Sorry for the long wait; my parents keep telling me that I need to spend less time on the computer, which means I haven't been able to write as often. :L Anyway, Chapter 14 is here! Yay! Hope you like it x
As Saturday rolled around, and Rose's date with Nathan came closer, she found herself watching other Houses practise Quidditch whilst pretending to read, as she was still not on speaking terms with either Molly or James. Ignoring two of her closest friends hurt her, not physically (unless you count the time she got hit by a Quaffle on Thursday because she was worrying about their argument), but emotionally. Yes, she still had Tracey, who was a loyal friend, but Tracey was also loyal to Molly, and was trying to stay neutral in the argument. This meant that Tracey had to split her time between the two ex-best friends, and at the moment she was with Molly. So Rose sat alone in the Common Room, watching the Ravenclaw's practise on the Quidditch field.
She didn't know many Ravenclaw's, only Nathan, Lucy and Louis. The two boys she were currently on the field, Nathan playing Beater -which shocked Rose, as it was a very violent position for such a gentle boy- and Louis was their teams Keeper. It didn't surprise Rose that Lucy wasn't on the team- she considered Quidditch too dangerous, and it clashed with her studying too much, for her to even try out for the team.
As Rose watched the practise, it became clear that the team were very good- a lot better than the Gryffindors had been recently. Their Seeker could change direction on the spur of the moment; he would give Rose a run for her money. Or a fly for her Snitch, in this case. The three Chasers were very fast, and worked together fantastically- almost as well as Fred and Roxy. When Rose looked carefully, she vaguely recognised the Chasers as 7th years, who had been playing together for 3 or 4 years now. Nathan and the other Beater (who she didn't know) were both quite muscular, and when she saw them send a Bludger down the field at a ridiculous speed, she feared for her safety for when she had to play against them. Louis was a pretty good Keeper too. He flew from hoop to hoop, blocking the Quaffle every time it came near, and making some quite incredible saves.
Rose gulped. The previous Gryffindor practise hadn't gone well, because James, Molly and herself refused to speak to either of the others. James had still dished out orders as Team Captain, but took every opportunity to criticize both girls, especially Rose. This had resulted in Molly refusing to participate in the practise if James was going to treat her like 'some sort of idiot', and then storming off to sit in the stands. James had then lost whatever remained of his good nature, and told Fred and Roxanne to practise their aim, and to use the team as their targets. This meant Rose, Michael and Albus spent the next 10 minutes flying around frantically, desperate to avoid the Bludgers that the two siblings were half-heartedly aiming their way, whilst James went to speak with Molly. On any other day Fred and Roxanne would have jumped at the chance to terrify their teammates like this, but they could tell that something was wrong with half the team, and injuring them wouldn't do anything to improve their moods. Eventually James and Molly returned to the field, and the team were no longer being used as targets, but as actual Quidditch players.
Still, the Gryffindor team had definitely seen better days.
Scorpius was sprawled out on his bed, sheets of homework in front of him. He propped himself up on his elbows, his face resting in his palms, staring into, but not seeing, the Potions book in front of him. The information just wasn't making any sense. He sighed, and rolled over onto his back, pushed his hair out of his face and placed both hands behind his head.
"What's up?" Alex asked him.
"Just Potions. Doesn't make any sense."
"Tell me about it." Alex agreed, "I'm afraid I can't help you there- you know how bad I am at it."
This reminded Scorpius of something, "That girl... the one who you and Potter nearly killed with the appalling Potion-"
"Don't remind me."
"-is she alright?"
Alex looked troubled at the mention of Emily, but surprised that Scorpius had even asked.
"She's going to leave the hospital wing tomorrow! Madame Pomfrey was amazing!"
Scorpius nodded, and picked up his Potions book, willing to leave the conversation there, but Alex continued. "What's got into you, anyway? You never normally ask about other people's well-being, unless it involves a certain Rose Weasley." Scorpius jerked his head up from the text book at her name, to see that Alex was wearing a very satisfied smirk.
"I don't know what you mean." He replied with forced calm.
"Oh, c'mon, mate! It's obvious!"
"There's nothing to be 'obvious' about! Anyway, we're not girls. We don't sit around and gossip about our feelings or whatever."
"Aha! So you do have 'feelings' for her! Also, this is not a 'gossip', it's a manly heart-to-heart."
"Manly, huh?"
"Yes, manly. Now, talk to me about Rose. Are you going to ask her out?"
Scorpius hadn't even considered doing such a thing. The thought of the reaction of his father was enough to put him off, if he got over the fear of his pride being hurt by rejection. After all, if a Slytherin didn't have his pride, what did he have? But "No." was all he said.
