"The Long and Winding Road" - A Gift for severely_lupine
Title: The Long and Winding Road
Author: morrigane13
Gift For: Severely_Lupine
Summary: Rose Weasley is on her way to completing her aspirations. Then Scorpius Malfoy arrives on the scene and disrupts her well laid plans.
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: het, sexual content
Word Count: 6,800
Author's Note: A huge thank you to my beta the fantastic and wonderful queenb23. *hugs*
Ch. 1: The new Hogwarts Professor
Rose Weasley sighed with satisfaction as she sat in her office preparing her lessons for the year. Since taking over for Professor McGonagall five years previously, Rose had spent countless hours perfecting her teaching methods and lesson plans until she felt certain that she was offering her students a path to magical success in Transfiguration. Of course, there were always those students who excelled beyond the others and those who struggled seemingly in vain. Rose’s goal was to help and challenge them all.
There would be significant changes in the coming years. Headmaster Cedaac had sent an owl that morning informing Rose that she would be the new head of Gryffindor House now that her provisionary period was over and that there would be another change in staffing this year. Professor Armand, the Potions instructor, had opted to open a perfume business in France and a new Professor had been hired in his stead, and this Professor would also be the provisionary head of Slytherin House. Rose should not have been surprised. Gustave Armand had been talking about opening a perfumery since she had been his student; now it looked like he would finally be able to accomplish his dream. The letter had not given any indication as to who would be filling the position. Rose had spent a significant amount of the morning speculating, which had irritated her because it had interrupted her lesson planning.
Oh well, she thought again, she supposed she would find out that night at the Sorting Ceremony. A glance at the clock on her wall assured her that she still had plenty of time to prepare for the ceremony. Rose breathed deeply to calm the sudden butterflies in her stomach. Though she knew that she was as prepared as she could be, she still struggled with bouts of self doubt right at the beginning of the term. She knew from experience that the next day, when she stood in front of her students, the butterflies would disappear and she would attack her job with gusto.
It had been the same when she was a student; 'performance anxiety' her mother had called it. Before any big event, Rose had agonized for days; however, once she had the task in front of her, all her anxiety disappeared and she had been able to complete it with calm precision. Only one other person in her Hogwarts days had been able to rival her cool performances - Scorpius Malfoy. When her father had told her to beat him at every test before getting on the Hogwarts Express that first year, he had never imagined the academic rivalry that would ensue. They had both been intelligent, ambitious, and driven to perform. They had also both been determined to make a name for themselves that set them apart from the legacy of their family. While they had never been enemies, they had never been friends either.
A knock at the door interrupted Rose’s reminiscence. Her shock upon seeing the object of her recent musings standing in her doorway was palpable. Scorpius Malfoy looked just as he had the day they had left Hogwarts nine years earlier. He was tall, well over six feet, and lean. His hair was platinum blonde and stylishly gelled back away from his face, his grey eyes met hers attentively, and his mouth curled into a wry smile. He folded his arms over his chest as he leaned nonchalantly against the door jamb.
“Hello Miss Weasley,” he said in a low voice, and when she did not respond, he continued, “I thought I would come and reintroduce myself. We were at Hogwarts together; I am Scorpius Malfoy and I will be taking the position of Potions professor and provisional head of Slytherin House.”
He came forward and held out his hand in greeting. Rose was no less shocked now that he had finished his introduction, but she somehow forced words out of her mouth as she took his hand. “Of course I remember you, Scorpius. I had no idea that you would be taking the Potions position, but no one could be better. You always had a talent for Potions.” His hand was still warm on hers and she felt her heart thudding an insistent tattoo on her ribs. She slowly drew her hand away and tried to return his smile.
“Yes, I am pleased that Headmaster Cedaac offered me this position.”
“Well,” she fought for words, “you say you will also be the provisional head of Slytherin House?”
“Yes. I was honoured to be asked to take on that duty as well. I understand that your probationary period is over and you are now the official head of Gryffindor.”
“Yes, I am. The time has gone by so quickly. It hardly seems like I have been here five years already.”
“I can imagine.” They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.
“Well,” Rose continued, after making a blatant look at her clock, “I had best get ready for the sorting ceremony. Have you settled into your room yet?”
“Yes, I arrived earlier today. I just came down to settle some things into my office.”
“So you are opting for the office on this floor?”
“Yes,” he responded and smiled again. “While I don’t mind the dungeon, I really prefer natural light while I am working on paperwork.”
“I understand.” Rose paused, again at a loss for words. “Well, I had best be off, or I won’t be ready for the ceremony.”
“May I walk with you? I am going back to my chamber as it is.” He looked hopeful.
“Certainly,” Rose replied, though she felt less than certain as they began to descend from the sixth to the fourth floor side by side, walking in silence. All Hogwarts Professors were housed in individual residences in the castle throughout the school term with the option to maintain it as a permanent residence year round. Most teachers had separate residences, particularly if they were married and had families, like Professor Longbottom, who had chosen not to become head of Gryffindor House because heads of house were required to live in the castle in order to see to the needs of their pupils. As for Scorpius, Rose did not doubt that one of the reasons for hiring him had been that he was a Slytherin. Professor Armand had been the only Hogwarts professor from Slytherin since Professor Slughorn had retired. And now Scorpius was it.
Rose had no illusions as to why no Slytherins of her parent’s generation sought to be professors here at Hogwarts. She remembered well hearing the story of the last battle for Hogwarts when so many students and teachers had stayed to fight Voldemort. But on that day, not one student from Slytherin House had shown the courage or desire to fight for the school. So much bitterness had developed; it was a wonder that Slytherin House had not been disbanded all together. Yet maybe now some of that bitterness was dissipating into faded memories.
Rose reached the door to her room and turned abruptly to face her silent partner. His eyes were on hers, his gaze unwavering. Had he been this handsome in school? She had never really noticed before. In those days, he had been a challenge to overcome and she had had her eye on the prize, outstanding in all her O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T. level courses that would give her the ability to be a professor and perhaps even headmistress someday. She had achieved her first two goals and was well on the way to her third, but the quickening beat of her heart warned her that he may be an obstacle in her path.
“It was very nice to see you again,” she forced out.
“Yes, it was, very nice to see you again,” he gave a small bow with his head. “I will see you at the ceremony.”
With a quick smile, he turned and strode to the door across the hall, entered and shut it without a backwards glance. Rose was left with her mouth hanging open in shock. With robotic motion, she let herself into her room and shut the door. With a loud sigh, she collapsed against it and wondered how she was going to survive the term.
Ch. 2: The Sorting Ceremony
Headmaster Cedaac was very wordy. He went on and on until nearly every person in the room was catatonic. His discourse left more than enough time for Scorpius to ponder his day. His mind went first to his new charges. The sea of faces at the Slytherin table was slightly daunting. Had he and his classmates looked this young and green? They had looked up at him with interest and awe during his introduction, which had been mercifully short. He did not feel nearly as prepared as he would have liked to begin instruction the next day, but he was confident that he would provide superior instruction to that of Gustave Armande. While Professor Armande had been a competent Potions master, he had been obsessed with those that appealed to the sense of smell but had largely ignored healing and protective Potions which were essential for advanced Potion makers but smelled terrible. Scorpius was convinced that his training at St. Mungo’s would serve his students well.
