Explanations

Rose sat quietly in the library. Her school books lay open on the desk; half written notes sprawled across the table trailing off mid-sentence. The quill was discarded to one side, black ink now dried on the nib. She stared into space, lost in her own thoughts and loneliness. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes and her breathing was shaky, pale fingers tangled themselves in her fiery curls, a sure sign that she was upset.

She really shouldn't care what the other people thought. She knew that she wasn't as beautiful as the other girls, and that everyone thought she was odd for reading so much and the way that she would get if she didn't get her homework done immediately. So she liked to read every chapter of the book twice, and she liked to make notes word for word, she had the best grades in her year and she worked damn hard for them.

Automatically Rose reached for the one book that wasn't a school book, her automatic response to the jeers of other students was to escape into a fictional world. Of course this did little to help her situation. She briefly considered going to her family, the only people who didn't mock her for her habits or the two friends she had, but really she was more of a third wheel to them anyway, she thought that they must only be her friends out of pity.

With a sigh she pulled the book closer, deciding to escape into the world of 1744 Scotland and the magical romance that was Cross-Stitch by Dianna Gabaldon. This was the only way to deal with her problems without annoying anyone anymore.

"Honestly Weasley it's a Friday night."

Rose froze, book in hand. Letting out a tiny sigh she turned towards the voice of Scorpius Malfoy, already too tired to deal with another bout of verbal abuse from the boy who really started it all. "Malfoy, please just say what you have to and then go."

He scrutinized her face, and Rose was surprised to see the corners of his mouth tilt downwards and a little frown crease between his eyebrows. He looked, mad, or upset? She was confused, it was not an expression that she had ever really seen on his face, and certainly not one that had ever been directed at her.

"Have you been crying Weasley?" he asked finally, and Rose automatically reached up to touch the wetness on her cheeks. She scrubbed now at her eyes, trying to remove any traces of remnant emotion.

"What's it to you Malfoy, just make whatever clever joke you're going to make and leave me the hell alone. I've had enough abuse off your little fan club without having to sit here and endure the same crap from you." She bit off turning away from him now so he couldn't read any more off her face, if he did he might sense the weakness inside of her and exploit it to his full advantage.

Scorpius stood there for a second, mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish searching for something suitable to say. In the end he turned silently on his heel and left her sat there at the desk. Alone once more.

X

The library was closing an hour later and rose carefully packed all the school books into her bag, careful not to let them crumple her neat rows of notes. The ink pot was securely fastened and reinforced with a quick charm before being stowed away with the quill and the rest of her items. Rose left her reading book out though, it was a habit of hers to read as she walked the halls of Hogwarts, it meant she didn't have to talk to anyone.

At this time of night most everyone was safely in their common rooms, laughing with friends around the big roaring fires and so the castle was blessedly quite. It was, however, due to this quite that Rose could hear the argument that was going on in one of the empty classrooms down the hall.

"Why are you even defending her Scorpius, you don't like her as much as we don't." Rose paused at the corner as she registered the high pitched whine of Petunia Zabini, a girl with her heart and ego set on Scorpius Malfoy, a prize her mother Pansy had failed to get with his father.

"I have never said I didn't like her but I am saying I don't like the way you treat her. Lay. Off." Rose still found herself shocked, even though she had her Petunia say his name, that it was in fact Scorpius Malfoy defending some poor girl from the evil talons of Zabini.

A bone grating high pitched laugh sounded from around the corner, "oh Scorpy. You torture Rose Weasley more than I ever have. It is truly inspiring. I don't know what has come over you but I am sure that I can fix whatever it is. Why don't you come up to the room of requirement with me? It provides very comfortable beds." Rose shuddered and gagged in disgust as Petunia's voice turned into her attempt at a seductive purr but she was still reeling from the fact that it was her that Malfoy was defending.

"No, Petunia, get off me!" he all but shouted and Rose heard the girl stumble backwards into a desk. "I don't want anything more to do with you. Yes I haven't been kind to her, ever, but that is something I am rethinking and I suggest you do so as well."

"Urgh!" she huffed loudly. "You're making a huge mistake Scorpius, I won't be here when you realise how stupid you are and I won't come back even if you beg me. Stupid boy," and with that she flounced out into the corridor.

Rose pressed herself into the shadows as the furious girl stormed past her and off towards the Slytherin dungeons. Once the footsteps had faded into the distance and Rose was sure Petunia wouldn't be coming back she moved round the corner. Shrugging her bag further onto her shoulder she entered the classroom where Scorpius stood, leant against a desk, so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice her come into the room.

"What sort of sick game are you playing?" she demanded, voice cold, manner defensive.

Scorpius' head snapped up, shocked coloured his face. "Rose," he whispered, panic lacing his tone.

"What sort of sick game are you playing?" she demanded again, stalking into the room.

"I-I don't understand, what do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean," she said, volume steadily rising. "You stand there, and defend me against Petunia Zabini when you, you are the one who makes my life a misery the most!" she was shouting by the end.

"Rose I'm sorry I want to change, I feel really bad for-"

"No! No, you don't get to apologise! You, you have been a bastard to me since the day we met and you think now that you can just say you're sorry and everything will be fine?"

"Rose-" he tried to interrupt.

"DON'T YOU DARE INTERRUPT ME I AM NOT FINISHED!" she practically screamed at him, face going red with fury. "I am talking now and you will listen!"

"No! I won't." he shouted back, getting into the swing of the fight. "I am trying to be nice to you, to make up for all the shitty things I've done and you are being stupid and irrational and you won't let me explain."

"Stupid?! Oh so you think that's how you apologise to a girl you insult her some more, you know it's a wonder you even have any friends at all!"

"Will you just shut up for a second and let me explain!" he demanded but she certainly wasn't finished.

"Explain? How on earth could you possibly explain? What even is there to explain, there must be some reason that you're doing this and I highly doubt it's this mysterious change of heart. So what is it then Malfoy? What is your ulterior motive? Are you setting me up for a fall? What? Just tell me! Mmph!"

The squeak of alarm and wide eyes only lasted for a second before Rose melted into the unexpected kiss and found herself responding more than she would ever have guessed. After a minute or so they came up for air and just stared at each other for a second, it seemed like that wasn't something he had planned either.

"Oh." Said Rose.