"What do you mean, 'No.'? You like her, so go get-"
"I don't see you running to ask Emily out, and in my opinion, that makes you a bit of a hypocrite."
Alex blushed, "Who says I like her?"
"Your face does, every time anyone mentions her, also your determination to have as many 'team meetings' as possible before the task, and the fact that you doodle 'EC' all over your parchment-"
"I do not!"
"Yes, you do."
Alex sighed. "Fine. I like her. What's your point?"
"My point is that you've no room to sit here lecturing me about a Weasley girl, who I have no interest in-" Alex snorted with laughter, but subsided when Scorpius shot him the death stare, "-when you refuse to do anything about the girl you like!"
"That is not fair! I am planning on doing something, as a matter of fact!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, as soon as she's out of the hospital wing."
"Didn't you say that was tomorrow?"
"Well... "
"Aha!"
"Ok, fine, I am scared." There was silence from a moment, before Alex said: "Let's make a deal, Scorpius."
"Erm... depends what it is."
"Well, tomorrow is the Hogsmeade trip. Emily won't be allowed to go, so I'll go and meet her in the hospital wing when she leaves, and ask her out."
"Ok..."
"Meanwhile, you waylay Weasley, and ask her out too."
Scorpius must've looked horrified, because Alex burst out laughing. "You're not serious."
"I am."
"I don't think you get this." Malfoy began. "I can't have anything to do with Rose, because I'm a Slytherin, and she's a Gryffindor. It's just not done!"
"But Emily and I are from different Houses."
"Yes, but not ones that permanently fight, and have done for hundreds of years!"
"Oh, come on! Most of the hottest girls are in Gryffindor!"
"Most of the ginger girls are in Gryffindor." Malfoy corrected.
"True."
"Anyway, our opposing Houses are only part of the reason that Rose and I can't date."
"What's the rest of the explanation? That you're too scared to ask her?"
"That's only a tiny fraction of it." Scorpius muttered, too quiet for Flint to hear.
"What?"
"What?"
"Why else can't you two go out?"
"Because my Dad would kill me, if Rose's family didn't get there first."
"You aren't seriously worried about that? I've seen Weasley's parents, well, we both see her mother every day, but I've also seen that father of hers. He looks wimpier than You-Know-Who faced with Harry Potter!"
"Please, don't praise that half-blood and his family in front of me. The Potter brats get enough misdirected attention as it is."
"You'll have to change your attitude if you want to get with Weasley. That's her Uncle you're insulting." Flint joked.
"And her Uncle is the one who ruined my family's name, and landed my Grandfather in Azkaban. You've no idea how hard father worked to get us back on our feet. Or so he tells me. This was all before I was born."
"Ah, so that's another reason you don't want to ask Rose out. You're still annoyed with her family for what they did to yours, so you don't want to feel anything but hate towards her. But it's not like that. So you're scared of your own emotions!"
Scorpius frowned. He hadn't realised that himself, but it made perfect sense. "Since when did you become a psychiatrist?" he asked his best friend, who just tapped the side of his nose in response.
"So, are you in?" Alex asked.
"In?"
"In on the deal? We both ask out the girls we like tomorrow." He saw Scorpius wavering, clearly not convinced. "Look, I know you're no Gryffindor-"
"What do you mean by that?!" Scorpius snapped, and Alex grinned inwardly. "If you're suggesting that those Lions have something I don't then you're wrong! I can be just as brave as they are any day!"
"Really?"
"Yes, really!"
"Then why won't you ask Rose out?"
"Because... because..." Alex raised an eyebrow, clearly mocking his friend. "Fine! I will!" Scorpius exclaimed.
Oh, the joys of peer pressure, Scorpius thought afterwards, once he'd realised what he'd landed himself in.
*
Saturday morning dawned damp and cloudy, although it wasn't cold or rainy, so at least the students wouldn't have to run for shelter in Hogsmeade.
In the 4th years Slytherin boys dorm, Alex Flint was already up and dressed. He was stood in front of a mirror, trying to decide whether to gel his hair up or not. He only then realised that he knew so little about what Emily liked in a boy. He decided not to, going off the fact that Emily was so... natural, no make-up or hairspray, so he doubted she would look for boys who made too much of an effort. He hoped he was right.
Two of the four other boys in the dorm were also up, because they had a morning detention with Professor McGonagall, and she was not someone who liked to be kept waiting. Scorpius and Clyde were still in bed, however, and showing no signs of waking up. Alex walked over to Scorpius' bed, and shook him awake.
