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October 7, sixth year
"We have to talk," Scorpius said. Rose was afraid he'd say that. After last night, it's no surprise.
Don't look at him, she said to herself. Don't.
She tried to set her goblet down but instead, she spilled her pumpkin juice on the table in front of him. "Sorry," she said, hastily bringing out her wand and attempting to clean the mess. Only, she ended up drenching his robes as well. He sighed.
"It's alright. I'll take care of it," he said, Scourgifying with a flick of his wand and a scowl on his face.
"Weasley!" Their house's Quidditch team captain, Andrew Logan, barked. He'd been on her case all week-something to do with her giving two of his Chasers detention during training hours.
She turned to him, one hand on her hip. "I told you, Logan, that's the point of detention—punishment. You're lucky that Slytherin first year just suffered a broken bone and not much else. Besides, Parker and McQuillen are no snowflakes, they can catch up with training."
"Whose team are you on? We're going for a three peat, remember?" Logan stomped away, murmuring something about egos and bureaucracy. Rose shook her head and turned back to Scorpius.
Her apology died on her lips when she realized he had left.
September, third year
She used to not talk to him much, except for "pass the boomslang" or "which page again?" during classes. She was afraid that if she tried, a stream of nonsense would come out of her mouth. And she's not the only one with this affliction—the entire female population of their house is just fascinated by how remote he is. How he keeps to himself.
And then one day he was no longer remote, but he was still as secretive.
Merlin knows what's going on in that pretty little head. It's terrifying and exciting at once. And she definitely needs her distractions, what with how lousy things at home have been lately.
September 1, first year
People murmured at the sound of his surname, and the Hat sat on his head for the longest time before announcing, "Gryffindor!"
At first, there was just silence in the Great Hall. She was still in line for the Sorting, and could see everybody, and she was getting uncomfortable with how quiet the place had become. Something was wrong, but at that moment, she couldn't understand what was. Scorpius seemed uneasy too. He was peeking out at the sea of faces from under the Hat.
And then her uncle Neville started clapping from the teachers' table. He was tight-lipped as he did, but kept at it, so others soon joined in. She watched a smile grow on his face as he took the Hat off and joined Gryffindor.
She hadn't known it then, but he fascinated her.
July 15, summer of fifth year
They were both named prefects, and she knew of his selection even before classes. This is because she saw him come out of the Leaky Cauldron, pin his 'P' badge on his robes, and walk to the newly opened Ipswich Garden, the first restaurant in Diagon Alley. In front were people whom Rose assumed to be his parents. Of course, he'd live apart from his mother and father. It would be awkward if all of them lived with each other, wouldn't it.
She discreetly followed them inside, and felt only slightly guilty when she slipped in a seat near theirs, out of view but still within earshot.
"Congratulations, son," she heard his father say after a while. The clinking of china and metal was the only reply. A female cleared her throat; possibly his mother.
"Thank you, father," he said. It was a clean response—no inflections of any sort.
"When are you coming home to the manor? We would like to throw you a party to celebrate your being a prefect. Your friends can come," his mother said.
"Unlikely. I daresay half the other Gryffindors' parents would write angry letters to the headmistress when I go back to school with this badge on."
Rose jabbed at a picture of some salad on the menu to appease the waiter. He's been hovering near her table with an expectant look on his face, and when she did that, he bowed and headed in another direction. She scooted closer to the Malfoys.
"If you were in our House, your mother's and mine, you'd be in finer company."
"Draco," his mother said, gently. Rose heard a chair being pushed, like someone was standing.
"I will not hear any of this. Please do not talk about my fellows like that."
"Your—Scorpius, they're not your fellows. Say what you will about our House, but we stuck for our kind. It's been six years, and I'm still in awe of the fact that you were Sorted in such a narrow-minded—"
Rose had to hide her face from Scorpius as he stalked past her table.
December 24, fourth year
It was Christmas at Godric's Hollow, and she was lying on Al's bed, throwing Exploding Snap cards at the overhead lamp, which had the faces of their least favorite professors Spellotaped to it. The cards would explode before hitting the ceiling, raining confetti everywhere.
