Rose gave up on sleeping at exactly 1:43am.

She knew what time it was because she had been watching the minutes tick by on her bedside clock for over an hour. It wasn't helping, and neither were any of the tried and tested methods she normally used to get to sleep.

With a frustrated sigh, she threw off her covers and scrambled out of bed. The air was chilly, but she didn't bother with a dressing gown. As quietly as she could she crept out of her bedroom and down the stairs into the living room. Lorcan, no doubt, was fast asleep in his own room. They had a big day tomorrow – the first game began at nine and there would be plenty to do beforehand in terms of organising the new arrivals. If she didn't sleep now she would suffer for it later.

Ignoring this voice of reason in the back of her mind, Rose padded over to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She drank slowly, trying not to let her thoughts dwell on what awaited her over the next few days, what she would say to Scorpius, how she would manage to fulfill her duties with all the inner turmoil bubbling inside her… Just focus on the moment, she whispered silently to herself, sternly, like her mother might if she were there right then. Just now. Just right now.

It didn't do much good, and the skin on the back of her neck began to prickle as she stood there in the dark. Nervously, Rose replaced the glass back in the sink and glanced around. But the living room was empty and silent. "Stupid," she muttered aloud, turning back to her bedroom and vowing to make a more concerted effort to get to sleep this time.

She was halfway across the room when she heard it: the faintest of whirring noises coming from the corridor outside. If it hadn't been so quiet, she would never have noticed. But now that she had, it seemed to fill every inch of the space around her. Rose paused, listening intently. The whirring stopped for a moment, then started again, as though a small winged creature fluttered madly just outside the door.

With clammy hands, she crept back to her room to retrieve her wand. Her heart was racing as she strode to Lorcan's bedroom door, hand raised and ready to knock. At the last second, she pulled back. Cursing herself already, she stepped away from Lorcan's bedroom and padded over to the front door. Perhaps it wasn't the wisest course of action, but something told her she would regret waking her housemate until she knew exactly what was out there. After all, it could turn out to be Peeves, or a couple of mischievous first years out on a dare. Or, worse, it could be nothing at all. There was no need to wake Lorcan up for nothing, and she would never forgive herself if it turned out she was imagining the entire thing.

With this litany of confidence-assuring thoughts running through her head, Rose wrapped her fingers around the doorknob and took a deep, steadying breath. Steeling herself, she threw it open.

For a moment, in the dim light of the guttering lanterns, the corridor appeared deserted. Rose's gut clenched, before her eyes drifted slowly downwards and she saw the figure sitting against the opposite wall, knees up and head resting against the brick. Near his right ear a tiny silver snitch hovered, whirring gently as it zipped back and forth in the air beside him. From underneath his hood, his blonde hair shone gold in the firelight. But even without this, there was no escaping the aching familiarity of his features.

Scorpius.

If Rose had thought her heart was hammering earlier, it was nothing to how it pounded against her ribcage now. Scorpius' eyes snapped to her, widening as they drank in the sight of her in the doorway. With lightning reflexes, he snatched the snitch out of mid-air and stuffed it into his pocket, then rose smoothly to his feet. His face was wary and he looked as though he were expecting her to hex him at any moment.

For an agonising minute they stood across from one another, the silence of the night settling like a blanket between them. Rose hesitated on the edge of the step, knowing she should turn around, slam the door and go back to bed, but unable to drag herself away.

Finally, she found her voice. "What are you doing here?" Even in a whisper, the words sounded indecently loud.

Scorpius ran a hand through his hair, jaw clicking regretfully. His eyes shifted from her to the wall and back again. "I didn't mean to wake you," he said quietly.

"You didn't," she replied, then cringed at the way that sounded. From the tiny frown that appeared on Scorpius' brow, it was obvious he hadn't missed her meaning. "You didn't answer the question," she went on hurriedly. "It's almost two in the morning. Why are you lurking in the corridors like some kind of stalker?"

Her words were harsh, and she saw Scorpius' jaw tighten in response. "I'm not stalking you," he replied stiffly.

"Sure looks like it to me." Against her better judgement, she stepped fully into the corridor, shutting the door behind her with a soft click. "You shouldn't be here."

