Kindled, for Jen
Title: Kindled
For: jenny b / Jen
Characters/Pairings: solely Rose/Scorpius
Rating: 3rd-5th years
Warnings (if any): none that I know of
A/N: I hope you like this, Jen! I've sacrificed all my brain juices on this one. I also tried to make it as holiday-ish as my muse would allow. Happy Holidays!
Their first encounter wasn’t like any other way to meet a friend - a friend that you wouldn’t have known to last a lifetime by your side. It was such a simple sort of distinguished difference that set them both apart from most people. It didn’t really cause them to be in trouble. No, it wasn’t that big of a deal. It was just like a single strand of hair that you would take off since it turned gray. Only, these two can’t take their uniting difference off of them. Rather, it led them to thoughts and hopes that consumed their time - thoughts and hopes that kindled a fire in them.
Like many of other encounters, their first meeting was caused by a coincidence. By meeting, I don’t mean like a passing glance or a fleeting wave of the hand. By meeting, I meant that they had a conversation wherein they actually learned something about each other. It could be the color of their eyes, or the way one’s eyes crinkle when they smile. It could even be just the tone of their voice. Now, they met in a place that one may say ‘boring’, but I beg to differ. A library holds thousands of words that bring the reader into worlds that they have never even imagined of. Besides that obvious fact, it is also a good place to meet people who share the same passion in reading. But in Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy’s case, it was a place where they shared an escape from a world that kept their hands full.
It was unusually noisy during that Thursday night in the library. Almost of all of the tables were full and many of them had rowdy boys and giggling girls around it. Maybe it was because Madame Pince, being the old, naggy woman that she was, took a sick leave and left the library in the care of Mister Grandedew. Or maybe half of the student population finally realised the attraction and fascination of books. Fat chance.
Although some studious Ravenclaws grumbled and complained about the noise, they soon joined in. They may prize knowledge, but teenagers just can’t avoid being influenced by those fun-loving, rotten ‘apples’. It didn’t help that the substitute librarian didn’t give a bee’s fart about it at all. Mister Grandedew was as old as Madame Pince, but he was the exact opposite of her; he didn’t have an obsession with books as smelly as the gatekeeper’s Blast-Ended Skrewts. He also couldn’t stop himself from falling asleep and stopping a group of second years from running around like You-Know-Who took the mickey out of them.
Fortunately, Rose Weasley had the ability to tune out the rare raucous and concentrate on her studies. Herbology wasn’t a favourite of hers, but as she recently received a mark from that same class below her standards, it was time to force herself into liking the subject. She was merely skimming through the pages of The Magic in Flowers - an annoying, old habit of hers - when she came across a beautiful drawing of Vero-Mattina. Apparently, Vero-Mattina is a flower that grows like little buds at first from a single stem, then all those buds come together to form one flower that is as wide as your palm. What caught Rose’s attention were the colors. The picture showed Vero-Mattina’s three colors - a quality that only shows during midnight till sunrise. By sunrise, it will -
“Mind if I join you?”
Rose looked up and saw a pale, tall, lean, boy with the widest gray eyes she had ever seen. He carried two rolls of parchment, three thick books, and a book bag slung over his shoulder. Scorpius Malfoy. Fancy that. Rose suddenly remembered the time that he outperformed her in Charms class. He had demonstrated a far better Cheering Charm than hers. If she were Al, she would have shaken her head and went back to her books, but since she wasn’t a prat that preferred not to hang around Slytherins. . .
“Sure,” she answered with a small, easy smile. She cleared half of the table for the boy, and he immediately muttered thanks and set his things down. No sooner had he sat that Rose noticed his quill.
“Is that the new Deluxe Mint quill?” she asked, her voice betraying jealousy.
His wide eyes glanced at her. “Yeah, but it’s losing its taste already.”
Rose frowned. “I wasn’t going to ask for a taste.” He laughed, and the corners of Rose’s lips twitched upwards. She went back to her books, and she soon heard the sound of the quill on parchment. Unconsciously, she began staring at Scorpius’ quill again. When he noticed it, he spoke.
“I have loads of these. If you want, I could give you some,” he offered.
Rose looked up at him for a second time. She really wanted one, but it seemed too bold to accept his generosity. She would have bought a box of it, but it was ridiculously expensive. Even the Eagle Owl quill didn’t worth as much as the Deluxe Mint did. “Well, only if you’re sure. . .”
“I am.”
“Then, yes, please.” She flashed him a smile. Not a moment later, Scorpius quietly summoned the box of quills and handed five to Rose. She thanked him and eagerly tasted the tips. It tasted comfortably minty.
“Here,” said Scorpius, handing out a small box of Honeyduke’s Chocolate Chumpers. “The ones with the yellow stripes taste the best.” She actually preferred the violet polka-dotted ones, but she could take up his suggestion.
At that statement, Rose hesitated. She looked at him uneasily as her hands slowly made their way to the chocolate box. She bit her lip as she looked for the yellow striped chocolates.
“You don’t need to get one if you don’t want to,” he said.
“Oh, no, I do want one,” she replied. “It’s just that, well, er, - I can’t really tell the, erm -”
“Yes?”
She looked at him straight in the eyes, unblinking. “I’m color blind, Malfoy.”
Being colorblind wasn’t really a big deal for Rose. Thank Merlin, she only had it mild. Yellow and orange were her weaknesses, but other than that, it was all right. She could clearly see the silver of his eyes, and the green emblem of his House crest. Green was her strongest point.
