorpius without a shirt?" Lily seemed confused.

I nodded, casting a fervent look around us to make sure that no sneaky little Slytherin was listening in on our conversation. "Of course it's a problem! It's an ungodly predicament! Can't you see why?"

She looked just about ready to slap me for being dense (and overly dramatic) at that moment. "No! He is fine! I wouldn't mind seeing him without his shirt on!"
"Well, we all know you wouldn't mind," I said quickly, as Lily shook her head at the truth of the statement and grinned. "But, the problem is that I do mind, because…well…" How exactly do I say this? You know, without making Lily think I have officially lost all of my marbles.

A look of dawning realisation overcame Lily's face. "Ah! You found him attractive, didn't you? And now you're sickened with yourself because you made a vow when he played that trick on you in potions that you would hate him for all eternity!" She has managed to sum up every thought going through my head in a single sentence. That truly shows how well she knows me.

My only issue with her knowing this is does she have to look so bloody pleased about it?

"Stop grinning like your birthday's come early, this is serious business," I told her, then I lowered my voice to a whisper. "Anyway, it's not like I never knew that he was attractive…I just have never been attracted to him myself. And as you said, he is an arrogant pompous little arse…"

"I never said that!" She looked at me, evidently scandalized by the thought of a bad word being said about Scorpius Malfoy. "That is blasphemy! He is a gorgeous specimen of manliness, with divine biceps..." Lily stopped to gaze dramatically at the ceiling as though she was deeply in love with him. God forbid that ever to happen.

"He is an arrogant pompous little arse, though! You can't deny it! Not when he goes around being…well…arrogant and pompous all the time!" I snapped, slapping her lightly on her arm to stop her looking so dreamy over such a stupid pig of a boy.

"I was kidding, Rosie!" she said, rolling her eyes as I hit her on the arm again. "I agree, he is an arse, but you can't deny that he is…" Lily broke off as someone sat down on the chair next to me.

"Rose?"

Not that voice. I turned on my chair to find myself looking at the sheepish grin of none other than Lorcan Scamander. He was looking at me in such a way that you would never have believed him to be someone who would run off with another girl behind their girlfriend's back.

"Can I talk to you, Rosie?" He looked pointedly behind me, at Lily. "…Privately." Lily slammed her books together in a pile, and I could tell from her grimace that she was certainly not happy about leaving me with a 'traitorous bastard' as she so charmingly nicknamed him.

"I'll see you in ten minutes in the Gryffindor common room," she said angrily, flashing her eyes dangerously at Lorcan who looked slightly taken-aback at her less-than-friendly departure.

"Is she OK?"

What do I say to that? 'Oh yes, she's fine! She just hates your guts and can't believe you are even talking to me after your heartless actions!'

"Um," I stammer, rapidly formulating a reply. "PMS, I think." That reply seemed to be enough for him and he took his questioning eyes off Lily's retreating back and looked at me. If this was a month ago, I would have said he was looking at me 'with a gaze of deep love'.

Boy, was I lame.

But now he just looks like a bit of a pathetic wimp. Did I really used to think those puppy-dog eyes were endearing?

"Listen, Rosie," he began, taking my left hand in a fumbling motion. "I feel bad about how things ended between us." I snatched my hand back, and frowned slightly.
"Bad enough to regret being a prat?" I asked him, as he flushed like he always did when he was under pressure.

He retrieved my hand again clutching it slightly more firmly. "Now, that's a bit harsh, isn't it? I may have been foolish, but I've seen the error of my ways. Like that ancient saying goes 'You don't know what you've got till you lose it.' Or…um…something like that."

I raised my eyebrows and produced a Slytherin inspired smirk. "Is this your pathetic way of apologising to me?" Lorcan's eyes flicked towards the bookshelf on our left, and back to me, before he nodded slightly. "Am I to understand that you've dumped your latest bimbo?" He nodded again, this time more confidently.
"I don't know what I was thinking. Just, since we've been back at school you've been…well…you're gorgeous, Rosie. I always knew you were pretty, but…" He fumbled for words, and his gaze deftly flicked downwards, causing me to shuffle uncomfortably.

"Those are dangerous words to be saying to a taken girl, Scamander. I suggest you get your hands off her if you don't want to end up in the hospital wing for the next three weeks."

There is only one person in this entire castle that that drawling pompous tone could belong to. And I hope to God that he is fully dressed. I really don't need anything else to think about – least of all another encounter with his 'heavenly abs'.

Lorcan dropped my hand and stood up at the same time that I twisted around on my chair to be met with the still irksomely appealing sight of one Scorpius Malfoy leaning against a bookshelf, his arms folded nonchalantly across his chest. He caught my eye and gave me a look implying that I owed him for saving me from Lorcan and his creepy stares. I dread to think what sort of payment he has in mind.

I daresay I'll be looking to hibernate in a remote corner of the castle to avoid it, though.

"Malfoy, this is nothing to do with you," Lorcan spat, pushing his chair out of the way and standing between Scorpius and I, blocking my vision of him. Excellent…Now at least my thinking is coherent without me being distracted by the cute little platinum strand of hair that was flopping across his forehead.

"Actually, Scamander, this has a lot to do with me. After all, correct me if I'm wrong, but did you just say my girlfriend was gorgeous," Scorpius said. Lorcan was speechless.