"So, do you find him cute?" He had stopped throwing cards and was now reading the Quidditch Pitches section of The Evening Prophet.
"Who?" Rose kept her head bowed, pretending to be interested inAl's bedspread pattern.
"Silly. Who else would I be talking about?"
"Do you find him cute?"
"He's easy on the eyes, sure. But he doesn't do anything for me."
Rose suppressed a grin. When they were in second year Al made her promise not to tell anyone that he had a crush on The Malfoy Boy. He made her swear on an Unbreakable Vow, only he didn't know the words to it and she just played along.
"A-ha, a smile. So it is Scorpius. Is he the sun to your Hogwarts ceiling, Rosie?"
"Stop that. I was thinking about your secret, the one from back in second year. Weren't you the one in love with him?"
"I was young and foolish," Al said with a casual wave of his hand. "Besides, I see how you look at him."
"Stop it, that's nonsense."
"Is it really?"
"Yes."
"Does he make your Snitch flutter?"
"Albus Severus!"
Summer of second year
Her father was scary when he came home pissed. He's been doing that a lot, going out and drinking himself silly, since his divorce with her and Hugo's mum became final. Tonight was no exception. There he was, yelling in his room and hurling things around. She could hear her Aunt Ginny pleading with him, please, Ron, don't be too loud. Rose was sure her Uncle Harry was in there too.
"Bloody Draco Malfoy! She shacks up with him!"
"You're divorced, Ronald. She can do what she wants."
"Yeah, but why him of all people? Merlin, Ginny. He's scum. What is she thinking?"
Rose heard a pause, and then her aunt saying something inaudible. She clambered off the bed and checked on her younger brother in the next room. Oblivious and asleep.
She brought out the letter her mother sent. It was written in her tiny cursive script.
There are many things you will not understand, Rose, it read. I'm sure you'll hate me when you're older, if you don't already. But if there's one thing I want you to know, it's this: I love you. I really do, sweetheart. You and Hugo both. And I cannot keep loving you if I don't love myself first.
Mum
October 6, sixth year
They've been meeting in shadows, in empty classrooms and the dungeons, and in the Astronomy tower, and the Room of Requirement, and dozens of other half-hidden places since this arrangement between their parents began. They had no one else to talk to about the situation, and if they met each other openly, both knew the social consequences. So they lay low.
And she didn't like it one bit.
"It's for your own good," he said, when she voiced out her opinion that night. They were standing side by side, on the covered bridge near the gatehouse, a ways off from the clock tower. Below them, the lake glittered like glass, light from the moon dancing on it.
She scowled at him. "They've been playing house for four years now. Don't you think it's okay for us to come out as friends? It's unfair."
"Aren't you afraid of how your father might react? Because I am," he said, grinning.
Rose had to smile. "You little chicken," she said, pushing him lightly.
"I'm a proud chicken," Scorpius said, puffing his chest out, which made her laugh.
"You're alright, you know," she said, her laughter fading. "I wish the world could see that."
"Not quite sure I want the world to see. I love my peace and quiet, remember?"
"Your problem is your peace and quiet. Be more adventurous, Scorp."
The smirk melted away from his face, and Rose found herself staring into electric blue eyes. She found herself taking deeper breaths than usual. What is happening? She said to herself.
"Scorpius?"
"Adventure, eh," he murmured, before taking her face in his cupped hands and kissing her.
Ten thousand voices exploded in her head. How this was wrong, so wrong. This was a boy who might be her stepbrother in a year's time. More importantly, she considered him her friend. What of that, now? And how will the rest of the family take this information? How will Hugo and her mother take it? How will her father take it? As the seconds trickled by, though, she found herself hearing fewer and fewer protests in her head, until there was just him and the feel of his lips against hers, his hands on her, his body pressed against hers. She felt like she was home.
Several minutes and an awkward goodbye later, Rose realized she'd quite possibly made the best mistake of her life.