Having talked himself into a state of confidence, Scorpius’ thoughts turned to his encounter with Rose Weasley earlier that afternoon. She was even lovelier than he remembered from their school days, which had been a time of torment for him. He had been aware of her every minute he was in her presence and she had been oblivious. It wasn’t that she had been mean; on the contrary, she had been one of the only people outside of Slytherin House not to treat him like a pariah simply because he was a Malfoy.
Scorpius expected to receive the same treatment now that he was a professor. Times had changed, but old prejudices had not died out completely. He glanced to his left where Rose sat, her head held high, her eyes perusing the students as his had done. He really had thought he was over his school boy crush, but apparently his fascination with her was alive and well, although to his point of view, he really could not be blamed. She had been pretty during their school years; now she was beautiful. Her face was more angular than it had been, the hollows of her cheeks deepened, accentuating her cheekbones. Her skin was still a clear olive with a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were the deepest chocolate and her lips were a delicate pink rose. Her figure was still tall and willowy, though she had rounded lusciously in the hips and breasts. Her hair was still glorious, the color of fire and just as wild.
During their school days, her personality had been her greatest attractive quality. Even at eleven, she had been focused and driven. Without question, she was brilliant, but she had never been content to rest on her laurels. As she had grown, Rose had maintained her integrity, never resorting to simpering or backstabbing. Everyone at Hogwarts had known that if they wanted to hear a true opinion, Rose was the girl. However, she was not tactless; quite the opposite, she was amazingly compassionate. He had seen her on countless occasions tutoring students from all houses in the library over the years and had considered at one point turning in a poor performance so that she would tutor him, but he had decided against it in the end. She would never have believed it anyways, since he was usually her stiffest competition for top marks. If that afternoon was any indication, she remained the same intelligent, kind, and amazing person. He doubted he would be able to stay away from her any more now than he had then.
Students were beginning to fall asleep when the Headmaster finally finished his speech and called for the feast. Students and teachers alike dug in and stuffed themselves gloriously before attempting to engage in conversation.
The noise of voices had become a comfortable rumble during dessert before Scorpius leaned towards Rose and whispered, “So, tell me about Hogwarts.”
“What do you mean?” Rose whispered back, her face puzzled.
“I mean, well, you know,” he faltered. “What has changed since our school days? I want to be prepared.”
“Well, the students are pretty much just like we were.”
“Perfect, then.” He smiled sardonically. Her chuckle was deep and throaty, bringing his heart to a rolling beat, but the expression on his face remained unchanged. They continued in conversation for the remainder of the dinner and except for the low din of conversation around them, it would have been easy to imagine that they were alone in their intimate discussion.
Their ambiance was interrupted by Headmaster Cedaac calling them all to attention. Thankfully he did not launch into another long-winded diatribe but instead sent them all off to bed. The prefects took efficient control of their charges and ushered them out of the hall. Some teachers stayed to mingle and converse with each other, while others wandered off. Rose was now speaking with Professor Longbottom. Scorpius was about to make his escape when she suddenly turned to smile at him and then motioned for him to come.
“Neville, you remember Scorpius, right?” Rose smiled.
“Yes, of course! It is good to see you, Scorpius!” Neville’s smile was full of sincerity and his handshake was firm.
“It is good to see you, too, sir!”
“Now, now, Scorpius! I’ll have none of that! You are a colleague now. Please, call me Neville.”
“Thank you, sir. Uh, I mean Neville!”
“So, Rose tells me that you have done some exceptional work at St. Mungo’s using a variety of American herbs to increase the functionality and potency of several healing potions.” Neville beamed at him. Scorpius could feel the blush invade his face and cursed his pale skin, but his gaze remained steady.
“I have always been interested in furthering the use of potions in healing. I must say si-uh Neville that your N.E.W.T. Herbology class was what really set me on my path.”
“My class? Really?”
“Yes. I almost went for a Ministry career, but the way you taught us to always think about what each plant would eventually be used for gave me the push into potion-making.”
“Well, I thank you for the wonderful compliment. I am sure we will be seeing each other with frequency, and if you need anything, please do not hesitate to let me know. Have a good term, Scorpius. Rose.” Neville headed out of the Great Hall with a spring in his step.
“Well,” Rose began, “shall we head up?”
“Of course,” Scorpius offered his arm and she placed her hand on it lightly, almost hesitantly. They walked slowly and in silence until they reached the door to her room. She turned to smile sweetly up at him. Though he would have given anything in that moment to kiss her, he did not. Instead, he bowed slightly and whispered good night, waiting for her to go into her room before turning to cross to enter his own quarters. With a sigh, he fell into bed and dreamed of her there with him.
Ch. 3: Midnight Flight
The fall term passed quickly. Classes, exams, Quidditch, and House duties were all a blur. Rose could hardly believe that it was already Christmas Holidays. As far as her everyday routine went, it had been her easiest semester so far. Her students had been studious and her House was ahead in points, though they were trailed closely by Scorpius’ Slytherins.
Scorpius. Just the name made her shiver. He had kept her on edge for months. He was unfailingly polite and gentlemanly. They spent hours talking together, putting together study plans, and even patrolling the corridors, looking for wayward students. He had a quick mind and a biting sense of humor. Every evening after dinner, he walked her to her door, whispered good night, and waited for her to enter before setting off across the hall. It was driving her crazy.
The worst part was the dreams. Rose blushed just thinking about them and was instantly glad that she was in her office and did not have to explain or hide her flushed cheeks and suddenly rapid and shallow breaths. She closed her eyes and let the images come.
Scorpius touched her cheeks, his fingertips smooth and gentle against her skin. He kissed her slowly on each check, then each eyelid, slowly making his way towards her lips. With each kiss, her heart beat faster in her chest until at last his lips were on hers, and her heart stopped altogether. His kiss was forceful, his lips hard and insistent, belying the gentle stroke of his hands.
Soon it was too much for Rose and she plunged her hands into his silky hair and leaned into his hard, lean body. He slowly undressed her, whispering in that low, sexy voice that always turned her to mush. He kissed her neck before moving down to worship her breasts with his teeth and tongue. His hands moved down her body, caressing her skin with slow, circular movements.
As his lips returned to hers, his fingers ran through the hair on her mons and plunged into her already wet womanhood. Rose let out a scream as his fingers plunged and circled again and again. Her release broke over her like a tsunami, leaving her wrecked on the shores of desire. Through the haze, she heard him whispering in her ear.
“I love you, Rose. Rose. I love you.”
“Rose?” His voice broke through her dream and she awoke to see his perfect face looming over her, his eyes filled with concern. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I must have dozed off.” Rose struggled to sit up but could not do it without banging foreheads with him, so she stayed put. He was so close that she could smell him and that added to the erotic aftermath of her dream.