Why is he doing this? It wasn't in the fake-relationship job description for him to stand up for me. Not that I'm complaining, of course. Maybe he's not so much of an arse as I previously thought.

"You are not seriously dating this loser, are you?" Lorcan snapped in disgust, turning around to face me.

"It's irrelevant who I may, or may not be dating," I said, and Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"But you hate the guy! He's a total jerk, and he's more likely to cheat on you than I am!" Lorcan practically screeched.

Scorpius, in contrast to Lorcan's ruffled state, remained the epitome of calm and proceeded to examine a non-existant piece of dirt on his nails. "The only difference here, freak, is that you are the pathetic sod who did in fact cheat on her, whereas I have not, nor do I intend to. And, I think we can safely say she doesn't hate me, not when yesterday she –"

"I do not want to hear the sordid details of your sex life with my girlfriend, Malfoy," Lorcan fumed, his hands involuntarily clenching into fists.

"I think you'll find the term is ex-girlfriend," Scorpius snapped back. "Anyway, me and your ex-girlfriend better get going. We have private matters to discuss in our dorm." He uttered the last sentence, with his eyebrows raised letting the implications of this statement dawn on a enraged Lorcan.

It's official. Scorpius Malfoy is still an arse. And a perverted one at that.

I think he needs therapy for his raging hormones.

"Rosie?" the perverted arse held out a hand to pull me up from my chair, then wound his arm around my shoulders when I was standing, to sickened glares from Lorcan. "We'll see you later….Scamander."

The second we reached the Head's common room, I turned on him. "What, in the name of all that is holy, was that about?" I demanded incredulously, as he flopped down on the sofa, with his hands behind his head and shut his eyes. Stupid sod.

Stupid, ugly…useless…sod.

His eyes flickered open, and he swept a lock of white blonde hair out of his face. I felt a sort of odd palpitation in my chest, but tried my hardest to I ignore it.

Cross 'ugly' off that list then.

"No need to be so cross, love. Besides, I think I deserve a thank you from rescuing you from that slimy git." He sat up slightly as he said this, and a bitter look flashed across his face.

I stepped over to him and poked him in the stomach. "Well, granted you saved me, even if I could have coped fine by myself." poke "But, at the same time you implied to my ex-boyfriend that we are somehow…um…" I paused slightly.

Scorpius sat up with an enormous grin covering his face. "Engaging in nightly activities?" He smirked even more obnoxiously at the look on my face, and placed both his arms up on the back of the sofa.

"Yes," I snapped through gritted teeth.

He sniggered loudly. "I apologise," he said sarcastically, with a look in his eyes that implied he was distinctly not sorry. Prat. "I forget that you Ravenclaws don't like to lie. I suppose it's against your goody-two-shoes' natures. So…maybe we should rectify that…error." He raised his eyebrows swiftly, as I narrowed my eyes at him in frustration.

"You sicken me," I snapped, after several seconds silence, stepping over his legs in an attempt to walk to my room without any more of his insinuations. However, I was stopped dead in my tracks when the big-headed pig started laughing. LAUGHING.

"You've even admitted it yourself, Weasel-bee, I don't sicken you in the slightest," he drawled condescendingly, picking himself up from the sofa, as I spun around with my arms folded.

"I think you'll find you DO sicken me," I replied.

He snorted, standing in front of me and mimicking my arms-crossed, foot-tapping posture. "I think you'll find I DON'T," he grinned. "And, I can prove it."

I rolled my eyes, my breathing slightly raspy as I formulated a reply with him standing less than a foot away. "You can't PROVE whether or not I THINK something. Not unless…" Scorpius frowned at me, looking confused, but slightly amused, at the widening of my eyes. "…Oh my god, you're a legilimens! You're reading my mind!"

"Don't be so far-fetched and ridiculous!" he laughed. "I was going to work it out the old-fashioned way." The old fashioned way? Um….huh? He looked a little annoyed that I hadn't figured it out. Dear Merlin, just because this boy is an expert in working out whether one is sickened by him doesn't mean we all are! "The old-fashioned way…" he repeated. "With a kiss."

Oh no.

I am not doing that.

No way.
If I lose the ability to speak just by looking at him, Merlin knows what I'll lose by kissing the insufferable idiot. I might forget how to breathe. Or I might lose all my senses of reasoning. I'd fail my NEWTs!

I'm not willing to take that risk.

Unfortunately, all these thoughts simultaneously rolling round my head like a gigantic blender rendered me incapable of producing an answer to his latest declaration. Which then resulted in his lips colliding with mine so then I was officially incapable of any thought whatsoever, except for: I AM KISSING SCORPIUS MALFOY!

I suppose that's the pre-pubescent teen in my head talking there.

Everything in my head seemed to fizzle out, except for what seemed like dancing fireworks on the backs of my eyelids, which had shut of their own accord. My arms unfolded themselves and reached up around his neck, as his tightened around my waist, pulling our bodies closer so I could feel every lean quidditch-toned muscle against my own (slightly more pathetic) build.

How could I not have wanted to do this before?

Hey everyone!

It's been about a week since I updated, which is a very short time for me so I'm happy that I could get this out to all of you to see what you think :) I've had an ENTIRE week off because of the snow in my town - we English people are rubbish when it comes to snow *rolls eyes* - so I've had loads of free time to write! (yay!)

Anyway, I hope you all like this! Please read and review, it makes my day! And if you have any suggestions, then let me know as well.

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