"Never trust a Weasley with a plan" - A gift for angelps_7
Title: Never trust a Weasley with a plan
Author: mandyloo
Gift For: angelps_7
Summary: Rose is tired of being single. She has a plan though, and Scorpius is just the person to help her.
Rating: PG
Warnings: No real warnings! Enjoy!
Word Count: 4,742
Lyrics/Quotes Used: Someone like you, and all you know, and how you speak... Countless lovers, undercover, on the street... (Use Somebody, by Kings of Leon)
A/N: I really hope you like this! I'm sorry if this isn't what you were expecting, but I had a bit of writer's block with the quotes, so hopefully I captured at least your favorite quote. Also, I just realized this is slightly AU, as James is older than Albus Severus, but we'll just pretend they're the same year :).
Rose Weasley stomped through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room, throwing herself ungracefully into one of the overstuffed armchairs near the fireplace. She sighed loudly, and when that got no response, dropped her books with a thump onto the floor.
Scorpius Malfoy glanced up from his book, Advances in Charming. They had a test the next day, so it must be important if Rose was intentionally interrupting his studying. They were the top students in their year, and for good reason. Most of their time not spent in class, eating, or sleeping, was spent studying, often together. They had found early on that their natural competitiveness helped them both to try harder, to get the better grade. He knew it kept them from having active social lives, but he also knew it kept him on his toes, and was a big reason why they both were taking all N.E.W.T. level classes this year.
He turned in his chair to face her, raising an eyebrow in question.
“My life is over!” she moaned, throwing her head back against the chair, messing up her already bushy and tangled hair.
Scorpius rolled his eyes. Of course, she was also a huge drama queen.
“What is it this time?”
She narrowed her eyes briefly at his annoyed tone. “I’m serious!” she protested.
“Ok, ok!” He held his hands up in defense. “Seriously, what is it?” he repeated, trying to sound less teasing.
“It’s Hogsmeade next weekend, and I had been hoping to go with Nate.”
“Crawford? That Ravenclaw 7th year?”
“Yea.” Scorpius noticed her face turned red. “He’d been so nice to me lately. Helping me study, carrying my books to class. I waited around for him after lunch today...and then he comes over all happy and tells me...that he’s taking that Lucy girl from Hufflepuff to Hogsmeade...” She mumbled almost inaudibly, turning her face away in embarrassment.
“Oh Rosie,” Scorpius said softly, putting his arm around her and squeezing her shoulders. “It’s ok, we’ll just all go to Hogsmeade together. You, me, Al, James, Lily...we’ll have fun, I promise.”
Rose looked up at him, her eyes red. “Thanks,” she whispered. “It’s just frustrating, you know? I mean, I’m 17 and I haven’t even had a boyfriend! What’s wrong with me?” She looked at him with wide eyes.
“There’s nothing wrong with you, Rose. You’re kind, and funny, and pretty,” he could feel his cheeks burning as he said this. “And you’re the second smartest person in the school,” he added jokingly, hoping it would cover up the flush in his face. It was times like this, having her this close, upset and vulnerable, that reminded him that he still hadn’t recovered from that crush he developed at the start of their 5th year.
He could picture the scene in his mind as though it were yesterday. He had arrived at Platform 9 3/4 early on September 1, ready to catch the train to Hogwarts and begin another wonderful year at school, learning amazing new things and having fun with his friends. He glanced around eagerly, searching the growing crowds for the Weasley trademark of insane red hair, knowing that was the easiest way to find Rose and Albus.
And so when he found that crowd of ginger-haired children, almost being herded by their parents, his heart pounded. There was nothing like seeing his best friends after a whole summer apart. For though they were his best friends, his dad would never accept it, and of course never let him visit them over the holidays. A familiar boy with messy black hair and glasses ran over, an infectious grin spreading across his face.
“Al!” yelled Scorpius, pulling his friend into a quick hug. “I’ve missed you guys!” He turned and said hello to the other members of the family, and then frowning, turned back to Albus.
“But where’s Rose?” He scanned their group again, but he couldn’t find her. There was Lily, and Molly, and Roxy...the only other girl with ginger hair was giving him a look like he was crazy. It was a look he knew all too well, but he didn’t immediately recognize the face and body whom it belonged to.
His mouth fell open as he realized he was looking at Rose. But a different Rose. A grown up Rose. She had grown a couple inches taller over the summer, but she’d also grown in...other ways, Scorpius noted to himself, blushing. She’d lost most of the baby fat from her face, her sweater seemed to fit a little more snugly than he remembered, and he was mesmerized by her legs, that seemed to stretch on forever.
They’d been best friends since first year, and they had always clicked intellectually. He could talk to her about anything, even things he felt embarrassed bringing up with Al Potter, his other best friend. But that day, waiting for the train, a final piece of the puzzle had snapped into place. She wasn’t just his best friend anymore, his intellectual equal and confidant, she was also someone he was ridiculously attracted to.
Her snort brought him back to the present. “What do you mean second smartest?”
He grinned at her, grateful for the distraction. It was always easier to forget how he felt when they were joking like this.
The portrait hole opened and a boy and girl, both 5th years, walked in, their hands clasped together. The boy walked her over to the girls’ staircase, kissed her on the cheek and they each went up to their separate dorms.
Rose sighed again. “Even the titchy little firsties have someone!”
Scorpius laughed again. “Rose you know all the guys in this school are complete prats, or related to you.” He paused for a moment, thinking. “Actually, that statement is a bit redundant, isn’t it?”
He looked over at her, hoping for a grin. He thought it was funny.
He tried again. “Look, you know I’d help you if I could, but I think this is just something you’ve got to be patient about.” Just like I need to be patient and get over the way my heart races when you look at me like that.
Her eyes lit up. “That’s it! Scorp, you’re a genius!”
He coughed nervously. “Um, thanks? What’d I do?”
