So... I'm a terrible person. It's okay you can agree with me. Not updating for this long is a problem. But! I promise it won't happen (this bad) again. I've gotten through I road block... basically I needed to write a filler chapter but I didn't know what on... but it's done! complete! finished! Yay! We can rejoice! And give reviews?

Anyway. This is chapter 7... enjoy!

"Rennison! You're late!" Scorpius bellowed.

"Sorry," the awkward boy said as he managing to stumble on the tail of his Quidditch robes. "It's just that—"

"I don't care for you're excuses! All I want is for you to be on that pitch on time!"

I rolled my eyes. Honestly, the boy thinks it's a life or death situation if his beater is a minute late. I worry for his sanity sometimes. Well, never actually, but his mind should definitely be looked at. Something weird is happening in that ferret brain of his and it needs to be figured out before his ego swells further and explodes. "I'm sure you had a perfectly good explanation as to—"

"Explanations won't cut it! We are up against some serious competition that could change our future and you want to stay late at Herbology to discuss mandrakes with Professor Longbottom?" Scorpius clenched his hands into fists, attempting to hold back the anger that was threatening to spill out. "No! For the time being Quidditch comes first! And if you can't get that through your thick skull than you'll be off the team faster than you can say Chudley Cannons! Have I made myself clear?"

Michael blinked. "What?"

"Off the team! As in I'll find another beater! You are easily repla—"

I tugged on Scorpius's elbow, cutting him off before he managed to lose us a player before we even reached our first match. "Are you mad?" I hissed before turning back to the baffled boy and smiling sweetly. "Sorry about that, Michael and please, forget what Scorpius said. Just get your broom and head on up there. We'll be there shortly."

Michael swiftly moved away from the conversation before joining the others, currently flying laps. I shifted my attention back to the prat, "What were you thinking, you daft dimbo? You do realize that we can't go around yelling at our players?"

"First off," Scorpius glared down at my, "I am not a daft, nor am I a dimbo. Secondly, I feel that I have a right as their captain—"

"Co-captain."

"Right. As their co-captain to yell at them when they're well out of order."

"Speaking with a Professor is not out of order! And if you haven't noticed, there isn't exactly a wide selection of students to choose from. So if you were to replace Michael, who exactly would you choose? Morgana Goyle or Perseus Adams?"

Scorpius sighed, "Oh, don't be such a smart arse. You know very well that Morgana and Perseus failed flying in their first year. But there are loads of other people!"

"Yeah? Like who?"

"Like… well, what about… what about Declan Wood?"

"He graduated."

"Longbottom?"

"Alice plays for James now and Pomona doesn't fly. She has a fear of brooms."

Malfoy shook his head, "No, the boy."

"Frank? He practically bleeds red and gold. Good luck getting him to even consider joining up with the likes of you."

"Well, you joined me didn't you?"

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, raising a lone eyebrow.

"You, daughter of two war heroes and Gryffindor to the core, joined the likes of me. Hate to break it to you, Red, but I guess that makes you like me."

"You're an idiot."

"And you're in denial," Scorpius smirked as he crossed his arms.

I frowned, "I'm not in denial."

"Yes you are," he replied simply. A smirk tugged on his lips as he stared cockily down at me.

"I am not!" I stomped my foot on the damp ground, sending bits of muddle out of a puddle and onto my red robes. "Now, are you going to stand here like a pretentious snake or are you going to join practice with the others."

Scorpius shrugged his shoulders. Jerking his head upwards he smiled mischievously, "I don't know. S'pose I quite like the view better from down here."

"What?" I said, creasing my brow and turning to look up at my teammates currently hovering over the center of the pitch. My eyes scanned over their robe clad bodies, searching for what had hogged all of Malfoy's attention. Lucy and Nott were having some sort of argument, either involving quaffles or pudding. And Frank was talking animatedly to Warrington, who was starting at Lily. Or Lily's arse.

Shite.

"Are you staring at my cousin?"

"No. Not technically. Just her bum."

"Malfoy!" I thumped his head with the handle of my broom, "She's my cousin and you're degrading her!