“Are you sure you aren’t ill?” He placed his wrist against her forehead to check for a temperature. “Your cheeks are flushed.”
“Yes, well, that is one of the hazards of being a redhead. Can you let me up please?”
“Oh. Yes, of course.” He straightened up and stepped back, offering her his hand. He pulled her to her feet, but standing up so suddenly caused her to feel faint and she stumbled against him. His arms wrapped around her, cradling her for just a moment against his chest before he moved his hands to her elbows and stepped away.
“Maybe I am more tired than I thought,” Rose lied, tears clogging her throat. She fought to keep her voice steady. “I think I had better go up to bed.”
“I’ll walk with you,” he said, taking her arm. Though she wanted to pull away, she didn’t. She walked in silence, breathing deeply. Beside her, Scorpius walked with his eyes straight ahead, his gait steady. When they reached her door, Rose breathed deeply but did not look at him.
“Thank you for walking with me, Scorpius.”
“Rose,” he whispered, turning her face up to his. His thumb caressed her chin. For a moment, she thought that he would close the gap between them, and her breath stilled in her chest. Then suddenly his hand dropped back to his side and he stepped away from her. “I hope you feel better.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, turning quickly and entering her room before he could see the tears gathering in her eyes. The door was not even closed when they were spilling down her cheeks unheeded. She leaned back against it, her chest heaving silently until she heard his footfalls growing fainter. Only when she knew he was gone did she let the keening wail from her heart out as she sank to the floor.
Rose did not know how long she laid there, her body wracked with sobs, but when she had finally cried herself empty, it was dark outside. How could this have happened? How could she have fallen in love with him when it was so obvious that all he wanted was friendship? Why couldn’t her love story be simple like her cousin Victoire’s? Victoire had fallen in love with her best friend, and he had loved her just as passionately. But Scorpius was not Teddy, and it was obvious that he did not love her, passionately or otherwise.
Rose lifted herself weakly off the floor and went to the basin in her washroom. Though her face was refreshed by the water, her heart was still heavy. She needed to get out of the castle, to feel free of the ache in her chest. Though she had not allowed herself the freedom in years, tonight she knew that she needed it more than ever before. Tonight she would fly.
Ch. 4: Fallen
Scorpius lay on his bed, his easy countenance belying the inner turmoil he felt. The knowledge that the woman he wanted more than he had ever wanted anything or anyone was in her bed just across the hall was killing him. Tonight he had nearly broken his own rule and unleashed all of the pent-up passion he had been ruthlessly controlling for months. Then she had looked at him, her eyes revealing a fragility she never allowed anyone to see, and he had stepped back. Losing her friendship would hurt far worse than suffering the constant torment of desire. Because he loved her.
With a deep sigh, he pulled himself up to a sitting position, resting his face in his hands. He needed an escape, and there was only one time when he was free of his turbulent human emotions. He stood and gathered a change of clothing into a bag and shrunk it down. After taking off his clothing and neatly folding it on the bed, he tied the bag in a slipknot around his ankle and stood in front of the open window. Focusing his mind on the owl, Scorpius felt his body begin to change.
He beat his large grey wings, testing himself. His mind was already centered on freedom, but he reached down and yanked the thread of the slipknot to secure the bag around his foot before taking off through the window. He immediately felt the exhilaration of the wind racing past him as he dove down straight then opened his wings wide to soar. He skimmed the surface of the Black Lake before turning and gaining altitude to fly over the Forbidden Forest.
It had taken him until halfway through his sixth year to figure out how to do it. Becoming an Animagus was no small feat, but he had been determined. He had never told anyone about his ability and had never registered with the Ministry of Magic. It had been wonderful to escape from the pressures of classes and the uncertainty of what people thought of him.
As he skimmed the surface of the trees, he saw a white dot swooping over the canopy of the forest, approaching quickly. Scorpius was immediately on the defensive until he saw that it was another owl - a snowy owl. At first he thought it might be one of the school’s owls or a student’s owl; however, as it neared, a feeling of déjà vu came over him. He knew this owl. He had seen it many times flying here during his last year and a half at school. But how could it be the same owl? It had not appeared to change in any way over the past nine years, but that was impossible.
Regardless of the improbability, the owl seemed to know him, too. It swung around in a lazy circle, initiating play just as it had done all those years ago. So they circled and dove and soared together for what seemed like hours. It was exhilarating and soul-cleansing. He had not realized how much he had missed this. Then, just as suddenly, his feeling of calm was gone. Something was not right.
He saw the dark shape plow into the snowy white owl, and then the shadowy specter sped off into the night as the white bird plummeted towards the dark trees of the Forbidden Forest. It was almost as if he was under a compulsion. Scorpius dived through the high canopy and towards the forest floor. As he landed, he transformed back into his human form and turned to enlarge the bag tied to his leg. After dressing hastily, he ran towards the spot where he had seen the bird fall, illuminating the way with his wand. When he saw the pale white foot protruding from behind a tree, it brought him up short.
Scorpius continued with trepidation, unsure of what he would find. Each step revealed to him more of a human body, a beautiful body that was nearly luminescent in the moonlight. Her legs were long and smooth, her belly and hips gently curved, her breasts high and firm. However, it was her face that again stopped him cold in his tracks. It was the face that had been in his dreams nearly every night for the last ten years: Rose Weasley. Almost at once, he had the divergent urges to look away and to continue staring; however, her lack of movement spurred him into motion. He quickly transfigured his bag into a blanket and carefully wrapped her in it, taking stock of any possible injuries. Though he tried to be as clinical as possible, Scorpius could not restrain the shudders that rocked through him with every brush of his fingers against her soft skin.
For the first time since his school days, Scorpius cursed the inability to Apparate within the school grounds. They were far into the forest and it would take several hours and considerable stealth to get back to the castle. After assuring that Rose was in a safe and comfortable position and without any serious injuries, Scorpius levitated her and set off carefully though the dark forest. Had he not been so on edge due to the danger of the situation and his worry for Rose’s health, he might have laughed; she looked like a floating burrito. However, Scorpius could not allow himself to become distracted by levities. He moved with more deliberation and determination than a person Apparating. When the trees finally began to thin and the castle came into view, he sighed with relief and his breathing resumed its normal pattern.
Scorpius knew from experience that the castle would be locked up tight at this hour and, while there was no Filch to terrorize him, he had no desire to explain why he was carrying a naked and unconscious Rose Weasley into the castle at an ungodly hour of the night. Instead, he skirted along the rim of the forest until he came upon the abandoned hut that had once belonged to the giant Hagrid. The new gamekeeper chose to sleep inside the castle and had made no move in the last nine years to remove the hut. The place was overrun with dust and spiderwebs, but a quick Evanesco left it clean and sparkling.