“You can help me! You can be my boyfriend!”
Scorpius thought he was about to have a heart attack. He put a hand to his chest, trying not to hyperventilate.
“Well not for real,” she said reassuringly, obviously mistaking his reaction for one of disgust. “But maybe if I have a boyfriend, any boyfriend, it’ll make me more desirable. Yes, I’m sure Lily said she saw something like that in the latest issue of Witch Weekly.”
He stared at her as if she’d gone mad, but she paid no attention to him. She was muttering to herself, as though planning something.
He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, what are you talking about? How do you date someone...not for real?”
She stopped muttering, an excited look on her face. “Well, to everyone else, we’d be together. I’m sure it’d just be for a couple of weeks, and then you’d be off the hook.”
He could feel the sweat beginning to drip down the back of his jumper. The only thing worse than not dating Rose Weasley, in his opinion, was having to pretend he was dating her. It would be like pretending you just bought something great, something you’d always wanted, and you told everyone about it and got all excited about it with them, but at the end of the day, had to go home without it because it never existed.
But then he looked up at her, and saw that expectant, hopeful look on her face.
Oh, he was so screwed.
“So, uh, what do I have to do?” he muttered.
“Oh, great! Thanks so much Scorp!” He continued to stare down at his lap as she threw her arms around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He gritted his teeth. How much worse could this get???
“Not much, really. Just walk me to class, hold my hand, write me notes...I don’t know. Boyfriend stuff.”
He groaned inwardly. This was going to be torture. Well, at least he didn’t have to kiss her...
“And we don’t have to do the whole PDA thing, but you should probably kiss me every once in a while.”
Scorpius choked. “No.” His voice came out as a low rattle; he couldn’t blame Rose for looking scared. He cleared his throat. “Sorry about that. I can’t...do that though. I mean, it, um...wouldn’t you rather have your first kiss with this boy that’ll come along after you get all desirable or whatnot?” He was pulling at straws, and he knew it, but she seemed to be buying it.
She smiled sweetly at him. “You’re so sensitive, Scorp. Why is it you don’t have a girlfriend?”
He snorted. “Just not...interested, I guess. Look I’m going to get to sleep early, we have that Charms test in the morning.” He stood up, throwing his bag over his shoulder and walking towards the boys’ staircase.
“Night Scorp!” she called after him.
He shook his head. “Night,” he whispered back.
* * *
The next morning, Scorpius was really hoping the previous evening had been the result of some potion gone wrong. He knew he’d heard of accidents like that happening before, where false memories were implanted into people’s brains. Yea, that must have been it. He’d go downstairs, have breakfast with Rose and Al, and it’d be just like it was every other day.
He almost fell down the stairs when he came out of his dormitory to find Rose waiting for him.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded, pulling the door shut quickly behind him before she could look inside.
“Just wishing my boyfriend a good morning,” she smiled mischievously, grabbing his hand and pulling him down the rest of the stairs.
“Oh, that,” he said weakly. He felt like he might pass out.
She rolled her eyes and tutted at him. “Honestly, did you forget or something?”
“N-no, sorry. Just, not entirely awake, I guess. Breakfast?”
She nodded and they walked in silence the rest of the way to the Great Hall. She paused briefly outside the grand double doors, and for a fleeting moment, Scorpius wondered if she was nervous about this too. Obviously it would be for different reasons, he told himself. Maybe she was worried about having picked him? He nervously ran his free hand through his ice blond hair before straightening his tie and smoothing the front of his robes.
“Let’s do this!” she said cheerfully, pushing the doors open and striding into the room like she did everything, as if she wasn’t afraid of anything.
He tried to remain calm and act like it was completely natural to walk into breakfast holding Rose’s hand, but it was hard to ignore the very obvious stares, the whispering behind hands. Who knew this would be such a big deal to the rest of the school?
By the time they made it to the Gryffindor table, Scorpius was pretty sure the color of his face matched Rose’s fiery hair.
“Whoa! What’s going on here?” James Potter dropped his bacon as he looked up at the couple.
Rose smiled winningly at him. “What, you never seen people holding hands before?”
Lily leaned across the table, excitedly. “Ooh, are you two together?” Scorpius hated how she managed to give so much emphasis to that last word, but he managed to nod and smile sheepishly.
Al choked on his orange juice. “What are you on about? The two of you?” His eyes flicked back and forth between the two of them.
“Yes, us two. Honestly, I have the dumbest cousins ever,” Rose said with a sigh as she and Scorpius sat down at the table.
“Toast, Rose?” asked Scorpius, holding the plate out to her. He honestly had no clue what he was doing, but he figured being extra polite was probably a start. Albus and James snickered from across the table.
“Are you going to feed it to her, Scorp?” asked James, while Al made kissy noises next to him.
Scorpius rolled his eyes, trying to have fun with it. Rose gave him a quick peck on the cheek before turning to the boys. “You’re just jealous.”
“Oh, you’ve discovered my secret. How long have you known about my love for Scorp here?” James’ grin was quickly hidden as a bowl of porridge somehow covered his face.
“Whoops,” said Rose, smiling sweetly.
Scorpius laughed. At least she would take care of the teasing.
* * *
The first few days of Rose and Scorpius’ new-found “relationship” seemed to be going pretty well, in his opinion at least. After the first day, he no longer felt like he was developing some kind of heart condition whenever she’d smile at him and reach for his hand as they walked to their lessons. It was just like acting, he told himself. He was playing a part. It wasn’t any different than the plays he and Albus had made up as first years. Well, except for those just made the girls laugh in a “ew, boys are so silly!” kind of way. But this, well, Scorpius could tell that being with Rose had turned more than a few girls’ heads. Too bad he could care less about any of them.