Scorpius laughed. "Degrading? No, not when she has an arse like that. I'd call it admiring. Or appreciation to her parents for making such a fine view possible."

"You're a pig!"

"I'm a teenage boy, Rose."

"I don't care what you are! Keep your hormones in control and your eyes off my cousin's bum!"

Scorpius smirked, causing me to groan. Nothing good ever comes out of one of his smirks. "Well, if I can't look at her bum, may I look at yours?"

"Excuse me?"

"Granted it's not as fine as specimen as hers, but I'd say yours is definitely the best in our year. Maybe second to Lily's overall. It's not too big and it's got quite a nice shape to it…"

My mouth hung open in shock and disgust. "Malfoy, have you been staring at my arse?"

"You're right," he smiled picking his broom off the ground, "we should get to practice."

"Malfoy!" I yelled after him as he took off towards the group, "I demand you stop staring at my bum!"

Squinting my eyes, I looked deeper into my china cup trying to making something out of the tea leaves presently sprawled about. I guess it could be cross, or if I tilted my head to the side you could say it's a wonky-looking star.

"Oh, my dear, let me have a look! Let me have look!" Professor Trelawney said as she fluttered over, her tangled mess of beads clanking together with each step. With a wrinkly finger she pushed her bug-eyed spectacles up the bridge of her nose before peering over my shoulder and into my cup. "Ah, a tree. Tell me, how's you're family? Are they well?"

"Yes, as far as I've heard."

"Hmmm," she nodded, "then it's a conflict. Tsk, tsk. What a pity to be young and so blind to the indispensable bond of family."

I blinked. Dad always told us that Trelawney was off her rocker, so how in Godric's name does she know about my family troubles. I bit my lip and pointed at a lumpy form on the left side of my cup. Maybe she'd be able to divulge more. "What about this spot?"

"A vulture."

"And what does that mean exactly?"

"Beware of enemies," Lucy informed me. She grasped the tea cup in her hands and brought it closer to her seat next to mine. "Though, if you ask me it looks more like a swallow."

"What's a swallow s'pose to—"

"Frank, my dear! Give me the cup! Give me the cup! Oh, my dear, please do not leave your dormitory on the nineteenth for Saturn has moved out of the position of power! My Inner Eye predicts a great deal suffering and pain!"

I shifted my attention away from Professor Trelawney, who was now pouring over Longbottom's tea cup, and turned towards Lucy. "So what's a swallow got to do with my life?"

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Honestly, Rose you're a sixth year and you can't even determine the meaning of a swallow? Give it up. You've got about as much talent at this as your mum."

"I am not my mother! And so what if I can't tell you what a silly little bird means. I've got an Eye, it's just hidden… deep down. But it's there!"

"Whatever you say Rose," Lucy laughed. "Now," she slide her cup across the table, "what's in my future?"

"Well," I sighed before lowering my face to get a closer look at the clusters of tea leaves. There's a cat and, "I paused, taking the time to narrow my eyes at a blob on the side, "a deer. Plus, there's a circle. No, wait. That's a wheel. So, you'll make some changes concerning an unreliable friend and… a deer."

"You're pathetic."

"Am not!" I argued. "Just you wait! When a deer comes gallivanting into your life you'll see! You'll see I have what it takes to deal with this… this—"

"Tasseography."

I nodded, "Right, Tasseography. I am a Master at Tasseography."

"Miss Wilkins, I regret to say that your worries will be confirmed. I see difficult times ahead. Beware of this Friday; the fifteenth will be most troublesome for you."

"Yeah," Lucy smirked, "you're about as much a master at this as Trelawney is."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a compliment?"

"The fifteenth is a Thursday."

By the time supper was ready in the Great Hall I felt like a melted pile of mush. Today had been exhausting to say the least. At the end of Divination I'd gotten twisted in one of Professor Trelawney's oriental rugs and stumbled into the china cabinet. I missed my hour-long free period picking up shattered bits of cups as Trelawney buzzed about the room going off about how she'd foreseen this. And then once I'd scrapped even the tiniest fragment off the floor, I had to rush off to double Potions. Lucky me got the "privilege" of sitting next to Kira Wilkins. I'd rather have been seated next to Malfoy than next to her pestering arse, and that's saying something.