Scorpius started to laugh, and Rose was put out by it. She expected him to do anything but laugh at her. He must have noticed her expression, because he stopped. He was still smiling, but it wasn’t cruel.
“I never knew that I would have something like that to have in common with you, Weasley.”
“Gulping gargoyles, you’re colorblind, too? What color do you see best?”
“The color of your hair.”
“How very unlucky you are to see my family curse.”
And just like that, they became friends. They went on and on about the colors they often mistake for something else and the colors that are bright enough not to be mistaken. They talked about how it sometimes caused them inconvenience, but never really mattered much. Somehow, the conversation led to families. Scorpius complained of how his mum babied him, showering him with kisses and hugs every time they pick him up at the platform. Rose suspected that he enjoyed it though, since he had a fond smile while he spoke about it.
She, on the other hand, complained about her dad’s nosiness. He was always asking her if someone had asked her on a date, and he consistently reminded her that if there were any, they were just a bunch of gits. ‘Turn them down, Rosie. They aren’t good enough for you,’ he had said. Scorpius chuckled nervously at this and asked her how many she has turned down.
She flushed and muttered, “No one. No one has ever asked me.” She crinkled her nose and added, “I think it’s because my name intimidates a lot of people.”
When they both looked at the direction where someone had shrieked, Rose asked him, “Why did you come over to my lair here, anyway?”
“They were playing some stupid game that Jonathan made up. Truth or dare, I think he called it,” he explained. “He called over some girls, and Mark and his friends followed. He spun his wand and it pointed to me. He dared me to kiss Mark. No way in Merlin’s pants am I ever going to do that.”
“Why not? It’s just a kiss, after all,” she said cheekily.
Scorpius raised a brow. “Well, I think it would question my gender, obviously.”
“And what is that exactly?”
“Are you being serious?”
“Yes, of course. If you can’t do a simple dare, one would think you don’t have the bullocks to do it.”
He stared. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
She smiled at him innocently. “Bullocks, bullocks, bullocks.”
“Not that!” They laughed and it felt good. Felt good to speak so freely with each other without having to worry what other people might think. Being a Weasley or a Malfoy didn’t mean they couldn’t talk to each other without being civil. It was just what people had expected of them. Neither Rose nor Scorpius were bothered by the fact that if their families found them like that, they would make enough protests to make Merlin turn in his grave.
The pair would have carried on laughing had it not been for a very interesting interruption. “I see you’ve made a new friend, Scor,” said a boy with bronze hair and turquoise eyes. He was standing beside the table with a wicked grin. Rose thought he was rather handsome.
Scorpius sighed. “What do you want, Jon? I told you I’m not playing that stupid game again.”
“Hold on, I haven’t even introduced myself to your friend yet,” he said. He turned to Rose and bowed. “Jonathan Steiner. Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy’s best mate for four years running.”
“I’m Rose,” she replied simply. She looked at Scorpius with a mischievous grin. “Scorpius Hyperion? What a stupid name.”
“I wouldn’t say that, Rose Nymphadora,” he teased back.
She stared incredulously. “How do you know my middle name?”
“I think everyone knows-”
“Because, Rose dear, Scorpius has a little crush on you,” said Jonathan, cutting him off while Scorpius let out a frustrated sigh.
When Rose didn’t say anything and her cheeks flushed, Scorpius spluttered. “You don’t actually believe him, do you?”
She didn’t know why, but the comment stung her quite a bit. Maybe it was because since Scorpius had been talking with her for the past two hours, he might have taken a liking to her. It was silly, she knew, but a small light of hope was there. He did look dashing with those gorgeous wide, silver eyes and ruffled platinum blonde hair going on. Rose couldn’t deny the fact that if Scorpius did happen to like her, she would give it a shot.
She heard Jonathan gasp theatrically, bringing her back to her senses. “Rose Weasley, are you actually disappointed that Scorpius says I’m joking?” he asked as he pulled out a chair and sat between them.
Rose looked at Jonathan and then at Scorpius. She guarded her facial expression as she said, “I’m not going to admit anything unless he says something too.” She was always the honest type, never the one to hide her opinions or feelings unless called for. She liked being blatant and bold. It certainly fitted her outspoken personality, never mind the shining beacon of hair that she has.
Scorpius pursed his lips. He looked at Rose, all amusement gone. He was trying to decipher her expression, but soon gave up, as he couldn’t figure her out. “Don’t you have somewhere to be, Jon?”
“No, I quite like the entertainment right now.”
“It’s okay,” said Rose. “He can stay. You won’t tell anyone. Right, Jonathan? No one else has to know.”
Jonathan smiled at her. Not smirked, but smiled. “Right you are, Rose.”
“She may be all right with it, but I’m not,” said Scorpius, his arms folding on his chest. He pouted slightly, and Rose found it sort of adorable.
“I’m offended, mate,” replied Jonathan, his hands clutching the robes on his chest mockingly. Nevertheless, he stood up. “All right. Fine, I get it. Have fun!” With that, he patted Scorpius on the shoulder and gave a friendly wave to Rose.
When he left, there was an awkward silence between them. Rose looked at him expectantly, but he seemed to be avoiding her eyes. He nervously tapped the end of his quill at the table.
“Er, so,” he started. “I, er - what were we talking about?” The boy was losing his nerve, and it didn’t help that he wanted to change the subject.
But Rose had other ideas. “We were about to play truth or dare.”