The teasing wasn’t too bad, either. For the most part, it was her girl friends, gushing over some romantic stuff he didn’t understand, like how exactly did he ask her out, and did they have a song yet. The boys pretty much ignored them, except for a few who would insult Scorpius whenever he was on his own. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who noticed that Rose had grown up into a beautiful girl.
Even their friends quickly got used to seeing them together. Scorpius was thankful that Albus, James, Lily, and the others treated them the same as before, just Rose and Scorpius, who also happened to be dating. Part of him felt a little guilty that they were keeping this secret from their best friends, but he reminded himself it was what Rose wanted, and he couldn’t stand to disappoint her.
Before they realized it, it was Halloween, and all the students were eagerly looking forward to the feast they would have that evening. As per Gryffindor tradition, there would also be a party later that night in the common room.
As they walked down to the feast, hand in hand, Scorpius turned to Rose. The feasts always put him in a good mood; they reminded him of unity among the houses and were just a great time of celebration.
“Hey Rose, what are you doing later tonight?” He let a sly grin spread across his face.
She grinned back at him. “Oh I don’t know. I heard there was a party...”
“Go with me?”
Her grin grew wider. “Of course I will. Such a good boyfriend,” she said, giggling, reaching her other hand up to pat him on the face.
That night’s meal was the best Scorpius could remember having in his 7 years at Hogwarts. The chicken seemed extra juicy, the potatoes even more savoury than normal, and the pumpkin pie had just the perfect blend of spices. He sat back after downing his last glass of pumpkin juice and lazily looked around at his friends, chatting excitedly with each other about the upcoming party. He had a feeling it was going to be a good night.
* * *
Maybe it was because they were Gryffindors, or maybe because they were related to both Fred and George Weasley and James Potter, some of the most infamous pranksters known to Hogwarts, but James and Albus always knew how to throw a party. There were enchanted decorations everywhere, turning the usual shabby yet comfortable common room into a Halloween fantasy. Bats flew around the ceiling. Real jack-o-lanterns sat in the windows and on random little tables spread throughout the room. One of the fifth years had even figured out a way to charm the ceiling so that it looked like creepy lightning bolts were flashing across it every few minutes.
“This is great!” exclaimed Rose, walking down the staircase from her dorm. Scorpius waited for her at the bottom of the stairs, currently unable to enjoy the decorations. She just had to wear that costume, he thought to himself.
He supposed she was supposed to be an angel, but somehow he always pictured angels as being a little less sexy. Her fiery hair fell in perfect curls around her face, a glittering halo magically suspended above her head. She wore a plain white dress that fell just above her knees. It was very form fitting, he realized, showing off her curves. She did a little twirl, as if to show off her dress, and Scorpius felt his mouth fall open. A pair of glittery wings were attached to her back, but they didn’t entirely cover up the fact that the dress itself was quite open in the back, leaving the skin bare from her shoulders down to the middle of her back except for two little straps.
She grinned down at him and he had to remind himself how to work the muscles in his face. Painfully, he returned her smile, holding his hand out to her once she reached him.
“You, uhh, you look beautiful,” he whispered. His heart swelled as she blushed at his compliment.
“You look very handsome yourself,” she replied, gesturing at his outfit.
“Eh, it’s nothing,” he mumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed. He’d really had no idea what to wear for a costume, and at the last minute decided to just wear his Quidditch uniform. At least his Beater’s bat could be used to hit anyone that teased him on his lack of creativity.
They made their rounds, grabbing Butterbeers (most likely gathered by illegal means by James and Albus) and talking to their friends. There was music playing but no one was really dancing. After a few moments, Albus came up to them, a bottle of sickly green looking alcohol in his hands.
“Hey Scorp, can I talk to you for a sec? I just had this great idea for a Quidditch maneuver.”
Scorpius turned to Rose, as if to ask for her approval. She laughed and shoved him towards her cousin. “Go! I’ll go talk to the girls.”
Albus quickly pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket, and after a few mumbled words, little figures appeared on it, demonstrating his idea. Scorpius thought it was great, and they both hoped it would help them win their next match against Ravenclaw. Which of course led them to a heated discussion on the Ravenclaw game tactics, including their surprising victory over the current Quidditch Cup favorites, Hufflepuff.
“It was all about the Chasing, I’m telling you! Even if Johnson hadn’t caught the Snitch, they still would have won!” Albus always believed that every game depended solely on the Chasers, being one himself.
Scorpius snorted. “You’re mad, you know they only scored 3 goals that whole match! If it weren’t for their great defense, their Seeker would have been clobbered before she made it even close to the Snitch!”
Loud laughter caught their attention, and they turned to see what was going on.
Rose was standing in the middle of a group of students who did not at all look like, “the girls.” Standing beside her, and refilling her glass, was Nate Crawford. Scorpius’ eyes narrowed as he saw that Crawford’s other hand was around Rose’s waist.
“Whoa, who does that bloke think he is?” muttered Albus. “Trying to steal your girl? I hate that git. If you’re not going to hit him than let me. He’s ruining my cousin’s reputation just by standing near her.”
Jealousy pounded in Scorpius’ veins. He hadn’t realized until tonight that the one great thing about Rose’s little plan, was that she couldn’t date anyone else. He shoved his half-empty bottle of Butterbeer into Albus’ hands and stomped over to the crowd.
“Hey, you better bloody get your hands off-” he started, his voice almost a growl.
“Aw, boyfriend!” Rose shouted excitedly, clapping her hands together.
“Rose?” Scorpius’ brows knit together as he walked closer to her. He glared at Crawford, knocking his hand off Rose’s waist. A second glance at her shiny face and huge grin made him question what was in her glass. He hadn’t been talking to Albus that long, had he? Then how on earth was Rose so drunk? “Rose what’s wrong with you?”
