Rose closed her eyes, basking in the pleasure of the kiss. Sun streamed through the window of the empty classroom. She could even hear birds chirping in the background. It made it worse when the kiss was broken.
"We have to go Rosie. Prefects can't miss class." Scorpius looked into her eyes, withstanding her alluring stare.
"Later?" She asked slyly. Rose had no idea how he had managed to get her to be the naughty one. She had always been a stickler for rules.
"I can't, sorry." Scorpius truly did look upset, but he still put a finger on her pouting lips. "We can discuss it on the way to class. If we ever intend to tell our parents about each other, we have to be model students."
Rose sighed. "You're right. Let's away!" She said, with a flourish of her arm and a dramatic sweep out the door. Scorpius laughed and followed after her. Not many people got to see Rose's silly side, and he was grateful to be one of those lucky few.
"So?" Rose had relapsed to seriousness as the two sixth years walked hand in hand down the corridor.
Scorpius sighed "The guys want me to hang out." Rose raised her eyebrows. "Rosie, it's important to not anger your dorm mates. Or they'll put itching powder in your underwear."
"Itching powder?" asked Rose.
"Thank your Uncle George." replied Scorpius.
Rose rolled her eyes before speaking. "I understand, and I know not all of your friends approve of me. I simply don't understand why you have to hang out with them tonight. Free periods, Hogsmeade weekends, I make sure I'm not hogging all of your time. This is just some random night."
Scorpius nodded seriously. "I know. I'd rather be with you, but I already said no to them twice. Besides, I enjoy hanging out with the guys. Why don't you hang out with your friends?"
"I will. Tonight's a good night though. Not every night is." Rose replied.
Scorpius kissed her forehead. "Next time. I promise. And I'm sorry." he added, as he held open the door to the Charms classroom for her.
At dinner, Rose had to sit at the Gryffindor table while Scorpius sat with the Slytherins. This happened every day, but today she noticed it more than usual.
Her dorm mates were getting on her nerves a bit lately as well, so she went and sat beside Lily.
"Yo! It's Rosie." Lily hugged her cousin. "We're talking Quidditch."
"Oh. Maybe I should go." said Rose. She liked to watch her cousins play Quidditch and she supported the Cannons, but she wasn't much for strategy talk.
Roxanne leaned in. "We're talking boys who play Quidditch." she whispered confidentially.
"Rosie doesn't date Quidditch players." said Lily.
"I'm aware." replied Roxanne. "What do you see in him anyway?"
"Aw c'mon." said Lily, before Rose could reply. "Scorpi's nice."
"You can't call my boyfriend Scorpi!" interrupted Rose.
"Why? Is that what you call him?" pounced Roxanne.
"No!" said Rose. "It's just a horrible name."
"Scorpius? Yeah it is." agreed Roxanne.
Lily frowned at the two of them. "I call everyone that." she explained before the bickering could continue.
"You do not call everyone Scorpi!" cried Roxanne.
"No!" said Lily "Scorpi, Rosie, Roxie, Jamie, Alby, Freddy. You know."
"Oh yeah." said Rose. "Except Hugo."
Roxanne snickered. "Hugy."
They all burst into laughter.
"So when are you leaving?" asked Roxanne.
"She's not leaving!" said Lily.
"I'm not leaving." agreed Rose.
"Oh you're not shagging your boyfriend tonight?" asked Roxanne blatantly.
"Eww!" cried Lily "Roxanne! Rosie wouldn't... Rose? Why are you blushing?"
"Um..." Rose couldn't think of anything to say.
"Oh my gosh!" said Lily. "No way. No way." She stared at Rose, who felt her cheeks grow warmer. Then Lily burst out laughing and started rolling on the floor. "You! ...and him! ... and... mphffgrmph!"
Rose had clapped her hand over Lily's mouth. She kept it there while her cousin calmed down. Rose looked over at the dark skinned Roxanne. "You're both 14. What's wrong with her?"
Roxanne shrugged. "I don't know, but she's going to have a ton of questions. You can go if you want. We'll forget the exploding snap."
"Thanks." replied Rose. "Although this is your fault." she called as she stepped out the portrait hole.
Rose made her way to the library. Studying would be peaceful after everything that had happened today. Rose was an excellent student. She was acing all of her classes, and she especially enjoyed Transfiguration and Arithmancy.
At the moment, Rose was attempting to get some of her work featured in Transfiguration Today. Muggle school had helped. Her mother had insisted that she and her brother attend, and Rose had found it extremely beneficial. She continued taking courses during the summers, and the result was that she was getting close to disproving an exception to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. So far she hadn't exactly produced any food, but close enough that she knew it was possible. The trick would be getting it too resemble actual food, and not just a nutritious brown sludge, which was what she had so far.
Rose pulled some books off of the shelves and sat down to get to work. Scorpius drifted into her mind once or twice. She quickly banished him, but not meanly. Rose knew that he loved her.
Finally, Rose managed to replicate the sludge she had created last week. She removed a piece with her wand and separated the ingredients. She decantered each one, and began to look through the pictures in a giant book, trying to match them.
Rose felt a hand on her shoulder and turned. It was Albus. "Impressive. I was watching from over there. You're certainly going places Rosie."
She started to smile at him but he sighed.
Rose knew how he was feeling. "Al. Really?"
"Look Rose, I know you think I look down on myself, but I don't. I just feel like I'm good at everything, but I'm not great at anything."
"You're a prefect." said Rose.
"That just means that out of a select few people, I was the least likely to cause trouble." replied Albus.
She nodded. She was proud to be a prefect, but it wasn't a big deal.
"James is Quidditch captain, Lily's everyone's favourite. Mum was a star chaser for the Harpies and England, and Dad is the hero of the Wizarding World." said Albus.
"Yes." said Rose. "And look how your parents live. Avoiding the world in a cute little house in the country. Perfectly happy to pour their hearts into each other and their children. They'd rather raise chickens than sign autographs."
"I know Dad didn't like the fame, but that was because of what he was famous for. Dead parents and killing a guy. Mum loved it." replied Albus sadly.
"Okay." said Rose "Look at my Dad. He always felt overshadowed by his five brothers and he ended up being the most famous of them all. You'll do the exact same, I know it."
Albus nodded, but Rose could see he didn't believe her. "I just came over to tell you it's late. We're about to get kicked out."
Rose glanced at Madam Lawrence, who was watching them suspiciously. Rose quickly cleaned up while Albus packed up her books for her. They walked back to the common room and she waved at him as she climbed the stairs.
Rose had basically collapsed into bed with exhaustion, but once under the covers she couldn't fall asleep. She wanted Scorpius badly. Somehow, the stupid side of her brain took over and convinced her that he would come. Her dorm mates were all asleep, so she couldn't find solace in any of them. Then the door opened.
There he was, silhouetted against the lamp light that drifted up from downstairs. Rose wasn't sure how well he could see her, especially when he closed the door. But she heard him making his way towards her, and when he arrived she wrapped her arms around him happily.