He grinned. “All right, ladies first.” She nodded and picked truth. “Is there anyone that you fancy?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, she answered, “There was no one, but I don’t know if I’m going to change my mind after today.” He stared at her, dumbstruck by her honesty and straightforwardness. “Your turn.”
“Dare.”
Rose looked around and saw that they were almost the only ones left in the library. She didn’t notice the absence of the noise. The library looked like a whirlwind had a tantrum in it. She glanced back at Scorpius who was still staring at her. “I dare you to tell me the truth.”
“What truth?”
“Stop stalling and get on with it, Malfoy.”
“I - I, er - ”
“Get your bullocks together, and spit it out!”
“I fancy you,” he said breathlessly. “There, I said it.”
He smiled because he couldn’t help it. She was smiling brilliantly at him, and the thought that maybe, just maybe, she would be all right with it, made his head dizzy and heart pump faster.
“I pick dare.” He wanted to hold her hand, just to know if she’ll pull back or not. He wanted her to kiss him, just to know if she’ll like it. But most of all, he wanted to talk to her like this everyday; like they’ve been friends since forever, and their names didn’t matter. Jonathan was a good friend, but somehow, Rose had wheedled things out of him that took years for him to tell Jonathan. He felt so at ease with her, and he didn’t want this friendship to end. At least, he thinks this is friendship.
“Hold on,” he said. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“Do you want us to be?”
“Of course.”
“Then, yes, we are.”
Again, he couldn’t help but smile. It was too easy to be happy here. “I dare you to come here every Thursday, in this spot, same time.”
“Would you do the same?” He noticed how she sounded hopeful, and it made him smile wider.
“I will.”
“That’s a promise, Scorpius. I’ll keep mine as long as you keep yours.”
“It’ll be my pleasure, Rose,” he said sincerely. The simple privilege of using one another’s first name made him giddy. The thought that a girl whom he had been admiring from afar was giving him what he had wanted made him happy. Was this why his friend is always upbeat? Jonathan had always gotten the girls that he wanted. There was no denying that he had his charms. Scorpius, on the other hand, never got the girl. Before Rose, he had only liked two girls: Viola, a black haired beauty who happened to like Jonathan instead, and Christall, a Ravenclaw two years older than him who used to tutor him for Astronomy.
They didn’t matter now. Rose and Scorpius continued smiling, laughing, and talking to each other until Mister Grandedew finally woke up from his deep slumber and ushered them out of the cluttered library. When Scorpius entered the common room with the same smile plastered on his face, Jonathan yelled out, “I knew you could do it, Scor!” He joined his friends near the fireplace and couldn’t help but feel extremely lucky. When he went to sleep, he dreamed of yellow striped chocolates, and a certain red head chewing on his Deluxe Mint quills.
The days kept going, and the two friends kept their promises. Sitting with each other during Thursday nights in the library, waving their hello’s along the corridors as they go to their classes, and giving each other a present when Christmas came, even if it wasn’t part of the promise. Of course, there were suspicions that they were dating each other considering how cozy they were getting. Rose’s army of cousins had poked Scorpius about it, but in fear for his own dear life, he didn’t say anything. When the Potter brothers and Fred and Hugo Weasley came to him, he didn’t budge in either. He kept his mouth shut and sincerely told them that he and Rose were merely friends. Albus Potter had glared at him at that point and said, “I daresay that you’re planning to change being ‘merely friends’ with her, aren’t you, Malfoy? Well, kiss your wet dreams goodbye because Rose will never agree to that!”
That bit was embarrassing - humiliating - because he never had wet dreams. The vulgarity of it made him uneasy, and when the thought that some other boy were having dreams of Rose came to his mind, he was in a foul mood the whole day. But like all other gossip, the school soon got tired of it and accepted the fact that Rose and Scorpius were just good friends that have the possibility of being an item. The days passed by, and their O.W.L.’s approached. Scorpius still stood by his promise, coming every Thursday at their table, silently reading through his notes. Rose was beside him. She had moved her chair next to him when she received her gift from him: green ink and numerous green Deluxe Sugar and Mint quills. He gave it to her on Valentine’s but they both didn’t go out to Hogsmeade. They didn’t know why, but it felt right just sitting there in the library, exchanging stolen glances and meaningful gifts.
When summer came, they promised to write to each other all throughout the break. Rose’s father was very suspicious of Scorpius’ intentions at first, but when Rose’s mum stepped in, he just grumbled whenever a shiny black owl arrives. Over the summer, they only had three instances to meet. Scorpius was constantly traveling abroad; his parents loved visiting their numerous houses in Paris, Florence, Bangkok and Cairo. Rose had invited him to her home twice to play Quidditch since he had mentioned in one of his letters that he was planning to join his House’s team. When he scored right through James’s hoop despite the loud taunts, they slowly welcomed him.
Nana Weasley loved him at the second that he brought out his homemade carbonara. It turns out that he particularly liked to cook. Everyone liked his cooking - Ron Weasley even nodded his approval. The third time they met up was when they were buying their school supplies. The day went fast, and before they knew it, they were already waving goodbye. Now, I’m sure you think I’ll go on and on about how they continued being friends, and how both of them became Heads and soon enough, they fell in love as they patrolled. Well, I won’t. Go on about that, I mean. Because they didn’t continue being friends, and they both didn’t become Heads since they were only sixth years when they went back to Hogwarts. They also didn’t fall in love while patrolling.