“Shhhhh, silly. You’re the one with something wrong! Nate gave me some pretty juice, and it was very tasty, yes it was!” She turned around and beamed at Nate, who gave her a lopsided smile in return. “He’s so nice, Scorpy. You need some pretty juice too, then you won’t be so sad...” She started digging through a random assortment of bottles on a nearby table when the song suddenly shifted to a slow ballad. “Ooh, dance!” Seeming to have changed her mind, she grabbed Scorpius by the hand and dragged him out onto the dance floor.
She threw her arms around his neck and began to sway to the music. After a moment she looked down and frowned. “You’re not doing it right!” She pouted up at him.
He reluctantly placed his hands as lightly as possible on her hips. She’s drunk, she’s drunk, I can’t believe I’m touching her when she’s so drunk.
When the song ended, he breathed a sigh of relief. Loosening her grip on him, he started to walk off the dance floor, when she grabbed his wrist and turned him around.
“Scorpy,” she called in a sing-song voice. “Come back! I have to tell you something!”
He took a step closer, smelling the alcohol as it wafted off her in waves.
“No no, closer!” She pulled him so that his chest bumped into hers. A shudder ran through him.
“Rose, what are you doing?” His voice cracked, but he didn’t care.
“Shhhh,” she whispered, poking him on the nose. The suddenly she cupped his face in her hands and pulled it down to hers, pressing her lips roughly against his.
He pulled away. “Stop it. You’re drunk.”
But the look in her eyes was so sad, like she’d just be denied something she really wanted, and when she pulled him back towards her, he couldn’t resist. He wrapped his arms around her back and covered her mouth in his. She responded by moving her hands around to his neck, playing with the little hairs at the nape of his neck. Every other thought in his head vanished. All he could think about was this, and her. Her lips, moving softly against his, the faint taste of something sweet. He moved his hands up to her face, trailing his fingertips softly across her cheeks, memorizing every contour. He moved his attention to her bottom lip, lightly nibbling on it. Her grip on his back became even tighter, and all he could hear in his head was Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose.
Rose was drunk.
With a very ungraceful noise not unlike a plunger, Scorpius wrenched himself away from her. He stared down at her, horrified. What had he done? How could he take advantage of his best friend, who he loved, while she was drunk?
Panicking he spun around and ran straight out the portrait hole, barely stopping to wait for the door to open.
* * *
She found him outside moments later, sitting along the shores of the lake, arms wrapped around his legs and knees pulled up to his chest. It scared her to see him like this. The last time it had happened, he had just found out his grandmother had died. The memory made Rose shudder. He wasn’t himself for weeks after that.
She stepped forward, tentatively. “Scorpius?” she called, nervously. “Are you ok?”
He looked up at her, knowing from her tone that any effects of the alcohol were gone now. His hair was a mess, his robes askew. But nothing seemed more out of place than the look on his face. It was a look of pain, of anguish. She immediately wanted to punch whoever had done this to him.
He sighed and returned his focus to the ground in front of him. “I can’t do this anymore, Rose,” he said quietly.
She sat next to him, folding her legs beneath her on the grass. “Can’t do what?”
He looked up again, this time staring hard at her for a good minute before answering. “I can’t be your “boyfriend” or whatever anymore,” he spat out, bitterly.
She flinched noticeably. “What did I do?”
He ignored her question. “Look, you’ve gotten plenty of attention over the past few weeks, I’m sure you could have your pick of boyfriends now. In fact, I’m pretty sure I heard Crawford asking someone if you and I were serious. He seems interested.” He shrugged nonchalantly, but Rose wasn’t fooled. Something else was going on here.
“Scorpius,” she said firmly. “What is this?”
He stood up, waving his arms around like a madman. “Look, I just can’t do it anymore, alright? I’m not your pet, I get a say in this too. I’m tired of following you around, carrying your crap, pretending to worship you. I’m done.”
He turned so his back was towards her. She watched his back move up and down. He had worked himself up into a rage, it seemed.
She walked over to him. “I’m sorry, Scorp, really I am. We don’t have to do this anymore. I didn’t realize it was upsetting you.”
He whirled around to face her. “Upsetting me? How was I supposed to feel, acting the boyfriend, while you used me to get to someone else?”
“Used you? But, but I thought we agreed? I thought you wanted to help me.”
He laughed, but it sounded wrong to Rose. It was too cold, too cruel for him. “Help you? Like I could ever say no to you. You looked so hopeful, like you might cry if I didn’t agree.”
She puffed up her chest proudly. “Listen,” she stabbed him in the chest with her finger. “I don’t need your pity. I thought you were my friend and wanted to help. I didn’t know you just felt sorry for me.”
“I don’t pity you,” he mumbled, staring down at his shoes.
“What? Then why?”
He looked back at her face, the fire in his eyes impossible to ignore. “Because I bloody fancy you, and I have for 2 years now. There, happy?”
He spun around and stormed off towards the Forbidden Forest, leaving Rose to stand there with her jaw hanging open, unable to say anything.
He almost made it to the edge of the forest when his wrist was encircled by a smaller, freckled hand. He stopped, but didn’t turn. “What?” he spat out.
“Look at me.” It wasn’t a question. He turned slowly to face her, ashamed to see the tears welling up in her eyes. “Did you mean it? What you said back there?”
He nodded. She continued to glare at him, and he silently braced himself. Rose had a history of getting violent when she was very angry.
He was not at all expecting her other hand to reach around his neck and pull his face down to hers, or her mouth to softly press into his. After a second she let go, but he remained frozen in an awkward half-bent stance.
“Wh-what?” he whispered.
She laughed. “I knew there was something weird going on.”
“Was I that obvious?”
“No silly,” she punched him lightly on the arm. “Me. You know I haven’t thought about Nate once since we started this?” She gestured between the two of them.
“Yea? What does that mean?” He snaked an arm around her waist.
“I think it means you and I aren’t the smartest students in our class anymore, if we were oblivious this whole time.”