He nodded, but made no move to leave. His eyes seemed to pin her to the spot, though the expression in them was difficult to read, a strange mixture of wariness and hostility. Rose found herself getting lost in the smooth lines of his face, and had to force herself to look away.

"So were you planning on sitting out here all night?" she asked, staring pointedly at the wall to his left shoulder.

From the corner of her eye she saw him shrug. "Maybe."

"Why?" The question was past her lips before she could think better of it. Inwardly, Rose cursed herself for her curiosity. She wasn't supposed to care anymore. Had spent too long telling herself she didn't to go back now.

Scorpius took a long time to answer. Outisde, it was deathly quiet, barely even a breath of wind to break the silence. It would be a perfect day for Quidditch tomorrow. "I wanted to make sure you were alright," he said at last, softly.

There was a lump in her throat that made it difficult to speak. "That's really none of your business," she choked out.

"I guess not." .

"So why – "

"Is that Scamander's job now?"

His voice was tight with disapproval. Rose resisted the urge to look at him, though she could easily picture the heavy scowl on his features.

"Don't you dare bring him into this," she hissed furiously.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him move restlessly, but when he spoke his voice remained cool and detached. "I didn't bring him into this, Rose. You did."

Her breath left her like she had been punched in the gut, and for a while all she could do was gape, speechless, at the cruelty behind his words. Finally, she found her voice. "Screw you," she spat. "You have no – no idea – " choking back the sob rising up her windpipe, she span to reopen the door to her own quarters, determined not to stay in his presence a moment longer.

Before she could do any more than fumble with the door, Scorpius had moved swiftly to block her path. "Wait." His tone was commanding, but she didn't listen, seizing the handle and yanking with all her might. It didn't budge against his weight. "Rose, please. Just listen."

"Why should I?" she demanded, blinking up at him in pure fury. He was close now, too close. She could see the tiny specks of blue in his silver eyes, those hints of colour that she had once believed marked a difference between him and his father. Like smudges of humanity in an otherwise cold, grey sea. Now, it seemed like such a foolish notion.

"Because it's important," he answered evenly. "Because I only came back here to warn you."

That made her pause. Rose's grip on the door slackened a fraction, and Scorpius took advantage of her moment of indecision. He pressed forward, crowding her personal space until her back hit the wall with a dull thud.

He lent so close to her that for one wild moment she thought he was going to kiss her. Her breath left her, and her hands twitched, though whether with the urge to slap him or seize him she wasn't sure. She knew what she should do – push him away and leave, perhaps with a parting hex for good measure. But would she? Even now her lips were tingling in anticipation, and there was a slow burning in the pit of her stomach that warned her how close she was to falling all over again.

But Scorpius paused inches from her face, and his eyes never left her own. "Listen," he whispered urgently, and there was not a trace of sarcasm in his tone now. "I have to tell you this, and I don't care if you think I'm crazy, or you want to punch me in the face like your brother. I don't care because – Rose, you're in danger."

She blinked in confusion. Of all the things she had been expecting, a warning of that kind had not been high on the list. She waited for the punch line, or the twitch of his lips that might hint that he was joking. But Scorpius looked deadly serious. "I'm sorry?" she managed at last, when it became clear he expected a response.

He lent even closer, so that she could feel the his breath against her lips as he spoke. "You remember the guy you danced with at your cousin's wedding, the French one?"

"Jean," she replied automatically.

Scorpius frowned. "Yeah, him. He's come to Hogwarts as part of the – "

"The Beauxbatons team," she cut him off. "I know. So what?"

Scorpius licked his lips, and Rose's gaze darted treacherously to his mouth. "So you need to stay away from him," he told her flatly.

She felt herself swell with indignation at the order in his tone, despite the small voice at the back of her head which bade her heed his warning. "And why is that?" she demanded, lacing her voice with a sarcasm she didn't really feel. "Let me guess, he's going to tie me up and feed me to the Giant Squid?"

There was not even a flicker of amusement on Scorpius' face. "I don't know what he'll try to do, but I do know he's dangerous. Your family has enemies in all kinds of places, Rose, and some of them will do whatever it takes to get to you. You of all people should know that."

His words cut far too close to the bone. Restlessly, Rose shifted against the wall, trying to give herself more space. "You don't need to tell me about enemies," she answered with her own pointed look. From the way Scorpius' scowl deepened, she knew her comment had hit its mark. "I've had more than enough experience."