When they went back for their sixth year, Rose had found herself another admirer. As soon as Scorpius saw this, one may say that he turned into a green-eyed monster. He didn’t actually go mad and ranted around with foul words about Kaidan Peasegood. He acted more like a morose puppy who got kicked out of a lovely home. Meanwhile, Jonathan kept coaxing him to hex the stupid git, and by that, he had found a most unlikely friend that shared the same sentiments: Albus Potter.
One Thursday, he found Peasegood in the library beside Rose, sitting on his seat. Let’s just say he said needed to vent out the building frustrations.
“I’d appreciate it if you get out of my seat, Peasegood,” he said through gritted teeth.
The prat smirked. “No, I don’t think I will.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not fooling around here. Get out of my seat.”
“Who says this seat is yours? I don’t see your name on it,” retorted Kaidan. “Besides, I think Rose already got tired of your company.”
Scorpius glanced at Rose. “Well?”
“Well, what?” Her brows knitted in confusion.
“Are you getting tired of me?”
“What do you think?”
“Merlin, I’m not in the mood to play your little mind games right now, Rose,” he said vehemently. He knew it was a mistake as soon as her face fell. He was about to apologize, but she spoke. Her eyes hardened and she looked at him with anger. It scared him because she had never looked at him like that. Never closed herself to him.
“Then maybe you’re tired of my company,” she said. “Come on, Kaidan. I think I am getting tired of this place.”
With that, she left. Left Scorpius stunned, eyes glued to her back.
__________
It was nearly Christmas again. Scorpius still came to the library every Thursday like he promised. Heck, he came to the library everyday for a month, but he soon gave up and went back to just Thursdays. She didn’t show up, and he didn’t know what caused her to be so mad at him. It was a stupid thing to get mad at her, he knew, but she didn’t even give him a chance to say sorry. She avoided him once he enters her vision.
He saw her everyday, passing through hallways, eating in the Great Hall, watching Quidditch practices and matches. The worst part was that Kaidan was there as well. They started going out two weeks after the library incident. So when he saw her face, he saw the ugly git’s as well.
It was already their last night in Hogwarts. They would leave for the Express tomorrow for their winter break. He was in the common room, silently looking at the flames of the fire. He missed her. Missed her honesty, her laugh, and her bright frizzy red hair-
“Please tell me you aren’t crying,” said Jonathan. He placed himself on a chair in front of him while Albus Potter sat next to Scorpius.
Scorpius glared at him. “I’m not.”
“Good,” said Albus. “Because we’ve got good news for you.”
“Your thorny Rose broke up with the Hippogriff!” exclaimed Jonathan. “She’s in the library right now. Get your fat arse out of that couch, Malfoy!”
“She misses you, you know,” added Albus quietly. “She just has this big egotistical pride in her that drew her away from you. You could yell at her for as long as you want and still stay friends as long as no one sees it. But you humiliated her in front of Kaidan, Malfoy. She doesn’t take that lying down.
“That’s why she went out with him, and not you.”
And when Scorpius ran from the common room, he heard Jonathan say, “Run like the wind, Scor!”
Heart beating wildly and a smile threatening to appear, he made his way to the library. He tripped on his robes a couple of times, but it didn’t stop him. Then he saw her. She was sitting on the floor, her back resting on the wall where the library doors were. Her head rested on her knees, red hair spilled like a waterfall. She must have heard his footsteps, because she raised her head and looked at him sadly.
He held her gaze steadily, but she broke it, resting her head on her knees again. He sat next to her, touched her hair and drew it back so he could see her face.
“I’m guessing you know that I broke up with him,” she said. Her voice was soft and quiet. Scorpius nodded. “Do you know why?”
“Because he’s stupid.”
Her lips twitched. “No. No, not that. It’s because he wasn’t like my best friend. He wasn’t like you.”
No sooner had she finished the sentence that he hugged her. Smelled her honey and lavender scent. Felt her arms embrace him back. “I miss you,” he said. “I miss you so much.”
They didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but after quite some time, Scorpius drew back. He waved his wand, and a long midnight blue box appeared. He gave it to her, and she took it with a questioning look. Rose opened it, and there she saw the most beautiful flower she had ever seen. It had three colors: yellow, pink, and blue. Vero-Mattina.
“Merry Christmas, Rose,” he said.
“Do you see the same colors?” she asked him.
“I see yellow, pink, and blue.”
“I thought I can’t see yellow!” she exclaimed excitedly. “And I thought you can’t see blue!”
He smiled at her. “Vero-Mattina, a flower only found in Italy, has this kind of magic that makes the colorblind see its true colors. Even the muggles who are colorblind are affected by it.”
She fiddled with the petals. “It’s beautiful.”
“Expensive, too.”
“Thank you.”
He touched her face and rested his palm on her cheek. Slowly, he leaned his lips to hers. He felt the warmth of her soft lips, and it made him smile. Still with their lips touching, he heard her say, “I love you.” When she pulled back, he said the same thing to her.
Like I said, they didn’t continue being friends. They became more than that. They didn’t become Heads; they were only sixth years. They also didn’t fall in love while patrolling - they’ve fallen in love in a library on a Thursday night. Their uniqueness of being colorblind was such a simple sort of distinguished difference that set them both apart from most people. It didn’t really cause them to be in trouble. It actually caused them to be drawn to each other. It was like a single strand of hair that turned gray - but instead of pulling it out and throwing it away, they kept it like a treasure. It led them to thoughts and hopes that turned into ideas - ideas that made them see the same color.
