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Push & Pull

Chapter 8

Games & Trust

"Rose!" Hugo grins, tipping his butterbeer to her, "It has been way too long."

"You're a seventh year you twit, you'll see me every month for the rest of your life," Rose rolled her eyes, "Where's Lily and Lucy?"

"Oh you know, NEWTs coming up in a week or two, they're studying their arses off," he shrugged, sipping his cup. When his face reappeared, he had a mustache of white whipped cream. Rose didn't bother to let him know.

"And why aren't you studying? Don't you need it more than they do?" Rose raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny," Hugo drawled sarcastically, "Actually I'm going to work with dad and George at the shop, so to hell with the NEWTs. They're looking to finally buy Zonko's here in Hogsmeade and turn it into another branch, and I really want to manage it."

"Don't get enough of a fix torturing your classmates as it is?" Rose accused, "They'd be glad to be rid of you, I'm sure."

"Hey, Headmaster Mcgonagall is gonna miss my face popping up," Hugo grinned, "Anyways at least I'm doing something. Lily still hasn't decided what she wants to do with her life."

"That's okay," Rose tried to defend her cousin, "She's really young, doesn't need to know right away."

"Yeah, but even Loony Lucy has something lined up," Hugo said, suddenly serious, "What with that ministry internship and all, she needs those high NEWTs. Why doesn't Lily just go into the joke shop or government like everyone else?"

"Shut up, I didn't do any of that," Rose reminded him with a smirk.

"Why are you here tonight anyways? Not to catch up with me, I'm sure," Hugo snorted, sipping on his drink some more.

"Hey, I like you, don't forget that," Rose reached up to try to tousle his red hair, but was too short and ended up flicking his bangs. Why was everyone in her family ten feet tall?

"But no, we're out celebrating. I got nominated for a big award in potioneering, and I'm about to announce it to the people who helped with the work," Rose smiled. She really couldn't wait to tell them.

"Congratulations Rosie," Hugo tousled her hair successfully, and Rose shouted in protest, "They're gonna be so proud."

"Yeah, I should go back to save Alice from our co-workers," Rose admitted with a wince.

"How is Alice?" Hugo asked, "I haven't talked to her since the funeral over winter break."

"She's getting by," Rose responded quickly, "She's thrown herself into work, but her dad just sold the business to the Malfoys."

"Ouch," Hugo grimaced, "Maybe it reminds him of her or something. I mean when Uncle Fred died, George would have given up the shop if not for dad's help. Mom's told us that a thousand times. Losing someone that close to you…"

"Yeah, I can't imagine losing our mum," Rose looked across the room, locking gazes with Alice. Her friend smiled back, beckoning her over.

"Anyways, enough of this sour talk. Good luck on your NEWTs, I'll see you for graduation," Rose hugged her brother, departing to meet her growing group.

"What if I don't want to go?" he called after her.

"Everyone will kill you if you don't," Rose responded with a grin.

"Fair enough," Hugo muttered to himself on her departure.

"So as much as I love you all, I didn't gather you tonight because I was lonely on a Saturday night," Rose announced. She stood with her back facing the pub, surrounded by every person in her lab except for Scorpius. Which was okay, she didn't expect him to come. Inviting him was just a formality, really. She told herself.

"I received a letter yesterday announcing my nomination for a Slughorn award, and inviting our lab to the ceremony on Thursday," Rose raised a glass to her table, "We did it guys!"

The table erupted with cheers of excitement. Alice was just as glowing as she had been the day before when Rose had told her. Sam was over the moon, babbling loudly with Alice about how excited he was for the ceremony. Millie grabbed her forehead, leaning back in her chair. She looked faint, but recovered quickly, clapping and beaming at Rose. Arthur was wringing his hands nervously, muttering about public appearances. Auggie was stoic, but a small smile crept onto his face.

"I think we need shots," Rose waved down a bartender.

It took some convincing, but the team finally agreed to a celebratory shot along with their drinks. When the drinks started to kick in, Rose noticed that Millie was adorable when she was tipsy.

"You know, after Colby was born, my life was never the same," she hiccuped, "That kid is just weird! Knew he was a wizard the second he was born, because he turned my hair pink. Took weeks to turn it back! You should see the pictures."