"Wh-wh-what?" muttered the blonde boy, pushing his hair out of his face.
"Good morning, Malfoy! I believe you have a girl to speak to this morning, and I advise that you get there as soon as possible, before she leaves for Hogsmeade, as if that happens I will have to remind you of what a coward you are!"
Alex saw realisation dawn on his best friend's face. "Oh, shit. Rose."
Scorpius sprang out of bed, and into the bathroom, slamming the door. A second later Alex heard the shower turn on, and decide it was time he went to the hospital wing, and wait for Emily's dismissal.
Alex was ready and waiting, albeit nervously, ten minutes later when the door to Emily's room opened, and she stepped out, saying goodbye and thank you to Madame Pomfrey. Emily had her wavy hazelnut brown hair loose down her back, and was dressed in Muggle clothes, despite not being allowed to go to Hogsmeade. As the door shut behind her, Alex stepped forward, and Emily turned to see who was there, fixing her sapphire blue eyes on him. She was one of those few girls who was beautiful without knowing it, and never had her looks appreciated by anyone. It was better that way, Alex thought, because if Emily did know how stunning she was then she'd be big headed like Katie Thompson and the other 'it' girls.
"Hi, Emily." He began, struggling to hide the nervousness in his voice, which he wasn't used to having to do.
She smiled, and Alex felt the flutter of excitement, that he always considered girly and childish, setting in. "Hiya Alex. What are you doing here? It's the trip to Hogsmeade today- why aren't you there?"
"Because... erm... I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Oh, ok." She sounded surprised, but pleasantly so. "Where should we go?"
"Do you want to... to walk around the grounds, with me, because you aren't allowed to Hogsmeade today, are you?" He finished in a rush.
"Yeah, sure." She sounded quite happy, Alex thought, and that could only be a good sign.
When had he got to this stage, obsessing over Emily, unable to act cool around her, when he had no trouble with the other girls? He was so used to being one of the popular guys, and he knew what traditionally someone like him should do: not pay attention in class, get average grades at best, end up a professional Quidditch player, or something equally awesome, and on the 'girls' front? He was supposed to 'wine 'em, dine 'em, bed 'em and dump 'em, and not necessarily in that order. But Alex didn't want to be like that. So what if he was actually interested in what the professors had to say? What if he actually wanted to do well? Yeah, he liked Quidditch, and was pretty good at it, but what if he wanted a job in the Ministry, or something? And what if he didn't want a string of girls who meant nothing to him? What if the only person he was interested in was a Hufflepuff, a girl his sort shouldn't pay any attention to, unless he was copying off her in an exam. Well, to the stereotypes for someone like him, Alex said 'What the hell!' and decided that he didn't care what was supposed to do, only what he was going to do.
As the pair left the school building, and set of walking around the Quidditch pitch, Alex decided it was time to keep his part of the bargain with Scorpius, and tell Emily how he felt. What should his opening line be? Thankfully, Emily sorted that problem out for him:
"So, Alex, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked him.
It's now or never, Al, he told himself. "Well, it's a bit like this." He sat down under the tree, and Emily sat next to him, the tree which Rose and Nathan had spoken under a few days ago. It had a nice view of the lake- very romantic, he thought. Alex wasn't as nervous as he'd expected, surprisingly, so he began to speak, keeping is voice steady. "I know you're probably not expecting this, but ever since the beginning of this year, when we've been working together in the Inter-House Challenge, I've... noticed you, in a way I hadn't before. I mean, I'd seen you around the castle, but we'd never really, you know, talked."
"Yeah?" Emily was smiling slightly, as if she knew where Alex was going with this, but wanted to hear him say it. So he continued.
"But now I know you better, I started to like you, only as a friend, at first, but within just a few weeks, I really started to get to... you know, like like you, and when that Potion backfired, and you were seriously ill, I was terrified, Emily." He took hold of her hands, which pulled her towards him. "Honestly, when you were lying there in that bed, unconscious, I was sat there, every day, holding your hand, like this, and praying you'd recover. I know this is all really cliché, Em, but you mean a lot to me, and I just want you to know that." Alex paused, and looked at her.
"Have you finished?" she asked; her expression unreadable, despite the closeness between their faces. This was not the reaction Alex had expected: he thought that Emily would either completely blow him off, or tell him she felt the same. He hadn't anticipated her seeming bored.
"Erm... yeah, I think so."
"Good." She paused, before a cheeky grin set in on her face. "That means I can do this."
And she leant up to kiss him.
Thanks for reading! As always, feel free to review, favourite or follow
Lucy x