To her surprise, he didn't retaliate with a snide comment of his own. Instead, he simply lent closer, until she was all but drowning in his eyes. "Just promise me you'll stay away from him."

"How do you know this anyway?" she demanded, pointedly avoiding giving him an answer. "Been joining in on some rekindled Death Eater meetings over in Durmstrang, have you?"

Finally, she had managed to get a reaction from him. Scorpius' eyes narrowed angrily at the accusation, and he pushed himself off the wall and away from her. Rose took the opportunity to draw in a steadying breath. Her heart was still beating a mad staccato in her chest, and she didn't trust herself to be able to remain calm and unaffected in his presence, especially if he insisted on being so close to her.

"So now I'm a Death Eater, am I?" The angle of Scorpius' features was painfully familiar, his tone dripping with recognisable scorn. Rose pushed the growing ball of warmth within her chest to the pit of her stomach.

"I have no idea what you are," she replied quietly.

"So you revert to every stereotype you ever learnt about me?" Scorpius was breathing heavily, his chest heaving like he had just flown a mile, and his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists at his side. Strangely, she found the sight of his anger almost comforting.

"Don't act like it's that far-fetched," she threw back recklessly. "It's been six months since I last saw you, and people change. A lot could have happened to you. It's not like I would know a thing if it had."

"That's rich, coming from you."

Her eyes snapped up at his harsh reply, to find him regarding her with a furious gaze, anger practically radiating off him in waves. "And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked, rising to the bait with a wild sense of abandon.

Scorpius' head jerked in the direction of her dorm, mouth curved in a sarcastic sneer. "It means you didn't exactly waste any time in replacing me, did you? How long did it take, hmm, before you got bored of waiting? A few weeks at least, I hope."

White hot fury coursed through her veins, and without thinking Rose strode forward and slapped him, hard, across the face. She felt the sting of Scorpius' cheek against the palm of her hand, like a kiss.

He didn't attempt to evade the blow. When he turned back to face her, his expression was mocking, rather than angry. "That's one each from you and your brother," he remarked mildly, flexing his jaw. "Now I just need one from Albus, and it'll complete the trifecta."

"Keep it up, and I'm sure he'll be happy to oblige," she responded, but it was impossible to maintain the heat in her tone. Not when the simple touch of his skin had reawakened a thousand buried feelings within her, and her heart felt as though it were breaking anew.

Scorpius' smirked derisively, and rubbed his jaw. "I'm sure he will."

"You don't sound too upset at the idea," she threw back.

A derisive bark of laughter escaped from between Scorpius' lips. "You have no idea – " he began, then broke off, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as though swallowing whatever he had been about to say.

"I have no idea about what?"

"Nothing," he answered, not looking at her now but staring at the wall as though trying to read his fortune in the stone. "Just that I thought – I always assumed – stupid," he muttered bitterly, raking a hand through his hair. Rose stared at him, perplexed. "You and Scamander, you're happy?" He dragged his eyes back to hers.

The question took her by surprise, and for a while she floundered for an answer. Was she happy with Lorcan? In a number of ways she was. He was kind, and sweet, and interesting, and she never had to worry about him hurting her or leaving her. But was she happy? She thought of all the times she had cried herself to sleep over the last six months, revisiting Scorpius in her dreams like some kind of bitter-sweet torture. She thought of how even now, after everything, her skin trembled and her heart beat wildly just from being near him.

Scorpius had gone very still. He watched her like she was a wild animal that would bolt at the slightest inclination. "Rose?" he asked at last, his voice cracking every so slightly on her name. She blinked, torn from her thoughts back to the cold, draughty corridor, at two in the morning with a Malfoy in his red Durmstrang uniform in front of her. To reality.

"Yes," she answered firmly, swallowing her doubts and uncertainties and feeling them settle in the pit of her stomach like a poorly digested meal. "Yes I'm happy."

Scorpius exhaled heavily, turning his head just enough that she couldn't read his expression. "Right," he said. "Right. Well, I'm…" he trailed off, his eyes taking on a far-away look before snapping back to her. "You haven't answered me about Jean."

"I don't need to answer you," she replied cuttingly. "I don't owe you anything."