Arthur wasn't much better. "Being muggle-born is no picnic, let me tell you. When I was finally legal and could get the house clean in ten minutes, my mum cursed me out the window she did. 'Why the hell did you never do that before, do you know how much shit I could have gotten done?!', and so I said 'because it was fucking illegal mum,' bloody hell."

Millie decided to leave early on because her husband would be missing her, and she didn't want to run into the boys. Auggie left too, citing that he preferred the comfort of a fire and some scotch. They thanked Rose for the drinks, and disappeared into the crowd.

"You look like you're empty," a familiar voice sounded behind Rose. A hand appeared to her left, holding a mug of butterbeer. She took it and looked behind her to see Scorpius holding a tray of them, "hope you don't mind that I bought a celebratory round."

Rose's grin broadened, welcoming him to the table.

"Have you heard the good news?!" Sam spoke a little too loudly for those who sat directly in front of him, "We're going to the big party on Thursday! Suits and all!" Sam cheered. He downed the rest of his mug quickly, grabbing a second.

"I have, I ran into Millie on the way out," Scorpius was grinning at Rose. He leaned forward, his scruff brushing against her cheek, "Congratulations, Rose," she could hear the smile in his voice. He pulled back, taking in the table, "To a young, brilliant team, and an exciting year," he cheered, clinking glasses with the table.

They drank late into the night, telling odd stories about strange families and Hogwarts mishaps.

"Well, okay, it's a great story really," Sam giggled, "You know how they brought back the Yule ball for Hogwarts students every fall to extend tradition, and you can ask someone with a wreath," the table nodded, thinking of their own celebrations, "I was actually handed two wreaths at once; one from a girl in my Herbology class, and one from the Hufflepuff Quidditch captain. I wanted to be popular so badly that I said yes to the Quidditch captain, even though he was two years older than me. I didn't really know him, but every time I saw him in the hallway until the ball, I blushed like mad and you know, butterflies, blahblahblah. He brought me to the ball and danced with me all night, never suggesting anything more. So I kissed him on the dance floor and was like 'wow, okay. So this is what a kiss is supposed to feel like,' and I've never turned back."

Rose couldn't help but glance over at Scorpius, but when she did, she noticed that he was already staring at her. The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile that matched his eyes, and Rose's heart stopped.

"I'm a virgin," Arthur blurted, giggling to himself.

"Okay, time to get you home," Rose laughed, standing up.

"I've got it," Alice linked an arm with him, "He lives right down the road from me."

"I'll back you up," Sam grabbed Arthur's other arm.

"You sure you have him?" Scorpius asked, humor wrapped up into a sly grin.

"Yeah, get home safe!" Sam said, leading Arthur to the fireplace.

Rose and Scorpius laughed for a moment, looking over the empty table.

"Would you like to join me for another drink?" Scorpius asked, face lighting up hopefully.

"Sure, firewhiskey okay?" Rose stood, motioning to the bar.

"Yes, but I have plenty in my hotel room," Scorpius grabbed her hand, grinning mischievously.

"We have spent quite a lot tonight," Rose responded, following him to the fireplace.

They flooed to his hotel, giggling about their coworkers.

"Oh, you should have heard Alice after her date yesterday," Rose laughed, stepping into the elevator. The hotel was beautiful, ornate and large. She tried to act unimpressed.

"Didn't she go out with Albus?" Scorpius asked, pushing the top button.

"Oh, penthouse. Impressive," Rose raised an eyebrow at Scorpius.

"Why have thousands of galleons if you're not going to spend them," Scorpius shrugged. Rose's parents were well off, but they lived inside their means, only spending frivolously on the occasional vacation, or when donating to charities. She'd never experienced this kind of luxury before.

So when they stepped into a beautiful hotel room five times larger than her flat, Rose was a little taken back. She walked through the entryway to a large rounded couch in the center of what stood as the livingroom. Behind it, there were large glass pannels that served doubly as windows and the wall to the apartment. There was a gorgeous view of london in the background. On her right, there appeared to be a small library and door to a bathroom slightly ajar. To the left, the room opened up to a full kitchen with a bar in the center. Scorpius walked there now, pulling out two glasses and pouring firewhiskey.

"So how did the date go?" Scorpius brought the whiskey to the sitting area, waiting for Rose to join him. She did, taking her heels off and curling up on the couch before taking the glass.

"Not so well I think," Rose responded, sipping on the glass, "You and Albus are still close, aren't you?" she asked, honestly unsure.

"We are," he responded.