“Ah, well. Tough break,” he said before lower his mouth down to hers once more.
Author: mandyloo
Gift For: angelps_7
Summary: Rose is tired of being single. She has a plan though, and Scorpius is just the person to help her.
Rating: PG
Warnings: No real warnings! Enjoy!
Word Count: 4,742
Lyrics/Quotes Used: Someone like you, and all you know, and how you speak... Countless lovers, undercover, on the street... (Use Somebody, by Kings of Leon)
A/N: I really hope you like this! I'm sorry if this isn't what you were expecting, but I had a bit of writer's block with the quotes, so hopefully I captured at least your favorite quote. Also, I just realized this is slightly AU, as James is older than Albus Severus, but we'll just pretend they're the same year :).
Rose Weasley stomped through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room, throwing herself ungracefully into one of the overstuffed armchairs near the fireplace. She sighed loudly, and when that got no response, dropped her books with a thump onto the floor.
Scorpius Malfoy glanced up from his book, Advances in Charming. They had a test the next day, so it must be important if Rose was intentionally interrupting his studying. They were the top students in their year, and for good reason. Most of their time not spent in class, eating, or sleeping, was spent studying, often together. They had found early on that their natural competitiveness helped them both to try harder, to get the better grade. He knew it kept them from having active social lives, but he also knew it kept him on his toes, and was a big reason why they both were taking all N.E.W.T. level classes this year.
He turned in his chair to face her, raising an eyebrow in question.
“My life is over!” she moaned, throwing her head back against the chair, messing up her already bushy and tangled hair.
Scorpius rolled his eyes. Of course, she was also a huge drama queen.
“What is it this time?”
She narrowed her eyes briefly at his annoyed tone. “I’m serious!” she protested.
“Ok, ok!” He held his hands up in defense. “Seriously, what is it?” he repeated, trying to sound less teasing.
“It’s Hogsmeade next weekend, and I had been hoping to go with Nate.”
“Crawford? That Ravenclaw 7th year?”
“Yea.” Scorpius noticed her face turned red. “He’d been so nice to me lately. Helping me study, carrying my books to class. I waited around for him after lunch today...and then he comes over all happy and tells me...that he’s taking that Lucy girl from Hufflepuff to Hogsmeade...” She mumbled almost inaudibly, turning her face away in embarrassment.
“Oh Rosie,” Scorpius said softly, putting his arm around her and squeezing her shoulders. “It’s ok, we’ll just all go to Hogsmeade together. You, me, Al, James, Lily...we’ll have fun, I promise.”
Rose looked up at him, her eyes red. “Thanks,” she whispered. “It’s just frustrating, you know? I mean, I’m 17 and I haven’t even had a boyfriend! What’s wrong with me?” She looked at him with wide eyes.
“There’s nothing wrong with you, Rose. You’re kind, and funny, and pretty,” he could feel his cheeks burning as he said this. “And you’re the second smartest person in the school,” he added jokingly, hoping it would cover up the flush in his face. It was times like this, having her this close, upset and vulnerable, that reminded him that he still hadn’t recovered from that crush he developed at the start of their 5th year.
He could picture the scene in his mind as though it were yesterday. He had arrived at Platform 9 3/4 early on September 1, ready to catch the train to Hogwarts and begin another wonderful year at school, learning amazing new things and having fun with his friends. He glanced around eagerly, searching the growing crowds for the Weasley trademark of insane red hair, knowing that was the easiest way to find Rose and Albus.
And so when he found that crowd of ginger-haired children, almost being herded by their parents, his heart pounded. There was nothing like seeing his best friends after a whole summer apart. For though they were his best friends, his dad would never accept it, and of course never let him visit them over the holidays. A familiar boy with messy black hair and glasses ran over, an infectious grin spreading across his face.
“Al!” yelled Scorpius, pulling his friend into a quick hug. “I’ve missed you guys!” He turned and said hello to the other members of the family, and then frowning, turned back to Albus.
“But where’s Rose?” He scanned their group again, but he couldn’t find her. There was Lily, and Molly, and Roxy...the only other girl with ginger hair was giving him a look like he was crazy. It was a look he knew all too well, but he didn’t immediately recognize the face and body whom it belonged to.
His mouth fell open as he realized he was looking at Rose. But a different Rose. A grown up Rose. She had grown a couple inches taller over the summer, but she’d also grown in...other ways, Scorpius noted to himself, blushing. She’d lost most of the baby fat from her face, her sweater seemed to fit a little more snugly than he remembered, and he was mesmerized by her legs, that seemed to stretch on forever.
They’d been best friends since first year, and they had always clicked intellectually. He could talk to her about anything, even things he felt embarrassed bringing up with Al Potter, his other best friend. But that day, waiting for the train, a final piece of the puzzle had snapped into place. She wasn’t just his best friend anymore, his intellectual equal and confidant, she was also someone he was ridiculously attracted to.
Her snort brought him back to the present. “What do you mean second smartest?”
He grinned at her, grateful for the distraction. It was always easier to forget how he felt when they were joking like this.
The portrait hole opened and a boy and girl, both 5th years, walked in, their hands clasped together. The boy walked her over to the girls’ staircase, kissed her on the cheek and they each went up to their separate dorms.
Rose sighed again. “Even the titchy little firsties have someone!”
Scorpius laughed again. “Rose you know all the guys in this school are complete prats, or related to you.” He paused for a moment, thinking. “Actually, that statement is a bit redundant, isn’t it?”
He looked over at her, hoping for a grin. He thought it was funny.
He tried again. “Look, you know I’d help you if I could, but I think this is just something you’ve got to be patient about.” Just like I need to be patient and get over the way my heart races when you look at me like that.
Her eyes lit up. “That’s it! Scorp, you’re a genius!”
He coughed nervously. “Um, thanks? What’d I do?”
“You can help me! You can be my boyfriend!”