The hut was exactly as it had been when Hagrid lived there. The one room contained all the necessary items of a kitchen, dining room, and bedroom, and everything was incredibly large. Scorpius lay Rose gently on the bed and proceeded to do a more thorough examination of her person, trying to determine the origin of injury that had left her unconscious. Other than scrapes and a large bump on her temple, she seemed physically okay. He wet a towel that he discovered in the kitchen area of the room and gently bathed her face. After several attempts, both magical and non-magical, to revive her with no change in her condition, Scorpius gave up. There seemed to be nothing holding her in this unconscious state. He performed a spell to monitor her health, then he lay down next to her and settled into a restless sleep.
Morning came swiftly and Scorpius arose to find Rose’s condition unchanged. He immediately cast a Disillusionment Charm on them both and levitated Rose to the castle. It took considerable concentration to hold both spells simultaneously, and he let out a deep sigh of relief when they reached his room.
Until that point, Scorpius had not considered that Rose might also be hiding the fact that she was an Animagus. This left him with limited options. He could take her to Healer Fue in the infirmary or transport her immediately to St. Mungo's. Either way, the Headmaster would have to be informed and both of their secrets would be found out. His only other choice would be to heal her himself.
It took him all of one minute to decide on the last option and turned them both towards his quarters. They had luck on their side. The professors who had stayed at Hogwarts were not likely to notice their absence, and Headmaster Ceedac was overseas until the end of the holiday. Almost all of the students had gone home as well. In fact, between the four Houses, only three students had remained at the school. However, Scorpius knew that even had the circumstances not been so favorable, he would have taken the risk of hiding her to protect their mutual secrets.
Ch. 5: Sainthood
By the end of day two, Scorpius had decided that he should be on the Vatican’s short list for sainthood. Taking care of Rose had been much more difficult than he could have imagined. First of all, he had struggled to figure out what in the devil was wrong with her. She had no physical injuries and no magical remedies had been able to revive her. It was as if she was trapped in sleep, like that Sleeping Beauty character from Muggle fairytales. He had even contemplated kissing her to see if that would rouse her, but the mere thought made him sweat profusely.
In fact, he had been sweating nearly non-stop since bringing her into his room. How had he thought that he could have her here and not be turned on nearly every second? Especially now, with the first light of the morning glowing softly against her pale skin and turning her auburn curls to fire. The first day had been the worst. Since she had been completely naked other than the robe he had wrapped her in the night before, he had had to break into her room. Though finding her clothing had been no problem, changing her had been torture. He had tried to be clinical about it, but her skin had been gloriously soft and her figure just as gorgeous as he had remembered from the night before.
Sleeping had become nearly impossible. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her naked body. When he dreamed, he dreamed of her coming to him, warm and welcoming, fulfilling every fantasy he had ever had about her. It was worse than it had ever been before. In his dreams, she told him that she loved him, that she needed him.
Scorpius kept up a good front, claiming the need to prepare for classes and get ahead for the term. As for Rose, she had an airtight alibi thanks to an owl sent to Professor Marion, head of Ravenclaw house, explaining that Rose had been called away on family business and would be out for an unknown period of time but would return before the commencement of classes. No one missed either of them.
That night she began to scream. The Muffliato charm he put on the room almost immediately would keep her from being heard for a short period, but trying to sustain it was going to be difficult. Scorpius knew he had to do something and he had to do it fast. He grabbed Rose by the shoulders and tried everything from shaking her to holding her tight against his chest and rocking her. Nothing seemed to faze her.
Desperate to comfort her, Scorpius smoothed back the hair off her face and began to sing a lullaby. He rocked her and sang and caressed her face for what felt like hours. He placed gentle kisses against her face, his lips tasting her tears. Without thinking, he brought his lips down to hers. Her screams were momentarily muffled by his lips on hers before she abruptly went still again. He was so shocked by the suddenly warm flavor of her that he did not notice the way her lips began clinging to his.
She was everything he had ever wanted. He ran his fingers through her fiery curls, his mind melted by the passion that he felt from her and the gentle response of her lips. He could have gone on kissing her forever. Her fingers plunged into his hair and he heard her groan. Shocked, he started to pull back, but she dragged his lips back to hers, her mouth opening under his. What was left of his brain leaked out of his ears as he pulled her body flush with his and took the kiss deeper.
“Rose,” his voice was husky with emotion. He pulled back to look into her eyes. She stared back at him, her eyes showing the warring emotions of desire and confusion. Though he knew he should stop, he continued to stroke her face and hair. He just could not break his contact with her yet.
“Scorpius, where were you?” her voice was scratchy from lack of use, but the sound rasped over his heart and ignited fires throughout his body.
“I’ve been here, Rose. I’ve been here with you.”
“No, I was in the dark. I was looking for you, but I couldn’t find you. I felt, I felt - ” she could not continue as the tears began to fall. Rose never cried. He could not stop himself from kissing her tears away. He pulled her close and cradled her against his chest until her breathing returned to normal.
“Rose, you have been unconscious for nearly three days. What do you remember?”
“I remember…” She faltered again. After a deep breath, she continued. “I remember you walking me to my room. You say it was days ago, but it seems like just a few hours ago to me.”
“You have no memory after that.”
“No,” she replied, but he knew that she was not telling the truth because she was biting her lower lip. She always bit her lower lip when she was not being honest.
“Rose, I have to tell you something that I have never told another person. During our sixth year, I managed to transform myself into an owl.” She gasped and her eyes widened perceptibly.
“What?” she whispered.
“I am an Animagus. I have never registered with the Ministry.”
“But-“
“Let me finish, Rose.” She nodded her head in ascent. “Two nights ago I felt the need to fly again, so I changed and set out over the Forbidden Forest. I met a snowy owl. It was knocked out of the sky and when I went to help, I found you. When did you become an Animagus, Rose?”
“Fifth year.” Her voice was still barely above a whisper.
“Does anyone know?”
“No, not even my parents. No one even suspected.” Her voice grew stronger now, as if she were coming back to herself. “I never registered either. It was something that I did just for me. I haven’t really transformed much since school. But I felt, I mean, I needed to the other night.”
They were each silent, contemplative, yet still wrapped together. Scorpius continued to play with the ends of her hair. He could feel her hands caressing his back and her breasts crushed against his chest.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you need to? I thought you were sick that night.” She was biting her lip again. “Just tell me the truth. Please, Rosie. Please”
“Scorpius, I . . . I am afraid. I don’t want to tell you.”
“You have never been afraid of anything in your life.”
“Never, until now.”
“Rose,” Scorpius turned her face up to his. The time had come, he knew it. “I have to confess something else. I love you, Rose.”
Ch. 6: Love requited
“What?” she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes.
“I love you.”
Rose was speechless. He loved her! Her breath began to come in swift bursts. She couldn’t get a thought to hold in her brain other than his words, the three words she had craved but had thought she would never hear from him.
“Scorpius,” she finally managed, “I wasn’t sick the other night, I was miserable. I thought you would never see me as anything more than a friend and I . . . I love you.”
She clasped her hands on his face and pulled him to her. Their kiss tasted of mutual relief and passion unfurling. His hands were wide and firm against her back, pressing her even closer as if they could merge together. Her hands caressed his face and hair while his lips and tongue warred with hers.
