Hi guys! I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but as some of you will know, my Grandma died recently and I haven't had much time to write. But here's chapter 23, I hope you enjoy it.
As Rose left the dorm, she was having major second thoughts about this ridiculous deal she had made with Molly. What would either of them gain from the situation? But she had said that she would, so she'd go through with it, and may even come to some sort of peace with Scorpius. Although she doubted it.
So where would he be? The default place would be in the Slytherin Common Room, and technically she was allowed in there, with it being the Inter-House Tournament, but Rose didn't want to risk it; she would probably get hexed into oblivion by his house mates. As she wandered aimlessly down the corridors, a familiar figure in green robes strutted past, his dark head held high with a grin of anticipation on his face.
"Flint?" Rose asked, hoping he would be reasonable with her. The boy had always been one of the nicer Slytherins, and his new girlfriend seemed to be having a very positive effect on him. He was happier now, as well as more responsible and considerate. If you could avoid their Public Displays of Affection, then it was a very good deal for everyone.
"Oh, hi. Weasley, isn't it? Rose Weasley?"
Rose decided to go along with it. She knew that Flint knew who she was- everyone in Hogwarts did. Rose was the daughter of the saviours of the Wizarding World; Harry Potter's best friends. One of whom happened to be their head-teacher. "Yeah, that's me. I was just wondering if you know where Scorpius Malfoy is. You two are friends, right?"
"Yeah, he's my best mate. Last time I saw him, he was in the dorm. But I wouldn't go up there- the others will jinx you faster than you can say 'Bat Bogey Hex'. Yeah, you won't get a warm welcome. Try hanging around outside the Common Room- he'll come down soon enough because he's up there alone. I'd go and get him myself, but I'm-"
"Meeting Emily?" Rose interceded, grinning.
Alex looked shocked. "How did you know?"
"I guessed."
"I meant how did you know we're together?"
"Oh, right. Well, the whole year knows, probably most of the school. You two are the cutest couple in Hogwarts! Plus you're going against the status quo because Emily's not a pureblood and you are. And I think that's great. It's really inspirational, actually, how you don't care about your family's bloodline. I wish other purebloods didn't worry about that sort of stuff..." Rose trailed off realising what she had said and how it could have been interpreted. Alex was grinning knowingly.
"You do, huh? Well, like I said, Scorpius should leave the Common Room and go for a wander some time soon. Try and grab him then. But you had better dash- don't want to miss him." And with that Alex strutted off, leaving Rose anxiously wavering in the corridor.
Once Alex had left the dorm, Scorpius pondered everything his best friend had said about befriending Rose and showing her that their family's backgrounds didn't matter. It was far easier said than done, Scorpius knew that much, but maybe it was worth a try. Surely things could only get better from the stupid ignoring her tactic that he had put in place? He definitely hoped so. Sighing, he stared at the curtains surrounding his four-poster and let his mind wander...
Rose bursting through the door to the dorm and leaping onto him, covering his face and neck in kisses... Confessing her feelings for him as she undressed, her skirt hitched high up, barely covering her lacy underwear, as she straddled him...
Whoa, Scorpius! He caught himself, mortified. Hold up there! Don't start wishing for things like that- friendship isn't even on the cards yet! Just go and find her and try to make some form of... well, alliance, if you can't do friends.
The Slytherin stood up; began to brush the creases out of his clothes and sorted out his hair. Checking he could imagine Rose without some form of sexual image coming to mind (he could) he headed out of the dorm, through the common room, and outside into the dungeons, where there was a certain red-head was pacing almost nervously.
"Rose?" He asked in surprise, pushing the memory of what he had just imagined away.
"Oh- hi, Scorpius!" She responded, seeming relieved. "I was just coming to find you."
"Well, you've found me." He pointed out awkwardly. She half smiled, clearly thinking 'Well, obviously' but was too polite to say so, and pushed a stray curl behind her ear. There was an awkward silence, before Scorpius began to speak. "Do you want to walk somewhere? It's kind of cold down here." He would have happily stayed in the cold if he could use it as an excuse to put an arm around Rose, but somehow he didn't think she'd appreciate that. She nodded, so they set off towards the stairs. "Are we ok? I mean, I know I've been a bit of an arse recently-" He was cut off by Rose's guffaw of laughter.
"'A bit'?!" She exclaimed sarcastically as they began to climb the stairs. "I don't know if you remember, Scorpius, but we had a Potions lesson together the other day, in which you started being racist towards half-bloods! You've been ignoring me since... since we talked that day in the library, and you haven't given me a reason why! Then it comes to the Challenge and you decide to pretend nothing has happened and we're best friends forever! So forgive me if I want an explanation!"
