Hi guys! I know this chapter is ridiculously short- about a quarter of my usual length- but I will explain why at the end. First of all, read and enjoy, hopefully ;)
"Scorpius!" Rose called, jogging after the Slytherin. "Where are you running off to? You haven't heard the rest of my proposition yet!"
"There's more?" Scorpius spun to face her, looking alarmed.
"Yeah," Rose panted, coming to a halt. "I thought that if you were ok with me stopping pretending we hate each other, then you'd do the same? Maybe?"
The blonde-haired boy raised his eyebrows and dropped his jaw in an almost comical way, as realisation dawned. "You mean... tell my father that we're friends?"
"Erm... Well, yes. That would be nice."
Was she serious? Scorpius wondered. The wide-eyed hopeful look on her face suggested that she was. "Look, Rose. I appreciate why you're doing this and everything, but if it doesn't matter what other people think, why do they have to know?"
"Because it does matter!" Rose exclaimed impatiently. "And if we don't tell anyone then it's like we're doing something we shouldn't be- something shameful we don't want anyone to know about! And it shouldn't have to be like that!"
Her naivety would have been infuriating if it wasn't endearing. "Just calm down!" Scorpius exclaimed. "It's just because I don't think you understand what my father would do, Rosie." Use of the nickname was partly an attempt to butter her up, but also to calm her down, as the last thing Scorpius needed was an angry Rose Weasley running round Hogwarts and yelling her head off about their friendship. His father would find out in no time that way.
"Yes, I do." She replied, brushing off the affectionate 'Rosie'. "My mother went to school with him, if you recall. She knows what he's like and how he would react. But if you agree with me about her planning this friendship, then she will have some plan put in place to prevent your dad from flying off the handle."
"Hmm." He didn't believe a word of it. Rose did- she thought everything that she was saying was true, but Scorpius doubted it. If this was all some plan of Granger's, then the aim would be to get his family in trouble, not to unite them with the Weasley's. But poor Rose was too naive to see that. And he couldn't point it out to her- she would never believe that her saintly mother had a motive that was less than honourable.
"Rose, do you honestly want me to do this? Not only will everything be worse for me, but for you, too. The other Slytherin's will murder us both! And you said yourself that what's-her-face... Roseanne?"
"Roxanne."
"That Roxanne flew off the handle! She's just one of your cousins! Imagine all of them like that! Plus the Slytherin's! But 10 times worse!"
"Scorpius, you aren't going to scare me out of this." Rose said; her voice level. "I'm not going to carry on being your friend when it's just the two of us, but pretending to hate you in front of other people. It's one or the other. I refuse to accept a middle ground, so you choose."
There was a moment of silence. Scorpius stared at her face; rosebud mouth firm and chocolate brown eyes glinting; her arms folded defensively across her chest. She was serious. And hot.
"Ok. Fine. I'll do it." He promised her, fingers crossed behind his back. He couldn't lose the fragile bond they'd taken so long to build, after all.
"You will?!" Rose exclaimed excitedly, her former shield of seriousness gone. "You'll tell your Dad that we're friends?"
"Yeah. After all, there's nothing to be ashamed of in having a mate, as you said. It shouldn't matter that we're from different Houses, and all that stuff." Scorpius said through clenched teeth. Rose didn't seem to notice, though.
"You're the best!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck, and hugging him tightly. For the first time she didn't let go when she realised what she was doing. Instead she stayed in his arms for a few moments, trying to identify that mystery scent... Chocolate, mint and what else? It was almost annoying that she couldn't figure out what it was.
Eventually she stepped away, and smiled, leaving Scorpius thinking: 'Third hug. What about a kiss next time, eh, Rosie?' He hated that he'd lied to her; that he had no intention of admitting his friendship with Rose to his father. The butterflies in his stomach were drawing attention to the twisting sensation in his gut, rather than muffling it... Was that horrible feeling the ache of guilt?
This could not be good.
Sorry I didn't write more, but I don't have a lot planned for between now and their Christmas holidays, so that's where the next chapter will pick up. I thought it would be better to end it here and then start a fresh chapter when they're heading home, and miss out the few weeks until then, instead of some boring fillers.
But if you're not too annoyed with me, a nice review would be lovely. And remember to favourite and follow, so you don't miss the next chapter!
Keep reading,
Lucy x