Ficlet: Pretty (Happy birthday, drcjsnider!)
Title: Pretty
Word Count and Rating: 643, PG
Summary: Getting dumped is hard on a girl's self-esteem.
Notes: Happy (almost belated) birthday, drcjsnider! This ended up being too fluffy to include many of the Bull Durham references I wanted, but there's still one in there. :) Hope you enjoy.
Also for #030 "Enigma" on 100quills and #12 "Hurt" on 25fluffyfics
“Scorpius?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you-never mind. It's not important.” Rose bit her lip and looked out over the lake.
“What is it?” Scorpius put down his book and looked across the tartan picnic blanket to where his best friend had been fidgeting and ripping her quill to shreds all morning. Rose's eyes were slightly red-rimmed, and her usually smiling mouth was pinched and sad, but it was still a great improvement over the state she had been in after last night's Unity Ball. “Please don't tell me you're pining for Timothy Corner because, if you do, I might be sick.”
“I'm not pining for him.” Her lips twisted in disgust. “Please. He ditched me for another girl in the middle of the ball. I won't waste another second of my life on him.”
Satisfied, Scorpius leaned back against the tree, fingers laced behind his head. “Just so. I told you not to go with him. He's an arse.”
“He was certainly nice enough to Adria Zabini at the ball.” She examined her fingernails with sudden interest.
“All right, so he's an arse with no taste. And, again, this sounds suspiciously like pining.”
“I'm not,” Rose insisted. “It's just...” she took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. “Do you think I'm pretty?”
Speechless, he sat up and stared at her, watching the wind blow shining strands of her hair across her face until they caught on her pink lips, seeing her large, dark eyes, coppery freckles, and soft, smooth skin. Did he think she was pretty? Did the sun rise in the east? Do nifflers dig for gold? “You--” his voice was deeper to his own ears than normal. “You're cute, Rose.”
“Cute?” The happy smile Scorpius had expected was nowhere to be found. “I'm cute?” The remains of her quill snapped in her hands. “Cute is for baby ducks and kittens! I don't want to be cute, just as I don't want to be a dull-as-dirt swot or yet another ginger-haired Weasley. The Adria Zabinis of the world aren't cute, and no one's ditching them in mid-date. I want to be exotic and mysterious!”
Scorpius caught one of her hands in his. “Like it or not, you're as cute as a cat or duck of any age could be. Just accept it.” She scowled and tried to pull away. “You're exotic, too. To me, anyway.” With his free hand, he reached up and ran his fingers through her long red hair, feeling her go very still at his touch. “And the workings of your mind are a mystery to me,” he concluded. “I don't understand why you envy 'the Adria Zabinis of the world.'” He continued playing with the ends of her hair, not meeting her eyes. “I especially don't understand why you accepted Corner's invitation to the ball before I had the chance to ask you.”
Bemused, Rose took his hand from her hair and held it in her lap. “You seemed so disinterested, I didn't think you were going to ask me.”
He shrugged. “I wasn't sure what to say.” She scoffed and he insisted, “Seriously, asking a girl out is not that easy, especially when she's your best friend.”
She shook her head in disapproval, but her eyes were shining. “We're Ravenclaws. Stringing a few simple words together should be within your reach.” She shifted until she was perched on her knees in front of him, both his hands still in hers. “Repeat after me: Rose, would you like to go out with me? Feel free to embellish with your own words,” she added when he laughed.
“Okay.” He got up on his knees, mirroring her position. “Pretty Rosie, would you go with me to Hogsmeade this weekend?”
“Yes,” and she threw her arms around his neck and held on tight.
*quote inspiration from Bull Durham: "Cute? Baby ducks are cute. I HATE cute! I want to be exotic and mysterious."
Word Count and Rating: 643, PG
Summary: Getting dumped is hard on a girl's self-esteem.
Notes: Happy (almost belated) birthday, drcjsnider! This ended up being too fluffy to include many of the Bull Durham references I wanted, but there's still one in there. :) Hope you enjoy.
Also for #030 "Enigma" on 100quills and #12 "Hurt" on 25fluffyfics
“Scorpius?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you-never mind. It's not important.” Rose bit her lip and looked out over the lake.
“What is it?” Scorpius put down his book and looked across the tartan picnic blanket to where his best friend had been fidgeting and ripping her quill to shreds all morning. Rose's eyes were slightly red-rimmed, and her usually smiling mouth was pinched and sad, but it was still a great improvement over the state she had been in after last night's Unity Ball. “Please don't tell me you're pining for Timothy Corner because, if you do, I might be sick.”
“I'm not pining for him.” Her lips twisted in disgust. “Please. He ditched me for another girl in the middle of the ball. I won't waste another second of my life on him.”
Satisfied, Scorpius leaned back against the tree, fingers laced behind his head. “Just so. I told you not to go with him. He's an arse.”
“He was certainly nice enough to Adria Zabini at the ball.” She examined her fingernails with sudden interest.
“All right, so he's an arse with no taste. And, again, this sounds suspiciously like pining.”
“I'm not,” Rose insisted. “It's just...” she took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. “Do you think I'm pretty?”
Speechless, he sat up and stared at her, watching the wind blow shining strands of her hair across her face until they caught on her pink lips, seeing her large, dark eyes, coppery freckles, and soft, smooth skin. Did he think she was pretty? Did the sun rise in the east? Do nifflers dig for gold? “You--” his voice was deeper to his own ears than normal. “You're cute, Rose.”
“Cute?” The happy smile Scorpius had expected was nowhere to be found. “I'm cute?” The remains of her quill snapped in her hands. “Cute is for baby ducks and kittens! I don't want to be cute, just as I don't want to be a dull-as-dirt swot or yet another ginger-haired Weasley. The Adria Zabinis of the world aren't cute, and no one's ditching them in mid-date. I want to be exotic and mysterious!”
Scorpius caught one of her hands in his. “Like it or not, you're as cute as a cat or duck of any age could be. Just accept it.” She scowled and tried to pull away. “You're exotic, too. To me, anyway.” With his free hand, he reached up and ran his fingers through her long red hair, feeling her go very still at his touch. “And the workings of your mind are a mystery to me,” he concluded. “I don't understand why you envy 'the Adria Zabinis of the world.'” He continued playing with the ends of her hair, not meeting her eyes. “I especially don't understand why you accepted Corner's invitation to the ball before I had the chance to ask you.”
Bemused, Rose took his hand from her hair and held it in her lap. “You seemed so disinterested, I didn't think you were going to ask me.”
He shrugged. “I wasn't sure what to say.” She scoffed and he insisted, “Seriously, asking a girl out is not that easy, especially when she's your best friend.”
She shook her head in disapproval, but her eyes were shining. “We're Ravenclaws. Stringing a few simple words together should be within your reach.” She shifted until she was perched on her knees in front of him, both his hands still in hers. “Repeat after me: Rose, would you like to go out with me? Feel free to embellish with your own words,” she added when he laughed.
“Okay.” He got up on his knees, mirroring her position. “Pretty Rosie, would you go with me to Hogsmeade this weekend?”
“Yes,” and she threw her arms around his neck and held on tight.
*quote inspiration from Bull Durham: "Cute? Baby ducks are cute. I HATE cute! I want to be exotic and mysterious."