Chapter Six

Scorpius Malfoy

    The Burrow wasbuzzing with Christmas spirit, each doorway dangerously covered in mistletoe, each surface occupied by eggnog or some kind of treat. Every room had at least three people in it, and there was no possible way to have a moment alone-but that’s what being a Weasley meant.

But being alone was what Rose wanted most, so she escaped to the side of the house, were she leaned against the stone wall and watched her breathe float into the air. She was tightly bundled up in a Weasley jumper and winter coat, along with a white hat pulled low over her ears, red curls crushed. Tilting her face to the sky, Rose stuck her tongue out and waited for a single snow flake to land, like a winter kiss.

Rose missed being kissed.

Really, truly kissed.

“Red?”

Not taking her eyes of the inky black sky, Rose’s tongue retreated back into her mouth. “Leave me alone, Malfoy.” She said.

“I don’t think I can anymore, Red.” Scorpius watched her, how her pale skin had a slight rosy glow in the cheeks, and the way the snow caught in her brilliant red curls. The outline of her face against the snowy landscape, those brown blue eyes that could see right through him.

“And why is that? What are you doing here, anyway? My Dad and Uncle will surely kill you if they see you.”

Scorpius shrugged and stepped closer, taking one curly red lock between his finger and thumb “I don’t care anymore, honestly. I can’t stay away…I just cant.”

A single tear trickled down Rose’s cheek and froze like a diamond in the moonlight filtering through the clouds. “Malfoy…”

“Please Rose…Red…just say my name…forgive me, please…” he wiped the tear with his thumb, and much to his surprise, she folded into his touch so suddenly his arms were around her, comforting and familiar-how could she ever let him go after so long apart? She needed this.

She needed him.

Then it was as if reality returned, and Rose realized she was being crazy. Pushing him away, Rose shook her head “No…Scorp, I can’t…I can’t forgive you…I can’t…not now, maybe not ever.”

Backing away, Rose fled back to the warmth of the Burrow, leaving Scorpius in the snow. But she had said his name –‘Scorp’- and that was enough for now…enough to keep him going for a little longer.

            The Weasley sitting room was stuffed to the brim with people, all forced to listen to Celestina Warbeck as Mrs. Weasley swayed back and forth happily, her husband nodding off beside her. Most had put a silencing charm on their ears, but Mrs. Weasley had caught them-now they all sat in suffering silence, eating their pain away with butter tarts.

In a corner, Rose put pencil to paper; the sitting room bloomed from the paper like a rose garden, her family the blooms themselves. From her spot in the corner Rose could see it all; her Grandparents entwined hands; Albus, James, Freddie, Louie and Hugo’s game of exploding snap; her father and Uncle Harry’s chess game (Ron winning as always) and Hermione and Ginny’s strained smiles; the glint from Victoire’s small but beautiful engagement ring. It was all there, what she loved most; and she duplicated it perfectly on paper.

As the last song came to end Mrs. Weasley burst into applause, a collected sigh coming from everyone else; Mr. Weasley let out a grunt of surprise and his head jolted up from his chest. “Lovely Molly, lovely.” He muttered, Lily and Roxanne giggling beside him.

“Rose?”

The sound of her name surprised Rose and she looked up, eyes wide, into the face of Teddy “Could you help me in the kitchen? Molly wants us to bring in the second round of nog.” Nodding, Rose got up and followed her honorary cousin to the kitchen were they began to stir the large crystal bowl filled with eggnog. Teddy leaned over and looked at her sketch book, letting out a low whistle “Whoa Rosie, this is really good.”

Ears going pink, Rose looked down into the eggnog “Thanks Ted…it’s nothing really, just doodles.”

“Doodles?” said Teddy, shaking his head “You’re good Rose, really. You should be an artist, not a lawyer or something boring like that, no offence to your Mum.”