For: jenny b / Jen
Characters/Pairings: solely Rose/Scorpius
Rating: 3rd-5th years
Warnings (if any): none that I know of
A/N: I hope you like this, Jen! I've sacrificed all my brain juices on this one. I also tried to make it as holiday-ish as my muse would allow. Happy Holidays!
Their first encounter wasn’t like any other way to meet a friend - a friend that you wouldn’t have known to last a lifetime by your side. It was such a simple sort of distinguished difference that set them both apart from most people. It didn’t really cause them to be in trouble. No, it wasn’t that big of a deal. It was just like a single strand of hair that you would take off since it turned gray. Only, these two can’t take their uniting difference off of them. Rather, it led them to thoughts and hopes that consumed their time - thoughts and hopes that kindled a fire in them.
Like many of other encounters, their first meeting was caused by a coincidence. By meeting, I don’t mean like a passing glance or a fleeting wave of the hand. By meeting, I meant that they had a conversation wherein they actually learned something about each other. It could be the color of their eyes, or the way one’s eyes crinkle when they smile. It could even be just the tone of their voice. Now, they met in a place that one may say ‘boring’, but I beg to differ. A library holds thousands of words that bring the reader into worlds that they have never even imagined of. Besides that obvious fact, it is also a good place to meet people who share the same passion in reading. But in Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy’s case, it was a place where they shared an escape from a world that kept their hands full.
It was unusually noisy during that Thursday night in the library. Almost of all of the tables were full and many of them had rowdy boys and giggling girls around it. Maybe it was because Madame Pince, being the old, naggy woman that she was, took a sick leave and left the library in the care of Mister Grandedew. Or maybe half of the student population finally realised the attraction and fascination of books. Fat chance.
Although some studious Ravenclaws grumbled and complained about the noise, they soon joined in. They may prize knowledge, but teenagers just can’t avoid being influenced by those fun-loving, rotten ‘apples’. It didn’t help that the substitute librarian didn’t give a bee’s fart about it at all. Mister Grandedew was as old as Madame Pince, but he was the exact opposite of her; he didn’t have an obsession with books as smelly as the gatekeeper’s Blast-Ended Skrewts. He also couldn’t stop himself from falling asleep and stopping a group of second years from running around like You-Know-Who took the mickey out of them.
Fortunately, Rose Weasley had the ability to tune out the rare raucous and concentrate on her studies. Herbology wasn’t a favourite of hers, but as she recently received a mark from that same class below her standards, it was time to force herself into liking the subject. She was merely skimming through the pages of The Magic in Flowers - an annoying, old habit of hers - when she came across a beautiful drawing of Vero-Mattina. Apparently, Vero-Mattina is a flower that grows like little buds at first from a single stem, then all those buds come together to form one flower that is as wide as your palm. What caught Rose’s attention were the colors. The picture showed Vero-Mattina’s three colors - a quality that only shows during midnight till sunrise. By sunrise, it will -
“Mind if I join you?”
Rose looked up and saw a pale, tall, lean, boy with the widest gray eyes she had ever seen. He carried two rolls of parchment, three thick books, and a book bag slung over his shoulder. Scorpius Malfoy. Fancy that. Rose suddenly remembered the time that he outperformed her in Charms class. He had demonstrated a far better Cheering Charm than hers. If she were Al, she would have shaken her head and went back to her books, but since she wasn’t a prat that preferred not to hang around Slytherins. . .
“Sure,” she answered with a small, easy smile. She cleared half of the table for the boy, and he immediately muttered thanks and set his things down. No sooner had he sat that Rose noticed his quill.
“Is that the new Deluxe Mint quill?” she asked, her voice betraying jealousy.
His wide eyes glanced at her. “Yeah, but it’s losing its taste already.”
Rose frowned. “I wasn’t going to ask for a taste.” He laughed, and the corners of Rose’s lips twitched upwards. She went back to her books, and she soon heard the sound of the quill on parchment. Unconsciously, she began staring at Scorpius’ quill again. When he noticed it, he spoke.
“I have loads of these. If you want, I could give you some,” he offered.
Rose looked up at him for a second time. She really wanted one, but it seemed too bold to accept his generosity. She would have bought a box of it, but it was ridiculously expensive. Even the Eagle Owl quill didn’t worth as much as the Deluxe Mint did. “Well, only if you’re sure. . .”
“I am.”
“Then, yes, please.” She flashed him a smile. Not a moment later, Scorpius quietly summoned the box of quills and handed five to Rose. She thanked him and eagerly tasted the tips. It tasted comfortably minty.
“Here,” said Scorpius, handing out a small box of Honeyduke’s Chocolate Chumpers. “The ones with the yellow stripes taste the best.” She actually preferred the violet polka-dotted ones, but she could take up his suggestion.
At that statement, Rose hesitated. She looked at him uneasily as her hands slowly made their way to the chocolate box. She bit her lip as she looked for the yellow striped chocolates.
“You don’t need to get one if you don’t want to,” he said.
“Oh, no, I do want one,” she replied. “It’s just that, well, er, - I can’t really tell the, erm -”
“Yes?”
She looked at him straight in the eyes, unblinking. “I’m color blind, Malfoy.”
Being colorblind wasn’t really a big deal for Rose. Thank Merlin, she only had it mild. Yellow and orange were her weaknesses, but other than that, it was all right. She could clearly see the silver of his eyes, and the green emblem of his House crest. Green was her strongest point.