Scorpius thought he was about to have a heart attack. He put a hand to his chest, trying not to hyperventilate.
“Well not for real,” she said reassuringly, obviously mistaking his reaction for one of disgust. “But maybe if I have a boyfriend, any boyfriend, it’ll make me more desirable. Yes, I’m sure Lily said she saw something like that in the latest issue of Witch Weekly.”
He stared at her as if she’d gone mad, but she paid no attention to him. She was muttering to herself, as though planning something.
He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, what are you talking about? How do you date someone...not for real?”
She stopped muttering, an excited look on her face. “Well, to everyone else, we’d be together. I’m sure it’d just be for a couple of weeks, and then you’d be off the hook.”
He could feel the sweat beginning to drip down the back of his jumper. The only thing worse than not dating Rose Weasley, in his opinion, was having to pretend he was dating her. It would be like pretending you just bought something great, something you’d always wanted, and you told everyone about it and got all excited about it with them, but at the end of the day, had to go home without it because it never existed.
But then he looked up at her, and saw that expectant, hopeful look on her face.
Oh, he was so screwed.
“So, uh, what do I have to do?” he muttered.
“Oh, great! Thanks so much Scorp!” He continued to stare down at his lap as she threw her arms around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He gritted his teeth. How much worse could this get???
“Not much, really. Just walk me to class, hold my hand, write me notes...I don’t know. Boyfriend stuff.”
He groaned inwardly. This was going to be torture. Well, at least he didn’t have to kiss her...
“And we don’t have to do the whole PDA thing, but you should probably kiss me every once in a while.”
Scorpius choked. “No.” His voice came out as a low rattle; he couldn’t blame Rose for looking scared. He cleared his throat. “Sorry about that. I can’t...do that though. I mean, it, um...wouldn’t you rather have your first kiss with this boy that’ll come along after you get all desirable or whatnot?” He was pulling at straws, and he knew it, but she seemed to be buying it.
She smiled sweetly at him. “You’re so sensitive, Scorp. Why is it you don’t have a girlfriend?”
He snorted. “Just not...interested, I guess. Look I’m going to get to sleep early, we have that Charms test in the morning.” He stood up, throwing his bag over his shoulder and walking towards the boys’ staircase.
“Night Scorp!” she called after him.
He shook his head. “Night,” he whispered back.
* * *
The next morning, Scorpius was really hoping the previous evening had been the result of some potion gone wrong. He knew he’d heard of accidents like that happening before, where false memories were implanted into people’s brains. Yea, that must have been it. He’d go downstairs, have breakfast with Rose and Al, and it’d be just like it was every other day.
He almost fell down the stairs when he came out of his dormitory to find Rose waiting for him.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded, pulling the door shut quickly behind him before she could look inside.
“Just wishing my boyfriend a good morning,” she smiled mischievously, grabbing his hand and pulling him down the rest of the stairs.
“Oh, that,” he said weakly. He felt like he might pass out.
She rolled her eyes and tutted at him. “Honestly, did you forget or something?”
“N-no, sorry. Just, not entirely awake, I guess. Breakfast?”
She nodded and they walked in silence the rest of the way to the Great Hall. She paused briefly outside the grand double doors, and for a fleeting moment, Scorpius wondered if she was nervous about this too. Obviously it would be for different reasons, he told himself. Maybe she was worried about having picked him? He nervously ran his free hand through his ice blond hair before straightening his tie and smoothing the front of his robes.
“Let’s do this!” she said cheerfully, pushing the doors open and striding into the room like she did everything, as if she wasn’t afraid of anything.
He tried to remain calm and act like it was completely natural to walk into breakfast holding Rose’s hand, but it was hard to ignore the very obvious stares, the whispering behind hands. Who knew this would be such a big deal to the rest of the school?
By the time they made it to the Gryffindor table, Scorpius was pretty sure the color of his face matched Rose’s fiery hair.
“Whoa! What’s going on here?” James Potter dropped his bacon as he looked up at the couple.
Rose smiled winningly at him. “What, you never seen people holding hands before?”
Lily leaned across the table, excitedly. “Ooh, are you two together?” Scorpius hated how she managed to give so much emphasis to that last word, but he managed to nod and smile sheepishly.
Al choked on his orange juice. “What are you on about? The two of you?” His eyes flicked back and forth between the two of them.
“Yes, us two. Honestly, I have the dumbest cousins ever,” Rose said with a sigh as she and Scorpius sat down at the table.
“Toast, Rose?” asked Scorpius, holding the plate out to her. He honestly had no clue what he was doing, but he figured being extra polite was probably a start. Albus and James snickered from across the table.
“Are you going to feed it to her, Scorp?” asked James, while Al made kissy noises next to him.
Scorpius rolled his eyes, trying to have fun with it. Rose gave him a quick peck on the cheek before turning to the boys. “You’re just jealous.”
“Oh, you’ve discovered my secret. How long have you known about my love for Scorp here?” James’ grin was quickly hidden as a bowl of porridge somehow covered his face.
“Whoops,” said Rose, smiling sweetly.
Scorpius laughed. At least she would take care of the teasing.
* * *
The first few days of Rose and Scorpius’ new-found “relationship” seemed to be going pretty well, in his opinion at least. After the first day, he no longer felt like he was developing some kind of heart condition whenever she’d smile at him and reach for his hand as they walked to their lessons. It was just like acting, he told himself. He was playing a part. It wasn’t any different than the plays he and Albus had made up as first years. Well, except for those just made the girls laugh in a “ew, boys are so silly!” kind of way. But this, well, Scorpius could tell that being with Rose had turned more than a few girls’ heads. Too bad he could care less about any of them.
The teasing wasn’t too bad, either. For the most part, it was her girl friends, gushing over some romantic stuff he didn’t understand, like how exactly did he ask her out, and did they have a song yet. The boys pretty much ignored them, except for a few who would insult Scorpius whenever he was on his own. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who noticed that Rose had grown up into a beautiful girl.
