Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter.

Rose Weasley slid onto the bench at the Slytherin table, her eyes scanning for her cousin Albus. Lily was already there, deep in conversation with him, waving her over like they were at some sort of Gryffindor-Slytherin summit. This wasn't exactly Rose's first choice for dining, but with Lily and Albus around, she could tolerate it. Besides, the food tasted the same no matter where you sat.

Barely had she settled in when an all-too-familiar voice rang out beside her. "Well, well, if it isn't a stray Gryffindor wandering into enemy territory." Scorpius Malfoy leaned back with a smirk, his gray eyes glinting with amusement. "Could it be that Weasley is slumming it with us Slytherins again?"

Rose rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, please. The only reason I'm here is because you're constantly hogging my cousin's time."

Albus, caught in the middle, sighed as if this routine was more exhausting than an actual duel. "Can we just have one meal without you two bickering?"

Lily leaned in with a mischievous grin. "Not a chance."

Rose huffed as she reached for a roll. "I'm just trying to enjoy my dinner in peace."

Scorpius snorted, cutting into his food. "You Gryffindors and your high standards. Must be hard dining with such sophisticated company."

Rose gave him a withering look. "Sophisticated? You? The guy who comes back from Care of Magical Creatures looking like he wrestled a Blast-Ended Skrewt?"

Nearby, a couple of Scorpius's Quidditch friends chuckled, but most of the Slytherins stayed out of it. They'd gotten used to Rose popping up from time to time, even becoming a bit friendly—well, except for one. Sitting across the table, Thalia, the queen of icy glares, was watching Rose like she was some kind of intruder.

Rose leaned over to Lily and muttered, "Who does that girl think she is, glaring at us like we are flobberworms?"

Lily shot a quick glance at Valeria and whispered back, "Thalia Burke. She's in our year. Cunning, charming, and so full of herself. Apparently, she thinks all of Hogwarts is in love with her. Plus, she is glaring at you, not at us! And yes, I don't like that look too."

Scorpius raised an eyebrow, clearly catching their whispers. "Plotting against us Slytherins, Weasley?"

Rose narrowed her eyes at him but decided to change the subject before she got into a glaring contest with Thalia. "Anyway," she said, turning to Albus, "next Hogsmeade weekend, you're coming with me and Lily, right? You promised."

Albus nodded, his mouth full of pudding. "Sure."

Lily grinned. "I can't wait to stock up on Fizzing Whizzbees."

Scorpius groaned. "Fizzing Whizzbees? Why are you Gryffindors obsessed with those? They're not even that good."

Rose froze, her fork midway to her mouth, and stared at him as if he'd just insulted Merlin himself. "Not that good? Are you insane, Malfoy? Fizzing Whizzbees are the best sweet in the wizarding world!"

Scorpius smirked, clearly enjoying how easy it was to rile her up. "Please. It's just sugar that makes you float for, like, two seconds. Hardly worth the hype when Honeydukes is full of better options."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Without missing a beat, Scorpius shot back, "Chocolate Frogs."

Rose scoffed, setting her fork down with finality. "Chocolate Frogs? Really? You get one bite before it hops away. How is that better than Fizzing Whizzbees?"

"Because," Scorpius said, leaning forward, "at least Chocolate Frogs don't make you feel like you're choking on air every time you eat one."

"That's part of the fun, Malfoy! You wouldn't understand good sweets if they hit you in the face."

Scorpius gave her an amused look. "I know more than you, Weasley."

Lily snickered, leaning toward Albus. "Bet you ten Sickles she's still going on about this next week."

Albus, looking resigned, shook his head. "Not betting against you."

Rose ignored them, turning her glare back to Scorpius. "Next Hogsmeade trip, I'll prove it to you. I'll buy you a whole bag of Fizzing Whizzbees, and you'll see."

Scorpius's smirk widened. "Challenge accepted."

The next Hogsmeade weekend arrived with a crisp breeze and blue skies—perfect for a showdown at Honeydukes. Rose, clutching her bag of coins like a woman on a mission, practically dragged Albus and Lily toward the carriages. Albus watched her warily. "You're way too excited about sweets."

"I'm excited to wipe that smug grin off Malfoy's face," she corrected, determination burning in her eyes.

Lily giggled. "This is going to be great. I can't wait to watch him eat his words—and Fizzing Whizzbees."

The trio reached Hogsmeade and it didn't take long to spot Scorpius. He was standing outside Zonko's with a group of Slytherins, laughing at something one of them said. When his eyes landed on Rose, his grin widened, and he gave a small nod as if he had been expecting her. "Here comes trouble," he called out as she approached. "Ready to admit defeat, Weasley?"

"Oh, I'll be the one winning today, Malfoy," Rose shot back. "Come on, we're going to Honeydukes."

Honeydukes was its usual haven of sweets and chaos, with students crowding every aisle. Rose made a beeline for the Fizzing Whizzbees, grabbing two bags. She thrust one into Scorpius's hands with a triumphant smile. "Here. Let's see if you're still full of nonsense after this."

Scorpius took a sweet, popping it into his mouth with exaggerated indifference. For a moment, nothing happened. Then his feet lifted off the ground as he floated a few inches into the air, his expression carefully neutral, even as he hovered.

Lily snickered. "Look at him, trying so hard not to be impressed."

Rose folded her arms, watching closely. "Well?"

Landing smoothly, Scorpius dusted himself off with a mock sigh. "They're... alright. But Chocolate Frogs are still superior."

Rose groaned in frustration. "You're impossible!"

Scorpius grinned. "You just have to accept that not everyone shares your questionable taste in sweets, Weasley."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're the one with bad taste, Malfoy."

"I doubt that," Scorpius muttered.

Albus coughed. "Can we just agree to disagree before we all end up hexing each other?"

But as they strolled through Hogsmeade, the bickering turned more playful, less pointed. Despite the endless teasing, Rose found herself actually enjoying Scorpius's company. For all their differences, it was moments like these—full of sarcasm and banter—that she wouldn't trade for anything.

As they headed back to the carriages, Scorpius fell into step beside Rose. "You know," he said, his voice lower than usual, "you're not so bad. When you're not trying to prove me wrong all the time."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Is that your way of admitting I was right?"

"Hardly," he replied with a smirk. "But it was a good day."

Rose felt warmth in her chest, though she masked it with a sarcastic grin. "I'll take that as a win."

As the carriage rolled away, Rose found herself glancing back at Scorpius, a little curious. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to him than she thought.

A/N: Thank you for reading. Please review. Sorry for the mistakes.