Disclaimer: All characters, settings and basically everything else belong to J. K. Rowling.

Chapter Two

"He's so attractive…"

"His hair, he's had it cut I'm sure…"

"Her skirt must have been at least an inch under regulation!"

"They have SO done it…"

"It's so obvious."

"I don't know WHAT he sees in her…"

"I know! He's way too attractive for her!"

"They deserve each other if you ask me." Rose interrupted, getting more irritated with her dorm-mates the longer their conversation went on. They had been discussing Scorpius and Sylvia's "display" in the Great Hall during the feast. A feast it was… but Rose assumed that the two had rather missed the point considering the fact that they had eaten each other for the most part rather than the food provided.

"Lucky we didn't ask you, then, isn't it?" Amelia Fenwick replied, winner of the most annoying Gryffindor if ever there was one. Rose raised her eyebrows, scoffed, and then resumed examining her timetable, figuring out an effective study schedule to accompany it. "You're just jealous, Weasley." Rose sighed, and looked back up at Amelia, regretting ever speaking in the first place. "Is that so?" She asked, putting on the most bored and apathetic tone she could possibly manage with three words.

Her reply was met with the bitchiest glare she had ever seen before, certainly an achievement for a girl who had plastered on a fake smile for the majority of the last six years. "Uh-huh. Jealous because you know no boy, let alone Scorpius Malfoy, would touch you with a ten-foot wand." Amelia crossed her arms and exchanged a smug glance with her best friend, the most dim-witted girl in the year, Daniella Tuckett, who giggled at the comment.

"Of course, that's exactly what I was thinking. Honestly Amelia, I really have no idea why you dropped Divination; your mind-reading abilities are unbelievable." She gave the two girls a friendly smile, and batted her eyelids innocently. "Now, if you two could possibly keep your fan-girling to a bare minimum, however difficult that may be considering Scorpius' new haircut and the fact he may have grown a few extra centimetres over the summer, I'm going to bed." Amelia opened her mouth to reply but Rose violently closed the curtains to her four-poster bed before she got a chance. She sat in the middle of her bed and closed her eyes, literally feeling out of breath. Why couldn't I have been a boy, she asked herself desperately; then she slumped down onto her mattress, giving way to sleep.

Rose woke early the next morning; she had a quick shower and got dressed into her robes, then hurried off to the Great Hall to have breakfast extra early as to avoid Amelia Fenwick for as long as possible. Luckily, Amelia hadn't chosen to take History of Magic at N. E. W. T level , so the task was going to prove easier than expected as that was Rose's first lesson of the day. When she arrived at the Great Hall she saw her brother sitting alone at the Gryffindor table and felt compelled to sit with him. "You're up early." He stated as she appeared beside him.

"I'm always up early. What about you? Isn't it a rule of yours to not roll out of bed until you are physically threatened?" Rose teased, grabbing a couple of slices of toast as she took a seat; her brother chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "What's up with you anyway...you can't have got detention already, we haven't even had any lessons yet." She continued, prodding her brother with her elbow.

"Just... start of year nerves..." He mumbled, practically burying himself in his porridge. Hugo had always been slightly nervous at the start of each year, it made Rose feel particularly guilty because he was constantly trying to compete with her, even if he never admitted it. "O. W. L.s this year and everything." Rose patted him on the back as she took another bite of toast, and punched her brother encouragingly on the shoulder.

"You'll do fine, Hugo! Honestly, they're really not as bad as you think..." She truthfully told him; he didn't look convinced.

"Okay...well... I have to go get my books..." He explained as he reluctantly stood up, "bye." With that he walked off sheepishly, trying to avoid her gaze; she sighed and resumed eating her breakfast.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't our year's resident know-it-all..." The smooth, rich voice came from behind her; Rose rolled her eyes, braced herself, and then turned around to face the speaker. "Have you figured out a cure for those spots on your face yet?"

"Scorpius, what a pleasant surprise..." She replied slowly, faking a smile. "And no...Once again, they're "freckles"- look them up." Scorpius Malfoy chuckled and took a seat next to her; she instinctively shuffled in the opposite direction, giving him a confused yet irritated expression as if to say "what the hell do you think you're doing sitting here?"

"Actually...Weasley... there is a reason why I am here..." Rose raised her eyebrows inquisitively, and he continued. "I happen to know that we have potions together and considering you're top of the class and my grade last year was a little... lacklustre, I'm going to let you be my potions partner."

He can't be serious. Rose thought; then she noted that her eyebrows were probably going to escape her own forehead if she didn't stop raising them so much. "Er...well...however tempting that offer is Scorpius ...I must respectfully decline." She attempted an awkward smile, her pupils darting from side to side, then she stood and began to walk away; unfortunately he was persistent in his "offer" and followed her. "The truth is Weasley..." He began, tugging on her robe and pulling her backwards. "My father refuses to get me tickets to the Quidditch World Cup next year if I don't pass all my N. E. W. Ts and unfortunately... I'm no Ravenclaw when it comes to Potions."

"Maybe if you turned up to class once in a while, it might improve your chances." She retorted, narrowing her eyes and yanking the edge of her robe back out of his hand before storming off once again.

"Perhaps... but what would be the fun in that? C'mon Weasel-bee... just be my partner... you get to do all the work, like you would with anyone else anyway... I get a good grade at the end of it... it's a win-win for both of us." He was almost jogging to keep up with her, his voice still smooth and full of arrogance. Rose stopped suddenly; Malfoy almost fell over when he matched her movement.

"No, it isn't. There are some things in this world, Scorpius, that are not handed to you on a plate...whether you like it or not. There is nothing you, or anyone else for that matter, that would make me willingly agree to be your partner! Now...if you don't mind... I have a lesson to be going to." With that she stormed off, quicker than before, but there was no need as Scorpius simply glared after her, then reluctantly strode off in the opposite direction.

Author's Note: This chapter is a little short, I'll admit...but I think I prefer short and frequent chapters to long-winded and rare ones... So yes... What do you think of Scorpius? Realistic characterisation? I am enjoying Rose... a lot. Hope you liked!

Love,

Jordan. x