Even their friends quickly got used to seeing them together. Scorpius was thankful that Albus, James, Lily, and the others treated them the same as before, just Rose and Scorpius, who also happened to be dating. Part of him felt a little guilty that they were keeping this secret from their best friends, but he reminded himself it was what Rose wanted, and he couldn’t stand to disappoint her.
Before they realized it, it was Halloween, and all the students were eagerly looking forward to the feast they would have that evening. As per Gryffindor tradition, there would also be a party later that night in the common room.
As they walked down to the feast, hand in hand, Scorpius turned to Rose. The feasts always put him in a good mood; they reminded him of unity among the houses and were just a great time of celebration.
“Hey Rose, what are you doing later tonight?” He let a sly grin spread across his face.
She grinned back at him. “Oh I don’t know. I heard there was a party...”
“Go with me?”
Her grin grew wider. “Of course I will. Such a good boyfriend,” she said, giggling, reaching her other hand up to pat him on the face.
That night’s meal was the best Scorpius could remember having in his 7 years at Hogwarts. The chicken seemed extra juicy, the potatoes even more savoury than normal, and the pumpkin pie had just the perfect blend of spices. He sat back after downing his last glass of pumpkin juice and lazily looked around at his friends, chatting excitedly with each other about the upcoming party. He had a feeling it was going to be a good night.
* * *
Maybe it was because they were Gryffindors, or maybe because they were related to both Fred and George Weasley and James Potter, some of the most infamous pranksters known to Hogwarts, but James and Albus always knew how to throw a party. There were enchanted decorations everywhere, turning the usual shabby yet comfortable common room into a Halloween fantasy. Bats flew around the ceiling. Real jack-o-lanterns sat in the windows and on random little tables spread throughout the room. One of the fifth years had even figured out a way to charm the ceiling so that it looked like creepy lightning bolts were flashing across it every few minutes.
“This is great!” exclaimed Rose, walking down the staircase from her dorm. Scorpius waited for her at the bottom of the stairs, currently unable to enjoy the decorations. She just had to wear that costume, he thought to himself.
He supposed she was supposed to be an angel, but somehow he always pictured angels as being a little less sexy. Her fiery hair fell in perfect curls around her face, a glittering halo magically suspended above her head. She wore a plain white dress that fell just above her knees. It was very form fitting, he realized, showing off her curves. She did a little twirl, as if to show off her dress, and Scorpius felt his mouth fall open. A pair of glittery wings were attached to her back, but they didn’t entirely cover up the fact that the dress itself was quite open in the back, leaving the skin bare from her shoulders down to the middle of her back except for two little straps.
She grinned down at him and he had to remind himself how to work the muscles in his face. Painfully, he returned her smile, holding his hand out to her once she reached him.
“You, uhh, you look beautiful,” he whispered. His heart swelled as she blushed at his compliment.
“You look very handsome yourself,” she replied, gesturing at his outfit.
“Eh, it’s nothing,” he mumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed. He’d really had no idea what to wear for a costume, and at the last minute decided to just wear his Quidditch uniform. At least his Beater’s bat could be used to hit anyone that teased him on his lack of creativity.
They made their rounds, grabbing Butterbeers (most likely gathered by illegal means by James and Albus) and talking to their friends. There was music playing but no one was really dancing. After a few moments, Albus came up to them, a bottle of sickly green looking alcohol in his hands.
“Hey Scorp, can I talk to you for a sec? I just had this great idea for a Quidditch maneuver.”
Scorpius turned to Rose, as if to ask for her approval. She laughed and shoved him towards her cousin. “Go! I’ll go talk to the girls.”
Albus quickly pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket, and after a few mumbled words, little figures appeared on it, demonstrating his idea. Scorpius thought it was great, and they both hoped it would help them win their next match against Ravenclaw. Which of course led them to a heated discussion on the Ravenclaw game tactics, including their surprising victory over the current Quidditch Cup favorites, Hufflepuff.
“It was all about the Chasing, I’m telling you! Even if Johnson hadn’t caught the Snitch, they still would have won!” Albus always believed that every game depended solely on the Chasers, being one himself.
Scorpius snorted. “You’re mad, you know they only scored 3 goals that whole match! If it weren’t for their great defense, their Seeker would have been clobbered before she made it even close to the Snitch!”
Loud laughter caught their attention, and they turned to see what was going on.
Rose was standing in the middle of a group of students who did not at all look like, “the girls.” Standing beside her, and refilling her glass, was Nate Crawford. Scorpius’ eyes narrowed as he saw that Crawford’s other hand was around Rose’s waist.
“Whoa, who does that bloke think he is?” muttered Albus. “Trying to steal your girl? I hate that git. If you’re not going to hit him than let me. He’s ruining my cousin’s reputation just by standing near her.”
Jealousy pounded in Scorpius’ veins. He hadn’t realized until tonight that the one great thing about Rose’s little plan, was that she couldn’t date anyone else. He shoved his half-empty bottle of Butterbeer into Albus’ hands and stomped over to the crowd.
“Hey, you better bloody get your hands off-” he started, his voice almost a growl.
“Aw, boyfriend!” Rose shouted excitedly, clapping her hands together.
“Rose?” Scorpius’ brows knit together as he walked closer to her. He glared at Crawford, knocking his hand off Rose’s waist. A second glance at her shiny face and huge grin made him question what was in her glass. He hadn’t been talking to Albus that long, had he? Then how on earth was Rose so drunk? “Rose what’s wrong with you?”