“I don’t know what I want to be really,” she said slowly, picking up the sketch book and going through the most recent drawings; Albus and Olivia’s face jumped out from one page, the next Hagrid’s warm smile and Fang’s loving face-faeries and hippogriffs, cats sleeping in bookshelves and a discarded quill lying on the table top. “But not an artist.”

“Why not?” Teddy asked, sitting on the table and swinging his legs, popping a piece of short bread in his mouth “You could do it, be whatever you want. An artist’s life is great! You can just make art all day long.”

Sitting beside him Rose snapped off a piece of the ginger bread house and shrugged “There’s no income in an artist, no real purpose. Sure, it would be nice, but I would never survive. Besides, Mum and Dad would never allow it.”

“Allow what?” Hermione asked, coming into the kitchen, empty glass in hand “And what happened to the eggnog?”

“Nothing Mum,” she said, hopping down off the table “Ted and I were just talking about what I might do after Hogwarts.”

“Well you could be anything you want really,” said Hermione thoughtfully “You’re taking every course there is to be taken.”

Looking out the snow covered window, Rose tried not to show her mother and Teddy the turmoil inside of her. “Yeah, I guess. Anything I want.”

            Icy fields whipped past the corridor windows as Rose walked down, not a single student in sight. Leaning her head against the window, Rose closed her eyes and let out a sigh; her head was pounding and the cool glass was a relief, as was the silence.

Of course Scorpius Malfoy had to show up though, as always.

“Headache?” he asked, leaning his back against the window.

“It’s your fault.”

He chuckled and glanced at her, just quickly enough to see her eyes were closed and her freckles bold against her deathly pale skin. “C’mon Red, it can’t be my entire fault.”

“Why not?” letting out a long breathe of air, the glass fogged up around her face, not that she noticed; his voice was like a honey tonic, syrupy and sweet, cool to the touch and an instant relief.

“Because,” he said simply “I know you Red. You’re parents are pressuring you to figure out your life, your friends all know what they’re going to do and you’re lonely. That’s were I come in.”

Rose’s long hair fell around her face, obscuring her face from Scorpius’ view; the red seemed even darker against her sheer black sleeves blouse, her pale arms smooth and crossed against the glass-Scorp watched a shiver ripple through them, the curves of her body beneath the fabric. He knew it was wrong, to think of her like a pretty stranger on the street, but she was so irresistible…untouchable.

“Go away Malfoy.”

“Nope,” he said lightly “Not until you hear me out. Completely this time.”

“Not happening, Malfoy.” She said, eyes fluttering open to give him a blue-brown eyed glare “You don’t deserve it.” Straightening, Rose began to walk away, but he grabbed her thin wrist in his warm hand; Rose looked up in surprise-his touch sent lighting through her veins, fire melting the ice he’d caused in the first place.

“Please, Red.” His voice was pleading, and Scorp knew it, but he would do anything; even get down on his knees and beg like he had nothing to live for – and without Rose he didn’t. “I want to be friends.”

“Friends?” she said, venom practically dripping from her words.

“Friends,” he repeated “Acquaintances even.”

Rose narrowed her eyes menacingly, left hand reaching for her wand, but he stopped her with another pleading look.

“Rose…can we just try? For a little while at least…I know I don’t deserve it.” Grey eyes looked at Rose with such remorse she left her wand alone, surprising them both.

She nodded once, red curls shimmering in the dim light illuminating from the lamps. “But if you slip up once, I’ll hex you so hard you can never do what you did to me to anyone else, got it?”

Scorpius let go of her wrist and watched her sashay back down the corridor, whispering no one but himself “Now that’s the Red I know and love.”

            The Prefect tower was nearly empty when Rose crept down to find Albus sitting in front of the slowly dieing fire, eyes lost in the glowing embers. Walking around the couch and armchairs, she snuggled up beside him on the couch and rested her curly haired head on his shoulder, knocking his glasses askew.

