~Divination Tower~
n. where everyone feels a little wild (rawr)

Rose walked into Divination with a deep sense of foreboding.

She clambered up the ladder awkwardly and nearly dropped her bag, again. Every time she walked toward the Divination Tower she felt drowsy. It could have been the candles that were always lit or it could have been how artificial the lights looked from being filtered through layers of colored clothe. But she always felt like it was a spider's den in the Tower. Hovering with nets of gauze and cotton webbing, the Tower sent forth fortune telling spiders that ate young witches and wizards that stayed out after curfew. Spiders were icky.

Haha…my psychic senses are tingling! Or it could just be my of self-preservation senses…

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Rose stepped into the smoky classroom while batting away the gauzy cloth that lines the doorway and covered the walls. Her lunch settled heavily on her stomach and made her mouth taste oddly bitter as if she were about to vomit. Her innards were definitely feeling artistic today, specifically in the ballet department.

"Why hullo dearie!" Bi-spectacled eyes peered at Rose dreamily. Professor Trelawney blinked owlishly before gasping. "Why child! I see a boy next to you!"

Professor Trelawney is still as loony as ever. Just like Professor Binns…a trend perhaps?

"Yes, Professor Trelawney. I am a boy." Scorpius said as he stepped into the classroom behind Rose and hitched up his book bag that was slipping down his shoulder.

His tone was utterly sincere as he addressed the Divination Teacher.

Rose snorted and rolled her eyes to the ceiling as if to ask, the multiple layers of clothe hanging down from the roof beams, for an answer to the meaning of life. She then smacked him as he walked toward the tables scattered helter-skelter across the classroom.

"You're feeling cruel today." Scorpius deadpanned as he wove his way along the tables.

"Oh? Am I? Well I suppose your ill temper is rubbing off on me."

"My ill temper?"

"Yes."

Scorpius lips curled up in a smug smile before he slid into his seat smoothly.

She caught a glimpse of his teeth flashing and a little part of her shivered at the (almost) predatory look as he glanced at her with his eyes half-lidded. Her eyes flickered to avoid his gaze but her eyes caught the glitter of one of the piercing in his ears. She traced the shell of his ear with her eyes. But then when he caught her eye with a turn of his head, her eyes darted to a window to avoid his gaze.

Rose settled into the chair across from him at the two-person table looked at him steadily. The light trailing through the curtains blockading the windows seemed to bring shadow a part of Scorpius's features while highlighting others in a bright yet pale light.

Rose leaned back into her chair and tried pay attention to what Professor Trelawney was saying. Her thoughts weren't feeling to steady today. The table felt too small and the room too dark.

"Now class, listen up please!" Her high reedy voice echoed around the room as students filed in slowly one by one. Some looked forlorn and others looked sleepy. One boy looked harassed while another girl skipped into the room enthusiastically.

"Since there are so many fortunes to be interpreted today because of our tealeaf reading session I've planned, I've asked for one of my best student to help me out today. She's a sixth year so you might know her, Ada Malfoy.

Circe's circulatory system!

Ada stepped forward from behind a screen of gauze with a flourish.

"Nice to meet you. I hope to be of assistance in the predictions of your fortunes." Ada added dramatically and gave a shallow bow to the class.

Someone has a thing for dramatic entrances. It must be another family trait along with amazing hair…huh….

Rose rolled her eyes.

Professor Trelawney waved her wand and all the teapots sitting at the middle of each table filled with tea. A jet of steam shot out of each spout and cups were enchanted to be set in front of each student. Rose glanced at the porcelain set before and chuckled on the inside when she noticed the design on the inside of each cup and around each saucer. The zodiac circle circled the bottom of the cups and her eyes were immediately drawn to the Scorpio sign.

"Please, pour your tea carefully as it may affect the outcome of your life!" Professor Trelawney cried just as dramatically as Ada, if not more. Obviously she was not the type of person to be out done.

Rose reached forward carefully and picked up the teacup. She stared at the tealeaves floating at the bottom. The leaves swirled and danced as if they were still out in the open air, floating toward the ground. A greenish color was beginning to spread through the water in the little porcelain container and the leaves settled to the bottom, peacefully. They quivered and danced again when she brought the cup up to her lips.

She took a careful sip and blanched at the bitter, herbal taste.

Glancing up from her tea-watch she saw Scorpius look thoughtfully at his own cup before looking up and smirking at her over the rim. He didn't seem to mind the taste at all. But he raised his eyebrow at her disgruntled expression as Rose regarded the tea as if it were cursed.

"Mother likes tea parties. She has tealeaves imported from all over and likes to brag about where they came from."

"You must like being in her company." Rose said lamely.

"I haven't been invited to one for years." Scorpius's smirk became a grin as if recalling a fond memory. But there was a dark undertone that Rose wasn't sure about. "I'm not cute enough for sitting at a table full of old women and sneaking pastries anymore. Besides, I'd probably jinx all the scones and add laxatives to the tea if I were invited to one now."

Rose begged to differ. He was too cute to go to a tea party. He would have a better chance blending in at a café while seducing young witches and muggle girls. He had done just that not too long ago (speaking of which).

"But why would you do that to innocent old ladies? Your have horrendous hobbies if you do that for a pastime." She had meant it to sound as a light hearted joke but she was genuinely curious.