Scorpius was torn between apology and anger. He couldn't tell Rose why he's been ignoring her because that would involve explaining his feelings for her and then he's look stupid, but if he didn't give some sort of explanation, then she would storm off in the way that girls do and any attempt at a peace-making would be out of the window. Plus that angry look on her face was a bit off putting - partly due to how intimidating it was, and partly because it made her look undeniably sexy. More so than usual.
"Scorpius!" She snapped. "Anyone in there? Explanation, please?" She'd stopped walking now they were out of the dungeons, and were instead overlooking the Black Lake and the tree that he'd seen her under with that Williams boy.
"Oh, right, yeah... Erm..."
Rose groaned in annoyance. "I came to try and sort out whatever had caused you to ignore me, so we could be friends- no don't say anything. Yes, our families hate each other, but that shouldn't matter! Why can't we be friends? You said it yourself to Al after the Challenge! By the way, I stuck up for you when he turned on me, and I think we've fallen out as a result, so if you're going to tell me to get lost now, I swear I will curse you into a million pieces." She paused to take a deep breath. "Wow. It felt good to get that out. So now it's your turn. What's the problem?"
Does she honestly not know? Scorpius wondered. Is she actually that blind to emotions? I guess that's a good thing- for me, anyway. So now it's time to think up a lie...
"I'm sorry about that, Rose, I was just having a really bad week and chose to take it out on you. There are some family problems at home, and my father sent me an owl with an article from the Daily Prophet about how it's disgraceful that even today purebloods think they're above every other wizard and witch. My father was angry with the journalist, who, if you haven't guessed, was your Aunt," What? Why did you say that? She can easily find out that you're lying now! You idiot! "and filled an entire sheet of parchment through ranting about how its important I keep myself away from half-bloods, Muggleborns and purebloods who are all for 'integration'."
That's it; blame it all on your father... She will have heard enough negativity about him to believe anything like that... But why mention Ginny Potter? She'll find out you're lying now! Imbecile!
"Oh." Rose replied. "That makes sense. But you don't agree with that, do you?"
He chose his words carefully. "I think it would be a shame to eradicate pure-bloods, but I don't believe that they are more important than any other witch or wizard."
"Right." Rose said, still unsure of what to think about his response.
"I mean, personally, I would be fine with having a half-blood, or even a Muggle-born girlfriend. There are loads of great witches who aren't pure-bloods so I'd be up for it- that sounded wrong- not it as in sex, well, maybe- I mean, no, not yet, obviously, but-"
"Scorpius, just stop talking."
Scorpius cursed himself silently for going on that embarrassing rant, hoping Rose wouldn't think he was referring to her in it, but when he looked up- his cheeks still red- she was hiding a smile.
"What?" He grinned, feigning innocence.
"Oh, nothing. Just a seeing a certain Slytherin who is normally so calm and collected flustered is quite amusing."
"Shut up." He responded, but he was grinning good-naturedly. "So, we're alright, then? You're not pissed off with me anymore?"
Rose took a deep breath, serious again, now. "I just wish we could be friends without worrying about everyone else's opinions. I'm not even going to say what they think doesn't matter, because it does. I mean, I told Roxy that we were friends and she completely flipped!" A little white lie there, Rose thought, I told her we were more than friends, but Scorpius doesn't need to know that.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. My Dad would probably murder me if I told him I had anything to do with you. Not because of you you, because of your blood status, and your family, which is ridiculous- I don't mean your blood status is ridiculous- saying that is probably racist- and your family isn't ridiculous- I'm, sure they're great, if they didn't hate me, that is. I meant my Dad being like that is ridiculous. Wow. I got there in the end."
Why do I keep doing this? Why does she have this affect on me? Scorpius thought miserably, as Rose grinned again. Now he could see Emily and Alex under the tree. As much as Alex was his friend, Scorpius found himself to be a little jealous of their perfect relationship.
"It's ok, I understood. I just..." She took another deep breath. "I think when I go home for Christmas, when I talk about school; I'm going to include you in what I say. I'm going to talk about you like there is no issue with us being friends."
Scorpius looked at her, blinked once; then stared at her. After a moment he just said: "Seriously?"
"Yes."
"Ok, well, on your own head be it... Wait, no! It'll be on my head too! Rose, not to be selfish, but you have way too many cousins in this school for me to take on in a fight."
"They won't duel you, Scorpius." Rose told him, almost tiredly.
"They most certainly will! Did you not see Albus earlier?"
"Al has been being a bit of an idiot recently, and I'm not sure why- that's something else I need to look into. But I won't let him duel you, or any of them. They have no reason to."
"I think your Dad would disagree."
"Mum will sort him out."
"But your Mum will be pissed off with you as well!"
"Scorpius, have your forgotten who the Head Teacher of this school is? Funnily enough, she will have had a lot to do with the set up of the Inter-House Challenge. And my guess is that she arranged the groups, too."
Rose could practically see the cogs whirring to reach the conclusion that she had come to long ago. "You mean... Professor Weasley put us in the same group because she wanted us to get along?" Scorpius asked, almost in awe.