“You miss Scorp.” She whispered, wriggling her arm through his so she could hold onto him; they’d sat like this since they were little and fell asleep together at the Burrow, little and innocent.

“’Course I do,” he said gruffly “He is-was-my best friend.”

“Don’t be daft,” Rose turned her head so she could rub her forehead against the flannel of his robe “You miss him, like we miss each other during the few weeks when we go on separate holidays.”

Albus pressed his forehead to the top of Rose’s red curls and let out a sigh “How’d you know?”

“I know you.” It was that simple really, and both knew it. “I knew in the same way you knew I wasn’t okay, that Scorp had hurt me somehow.”

Green eyes widening as Albus smiled, he felt a huge wight lift from his shoulders “You called him Scorp.”

“We’ve come to an agreement.” Was all she said, but that was enough. Albus had his best friends back.

~*~*~*~

            The world was muted as Albus waded through the crystal drifts, black cloak billowing out behind him; the green trim on his clothing seemed to brighten his eyes further and his hair stood out against the white world. The person he walked towards seemed preoccupied with the book in his hands, but he was acutely aware of Albus coming slowly closer.

“Scorp?” Albus said quietly, hand sin his pockets.

“Al.” closing his book, Scorpius looked up at his best friend.

Running a hand through his hair, Albus let out a sigh. “Can we…talk again?”

Pushing himself off the wall, the two cloaked boys left the snowy courtyard “Honestly, I was afraid you were going to hit me again.”

Shrugging, Albus let himself grin a little “Rose made me swear not to.”

“Ah Rose…” Scorp said lightly, kicking snow into the air with glee “I knew she’d convince you.”

“But let’s be clear that if you even lay a sinful hand on her you’re dead.”

Nodding hurriedly, Scorp bumped his shoulder against Albus’ and smiled “Deal.”

            Five teenagers gathered in a round window seat, the table covered in textbooks; Albus sat in-between Olivia and their friend Greg Hamish, Ian beside Olivia and Rose beside Greg on the edge. The friends were cramming for their potions test the next day, though really there was more footsie between Ian and Olivia and some teasing than anything else. Dipping her quill in ink, Rose scribbled notes along her textbook margins, hiding it when the librarian walked past; she didn’t want to be kicked out when the library was her main haunt. She was so absorbed in her task she barely even realised when another body slipped into the booth beside her.

“What’re you lot doing?” the smooth voice of Scorpius Malfoy asked, causing her hand to freeze halfway across the page.

“Supposedly studying for our test,” said Greg “But we’ve been doing that for an hour at least.”

“Besides, Ian and Liv are more interested in playing footsie than studying.” Albus laughed as Ian blushed and Olivia shot him a glare.

“And you Red?” asked Scorpius, Rose’s head jerking up in surprise “What are you doing?”

Shaking her head slightly so her hair fell across her face, Rose looked back down at the text, now swimming in front of her eyes in nonsense “Studying, Malfoy. I suggest you try it.”

“I will thank you for the suggestion.” Scorpius winked at the others and slowly put his right hand under the table, left doodling on the corner of Rose’s essay since he was left handed. The right found Rose’s leg under the table and ran a single finger up and down her tights covered thigh; she was wearing a regular skirt and tights with a tight white shirt, Red hair looking like blood against the pristine white. Still looking at her paper, Rose’s eyes widened slightly as he continued to run his finger up and down her tight, inching the floral skirt little by little; ‘what the bloody hell is he doing?’ she wondered in panic, but relaxed a bit when his hand found hers beneath the table, only sending more shivers of surprise through her. His hand stayed holding hers for the rest of the hour before lunch, softly massaging it with his thumb in rhythmic circles.

Scorpius Malfoy wasn’t giving up, not yet.

A/N: There! It is done! I hope you liked it, and that was a good teensy bit of romance for you ;)

Question: Were do you think this new 'friendship' between Rose and Scorpius will go? They have five months of school left before graduatiing...

Rose<3