Disclaimer: Not JK…

A/n: I'm so so so sorry for not updating this story earlier. But I promise I'll finish this story within the week. Only two more chapters to go! So, please review!

Chapter 3: An unforgettable party

"Five…"

"Four…"

"Three…"

"So you guys actually goof around like this. It's no myth or over rating, huh?" Rose wondered as she sat watching one of the Slytherin seventh year boys, whose name she vaguely recalled to be Goth, or something like that. He had been dared to drink ten goblets of firewhiskey and so far was doing fabulously in holding it in.

If it had been a month ago, or even a week, Rose wouldn't have been caught dead at a clandestine Slytherin bash. But of course, as Scorpius had said, what was she going to do otherwise, sit in the commonroom and stare at the wall?

"Glad to know you don't think it a made up story." Scorpius commented dryly even as he egged on the guy. He only had to drink up one more goblet and the crowd was going berserk. Rose ignored Scorpius' remark and focused on the guy instead, cheering along with everyone when he finished his last glass. People dispersed into small groups after the event but Rose stood for a minute staring at the guy who she could clearly see was going to be sick. She took a step forward to go help him but couldn't as a hand grasped her wrist.

"He's gonna be sick, we've gotta help him!" Rose shrieked but Scorpius stayed put. In a few seconds a few people came to the guy and helped him out.

"You don't always need to help out everybody, Rose. That's what people have friends for"

"It's difficult for me, Scor. To see anybody suffer. I kind of…"

"Why? I mean, not that I don't think it a great virtue. You wouldn't have become Head Girl otherwise but, everyone else seems to manage just fine ignoring people in trouble. Why can't you?"

Rose turned from the party before her to look at him. They had moved to stand in a corner of the commonroom. Normally, he'd have been right at the middle of the party with Al, causing trouble. But then, when he had entered the Heads commonroom that day, he actually found Rose trying to organize the room. A perilous task, and one which would no doubt bring out his and Al's ideas for their next few pranks. He had then gone over to distract her and the best way had been to invite her to the party, as his date. Clearly, anyone could see that he had had no choice. But of course, Rose being Rose, it had taken a lot of arguing and coercing on his part to make her agree to come.

And then she had dressed up in that stupid blue dress which he had seen her wear to Victoire's hen night. It had looked good on her then but it looked fabulous on her now. He had then gone on to curse himself when he hadn't been able to take his eyes off her the entire night, or let her go for a moment. He knew with alacrity how the Slytherin male mind worked; hell, he was one and absolutely did not want Rose getting stuck in the middle of such a crowd. Or that was what he had convinced himself was the reason he couldn't seem to move from her side. She didn't seem to mind much either. It brought a smile to Scorpius' face to remember yesterday evening when she had confessed that she liked his company more than she'd thought she would. He had carried a stupid grin on his face until Al had called him out on it.

There were only a few more hours, a day at most until she won that bet of hers but of course, the thing hadn't even occurred to him until Al had asked him about his next plan. He had blinked like a fool then, which, for some unfathomable reason, had amused his friend endlessly. She had been staring at him steadily for this long and seeing his eyes focus on her, blinked as if she was breaking out of a trance herself. Scorpius realized she was trying to avoid the subject.

Rose watched the myriad of expressions play out on his face like the streaming lights of the bash. It was, Rose realized, a party in the truest sense of the word and she wondered for the tenth time that day why Scorpius wasn't in the middle of it all. May be he felt responsible for her or something, since he had been the one who had brought her here. But when she had asked him, he had simply shaken his head and had told her that he didn't want to leave her all alone. Rose chuckled at the rare show of protectiveness, enjoying it while it lasted. Noone had thought to guard her before, because she had never shown that she could be weak, or vulnerable. But he knew, without her even having to look at him, that she appreciated him staying beside her, like her own guardian angel. She began chuckling, but it ended as a sigh when she sensed his eyes move towards the crowd.

"You should be with them, dancing" she placed a hand on his arm, turning his attention to her. Not that she needed to, with how close they were standing. If it had been anywhere else, people might have gotten the wrong idea with their proximity.

"Only if you will dance with me, Red" he replied smirking, using his long forgotten taunt. But it now came out more like an endearment than denigration.

"No way. I dance once every year at the Weasley Christmas bash. I think that's torture enough for me"

"Then you aren't getting rid of me tonight" he replied grinning, and she could sense the overwhelming feeling of comfort that gave her. They stayed like that for a minute, until Al's boisterous voice interrupted their stare off.