He threw up a hand in frustration. "For Salazar's sake, this isn't about owing me, Rose. This is about your safety. Why can't you see that?"

"And why are you suddenly so concerned about my safety?"

Scorpius was frowning at her, as if her words were a puzzle he couldn't work out. "Suddenly?" he repeated. "You think this is sudden?"

Rose bit down hard on her tongue to avoid the temptation to snap back. It would only end in another argument, and more heartache, and more tears.

Scorpius was still studying her intently. She shifted anxiously under his gaze, her hands flexing with the need for action even as her feet remained rooted like tree trunks to the floor. "Well?" he pressed.

"Does it matter?" she hedged. "Just leave me alone. I don't need you trying to run my life for me. It's really none of your business who I see. Not anymore."

"You're right," answered Scorpius, and she felt a pang of something like regret in her stomach at the sense of finality in his tone. "It isn't. But I'm still not leaving until you promise."

Her back stiffened. "What?"

Despite the dangerous note in her voice, Scorpius stepped forward, once more crowding her space. "I said I'm not leaving until you swear to me that you'll stay away from Jean."

"I just told you that it's none of – "

"I heard you," Scorpius interrupted swiftly. He was too close again, perilously close. Rose's eyelids fluttered, and she forced them back open. "And I know it's none of my business. But I care about your safety, Rose. I care – " he hesitated, frowning, before continuing doggedly – " I care about you."

Her breath caught in her throat. None of it made sense. None of it. "Then why didn't you - " why didn't you answer my letters? Why didn't you give me the slightest sign all these months? Why did you leave without saying goodbye? She choked back the questions at the last minute. Her actions tonight had been pathetic enough as it was, without stooping to that level of desperation.

Scorpius continue to watch her like he was a legilimens attempting to access her most personal secrets. "Why didn't I what?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"Rose – "

"It doesn't matter," she insisted firmly, pressing her lips together.

A shadow of frustration passed across his face. "It does matter," he argued.

She pushed roughly at his chest, trying to gain a little breathing space between them, but Scorpius barely moved an inch. "You've got a hell of a nerve coming here and acting like this," she hissed furiously, her self-control snapping just a little under the weight of his gaze. "Acting like you care, like you give a shit about me, when you just – you just vanished! And now you're back here like nothing's changed and acting as if it's all my fault that – that – " she choked in a breath, struggling to stop the words from pouring out of her like some kind of poison. Merlin, she needed to get away from him.

"You think it was any easier for me?" Scorpius demanded harshly. "You think I wanted to get shipped to Durmstrang, to leave - to leave all of you behind for a bunch of people I knew nothing about?"

"Well you certainly didn't put up much of a fight!"

Scorpius frowned, his head cocked to one side as he considered her. "Rose, I told you that – "

She shook her head,silencing him. She really wasn't in the mood to hear some kind of sob story from him about his long trip away from family and friends. It was late, and all at once she was bone tired. "Why are you here?" she asked, abandoning the pretense of anger with a sag of her shoulders.

Scorpius' smirk was self-mocking. It reminded Rose of the expressions he used to wear in their younger years, when their relationship was built on cold looks and long misunderstandings. "Why?" he sighed, and lifted a hand to her face. Rose found herself frozen, unable to move as he trailed the pad of his thumb over her cheek, just ghosting the corner of her mouth. "Because I'm a fool. The biggest fool that ever lived."

So help her, she wanted him. Rose was appalled at her thoughts, but they were in her head regardless, bouncing traitorously around her skull. She was weak, and pitiful, the worst kind of person. But by Godric, she thought she would have given anything to have Scorpius pull her into his chest right then.

As if able to read her treacherous thoughts, Scorpius paused with his hand cupping her cheek. He seemed to hold his breath, his eyes searching hers almost desperately. "Rose…" he whispered hoarsely, leaning so close it was almost possible to feel his lips against hers, the merest whisper of a kiss that ignited a thousand dormant nerve ends in her body. She stifled a reply, her eyelids fluttering closed and her head tilting of its own accord. She could already feel the taste of his lips, the pressure of his arms around her… already knew how good it would be, like a glass of water after years of thirst.