Speak of the devil.

Scorpius strutted his way through the open doors and reached the far end of the hall. He squeezed his way in between Lucy and Lily, who before they were so rudely interrupted where quarreling over who got to polish off the last of the potatoes. "Long day, Red?" Malfoy smirked, running his long fingers through his white-blonde locks. Though I'd never admit it aloud because it would inflate his fat ego, Scorpius was quite handsome, even if he was a ferret.

"I never want to hear Kira's shrill voice ever again," I grumbled before scooping what was left on my plate and shoving it into my mouth.

Lily frowned. "Honestly Rose, you're worse than your father."

"What you fail to see, Potter, is that Weasley here has got about as much manners as a hippogriff."

"I'm hungry" I growled, my mouth stuffed with the last of my meal.

"Attractive, Weasley. Is that how you've seduced your previous boyfriends, with a mouthful of food?"

I narrowed my eyes. "At least I've had a relationship that's lasted longer than a week, Malfoy. You on the other hand parade about the castle with your latest conquests. Tell me, do you feel accomplish now that you've deflowered half of the females in this school?"

"Believe me," Scorpius smiled slyly as he leaned back in his seat, "I enjoyed every minute of it."

"You're despicable."

"You're jealous."

"Jealous?" I laughed. "Right, I'm jealous of a prat like you! Merlin knows I'd much rather be ruining Hogwart's innocence than actually work my way towards a decent career!"

"At least I'm not a boring stiff that'd rather write essays meters long than actually have a bit of fun! Tell me, Red, when was the last time you did something you shouldn't have? Something that made your heart pound and your palms sweat? Tell me, have you ever broken a rule?" Malfoy teased me, his lips curled into a twisted grin and his eyes laughing at me.

"I've broken rules! Believe it or not I'm not a complete goody-goody!"

"Really?" He raised his eyebrow in suspicion. "Do tell, what exactly have you done? Stayed in the library past curfew?"

"Ugh! Well I'm sorry if I like to make sure to have my assignments completed! But, I've snuck out for other… purposes. It's just none of your business."

"Really? None of my business? Well, if you ask—"

"You're insufferable, you know that?"

"Merlin!" Lucy huffed as she threw her hands down on the table in aggravation. "Would you two quit it?"

"No!" Scorpius and I snapped simultaneously.

Lily sighed. "Well, you better can it now or McGonagall's going to have a fit," she gestured towards the front of the room.

Professor McGonagall had left her seat at teachers' table and taken her spot at the podium. "Students, I am sorry to keep you from your meals but there is an announcement to be made regarding the tournament. If you are a captain participating in the Quidditch competition would you please join Mr. Bilderfudd in hall, immediately. That is all, thank you."

"Coming, Red?" Scorpius smirked as he stood up from the bench.

I rolled my eyes. Slowly I shuffled out of my seat and followed my lovely teammate out of the Great Hall. I quickened my stride in order to keep up with Malfoy. Curse him and his long legs! "You know the least you could do is wait for your co-captain!" I huffed finally stepping into stride beside him.

Malfoy looked down his pointed nose at me and replied smugly, "I don't wait for anyone, especially you, Weasley."

"Prat."

"Watch your language, Rosie!" Louis teased as the pair of us reached the huddle of captains. "Wouldn't want to see you miss a game because you're in detention again for the mouth of yours. Then again," he smiled, "seeing as you're my competition…"

I slapped him on the arm, "You're to win fairly, Lou. That means no schemes to land my arse in detention scrubbing cauldrons. Do I make myself clear?"

"If I must," he sighed dramatically. "Though only is you promise to stop using that wretched nickname."

"I'll stop once you lay off calling me Rosie."

Louis brought his hand to his chin, contemplating his choices. He shook his blonde hair, "No, sorry. I don't think that's an option."

I shrugged my shoulders, "Whatever you say, Lou."

Review? Please?

And stay tuned for the next chapter. Maybe invovling some more information on the tournament... and maybe the first match... or something. Who know? You will! If you keep reading in the future!

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