He laid her back against the pillows, never losing contact with her mouth. Rose felt his hand moving around her side and her heart began to beat an uneven tattoo. The higher his hand travelled, the harder her heart beat. When his knuckles grazed the underside of her breast, she nearly came off the bed.
She felt his smile against her lips as he spread his fingers out to massage her whole breast. Her back bowed and she let out a moan. Her body was on fire. His lips never left hers as he caressed her body with more patience than she ever thought possible. His fingers played with the buttons of her pajama top.
“I want you so much, Rose,” he whispered into her ear, “but I want you to be sure.”
“Please, Scorpius. I feel like I have been in the dark waiting for years for you.”
Her words seemed to be all the encouragement he needed. She was quickly divested of her garments. His hands were hot against her skin, kindling a raging inferno. His body pressed like heated steel against hers as he drove her up over the first crest. Then he was there, filling her, taking her up again. Her whole body coiled as she wrapped herself around him, wanting to become a part of him. Then suddenly stars burst behind her eyes and she was falling. Above her, she felt Scorpius’ body bow, then he collapsed against her.
His breath caressed her neck and all Rose could think was how wonderful Scorpius felt in her arms. Could she really have everything that she wanted? Just two days before she had been convinced he could never love her.
“You are thinking so hard, my head is hurting. What’s wrong, my love?”
“Nothing. Nothing is wrong.” She looked up into his beautiful grey eyes and smiled. “Everything is so right, I am afraid that maybe I didn’t wake up after all.”
“Then I hope we never wake up because I could never be as happy in the real world as I am in your arms. Do you know what a hell I have lived in since I walked into your office? I have wanted you every second since.”
“Every second? Really, Scorpius!”
“No really! I fancied you when we were in school, but your whole family was so intimidating, I never dared to make a move!”
“My family was not intimidating!”
“You were the most intimidating of them all!”
“Oh, please! You were so cool; I can’t believe that you pined in unrequited love.”
“Not so unrequited now,” he smirked and ran his hand over her bare hip and buttocks as if to illustrate the point. She could not hold in her laughter.
“Well, you can’t tell me that you have been pining since then! I won’t believe it!”
“No, I languished for about a year and then decided that I had to resign myself to a life without you. I had nearly convinced myself that I hadn’t really been in love with you; but then I saw you sitting at your desk and it began all over again. I can’t help but love you, Rose.”
“I love you, Scorpius.” Tears spilled over her cheeks. Rose had never been so happy. Her perfect love story was happening after all.
Author: morrigane13
Gift For: Severely_Lupine
Summary: Rose Weasley is on her way to completing her aspirations. Then Scorpius Malfoy arrives on the scene and disrupts her well laid plans.
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: het, sexual content
Word Count: 6,800
Author's Note: A huge thank you to my beta the fantastic and wonderful queenb23. *hugs*
Ch. 1: The new Hogwarts Professor
Rose Weasley sighed with satisfaction as she sat in her office preparing her lessons for the year. Since taking over for Professor McGonagall five years previously, Rose had spent countless hours perfecting her teaching methods and lesson plans until she felt certain that she was offering her students a path to magical success in Transfiguration. Of course, there were always those students who excelled beyond the others and those who struggled seemingly in vain. Rose’s goal was to help and challenge them all.
There would be significant changes in the coming years. Headmaster Cedaac had sent an owl that morning informing Rose that she would be the new head of Gryffindor House now that her provisionary period was over and that there would be another change in staffing this year. Professor Armand, the Potions instructor, had opted to open a perfume business in France and a new Professor had been hired in his stead, and this Professor would also be the provisionary head of Slytherin House. Rose should not have been surprised. Gustave Armand had been talking about opening a perfumery since she had been his student; now it looked like he would finally be able to accomplish his dream. The letter had not given any indication as to who would be filling the position. Rose had spent a significant amount of the morning speculating, which had irritated her because it had interrupted her lesson planning.
Oh well, she thought again, she supposed she would find out that night at the Sorting Ceremony. A glance at the clock on her wall assured her that she still had plenty of time to prepare for the ceremony. Rose breathed deeply to calm the sudden butterflies in her stomach. Though she knew that she was as prepared as she could be, she still struggled with bouts of self doubt right at the beginning of the term. She knew from experience that the next day, when she stood in front of her students, the butterflies would disappear and she would attack her job with gusto.
It had been the same when she was a student; 'performance anxiety' her mother had called it. Before any big event, Rose had agonized for days; however, once she had the task in front of her, all her anxiety disappeared and she had been able to complete it with calm precision. Only one other person in her Hogwarts days had been able to rival her cool performances - Scorpius Malfoy. When her father had told her to beat him at every test before getting on the Hogwarts Express that first year, he had never imagined the academic rivalry that would ensue. They had both been intelligent, ambitious, and driven to perform. They had also both been determined to make a name for themselves that set them apart from the legacy of their family. While they had never been enemies, they had never been friends either.
A knock at the door interrupted Rose’s reminiscence. Her shock upon seeing the object of her recent musings standing in her doorway was palpable. Scorpius Malfoy looked just as he had the day they had left Hogwarts nine years earlier. He was tall, well over six feet, and lean. His hair was platinum blonde and stylishly gelled back away from his face, his grey eyes met hers attentively, and his mouth curled into a wry smile. He folded his arms over his chest as he leaned nonchalantly against the door jamb.
“Hello Miss Weasley,” he said in a low voice, and when she did not respond, he continued, “I thought I would come and reintroduce myself. We were at Hogwarts together; I am Scorpius Malfoy and I will be taking the position of Potions professor and provisional head of Slytherin House.”
He came forward and held out his hand in greeting. Rose was no less shocked now that he had finished his introduction, but she somehow forced words out of her mouth as she took his hand. “Of course I remember you, Scorpius. I had no idea that you would be taking the Potions position, but no one could be better. You always had a talent for Potions.” His hand was still warm on hers and she felt her heart thudding an insistent tattoo on her ribs. She slowly drew her hand away and tried to return his smile.
“Yes, I am pleased that Headmaster Cedaac offered me this position.”
“Well,” she fought for words, “you say you will also be the provisional head of Slytherin House?”
“Yes. I was honoured to be asked to take on that duty as well. I understand that your probationary period is over and you are now the official head of Gryffindor.”
“Yes, I am. The time has gone by so quickly. It hardly seems like I have been here five years already.”
“I can imagine.” They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.
“Well,” Rose continued, after making a blatant look at her clock, “I had best get ready for the sorting ceremony. Have you settled into your room yet?”
“Yes, I arrived earlier today. I just came down to settle some things into my office.”
“So you are opting for the office on this floor?”
“Yes,” he responded and smiled again. “While I don’t mind the dungeon, I really prefer natural light while I am working on paperwork.”
“I understand.” Rose paused, again at a loss for words. “Well, I had best be off, or I won’t be ready for the ceremony.”
“May I walk with you? I am going back to my chamber as it is.” He looked hopeful.