His expression was no longer bright and sarcastic but took on a darker edge. The undertone that had haunted his smile had surfaced.

"They weren't very nice and the things they talk about during their tea parties aren't very nice either. "

An awkward silence permeated the air and Rose sipped at her tea.

A long time passed with Scorpius brooding with Rose stealing nervous glances at him.

She then took to staring at the bottom of her cup and noticing all the patters at the bottom. The zodiac signs were magically etched on the bottom and shifted with each sip that she took.

They spun in odd order with little scuttles of their claws or swam with flips of their fins. Some even clambered across the bottom of the cup with their hooves or paws. The scale for Libra was clanking along with funny little hops.

She looked with interest when the creatures began to spin and swirl when she had finished her tea. It looked like a whirlwind was moving across the bottom of her teacup and blurring the lines and images of each zodiac sign.

When the wheel of zodiac signs have finally stopped turning, the tealeaves at settled in a sort of pattern at the bottom of her cup. The order of each animal had become the original pattern before there had been tea to fill up the cup but the tealeaves had been stirred and their image had been disturbed. Rose wondered how anyone read this.

Rose looked up and noticed Scorpius had finished his cup of tea too.

"I'm-…" Rose began to apologize but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Professor Trelawney.

"I see you've finished your tea! Let me read your for-tunes!" Professor Trelawney exclaimed. She split the word 'fortunes' into two syllables as if it were vital toward the survival of the universe (seriously). She whirled around to their table and whisked their cups into her hand.

Professor Trelawney turned the cups so the handle was facing her and peered into each cup carefully. Her eyes behind her glasses seemed to resemble bugs of odd design glancing down at each cup with wonder.

"I see…hmm…oh my…interesting… distinguishing…fascinating…odd…well…I never…Ah hah!"

She placed the cups back onto the saucers ad turned to look at the two of them.

"You have a future together. I won't go into detail because that would be inconsiderate of me so I took the task upon myself of wiping your cups clean. No need to know what should be kept secret until the time comes! That's a no-no." Her tone that had been serious in the beginning had suddenly become cheery and upbeat. She seemed pleased with herself.

Professor Trelawney floated away to predict the fortune some other students without a second glance over her back.

What a horrible professor. She didn't even teach us how to read the tealeaves. All she did was tell us we have a future together. Whoop-dee-do...

Rose gaped a bit but then quickly muttered, "I'm sorry."

She didn't feel like being interrupted again. There was no knowing who was going to barge into their conversation next.

"For what?"

"For prying into your personal business."

"Well then, it's settled. You're sorry." Scorpus smiled slyly at her and Rose began to feel as if the room around her was closing in. Her eyes were suddenly tracing the contours of his face. It felt like she was addicted to looking at him.

Uh-oh…

"Huh! Who would have thunk that you'd catch my brother?" A sarcastic soprano asked. Ada danced over to their table and smiled down at them like a demonic waitress.

She cut short Rose's revelry.

"I'd like to think of myself as a human being instead of a fish."

"I never noticed!" Rose stated sarcastically. The funny (odd) moment passed and she felt the sudden urge to be waspish to cover up the moment.

Scorpius sighed melodramatically before saying, "I'd thought you of all people would understand my true nature as a wizard. Alas! It was not meant to be."

"Oh, don't worry. I did. I just thought it would be rude to call a fish a wizard earlier."

"Why thank you. You're so considerate."

"Aren't I?"

"Absolutely."

Rose rolled her eyes for the nth time that day and kicked him in the shins just because she felt like it.

"Are you feeling particularly violent today?"

"No, you're just asking to be kicked."

"I'm hurt."

Ada stood next to their table the whole time and watched the exchange with amusement like a proud cook watching customers eat a dish of fish she had cooked (pun intended). "I'll leave you two lovebirds to deal. I have fortunes to read!" She chimed again and glided away to the next table with a smirk on her face.

She was ignored and the heated exchanged continued without a hitch.

"I was wondering if you were missing a pain receptors."

"Don't worry. You're words wound me."

"You keep this up and that won't be the only thing wounding you."

Scorpius eyes brightened and Rose groaned a little on the inside. Trust Scorpius to turn her words into something that she didn't' mean. He's a word-twister (is that even a word?).

"If you keep hurting me, will you kiss the boo-boos you made to make them better?"

Rose paused and felt the blush rising from her neck to cover her face and ears. Thankfully the bell rang at the moment but it didn't seem Scorpius was done yet. Rose stood up and slung her book bag over her shoulder hastily. Scorpius followed suit smoothly.

"If you won't give me a kiss then I suppose I'll have to kiss you."

Rose felt giddy.

He stepped forward swiftly and pecked her on the cheek. Disappointment coursed through her veins, but as he didn't pull back immediately. He leaned forward instead and whispered in her ear, "Making your hurts go away." His breath brushed her ear and she shivered as his lips barely ghosted along her jaw.

He smelled like soap and water, clean and untraceable but very there. She blinked and he was stepping away and moving toward the door. He looked back at her over his should and smiled while showing a lot of teeth. Feral. She smiled back and she was almost certain her smile was just as predatory-like. Next time, it was going to be her that was in control.

Rose shivered again before glancing down at her tealeaves.

A future, eh?

A/N: For HMMadewell. Fantastical idea. C:

This chapter is a little cracky and all over the place description wise. It's probably also the longest chapter I've written too. XDD Enjoy.