Scorpius started to laugh, and Rose was put out by it. She expected him to do anything but laugh at her. He must have noticed her expression, because he stopped. He was still smiling, but it wasn’t cruel.
“I never knew that I would have something like that to have in common with you, Weasley.”
“Gulping gargoyles, you’re colorblind, too? What color do you see best?”
“The color of your hair.”
“How very unlucky you are to see my family curse.”
And just like that, they became friends. They went on and on about the colors they often mistake for something else and the colors that are bright enough not to be mistaken. They talked about how it sometimes caused them inconvenience, but never really mattered much. Somehow, the conversation led to families. Scorpius complained of how his mum babied him, showering him with kisses and hugs every time they pick him up at the platform. Rose suspected that he enjoyed it though, since he had a fond smile while he spoke about it.
She, on the other hand, complained about her dad’s nosiness. He was always asking her if someone had asked her on a date, and he consistently reminded her that if there were any, they were just a bunch of gits. ‘Turn them down, Rosie. They aren’t good enough for you,’ he had said. Scorpius chuckled nervously at this and asked her how many she has turned down.
She flushed and muttered, “No one. No one has ever asked me.” She crinkled her nose and added, “I think it’s because my name intimidates a lot of people.”
When they both looked at the direction where someone had shrieked, Rose asked him, “Why did you come over to my lair here, anyway?”
“They were playing some stupid game that Jonathan made up. Truth or dare, I think he called it,” he explained. “He called over some girls, and Mark and his friends followed. He spun his wand and it pointed to me. He dared me to kiss Mark. No way in Merlin’s pants am I ever going to do that.”
“Why not? It’s just a kiss, after all,” she said cheekily.
Scorpius raised a brow. “Well, I think it would question my gender, obviously.”
“And what is that exactly?”
“Are you being serious?”
“Yes, of course. If you can’t do a simple dare, one would think you don’t have the bullocks to do it.”
He stared. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
She smiled at him innocently. “Bullocks, bullocks, bullocks.”
“Not that!” They laughed and it felt good. Felt good to speak so freely with each other without having to worry what other people might think. Being a Weasley or a Malfoy didn’t mean they couldn’t talk to each other without being civil. It was just what people had expected of them. Neither Rose nor Scorpius were bothered by the fact that if their families found them like that, they would make enough protests to make Merlin turn in his grave.
The pair would have carried on laughing had it not been for a very interesting interruption. “I see you’ve made a new friend, Scor,” said a boy with bronze hair and turquoise eyes. He was standing beside the table with a wicked grin. Rose thought he was rather handsome.
Scorpius sighed. “What do you want, Jon? I told you I’m not playing that stupid game again.”
“Hold on, I haven’t even introduced myself to your friend yet,” he said. He turned to Rose and bowed. “Jonathan Steiner. Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy’s best mate for four years running.”
“I’m Rose,” she replied simply. She looked at Scorpius with a mischievous grin. “Scorpius Hyperion? What a stupid name.”
“I wouldn’t say that, Rose Nymphadora,” he teased back.
She stared incredulously. “How do you know my middle name?”
“I think everyone knows-”
“Because, Rose dear, Scorpius has a little crush on you,” said Jonathan, cutting him off while Scorpius let out a frustrated sigh.
When Rose didn’t say anything and her cheeks flushed, Scorpius spluttered. “You don’t actually believe him, do you?”
She didn’t know why, but the comment stung her quite a bit. Maybe it was because since Scorpius had been talking with her for the past two hours, he might have taken a liking to her. It was silly, she knew, but a small light of hope was there. He did look dashing with those gorgeous wide, silver eyes and ruffled platinum blonde hair going on. Rose couldn’t deny the fact that if Scorpius did happen to like her, she would give it a shot.
She heard Jonathan gasp theatrically, bringing her back to her senses. “Rose Weasley, are you actually disappointed that Scorpius says I’m joking?” he asked as he pulled out a chair and sat between them.
Rose looked at Jonathan and then at Scorpius. She guarded her facial expression as she said, “I’m not going to admit anything unless he says something too.” She was always the honest type, never the one to hide her opinions or feelings unless called for. She liked being blatant and bold. It certainly fitted her outspoken personality, never mind the shining beacon of hair that she has.
Scorpius pursed his lips. He looked at Rose, all amusement gone. He was trying to decipher her expression, but soon gave up, as he couldn’t figure her out. “Don’t you have somewhere to be, Jon?”
“No, I quite like the entertainment right now.”
“It’s okay,” said Rose. “He can stay. You won’t tell anyone. Right, Jonathan? No one else has to know.”
Jonathan smiled at her. Not smirked, but smiled. “Right you are, Rose.”
“She may be all right with it, but I’m not,” said Scorpius, his arms folding on his chest. He pouted slightly, and Rose found it sort of adorable.
“I’m offended, mate,” replied Jonathan, his hands clutching the robes on his chest mockingly. Nevertheless, he stood up. “All right. Fine, I get it. Have fun!” With that, he patted Scorpius on the shoulder and gave a friendly wave to Rose.
When he left, there was an awkward silence between them. Rose looked at him expectantly, but he seemed to be avoiding her eyes. He nervously tapped the end of his quill at the table.
“Er, so,” he started. “I, er - what were we talking about?” The boy was losing his nerve, and it didn’t help that he wanted to change the subject.
But Rose had other ideas. “We were about to play truth or dare.”