“Certainly,” Rose replied, though she felt less than certain as they began to descend from the sixth to the fourth floor side by side, walking in silence. All Hogwarts Professors were housed in individual residences in the castle throughout the school term with the option to maintain it as a permanent residence year round. Most teachers had separate residences, particularly if they were married and had families, like Professor Longbottom, who had chosen not to become head of Gryffindor House because heads of house were required to live in the castle in order to see to the needs of their pupils. As for Scorpius, Rose did not doubt that one of the reasons for hiring him had been that he was a Slytherin. Professor Armand had been the only Hogwarts professor from Slytherin since Professor Slughorn had retired. And now Scorpius was it.
Rose had no illusions as to why no Slytherins of her parent’s generation sought to be professors here at Hogwarts. She remembered well hearing the story of the last battle for Hogwarts when so many students and teachers had stayed to fight Voldemort. But on that day, not one student from Slytherin House had shown the courage or desire to fight for the school. So much bitterness had developed; it was a wonder that Slytherin House had not been disbanded all together. Yet maybe now some of that bitterness was dissipating into faded memories.
Rose reached the door to her room and turned abruptly to face her silent partner. His eyes were on hers, his gaze unwavering. Had he been this handsome in school? She had never really noticed before. In those days, he had been a challenge to overcome and she had had her eye on the prize, outstanding in all her O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T. level courses that would give her the ability to be a professor and perhaps even headmistress someday. She had achieved her first two goals and was well on the way to her third, but the quickening beat of her heart warned her that he may be an obstacle in her path.
“It was very nice to see you again,” she forced out.
“Yes, it was, very nice to see you again,” he gave a small bow with his head. “I will see you at the ceremony.”
With a quick smile, he turned and strode to the door across the hall, entered and shut it without a backwards glance. Rose was left with her mouth hanging open in shock. With robotic motion, she let herself into her room and shut the door. With a loud sigh, she collapsed against it and wondered how she was going to survive the term.
Ch. 2: The Sorting Ceremony
Headmaster Cedaac was very wordy. He went on and on until nearly every person in the room was catatonic. His discourse left more than enough time for Scorpius to ponder his day. His mind went first to his new charges. The sea of faces at the Slytherin table was slightly daunting. Had he and his classmates looked this young and green? They had looked up at him with interest and awe during his introduction, which had been mercifully short. He did not feel nearly as prepared as he would have liked to begin instruction the next day, but he was confident that he would provide superior instruction to that of Gustave Armande. While Professor Armande had been a competent Potions master, he had been obsessed with those that appealed to the sense of smell but had largely ignored healing and protective Potions which were essential for advanced Potion makers but smelled terrible. Scorpius was convinced that his training at St. Mungo’s would serve his students well.
Having talked himself into a state of confidence, Scorpius’ thoughts turned to his encounter with Rose Weasley earlier that afternoon. She was even lovelier than he remembered from their school days, which had been a time of torment for him. He had been aware of her every minute he was in her presence and she had been oblivious. It wasn’t that she had been mean; on the contrary, she had been one of the only people outside of Slytherin House not to treat him like a pariah simply because he was a Malfoy.
Scorpius expected to receive the same treatment now that he was a professor. Times had changed, but old prejudices had not died out completely. He glanced to his left where Rose sat, her head held high, her eyes perusing the students as his had done. He really had thought he was over his school boy crush, but apparently his fascination with her was alive and well, although to his point of view, he really could not be blamed. She had been pretty during their school years; now she was beautiful. Her face was more angular than it had been, the hollows of her cheeks deepened, accentuating her cheekbones. Her skin was still a clear olive with a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were the deepest chocolate and her lips were a delicate pink rose. Her figure was still tall and willowy, though she had rounded lusciously in the hips and breasts. Her hair was still glorious, the color of fire and just as wild.
During their school days, her personality had been her greatest attractive quality. Even at eleven, she had been focused and driven. Without question, she was brilliant, but she had never been content to rest on her laurels. As she had grown, Rose had maintained her integrity, never resorting to simpering or backstabbing. Everyone at Hogwarts had known that if they wanted to hear a true opinion, Rose was the girl. However, she was not tactless; quite the opposite, she was amazingly compassionate. He had seen her on countless occasions tutoring students from all houses in the library over the years and had considered at one point turning in a poor performance so that she would tutor him, but he had decided against it in the end. She would never have believed it anyways, since he was usually her stiffest competition for top marks. If that afternoon was any indication, she remained the same intelligent, kind, and amazing person. He doubted he would be able to stay away from her any more now than he had then.
Students were beginning to fall asleep when the Headmaster finally finished his speech and called for the feast. Students and teachers alike dug in and stuffed themselves gloriously before attempting to engage in conversation.
The noise of voices had become a comfortable rumble during dessert before Scorpius leaned towards Rose and whispered, “So, tell me about Hogwarts.”
“What do you mean?” Rose whispered back, her face puzzled.
“I mean, well, you know,” he faltered. “What has changed since our school days? I want to be prepared.”
“Well, the students are pretty much just like we were.”
“Perfect, then.” He smiled sardonically. Her chuckle was deep and throaty, bringing his heart to a rolling beat, but the expression on his face remained unchanged. They continued in conversation for the remainder of the dinner and except for the low din of conversation around them, it would have been easy to imagine that they were alone in their intimate discussion.
Their ambiance was interrupted by Headmaster Cedaac calling them all to attention. Thankfully he did not launch into another long-winded diatribe but instead sent them all off to bed. The prefects took efficient control of their charges and ushered them out of the hall. Some teachers stayed to mingle and converse with each other, while others wandered off. Rose was now speaking with Professor Longbottom. Scorpius was about to make his escape when she suddenly turned to smile at him and then motioned for him to come.
“Neville, you remember Scorpius, right?” Rose smiled.
“Yes, of course! It is good to see you, Scorpius!” Neville’s smile was full of sincerity and his handshake was firm.
“It is good to see you, too, sir!”
“Now, now, Scorpius! I’ll have none of that! You are a colleague now. Please, call me Neville.”
“Thank you, sir. Uh, I mean Neville!”
“So, Rose tells me that you have done some exceptional work at St. Mungo’s using a variety of American herbs to increase the functionality and potency of several healing potions.” Neville beamed at him. Scorpius could feel the blush invade his face and cursed his pale skin, but his gaze remained steady.
“I have always been interested in furthering the use of potions in healing. I must say si-uh Neville that your N.E.W.T. Herbology class was what really set me on my path.”
“My class? Really?”
“Yes. I almost went for a Ministry career, but the way you taught us to always think about what each plant would eventually be used for gave me the push into potion-making.”
“Well, I thank you for the wonderful compliment. I am sure we will be seeing each other with frequency, and if you need anything, please do not hesitate to let me know. Have a good term, Scorpius. Rose.” Neville headed out of the Great Hall with a spring in his step.
“Well,” Rose began, “shall we head up?”
“Of course,” Scorpius offered his arm and she placed her hand on it lightly, almost hesitantly. They walked slowly and in silence until they reached the door to her room. She turned to smile sweetly up at him. Though he would have given anything in that moment to kiss her, he did not. Instead, he bowed slightly and whispered good night, waiting for her to go into her room before turning to cross to enter his own quarters. With a sigh, he fell into bed and dreamed of her there with him.