"Then don't you already know how the date went?" Rose smiled, enjoying the expression change in his features.

"Touche," he raised his glass, taking a sip, "I was just wondering how things went on her side."

"Well she implied that he was gay," Rose winced, "Just before she asked if Roxanne slept with him."

"That's disgusting," Scorpius gaped, "Well, the incest, not the sexuality. Clearly." he leaned back, considering.

"I'm sure she was just hurt that things didn't go well," Rose continued, brow knit in thought, "though Alice has never been one to lash out."

"She's been through a lot in the last year though, has she not?" Scorpius asked, concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I guess she has," Rose sipped on her whiskey some more.

"Let's lighten up the mood a little," Scorpius grinned, "how about a game?"

Rose smiled, her lips pressed against her glass, "I like games."

"I realize that we have never been close, and we don't know much about each other," Scorpius finished his glass, placing it on the table. Rose was impressed, she still had a lot of liquid left, "But I like my games to be interesting. How about strip twenty questions?"

Rose blushed at the thought, "I definitely don't have twenty articles of clothing on," she laughed, "And I know for a fact that you have much more than me."

"Alright," he grinned, "Count, how many do you have."

Rose thought for a moment, "Five. Six if you decide to include my bracelet. Seven if you count each thigh-high individually."

"Very specific," Scorpius chuckled to himself, "Well I have seven. Eight if you include my watch. How about we stick with five?"

He kicked off his shoes, and took his watch off, "Bracelet off. For each question that is asked, we have to take an article of clothing off the other person," he studied Rose, eyes blazing with the promise of what was to come, "deal?"

"Deal," Rose slipped her bracelet off, "But I'm not touching your socks."

Scorpius looked at her curiously.

"I don't know, I just really don't like feet," she shrugged.

"Okay, first question," he takes his socks off with a grin, "Is there anything else you don't like?"

"What do you mean specifically? I don't like shrimp," Rose crinkled her nose.

"No, I mean like hard limits sexually," Scorpius corrected. Rose smiled, turning pink.

Rose giggled, "Oh whoops," she watched as he placed his socks nicely over where his shoes sat.

"I mean, I'm not really sure. I haven't experimented as much as I want to. Like I said, I don't like feet," she looked at him curiously, "What about you?"

"Is that a question?" he teased. Rose considered for a moment, "No, I'd rather find out as we go along."

She thought about her own five questions. Only five. What did she want to know about Scorpius?

"Why did you go into your father's business?" she asked, downing her drink. She shrugged her jacket off onto the couch. Her short dress had thin straps, and her freckled shoulders were exposed to the room. Scorpius reached for Rose, cupping her face with one hand. She leaned into his touch.

He moved his fingers lightly down her neck, tracing them over her shoulder, "I spent a year traveling after graduation, and he convinced me to help out until I figure out what I want to do with my life," Scorpius shrugged, "He didn't force me, and doesn't intend for me to take over the company. He only offered me the job so that I could have a stable income and we could spend more time together. I think he really missed having me around." Scorpius raised his eyebrows, likely saying that out loud for the first time. "I made it clear that I'm not a businessman."

"You could have fooled me," Rose raised an eyebrow. She reached forwards, pushing the robe off of Scorpius's shoulders.

"What was it like growing up with your family?" Scorpius brought his hands to her wrists.

"So much family," Rose giggled, letting Scorpius take her hands. He played with her fingers as she spoke, "I have about a thousand cousins, each one stranger than the last. You've met most of them from when you used to come to the summer ones. We had get togethers every week growing up, but now it's about every month."

"Yeah, I've met your crazy family," Scorpius laughed, "but I only really know it from Albus's side. What are your parents like?"

"Oh sure," Rose stared at their intertwined hands, "Dad's a bit of a jokester. He likes to make fun of us all the time, and working at the joke shop hasn't helped," Rose grinned, "Mom was always really busy with the Ministry, but it was important to her that we all had family dinner every night. So when I was very young, I spent a lot of time at the shop with Uncle George and Ron. Roxanne went to daycare, so I didn't see much of her growing up. We didn't become good friends until we started Quidditch."

"I'm surprised that you didn't become a class clown like your brother," Scorpius noted. He let go of her hands and pulled a leg from under her, earning a squeal of surprise. He placed her leg on his lap, reaching up under her skirt to slip his fingers under the tight. He did so delicately, sliding the silky material down her leg.