"Yep. Up until the age of 11, Mum kept telling me about how it doesn't matter which House I am Sorted into, because they're all as good as each other, and how it's important that we all get along. And even at the start of the year she admitted to arranging the Inter-House Challenge. She's sick of the prejudices, Scor, so if her own daughter befriends the son of her childhood enemy, it will show everyone that Hermione Weasley thinks forgiving is important. That our differences should be put behind us. That we need to learn from the past. So Mum will be thrilled if I tell her we're friends, and she won't let Dad, or any of the others, feel otherwise."
Scorpius still looked unconvinced of his safety, and to be honest, Rose didn't blame him. Eventually he said: "I'm not going to stop you from doing that, but I really would appreciate it if you could ask your Mum to keep an eye on your cousins next term, just to make sure that none are plotting my death." Was that Sophie Bennet and her cronies out there, too? This could only mean trouble...
Rose hid a smile at that. "They're not monsters, Scorpius, just teenagers with a grudge!"
"Which can be just as bad!" It was her. The group of Slytherin girls were approaching Alex and Emily.
"Look. We're going to sort this prejudice out, once and for all. I'm going to show my family that you are not what they expect a Malfoy to be like, but I will need your help. You'll have to be kind, and friendly, and- Ok, I know it's not exactly your thing, but at least stop jinxing them in the corridors!"
They were arguing now. Scorpius saw the word coming from Sophie's mouth, even before she'd said it. He couldn't hear her, but he could lip-read and Sophie was calling Emily a 'mudbl-'
"And stop using derogatory terms for anyone who isn't not a pure-blooded wizard?"
There was a flurry of movement by the lake, and soon everyone's wand was at another's throat.
"We need to go."
"What?"
"Come on!" Scorpius grabbed Rose's wrist and began sprinting down the stairs towards the lake.
"Scorpius, let go! What are you doing?"
"We need to get to the lake! Run faster!"
"What? Why?"
"You know Sophie Bennet?" Scorpius panted.
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Well she's causing trouble." More panting. "Alex and Emily are there." Another heavy breath. "She called her a Mudblood."
The terrible thing was that Scorpius had seen himself in that girl. He saw Rose's hurt in Emily's face, and her family's anger in Alex's. It was like the first day of term on the train, the first time he had seen Rose differently. Except this time he was the bystander, and could see who was in the right and the wrong, who was the instigator and who was the innocent.
He'd definitely not been the innocent on September 1st.
They were nearly there now- Scorpius could see Emily doing some neat Muggle moves to avoid the curses, but they were outnumbered. Alex threw himself in front of another jinx, and Emily was surrounded.
"Ready?" Scorpius asked, still sprinting.
"As I'll ever be." Rose replied, grinning, as she pulled out her wand and threw a hex at the Slytherins, as did Scorpius. Both missed, but it got the girls' attention, giving Emily time to aim an accurate jinx at the back of one of the girls threatening her.
The other Slytherins looked horrified, realising that it was now 3 vs 3, and they were soon in various states of consciousness with a few tentacles and one or two more limbs than necessary.
"Ok, prepare for the lovebirds reunion." Scorpius grinned as he Rennervated Alex. Sure enough, the first words out of the dark-haired Slytherin's mouth were:
"Oh my goodness, Em, I'm so, so sorry!" They hugged and Alex planted a kiss on top of his girlfriends head.
"Hey, don't worry, Alex! It wasn't your fault. Anyway, I was managing well enough." Emily grinned slightly at the end- a gentle reminder of her epic Muggle fighting.
"Yeah- How the hell did you learn how to do that?" Alex asked in surprise, stepping away in an almost fervent admiration. "It was awesome!"
She laughed lightly. "My older brother is a self-defence teacher and I didn't have much else to do over the summer."
"Wow. It was... I... Would you teach me sometime?"
"I'm sure you and your girlfriend will have great fun wrestling..." Scorpius interceded, grinning suggestively and slapping Alex on the back.
"Shut up," Alex muttered, not really angry. "Anyway, you haven't told us what you and Rose Weasley were doing together."
Rose looked at the ground, embarrassed for a reason she didn't understand, and Scorpius replied: "And I'm not going to." With that, Scorpius left the group, giving Rose a moment to quietly thank Alex for his assistance earlier, and him to do the same for her. Then she turned and followed Scorpius, intending to finish their earlier conversation.
So that's where Scorpius and Rose had been, before they arrived to help in Chapter 21. Sorry to disappoint if anyone was hoping for a Scorose moment- but there should be one or two in the next chapter ;)
Remember to favourite/follow me/the story if you haven't already, to ensure you can read the next chapter. And feel free to review, in fact, please do, because there's nothing like the feeling of checking my emails to find some lovely reviews from you guys. 3
See ya soon! And keep reading! ;)
Lucy x