Ch. 3: Midnight Flight
The fall term passed quickly. Classes, exams, Quidditch, and House duties were all a blur. Rose could hardly believe that it was already Christmas Holidays. As far as her everyday routine went, it had been her easiest semester so far. Her students had been studious and her House was ahead in points, though they were trailed closely by Scorpius’ Slytherins.
Scorpius. Just the name made her shiver. He had kept her on edge for months. He was unfailingly polite and gentlemanly. They spent hours talking together, putting together study plans, and even patrolling the corridors, looking for wayward students. He had a quick mind and a biting sense of humor. Every evening after dinner, he walked her to her door, whispered good night, and waited for her to enter before setting off across the hall. It was driving her crazy.
The worst part was the dreams. Rose blushed just thinking about them and was instantly glad that she was in her office and did not have to explain or hide her flushed cheeks and suddenly rapid and shallow breaths. She closed her eyes and let the images come.
Scorpius touched her cheeks, his fingertips smooth and gentle against her skin. He kissed her slowly on each check, then each eyelid, slowly making his way towards her lips. With each kiss, her heart beat faster in her chest until at last his lips were on hers, and her heart stopped altogether. His kiss was forceful, his lips hard and insistent, belying the gentle stroke of his hands.
Soon it was too much for Rose and she plunged her hands into his silky hair and leaned into his hard, lean body. He slowly undressed her, whispering in that low, sexy voice that always turned her to mush. He kissed her neck before moving down to worship her breasts with his teeth and tongue. His hands moved down her body, caressing her skin with slow, circular movements.
As his lips returned to hers, his fingers ran through the hair on her mons and plunged into her already wet womanhood. Rose let out a scream as his fingers plunged and circled again and again. Her release broke over her like a tsunami, leaving her wrecked on the shores of desire. Through the haze, she heard him whispering in her ear.
“I love you, Rose. Rose. I love you.”
“Rose?” His voice broke through her dream and she awoke to see his perfect face looming over her, his eyes filled with concern. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I must have dozed off.” Rose struggled to sit up but could not do it without banging foreheads with him, so she stayed put. He was so close that she could smell him and that added to the erotic aftermath of her dream.
“Are you sure you aren’t ill?” He placed his wrist against her forehead to check for a temperature. “Your cheeks are flushed.”
“Yes, well, that is one of the hazards of being a redhead. Can you let me up please?”
“Oh. Yes, of course.” He straightened up and stepped back, offering her his hand. He pulled her to her feet, but standing up so suddenly caused her to feel faint and she stumbled against him. His arms wrapped around her, cradling her for just a moment against his chest before he moved his hands to her elbows and stepped away.
“Maybe I am more tired than I thought,” Rose lied, tears clogging her throat. She fought to keep her voice steady. “I think I had better go up to bed.”
“I’ll walk with you,” he said, taking her arm. Though she wanted to pull away, she didn’t. She walked in silence, breathing deeply. Beside her, Scorpius walked with his eyes straight ahead, his gait steady. When they reached her door, Rose breathed deeply but did not look at him.
“Thank you for walking with me, Scorpius.”
“Rose,” he whispered, turning her face up to his. His thumb caressed her chin. For a moment, she thought that he would close the gap between them, and her breath stilled in her chest. Then suddenly his hand dropped back to his side and he stepped away from her. “I hope you feel better.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, turning quickly and entering her room before he could see the tears gathering in her eyes. The door was not even closed when they were spilling down her cheeks unheeded. She leaned back against it, her chest heaving silently until she heard his footfalls growing fainter. Only when she knew he was gone did she let the keening wail from her heart out as she sank to the floor.
Rose did not know how long she laid there, her body wracked with sobs, but when she had finally cried herself empty, it was dark outside. How could this have happened? How could she have fallen in love with him when it was so obvious that all he wanted was friendship? Why couldn’t her love story be simple like her cousin Victoire’s? Victoire had fallen in love with her best friend, and he had loved her just as passionately. But Scorpius was not Teddy, and it was obvious that he did not love her, passionately or otherwise.
Rose lifted herself weakly off the floor and went to the basin in her washroom. Though her face was refreshed by the water, her heart was still heavy. She needed to get out of the castle, to feel free of the ache in her chest. Though she had not allowed herself the freedom in years, tonight she knew that she needed it more than ever before. Tonight she would fly.
Ch. 4: Fallen
Scorpius lay on his bed, his easy countenance belying the inner turmoil he felt. The knowledge that the woman he wanted more than he had ever wanted anything or anyone was in her bed just across the hall was killing him. Tonight he had nearly broken his own rule and unleashed all of the pent-up passion he had been ruthlessly controlling for months. Then she had looked at him, her eyes revealing a fragility she never allowed anyone to see, and he had stepped back. Losing her friendship would hurt far worse than suffering the constant torment of desire. Because he loved her.
With a deep sigh, he pulled himself up to a sitting position, resting his face in his hands. He needed an escape, and there was only one time when he was free of his turbulent human emotions. He stood and gathered a change of clothing into a bag and shrunk it down. After taking off his clothing and neatly folding it on the bed, he tied the bag in a slipknot around his ankle and stood in front of the open window. Focusing his mind on the owl, Scorpius felt his body begin to change.
He beat his large grey wings, testing himself. His mind was already centered on freedom, but he reached down and yanked the thread of the slipknot to secure the bag around his foot before taking off through the window. He immediately felt the exhilaration of the wind racing past him as he dove down straight then opened his wings wide to soar. He skimmed the surface of the Black Lake before turning and gaining altitude to fly over the Forbidden Forest.
It had taken him until halfway through his sixth year to figure out how to do it. Becoming an Animagus was no small feat, but he had been determined. He had never told anyone about his ability and had never registered with the Ministry of Magic. It had been wonderful to escape from the pressures of classes and the uncertainty of what people thought of him.
As he skimmed the surface of the trees, he saw a white dot swooping over the canopy of the forest, approaching quickly. Scorpius was immediately on the defensive until he saw that it was another owl - a snowy owl. At first he thought it might be one of the school’s owls or a student’s owl; however, as it neared, a feeling of déjà vu came over him. He knew this owl. He had seen it many times flying here during his last year and a half at school. But how could it be the same owl? It had not appeared to change in any way over the past nine years, but that was impossible.
Regardless of the improbability, the owl seemed to know him, too. It swung around in a lazy circle, initiating play just as it had done all those years ago. So they circled and dove and soared together for what seemed like hours. It was exhilarating and soul-cleansing. He had not realized how much he had missed this. Then, just as suddenly, his feeling of calm was gone. Something was not right.
He saw the dark shape plow into the snowy white owl, and then the shadowy specter sped off into the night as the white bird plummeted towards the dark trees of the Forbidden Forest. It was almost as if he was under a compulsion. Scorpius dived through the high canopy and towards the forest floor. As he landed, he transformed back into his human form and turned to enlarge the bag tied to his leg. After dressing hastily, he ran towards the spot where he had seen the bird fall, illuminating the way with his wand. When he saw the pale white foot protruding from behind a tree, it brought him up short.