He grinned. “All right, ladies first.” She nodded and picked truth. “Is there anyone that you fancy?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, she answered, “There was no one, but I don’t know if I’m going to change my mind after today.” He stared at her, dumbstruck by her honesty and straightforwardness. “Your turn.”
“Dare.”
Rose looked around and saw that they were almost the only ones left in the library. She didn’t notice the absence of the noise. The library looked like a whirlwind had a tantrum in it. She glanced back at Scorpius who was still staring at her. “I dare you to tell me the truth.”
“What truth?”
“Stop stalling and get on with it, Malfoy.”
“I - I, er - ”
“Get your bullocks together, and spit it out!”
“I fancy you,” he said breathlessly. “There, I said it.”
He smiled because he couldn’t help it. She was smiling brilliantly at him, and the thought that maybe, just maybe, she would be all right with it, made his head dizzy and heart pump faster.
“I pick dare.” He wanted to hold her hand, just to know if she’ll pull back or not. He wanted her to kiss him, just to know if she’ll like it. But most of all, he wanted to talk to her like this everyday; like they’ve been friends since forever, and their names didn’t matter. Jonathan was a good friend, but somehow, Rose had wheedled things out of him that took years for him to tell Jonathan. He felt so at ease with her, and he didn’t want this friendship to end. At least, he thinks this is friendship.
“Hold on,” he said. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“Do you want us to be?”
“Of course.”
“Then, yes, we are.”
Again, he couldn’t help but smile. It was too easy to be happy here. “I dare you to come here every Thursday, in this spot, same time.”
“Would you do the same?” He noticed how she sounded hopeful, and it made him smile wider.
“I will.”
“That’s a promise, Scorpius. I’ll keep mine as long as you keep yours.”
“It’ll be my pleasure, Rose,” he said sincerely. The simple privilege of using one another’s first name made him giddy. The thought that a girl whom he had been admiring from afar was giving him what he had wanted made him happy. Was this why his friend is always upbeat? Jonathan had always gotten the girls that he wanted. There was no denying that he had his charms. Scorpius, on the other hand, never got the girl. Before Rose, he had only liked two girls: Viola, a black haired beauty who happened to like Jonathan instead, and Christall, a Ravenclaw two years older than him who used to tutor him for Astronomy.
They didn’t matter now. Rose and Scorpius continued smiling, laughing, and talking to each other until Mister Grandedew finally woke up from his deep slumber and ushered them out of the cluttered library. When Scorpius entered the common room with the same smile plastered on his face, Jonathan yelled out, “I knew you could do it, Scor!” He joined his friends near the fireplace and couldn’t help but feel extremely lucky. When he went to sleep, he dreamed of yellow striped chocolates, and a certain red head chewing on his Deluxe Mint quills.
The days kept going, and the two friends kept their promises. Sitting with each other during Thursday nights in the library, waving their hello’s along the corridors as they go to their classes, and giving each other a present when Christmas came, even if it wasn’t part of the promise. Of course, there were suspicions that they were dating each other considering how cozy they were getting. Rose’s army of cousins had poked Scorpius about it, but in fear for his own dear life, he didn’t say anything. When the Potter brothers and Fred and Hugo Weasley came to him, he didn’t budge in either. He kept his mouth shut and sincerely told them that he and Rose were merely friends. Albus Potter had glared at him at that point and said, “I daresay that you’re planning to change being ‘merely friends’ with her, aren’t you, Malfoy? Well, kiss your wet dreams goodbye because Rose will never agree to that!”
That bit was embarrassing - humiliating - because he never had wet dreams. The vulgarity of it made him uneasy, and when the thought that some other boy were having dreams of Rose came to his mind, he was in a foul mood the whole day. But like all other gossip, the school soon got tired of it and accepted the fact that Rose and Scorpius were just good friends that have the possibility of being an item. The days passed by, and their O.W.L.’s approached. Scorpius still stood by his promise, coming every Thursday at their table, silently reading through his notes. Rose was beside him. She had moved her chair next to him when she received her gift from him: green ink and numerous green Deluxe Sugar and Mint quills. He gave it to her on Valentine’s but they both didn’t go out to Hogsmeade. They didn’t know why, but it felt right just sitting there in the library, exchanging stolen glances and meaningful gifts.
When summer came, they promised to write to each other all throughout the break. Rose’s father was very suspicious of Scorpius’ intentions at first, but when Rose’s mum stepped in, he just grumbled whenever a shiny black owl arrives. Over the summer, they only had three instances to meet. Scorpius was constantly traveling abroad; his parents loved visiting their numerous houses in Paris, Florence, Bangkok and Cairo. Rose had invited him to her home twice to play Quidditch since he had mentioned in one of his letters that he was planning to join his House’s team. When he scored right through James’s hoop despite the loud taunts, they slowly welcomed him.
Nana Weasley loved him at the second that he brought out his homemade carbonara. It turns out that he particularly liked to cook. Everyone liked his cooking - Ron Weasley even nodded his approval. The third time they met up was when they were buying their school supplies. The day went fast, and before they knew it, they were already waving goodbye. Now, I’m sure you think I’ll go on and on about how they continued being friends, and how both of them became Heads and soon enough, they fell in love as they patrolled. Well, I won’t. Go on about that, I mean. Because they didn’t continue being friends, and they both didn’t become Heads since they were only sixth years when they went back to Hogwarts. They also didn’t fall in love while patrolling.