"Hey guys! Wow, Scor! You need to be given some kind of award for dragging Rose out here"

"I'll hold you to it, Al. Rose, this is Sienna Glover." Rose greeted the frail looking girl enthusiastically. In all her life at Hogwarts, she had never been able to get to know, or keep the acquaintance of a Slytherin girl. Sure there had been the prefects but their relationship could be called apathetic at best. As the evening progressed, Rose realized that the girl, who appeared arrogant on sight was in reality, just shy and reserved. And Al had this humungous crush on her but tried so hard not to show it, which made for a few laughs. When they finally left, Rose turned to Scorpius with a defined smirk on her face that had him back tracking. He had never seen her eyes this alight, this close. It was like someone had lit her cobalt blue eyes.

"Looks like someone's smitten" she remarked, and it was a moment before he realized that she was referring to Al.

"He's been mooning after her for nearly two years now" Scorpius commented, exasperated.

"He whined a lot?" Rose asked wisely.

"You can't even begin to imagine" Scorpius confessed in a whisper but Rose's expression turned gloomy.

"Yeah, yeah I can't" something seemed to be off with her but Scorpius couldn't place his finger on it. Her eyes were turned resolutely towards the party and he took hold of her shoulders and turned her so she was facing him. She gave him a lifeless smile, one that gave his heart a weird twinge.

"Was this what you were hiding from me back then?" he asked sternly, and one look into his somber eyes told her no amount of beating around the bush could help her.

"Depends on what you think I am hiding from you, Scor. If it's the stupid bet, I can assure you I haven't touched a single piece of parchment for the entire time. But, you know what? This one week was the only time in my life I can remember living, enjoying. It feels great to laugh, not because people expect you to but because you feel like it. Do you know how much that matters to be, Scor? You don't care about how perfect I am, do you? I don't think you even know if I can sing" she was almost smiling now, and Scorpius could hardly keep up with her rapidly shifting emotions.

"I do know you sing, Rose. I've heard your voice. Once" he admitted sheepishly and was delighted to see Rose blush. Anything other than that grief.

"When? But I only ever sing in the dormitories…"

"Al recorded your voice when you once sang at the Burrow. He played it to me one day in that muggle contraption he carries around"

"Oh, oh, okay!" he almost laughed out at the tense expression on her face.

"You have such a soft voice, Rose. I never would have imagined you having such a soothing pitch, like a lullaby." It felt next to normal to slide his arms around her waist to gather her close. She didn't swat him away, resting her head on his shoulder as her arms snaked around his neck. It felt perfect, natural, like home.

"You mean I put you to sleep" she tried to sound condescending but it ended up being child like and he chuckled.

"You know I didn't mean it that way. Would you sing for me, just once?" she looked up at him with surprise etched over her face. But there was this incredible warmth in her eyes that blanked everything out. Her voice too was soft when she replied.

"Noone's ever asked me to before"

"I am now. Will you? Nobody will ever hear you here over the blaring music" his eyes were almost puppy doggish and she couldn't help but give in. She slowly sung a song she had once heard her grandmother sing. It was sweet, melancholic but ended on a note of such poignancy that the two of them remained silent for a few minutes.

Rose just stared at him wordlessly. She did not need his words to tell her how he felt. His scorching eyes told all. But a totally different emotion was boiling inside Scorpius; fear. They say that man fears only three things from birth; the dark, falling, and death. He felt that this should be added to that list, this expression on her face that was pulling strings within him. But he did not know how to define it, and did not know if he wanted to.

It would have been the most natural thing to lean in and close the minuscule gap between them, but he hesitated. Their family, their parents, their enmity and most of all, his friendship with her cousin, all stretched before him like a vast expanse, keeping her eons apart from him. The physical closeness could do nothing to curb the emotional and Scorpius found himself in the middle of a turmoil he knew there was no solution to. Trying to dispel the charged moment, for he knew not what stupid thing he'd do if he kept looking at her too deep eyes, he whispered.

"It was beautiful, Rose. Breath taking." She smiled a relieved smile and Scorpius wondered if she had been thinking of the same things he had.

"Thanks, Scorpius" her face was an odd mixture of delight and disappointment though it all dwindled behind the permanent wall of happiness that seemed to dominate her face.

"It's getting close to curfew. May be we should leave" he suggested quickly and Rose smirked.

"You mean you don't want me here berating you when you get drunk" an all knowing expression spread over her face but Scorpius shook his head.

"I never get drunk. Even so, I'm not in the mood for a drink today. You ready to go? You can't find Al among the crowd" Rose complied with him and he kept a firm grip on her wrist as he wound around the mob towards the entrance.

They reached the Heads commonroom in silence and the mermaid in the portrait swung aside with a smile to let them in. Rose immediately turned to go to her dorms but Socrpius, on a sudden foolish instinct, kept his hold on her wrist. She turned around with a quizzical expression on her face but her eyes widened when he drew her close.

Scorpius brought his hand to her cheek to caress it and before she could even comprehend what he was doing, he leaned down to kiss her cheek before muttering, "Good Night, Rose"

"Good Night, Scor" she was a little light headed as she walked up the steps to the dorms, leaving behind a stupidly grinning Scorpius.

A/n: Review!