There was a shuffling sound around the corner, and they jerked apart like they'd been hit by an impedimenta jinx. Disorientated, Rose hit the wall with enough force to knock what little air remained out her lungs. A second later and she found herself being forced bodily into her own living room by Scorpius.

"What are you – "

"Go back to bed," he ordered, his wand out and pointing in the direction of the noise, though there was nothing there that Rose could see. She craned to look around the corner, but it was dark and shadowy and appeared entirely empty. "Lock your door and don't come out until the morning."

"But – "

"And promise me you'll stay away from Jean," Scorpius was already closing the door. It had all happened so fast, Rose felt vaguely shell-shocked.

"I'm Head Girl, I can't just – "

"Promise me!" Scorpius' gaze was like fire, fierce and determined. He seized her hand, his skin hot against her own.

"O-okay," she stammered, all but incapable of resisting the pressure of his stare. "I promise."

"Good." He let go of her hand, and was just about to close the door when she stuck her foot in the gap, wincing in pain at the collision.

"Wait. What about you?"

Scorpius frowned. "What about me?"

"Where are you going now?" She hadn't meant it to sound like such a plea, but understanding crossed Scorpius' face instantly.

"I'm not leaving this room unguarded until morning," he answered.

She shook her head in protest. "But you can't sit here all night! That's crazy, it's not – "

"It's what I'm doing," responded Scorpius stubbornly. "Go to sleep, Rose. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked frantically, tears burning at the back of her throat. None of his actions made any sense, and it was making each interaction with him ten times harder than it needed to be.

The corner of his mouth pulled up in a one-sided smirk. It was the smile she had first fallen for, years ago, long before she would have ever even admitted aloud to having feelings for a Malfoy. The sight of it after so long nearly broke her heart afresh. "You know why, Rose. Now go."

And he kicked her foot back into the room and closed the door in her face.

Amazingly, she did sleep. So well, in fact, that when Rose woke to the sound of her alarm in the morning, she had to convince herself that the whole episode had not been a figment of her over-active imagination.

The suspicion that she had been dreaming was only strengthened by Lorcan's lackadaisical manner in the morning. He smiled at her when she staggered out of her bedroom, a copy of The Quibbler and a glass of warm turmeric milk on the counter in front of him. As if nothing out of the usual had occurred at all. Which for him, Rose supposed, was true.

"Sleep alright?" he asked.

"Mmm," she replied half-heartedly, going to pour herself some water. Her empty glass was still in the sink where she had left it the night before. So that much, at least, had been real. "How about you?"

"Okay, I guess. I had the strangest dream."

She froze, glass poised halfway to her mouth, at Lorcan's words. Trying to fix a casual expression of curiosity on her face, she asked as calmly as she could manage, "Oh really? What about?"

Lorcan scratched his head, forehead scrunched in concentration. "You were in it," he said at last, and Rose's heart thumped a warning. "We were in Dumfries, looking for something. Malfoy was there too." The look he shot her was far too pointed to be a coincidence. Rose forced herself to breathe and be silent. "He kept telling us we had to run, from – from somebody, I think. We were being followed." Lorcan frowned, staring hard at the newspaper in front of him. "And there might have been a crumple-horned snorkack involved, as well, I can't just remember how – "

Rose let out the breath she had been holding. "Sounds like a strange dream," she said mildly, gulping down too much water and nearly choking.

"Yeah, it was," agreed Lorcan. "Still, they say every dream has a message, don't they?"

She shrugged non-commitedly. "Where did McGonagall say to meet us again?" she asked, although she knew the answer perfectly well already. Anything to distract Lorcan from what was an altogether too-close-for-comfort dream.

"The foyer."

"Oh yeah, that's right." She threw back the rest of her drink and placed the glass back where it had been in the sink. "I'm going to hop in the shower. Don't want to keep McGonagall waiting, she'll be breathing fire enough as it is."

"Mmm," replied Lorcan distractedly. He waited until she was just about to enter the bathroom before asking, "Why do you suppose we were in Dumfries?"

Rose paused, considering the question. "I honestly have no idea," she answered at last. "Maybe you just like it there?"

Lorcan didn't look convinced. "Maybe," he said.

Deciding she didn't have any answers to give him right then, Rose ducked into the shower, leaving him sitting at the kitchen table with a heavy frown upon his face.