Work Text:
"You want me to what?" Scorpius well, he doesn't really screech it as per such, but it comes pretty close.
Rose raises an unimpressed eyebrow. "You heard me," she says levelly.
Scorpius blinks at her. "No," he says finally when he realizes that Rose is, in fact, not joking. "Merlin, no. Why would you think it's a good idea? It's the worst idea in the history of the world. Did I do anything wrong? Is that why you want me dead?"
Rose rolls her eyes. "Spare me your melodrama, Scor," she says. "We've been officially dating for eighteen months now, and we're pretty much the worst kept secret in Wizarding London. I think it's about time you met my parents."
Scorpius splutters. "But I have met your mum! I work for her!"
Rose cocks her head to the right. "Is she a hard woman to work for?" she asks.
"What?" Scorpius says. "No! Of course not! She's brilliant. Working for her is brilliant."
"And my dad," Rose continues, "you've met him a couple of times at the Auror Department, when your job requires you to, have you not? Has he ever been menacing to you?"
"No," Scorpius mutters dejectedly, having figured out what point Rose is trying to make, "he has not."
Rose nods at this. "And Hugo," she says. "You, Al, and Hugo. You lot hang out quite a bit, don't you?"
The sigh that comes out from Scorpius's lips can only be said to be resigned.
"Then there's no reason why you'd find spending Christmas at my place a problem, is there?" Rose asks, lips tipping up in a smug smirk.
Scorpius groans. "It's not- You don't-" he tries to say. "I'll die. Your dad will use his filleting knife on me."
Rose rolls her eyes. "My dad doesn't have a filleting knife!"
"He does!" Scorpius cries. "Sixth year, when your parents were sending you off to Hogwarts, your dad came up to me because he saw me staring at you and he told me that if I ever made any untoward advances towards you, he'd use his filleting knife on me. And then Al's dad joined in and said that they'd make sure no-one ever finds the body."
Rose blinks. "Was that why you were so aloof to me in sixth year?" The corner of her lips curl up. "Scorpius Malfoy, did you like me in sixth year?"
"You wish," he replies, but his eyes are soft and fond, and Rose's grin just grows.
"You did," she concludes, considering.
Scorpius shakes his head, but he is smiling as he does so. "Joke's on you," he quips, eyes twinkling. "I liked you right from the start. And that, love, shouldn't come as a surprise to you at all."
Rose blinks at that. "Oh."
Scorpius chuckle. "Did you really not know? Great Circe, I was the least subtle person in the world. Even Al knew."
"And you waited so long to ask me out because you were scared of my dad's filleting knife?" she asks, bewildered.
"And your Uncle Harry's promise to dispose of my body without anyone ever finding out," Scorpius adds, wrapping his arms around her waist, nosing at the back of her neck. "Don't forget that. It makes me sound like a wimp."
Rose fights and loses against a grin. "What do I do with you?" she huffs out.
"You keep me close and make sure you'll come save me when I'm in danger," Scorpius says. "Or whenever your dad and Al's dad come within five feet of me. Or when your cousins try to ambush me. Or when your mum inevitably gives me that contemplating look which just says that she's thinking of ways to torture me."
Rose laughs. "Is that your way of saying that you'll come with me to the Burrow for Christmas?"
"Darling," he murmurs, "I'll go anywhere with you."