“Shhhhh, silly. You’re the one with something wrong! Nate gave me some pretty juice, and it was very tasty, yes it was!” She turned around and beamed at Nate, who gave her a lopsided smile in return. “He’s so nice, Scorpy. You need some pretty juice too, then you won’t be so sad...” She started digging through a random assortment of bottles on a nearby table when the song suddenly shifted to a slow ballad. “Ooh, dance!” Seeming to have changed her mind, she grabbed Scorpius by the hand and dragged him out onto the dance floor.
She threw her arms around his neck and began to sway to the music. After a moment she looked down and frowned. “You’re not doing it right!” She pouted up at him.
He reluctantly placed his hands as lightly as possible on her hips. She’s drunk, she’s drunk, I can’t believe I’m touching her when she’s so drunk.
When the song ended, he breathed a sigh of relief. Loosening her grip on him, he started to walk off the dance floor, when she grabbed his wrist and turned him around.
“Scorpy,” she called in a sing-song voice. “Come back! I have to tell you something!”
He took a step closer, smelling the alcohol as it wafted off her in waves.
“No no, closer!” She pulled him so that his chest bumped into hers. A shudder ran through him.
“Rose, what are you doing?” His voice cracked, but he didn’t care.
“Shhhh,” she whispered, poking him on the nose. The suddenly she cupped his face in her hands and pulled it down to hers, pressing her lips roughly against his.
He pulled away. “Stop it. You’re drunk.”
But the look in her eyes was so sad, like she’d just be denied something she really wanted, and when she pulled him back towards her, he couldn’t resist. He wrapped his arms around her back and covered her mouth in his. She responded by moving her hands around to his neck, playing with the little hairs at the nape of his neck. Every other thought in his head vanished. All he could think about was this, and her. Her lips, moving softly against his, the faint taste of something sweet. He moved his hands up to her face, trailing his fingertips softly across her cheeks, memorizing every contour. He moved his attention to her bottom lip, lightly nibbling on it. Her grip on his back became even tighter, and all he could hear in his head was Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose.
Rose was drunk.
With a very ungraceful noise not unlike a plunger, Scorpius wrenched himself away from her. He stared down at her, horrified. What had he done? How could he take advantage of his best friend, who he loved, while she was drunk?
Panicking he spun around and ran straight out the portrait hole, barely stopping to wait for the door to open.
* * *
She found him outside moments later, sitting along the shores of the lake, arms wrapped around his legs and knees pulled up to his chest. It scared her to see him like this. The last time it had happened, he had just found out his grandmother had died. The memory made Rose shudder. He wasn’t himself for weeks after that.
She stepped forward, tentatively. “Scorpius?” she called, nervously. “Are you ok?”
He looked up at her, knowing from her tone that any effects of the alcohol were gone now. His hair was a mess, his robes askew. But nothing seemed more out of place than the look on his face. It was a look of pain, of anguish. She immediately wanted to punch whoever had done this to him.
He sighed and returned his focus to the ground in front of him. “I can’t do this anymore, Rose,” he said quietly.
She sat next to him, folding her legs beneath her on the grass. “Can’t do what?”
He looked up again, this time staring hard at her for a good minute before answering. “I can’t be your “boyfriend” or whatever anymore,” he spat out, bitterly.
She flinched noticeably. “What did I do?”
He ignored her question. “Look, you’ve gotten plenty of attention over the past few weeks, I’m sure you could have your pick of boyfriends now. In fact, I’m pretty sure I heard Crawford asking someone if you and I were serious. He seems interested.” He shrugged nonchalantly, but Rose wasn’t fooled. Something else was going on here.
“Scorpius,” she said firmly. “What is this?”
He stood up, waving his arms around like a madman. “Look, I just can’t do it anymore, alright? I’m not your pet, I get a say in this too. I’m tired of following you around, carrying your crap, pretending to worship you. I’m done.”
He turned so his back was towards her. She watched his back move up and down. He had worked himself up into a rage, it seemed.
She walked over to him. “I’m sorry, Scorp, really I am. We don’t have to do this anymore. I didn’t realize it was upsetting you.”
He whirled around to face her. “Upsetting me? How was I supposed to feel, acting the boyfriend, while you used me to get to someone else?”
“Used you? But, but I thought we agreed? I thought you wanted to help me.”
He laughed, but it sounded wrong to Rose. It was too cold, too cruel for him. “Help you? Like I could ever say no to you. You looked so hopeful, like you might cry if I didn’t agree.”
She puffed up her chest proudly. “Listen,” she stabbed him in the chest with her finger. “I don’t need your pity. I thought you were my friend and wanted to help. I didn’t know you just felt sorry for me.”
“I don’t pity you,” he mumbled, staring down at his shoes.
“What? Then why?”
He looked back at her face, the fire in his eyes impossible to ignore. “Because I bloody fancy you, and I have for 2 years now. There, happy?”
He spun around and stormed off towards the Forbidden Forest, leaving Rose to stand there with her jaw hanging open, unable to say anything.
He almost made it to the edge of the forest when his wrist was encircled by a smaller, freckled hand. He stopped, but didn’t turn. “What?” he spat out.
“Look at me.” It wasn’t a question. He turned slowly to face her, ashamed to see the tears welling up in her eyes. “Did you mean it? What you said back there?”
He nodded. She continued to glare at him, and he silently braced himself. Rose had a history of getting violent when she was very angry.
He was not at all expecting her other hand to reach around his neck and pull his face down to hers, or her mouth to softly press into his. After a second she let go, but he remained frozen in an awkward half-bent stance.
“Wh-what?” he whispered.
She laughed. “I knew there was something weird going on.”
“Was I that obvious?”
“No silly,” she punched him lightly on the arm. “Me. You know I haven’t thought about Nate once since we started this?” She gestured between the two of them.
“Yea? What does that mean?” He snaked an arm around her waist.
“I think it means you and I aren’t the smartest students in our class anymore, if we were oblivious this whole time.”
“Ah, well. Tough break,” he said before lower his mouth down to hers once more.