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It was a bright, crisp afternoon at Hogwarts, and the fifth-year students were making their way down to Hagrid's hut for another session of Care of Magical Creatures. The once grand but now slightly ramshackle hut had seen better days since Hagrid's retirement. Rose Weasley lagged behind the group, her red, bushy hair bouncing with every frustrated step, the freckles on her face more pronounced in the cool daylight. Of all her subjects, this was the one she loathed the most. Magical creatures just weren't her thing, and after their O.W.L.s, she planned to drop it like a hot cauldron.

Up ahead, Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter walked side by side, deep in conversation. Her dear Slytherin cousin and, of course, his annoying, insufferable friend! Scorpius's blond hair gleamed in the sunlight, making him look even more like his father, but with a mischievous glint in his grey eyes that Draco Malfoy had never quite managed. Rose could already feel the annoyance bubbling up. She knew exactly what was coming.

"Oi, Weasley!" Scorpius called over his shoulder, his voice dripping with amusement. He turned to face her with that infuriating smirk. "Excited for another day of handling magical creatures you absolutely adore?" He winked. "And you get to spend two whole periods with your favorite person—me!"

Rose rolled her eyes and quickened her pace to catch up to them. "Thrilled, Malfoy," she said dryly. "You know how much I love wasting my time on things that are utterly useless and that I want to avoid forever."

"Wasting your time?" Scorpius gasped theatrically, clutching his chest as if wounded. "How could you say that? Unicorns, hippogriffs, nifflers—absolute wonders of the magical world, Weasley. Maybe if you weren't so focused on boring Ministry policies, you'd actually appreciate them."

"I'll leave the creatures to you, thanks," Rose snapped, her freckled cheeks flushed. "I've got my eyes on something that actually matters after Hogwarts."

Scorpius chuckled, exchanging a look with Albus, who was trying and failing to hide his grin. "You say that now, but when you're stuck chasing dark wizards through a forest and need to calm a herd of rampaging hippogriffs, don't come crying to me."

"I'll be in the Ministry, Malfoy, not playing hide-and-seek with hippogriffs," Rose retorted, though deep down, she couldn't deny that part of her was at least a little curious about these creatures. But she wasn't about to admit it.

As they arrived at Hagrid's old hut, the rest of the class had already gathered, waiting for Professor Thaddeus Oakridge, the current Care of Magical Creatures teacher, to emerge from the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Today's topic: Bowtruckles. Rose sighed in relief. At least it wasn't some massive, terrifying creature like a thestral.

Professor Oakridge, a plump man with a bushy moustache who always seemed to smell faintly of horse stables, boomed in greeting. "Right, everyone! Today we'll be working with Bowtruckles—brilliant creatures that protect wand trees. But be careful; they can be a bit picky about who they like."

Scorpius perked up, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. Rose scowled. Of course, he would be excited. She could already see Twiggy, his personal Bowtruckle, poking its tiny head out from the pocket of his robes.

"Let's see how much Twiggy's missed me," Scorpius muttered to Albus with a grin, carefully pulling the tiny creature out. The Bowtruckle blinked its beady eyes at the class, looking rather pleased to be outside.

"Oh, Merlin," Rose groaned, crossing her arms. "You just had to have your own Bowtruckle, didn't you?"

"What can I say, Weasley?" Scorpius quipped, casting her an amused glance. "I've got a gift with magical creatures. Unlike some people."

Rose's face flushed with irritation. "Just because I don't want to waste my time with them doesn't mean I can't handle it."

"Right," Scorpius drawled, smirking. "I seem to recall a certain someone tripping over a Puffskein in third year." He winked. "Don't worry, Weasley—I'll spare you the trouble of buying one for your birthday."

Albus chuckled, clearly enjoying the memory. "To be fair, that Puffskein was surprisingly fast."

Rose shot him a glare. "You're supposed to be on my side, Potter," she muttered, her eyes narrowing at Scorpius.

"Sorry, Rose," Albus grinned. "But you have to admit—it was funny."

Before Rose could respond, Professor Oakridge's booming voice brought everyone's attention back. "Alright, pair up and find yourselves a Bowtruckle to work with!"

Rose looked around, hoping to pair with someone else. Most of her classmates were already grouped together. Not that she had many friends in this class—her social circle wasn't exactly vast, not because people disliked her, but because she found it hard to truly connect with anyone beyond Albus—and, surprisingly enough, Scorpius, though she'd never admit it.

"Emma Farley," Albus whispered excitedly. "Gotta go. Wish me luck!"

Before Rose could protest, Scorpius nudged her with a smirk. "Looks like you're stuck with me, Weasley."

"Fantastic," she muttered. "Just what I wanted."

Scorpius's smirk widened. "Oh, come on. You know you love it."

They approached a tree where a Bowtruckle was perched, watching them suspiciously. Rose sighed, bracing herself for yet another lesson she'd rather skip.

"Don't spook it," Scorpius said, a playful edge to his voice. "They're sensitive."

"I know that," Rose snapped, rolling her eyes. "I've been in this class as long as you."

Scorpius shrugged. "Could've fooled me."

Rose clenched her fists, suppressing the urge to hex him. He was insufferable, especially when it came to magical creatures, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting under her skin.

As they worked in silence, Rose noticed Scorpius glancing at her, still wearing that irritating smirk. "You know," he said casually, "You can work in the Department of Regulations and Control of Magical Creatures in the Ministry if you tried. Still in the ministry, yet more interesting. Plus, it's much less boring."

Rose scoffed. "In your dreams, Malfoy. I actually have plans."

"Plans," he teased. "But where's the fun in pushing papers all day? You're too good at spellwork to waste your talent behind a desk."

She opened her mouth to retort but hesitated. Was he... serious? For a brief moment, it almost sounded like he meant it.

Before she could respond, Scorpius went on, "I'd probably become a Magizoologist if Quidditch doesn't work out. Not that it won't—I mean, who wouldn't want me on their team? Future Quidditch star Scorpius Malfoy, after all."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Your priorities are a bit odd, Scorp. You know that, right?"

He grinned. "That's what makes me special."

Before Rose could reply, Professor Oakridge's voice interrupted. "Next week, we'll be working with Unicorns! Magnificent creatures—but you gotta be cautious."

Rose groaned inwardly. Another week of magical creature torture. Perfect.

As they packed up and headed back to the castle, Scorpius fell into step beside her. "Cheer up, Weasley. Unicorns are fascinating. You might even enjoy it."

"Doubt it," she muttered.

Scorpius's grin widened. "Well, I'll be there to make sure you don't get trampled. You know, because we're friends."

Rose raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Friends, huh? That's new."

"Don't let it go to your head," Scorpius teased. "It's only because of Albus. Otherwise, I'd leave you to the unicorns."

Rose chuckled. "I'd like to see you try."

As they reached the castle, Rose felt a little less irritated. She hated to admit it, but Scorpius's constant teasing—and their ridiculous banter—made Care of Magical Creatures just a bit more bearable.

A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for reading. Sorry for the mistakes. Please review!