"I got sick of it pretty quickly," Rose grinned, relishing in the sensation of his fingers on her inner thigh, "I spent too much time with the Potion intern."

"Why am I not surprised," Scorpius muttered, discarding the first tight and reaching up for the second. This time, the back of his hand brushed against her panties, and she felt her stomach turn with delight. He pulled the second tight down even slower, this time deliberately digging his fingers into her skin. Rose licked her lips, hoping for a second that they would skip the game and he would just touch her. But she was very still as he pulled it off.

"Good," he smiled up at her, "Very good."

"So how about a Malfoy?" she sat forward, putting her hands on his chest. She let her fingers trail down to his belt, "What was it like growing up?"

She used the opportunity to stare at his pants before she moved her fingers, sure of her movements before she made them.

"I'm an only child of parents who loved each other dearly. I had a wonderful childhood," Scorpius leaned back, watching Rose's movements, "Our house was always big and creepy, but my father has this obsession with improving on the past. He says that we can't pretend that the past never happened, can't forget it. We can only move forward and try to make up for it."

Rose unzipped Scorpius's pants, tugging on them, so that he understood to pull them down. Scorpius shifted, lifting his bum and pulling them to his knees where he could kick them off.

"Do you agree with him?" she asked. Scorpius stared at her curiously as if he were recalling an old memory.

"I do," he said at last, "My father is a great man who has been kind to everyone. He loves me dearly, especially since mother passed, and wants every success for me. I only hope that I can do them proud."

Rose's heart ached thinking of Scorpius's unconditional love for his family. She tended to take her family for granted. She had so many of them who loved her that she didn't have to consider it. She had only lost her grandfather Arthur, and that was as a very young child. She couldn't imagine not having her choice of cousins to lean on in such a loss.

She couldn't think of anything to say, so she leaned forward and pressed her lips softly against his. The kiss was tender, a reassurance. It was filled with her feeling of inadequacy, making up for what she couldn't express.

"Thank you," he responded, cupping her face, "I think we need more whiskey," he said at last.

"I agree," Rose laughed, standing up and sobering quickly. The moment was very romantic, and she felt awkward about it. She watched him cross the room in only his button up and underpants. His butt looked fantastic in the form-fitting boxers. Okay, so he was really sweet. Rose felt the beginnings of something dangerous, and folded it up, shoving it into a little box in the corner of her mind.

Scorpius returned with her filled glass, and she took it with a thank you. They sipped and considered their next questions carefully. Scorpius turned to look at Rose, and she faced him, catching his gaze and smiling. He smiled back.

"Do you trust all of your coworkers?" Scorpius asked suddenly.

Rose was very confused, "Is that a question?" she asked. In response, he leaned over and set his glass down on the table. He slid his large hands up her outer thighs, pulling the fabric of her dress up and over her breasts. Rose raised her arms and tilted her head back, allowing him to pull the fabric over her head. Her curls settled on her shoulders once more, and Scorpius discarded the dress, dragging a hand down Rose's front.

"I do trust my coworkers," she said at last, standing very still as Scorpius slid his arm around her waist, "I handpicked my staff, taking on each one because of their skills."

"They are truly skilled," Scorpius agreed quietly, "But do you think any of them would do something malicious. Like for example, leak your research to another company?" His voice was pure honey, but his words cut at her. She considered for a moment. Would anyone do anything so awful?

"No," Rose responded, "My staff loves working in our lab. We pay very well, and allow for freedom of research. If they were unhappy, they'd say so."

"Good," Scorpius said at last, pulling his hand back with a smile. That wasn't a great question. Rose wondered why he would ask. Was he trying to do his job? Evaluating potential losses, potential cuts? They were together to spend time with each other, what was his problem? Well two could play at that game.

"Okay," Rose started to unbutton Scorpius's shirt, "Have you and Albus ever hooked up?" Scorpius tensed beneath her fingers, but Rose didn't stop unbuttoning his shirt. She kept her eyes focused on her fingers, waiting patiently for his response.

"I'm not sure that's my secret to tell," Scorpius responded quietly. Rose paused in her unbuttoning for a moment, but resumed quickly.

"Your relationships are your own," Rose responded rather diplomatically, though her intentions were entirely selfish.

"No," he responded quickly, "We have never hooked up, though we did fool around once in sixth year."

Rose was extremely surprised by this, "Oh," was all she could say.