When they went back for their sixth year, Rose had found herself another admirer. As soon as Scorpius saw this, one may say that he turned into a green-eyed monster. He didn’t actually go mad and ranted around with foul words about Kaidan Peasegood. He acted more like a morose puppy who got kicked out of a lovely home. Meanwhile, Jonathan kept coaxing him to hex the stupid git, and by that, he had found a most unlikely friend that shared the same sentiments: Albus Potter.
One Thursday, he found Peasegood in the library beside Rose, sitting on his seat. Let’s just say he said needed to vent out the building frustrations.
“I’d appreciate it if you get out of my seat, Peasegood,” he said through gritted teeth.
The prat smirked. “No, I don’t think I will.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not fooling around here. Get out of my seat.”
“Who says this seat is yours? I don’t see your name on it,” retorted Kaidan. “Besides, I think Rose already got tired of your company.”
Scorpius glanced at Rose. “Well?”
“Well, what?” Her brows knitted in confusion.
“Are you getting tired of me?”
“What do you think?”
“Merlin, I’m not in the mood to play your little mind games right now, Rose,” he said vehemently. He knew it was a mistake as soon as her face fell. He was about to apologize, but she spoke. Her eyes hardened and she looked at him with anger. It scared him because she had never looked at him like that. Never closed herself to him.
“Then maybe you’re tired of my company,” she said. “Come on, Kaidan. I think I am getting tired of this place.”
With that, she left. Left Scorpius stunned, eyes glued to her back.
__________
It was nearly Christmas again. Scorpius still came to the library every Thursday like he promised. Heck, he came to the library everyday for a month, but he soon gave up and went back to just Thursdays. She didn’t show up, and he didn’t know what caused her to be so mad at him. It was a stupid thing to get mad at her, he knew, but she didn’t even give him a chance to say sorry. She avoided him once he enters her vision.
He saw her everyday, passing through hallways, eating in the Great Hall, watching Quidditch practices and matches. The worst part was that Kaidan was there as well. They started going out two weeks after the library incident. So when he saw her face, he saw the ugly git’s as well.
It was already their last night in Hogwarts. They would leave for the Express tomorrow for their winter break. He was in the common room, silently looking at the flames of the fire. He missed her. Missed her honesty, her laugh, and her bright frizzy red hair-
“Please tell me you aren’t crying,” said Jonathan. He placed himself on a chair in front of him while Albus Potter sat next to Scorpius.
Scorpius glared at him. “I’m not.”
“Good,” said Albus. “Because we’ve got good news for you.”
“Your thorny Rose broke up with the Hippogriff!” exclaimed Jonathan. “She’s in the library right now. Get your fat arse out of that couch, Malfoy!”
“She misses you, you know,” added Albus quietly. “She just has this big egotistical pride in her that drew her away from you. You could yell at her for as long as you want and still stay friends as long as no one sees it. But you humiliated her in front of Kaidan, Malfoy. She doesn’t take that lying down.
“That’s why she went out with him, and not you.”
And when Scorpius ran from the common room, he heard Jonathan say, “Run like the wind, Scor!”
Heart beating wildly and a smile threatening to appear, he made his way to the library. He tripped on his robes a couple of times, but it didn’t stop him. Then he saw her. She was sitting on the floor, her back resting on the wall where the library doors were. Her head rested on her knees, red hair spilled like a waterfall. She must have heard his footsteps, because she raised her head and looked at him sadly.
He held her gaze steadily, but she broke it, resting her head on her knees again. He sat next to her, touched her hair and drew it back so he could see her face.
“I’m guessing you know that I broke up with him,” she said. Her voice was soft and quiet. Scorpius nodded. “Do you know why?”
“Because he’s stupid.”
Her lips twitched. “No. No, not that. It’s because he wasn’t like my best friend. He wasn’t like you.”
No sooner had she finished the sentence that he hugged her. Smelled her honey and lavender scent. Felt her arms embrace him back. “I miss you,” he said. “I miss you so much.”
They didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but after quite some time, Scorpius drew back. He waved his wand, and a long midnight blue box appeared. He gave it to her, and she took it with a questioning look. Rose opened it, and there she saw the most beautiful flower she had ever seen. It had three colors: yellow, pink, and blue. Vero-Mattina.
“Merry Christmas, Rose,” he said.
“Do you see the same colors?” she asked him.
“I see yellow, pink, and blue.”
“I thought I can’t see yellow!” she exclaimed excitedly. “And I thought you can’t see blue!”
He smiled at her. “Vero-Mattina, a flower only found in Italy, has this kind of magic that makes the colorblind see its true colors. Even the muggles who are colorblind are affected by it.”
She fiddled with the petals. “It’s beautiful.”
“Expensive, too.”
“Thank you.”
He touched her face and rested his palm on her cheek. Slowly, he leaned his lips to hers. He felt the warmth of her soft lips, and it made him smile. Still with their lips touching, he heard her say, “I love you.” When she pulled back, he said the same thing to her.
Like I said, they didn’t continue being friends. They became more than that. They didn’t become Heads; they were only sixth years. They also didn’t fall in love while patrolling - they’ve fallen in love in a library on a Thursday night. Their uniqueness of being colorblind was such a simple sort of distinguished difference that set them both apart from most people. It didn’t really cause them to be in trouble. It actually caused them to be drawn to each other. It was like a single strand of hair that turned gray - but instead of pulling it out and throwing it away, they kept it like a treasure. It led them to thoughts and hopes that turned into ideas - ideas that made them see the same color.