"Yeah," he shrugged, "It was awkward, and I regretted it, but it helped him figure some things out."

"What about you?" Rose asked, slipping the button up off of Scorpius's shoulders. She placed it nicely on the table.

"I was never attracted to him, but it wasn't a bad experience," Scorpius shrugged. Rose nodded.

"My turn," Scorpius stepped forward, running his fingers along the fabric of her bra. He spun her around and unclipped her bra. Rose let the straps fall off her shoulders, and Scorpius pushed them the rest of the way down. His fingers slid up her torso, "Do you trust me?" he murmured into her neck, and his hands cupped her breasts carefully.

"Yes," Rose sighed as his fingers brushed against her nipples.

"No," Scorpius told her, "I need you to really consider. Do you trust me?" He pulled his hands back, resting them lightly on her hips. He held his lips just against her neck, breathing over her skin, but not distracting her. Rose thought carefully. Did she trust him? What did he mean by that? Instead of asking, Rose considered the worst situation she could think of. Forget life or death, Scorpius was a good man. Death happened in an instant. Worse than death was the thought of losing herself in another person. Could she ever trust Scorpius with her heart? Was it him that she didn't trust, or herself?

"I… I think so," she admitted.

"I'll have to work on that then," Scorpius reasoned.

Rose wasn't sure how she felt about these developments. She had no idea if he meant what she was perceiving, and no way to find out before considering her thoughts. She did, however, have one question nagging from that little box in the back of her mind. Scorpius sucked at her neck, grazing his teeth along her pulse point. Rose moaned, and the little box flew open.

"Would we have been together?" she asked, her voice light and breathy. He pulled back, and Rose spun towards him quickly, immediately regretting her words.

"What?" Scorpius asked, clearly thrown.

"Nevermind," Rose blushed as red as her hair, but Scorpius snaked his arms around her, pulling her close.

"No, that was a question," he teased, "What did you mean?"

"In Hogwarts," Rose clarified, "If we had just told each other that it meant something, would we have been together?"

Scorpius looked at Rose carefully, considering for a long time once again that night. Rose could have passed out if her breath was held that whole time.

"I'm not sure," he interrupted her internal moping, "We weren't really friends. NEWTs were coming up," he watched her reaction carefully, "I really don't know."

"Do you regret it?" she asked quietly.

"Is that another question?" was his response. Rose smiled, reaching down to pull Scorpius's tee off. Boy, did she appreciate his figure. Scorpius certainly did not look like an office man. Once it was discarded, Rose hooked her thumbs in his boxers, sliding them down quickly. His large dick was hard and ready, and Rose couldn't help but be proud of herself. She had barely touched him. Just being naked with him made him like that.

"I don't regret it at all," he slid his fingers through her hair, pulling her close to him. She was hyper aware of his hardness pressed against her thigh. She moved against him, and he moved back, closing his eyes against the feeling.

"Your turn," Rose breathed, running her hands down his arms. Scorpius moved his hands down, pulling her panties off roughly. She kicked them off, and he slipped his hand between her thighs, seperating her legs. He cupped her, slipping two fingers in her wetness and spreading it over her clit.

"You'll have to think about this one carefully," Scorpius told Rose, completely distracting her with his fingers slipping inside of her, "Have you thought about me since that night?" her clenching around him was answer enough, but he pushed on, "Rose, I've thought about having you again so often since the first time. Did you ever think about me?"

"Yes," she responded immediately, "Yes I did, I would touch myself and imagine your hands on me," he kissed her fiercely, leading her down to his couch. He was on top of her quickly, repositioning her and leaning forward to suck on one of her nipples, "Scorpius, I would cum imagining you pushing your huge cock into me," she said, full of courage now. Scorpius moaned against her breasts, pulling himself to her face and trapping her lips with his.

"I need it," she gasped into his mouth, "I need you inside of me right now," and without any delay, he lined himself up and pushed into Rose. She cried out with pleasure, kissing him once again. She was so turned on that she felt the build quickly from Scorpius's punishing pace. She came with short moans of relief, feeling her body at home again.

Author's note: Howdy y'all! To thank you for your wait, this was a double chapter, though I'm sure you noticed. I had a few things that I wanted to get into this one, especially with all the requests for more dynamics between characters! I hope that you are discovering a little more about the characters, and that you like where this is headed! As always, let me know what you think, I can't wait to read your reviews!