Scorpius continued with trepidation, unsure of what he would find. Each step revealed to him more of a human body, a beautiful body that was nearly luminescent in the moonlight. Her legs were long and smooth, her belly and hips gently curved, her breasts high and firm. However, it was her face that again stopped him cold in his tracks. It was the face that had been in his dreams nearly every night for the last ten years: Rose Weasley. Almost at once, he had the divergent urges to look away and to continue staring; however, her lack of movement spurred him into motion. He quickly transfigured his bag into a blanket and carefully wrapped her in it, taking stock of any possible injuries. Though he tried to be as clinical as possible, Scorpius could not restrain the shudders that rocked through him with every brush of his fingers against her soft skin.
For the first time since his school days, Scorpius cursed the inability to Apparate within the school grounds. They were far into the forest and it would take several hours and considerable stealth to get back to the castle. After assuring that Rose was in a safe and comfortable position and without any serious injuries, Scorpius levitated her and set off carefully though the dark forest. Had he not been so on edge due to the danger of the situation and his worry for Rose’s health, he might have laughed; she looked like a floating burrito. However, Scorpius could not allow himself to become distracted by levities. He moved with more deliberation and determination than a person Apparating. When the trees finally began to thin and the castle came into view, he sighed with relief and his breathing resumed its normal pattern.
Scorpius knew from experience that the castle would be locked up tight at this hour and, while there was no Filch to terrorize him, he had no desire to explain why he was carrying a naked and unconscious Rose Weasley into the castle at an ungodly hour of the night. Instead, he skirted along the rim of the forest until he came upon the abandoned hut that had once belonged to the giant Hagrid. The new gamekeeper chose to sleep inside the castle and had made no move in the last nine years to remove the hut. The place was overrun with dust and spiderwebs, but a quick Evanesco left it clean and sparkling.
The hut was exactly as it had been when Hagrid lived there. The one room contained all the necessary items of a kitchen, dining room, and bedroom, and everything was incredibly large. Scorpius lay Rose gently on the bed and proceeded to do a more thorough examination of her person, trying to determine the origin of injury that had left her unconscious. Other than scrapes and a large bump on her temple, she seemed physically okay. He wet a towel that he discovered in the kitchen area of the room and gently bathed her face. After several attempts, both magical and non-magical, to revive her with no change in her condition, Scorpius gave up. There seemed to be nothing holding her in this unconscious state. He performed a spell to monitor her health, then he lay down next to her and settled into a restless sleep.
Morning came swiftly and Scorpius arose to find Rose’s condition unchanged. He immediately cast a Disillusionment Charm on them both and levitated Rose to the castle. It took considerable concentration to hold both spells simultaneously, and he let out a deep sigh of relief when they reached his room.
Until that point, Scorpius had not considered that Rose might also be hiding the fact that she was an Animagus. This left him with limited options. He could take her to Healer Fue in the infirmary or transport her immediately to St. Mungo's. Either way, the Headmaster would have to be informed and both of their secrets would be found out. His only other choice would be to heal her himself.
It took him all of one minute to decide on the last option and turned them both towards his quarters. They had luck on their side. The professors who had stayed at Hogwarts were not likely to notice their absence, and Headmaster Ceedac was overseas until the end of the holiday. Almost all of the students had gone home as well. In fact, between the four Houses, only three students had remained at the school. However, Scorpius knew that even had the circumstances not been so favorable, he would have taken the risk of hiding her to protect their mutual secrets.
Ch. 5: Sainthood
By the end of day two, Scorpius had decided that he should be on the Vatican’s short list for sainthood. Taking care of Rose had been much more difficult than he could have imagined. First of all, he had struggled to figure out what in the devil was wrong with her. She had no physical injuries and no magical remedies had been able to revive her. It was as if she was trapped in sleep, like that Sleeping Beauty character from Muggle fairytales. He had even contemplated kissing her to see if that would rouse her, but the mere thought made him sweat profusely.
In fact, he had been sweating nearly non-stop since bringing her into his room. How had he thought that he could have her here and not be turned on nearly every second? Especially now, with the first light of the morning glowing softly against her pale skin and turning her auburn curls to fire. The first day had been the worst. Since she had been completely naked other than the robe he had wrapped her in the night before, he had had to break into her room. Though finding her clothing had been no problem, changing her had been torture. He had tried to be clinical about it, but her skin had been gloriously soft and her figure just as gorgeous as he had remembered from the night before.
Sleeping had become nearly impossible. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her naked body. When he dreamed, he dreamed of her coming to him, warm and welcoming, fulfilling every fantasy he had ever had about her. It was worse than it had ever been before. In his dreams, she told him that she loved him, that she needed him.
Scorpius kept up a good front, claiming the need to prepare for classes and get ahead for the term. As for Rose, she had an airtight alibi thanks to an owl sent to Professor Marion, head of Ravenclaw house, explaining that Rose had been called away on family business and would be out for an unknown period of time but would return before the commencement of classes. No one missed either of them.
That night she began to scream. The Muffliato charm he put on the room almost immediately would keep her from being heard for a short period, but trying to sustain it was going to be difficult. Scorpius knew he had to do something and he had to do it fast. He grabbed Rose by the shoulders and tried everything from shaking her to holding her tight against his chest and rocking her. Nothing seemed to faze her.
Desperate to comfort her, Scorpius smoothed back the hair off her face and began to sing a lullaby. He rocked her and sang and caressed her face for what felt like hours. He placed gentle kisses against her face, his lips tasting her tears. Without thinking, he brought his lips down to hers. Her screams were momentarily muffled by his lips on hers before she abruptly went still again. He was so shocked by the suddenly warm flavor of her that he did not notice the way her lips began clinging to his.
She was everything he had ever wanted. He ran his fingers through her fiery curls, his mind melted by the passion that he felt from her and the gentle response of her lips. He could have gone on kissing her forever. Her fingers plunged into his hair and he heard her groan. Shocked, he started to pull back, but she dragged his lips back to hers, her mouth opening under his. What was left of his brain leaked out of his ears as he pulled her body flush with his and took the kiss deeper.
“Rose,” his voice was husky with emotion. He pulled back to look into her eyes. She stared back at him, her eyes showing the warring emotions of desire and confusion. Though he knew he should stop, he continued to stroke her face and hair. He just could not break his contact with her yet.
“Scorpius, where were you?” her voice was scratchy from lack of use, but the sound rasped over his heart and ignited fires throughout his body.
“I’ve been here, Rose. I’ve been here with you.”
“No, I was in the dark. I was looking for you, but I couldn’t find you. I felt, I felt - ” she could not continue as the tears began to fall. Rose never cried. He could not stop himself from kissing her tears away. He pulled her close and cradled her against his chest until her breathing returned to normal.
“Rose, you have been unconscious for nearly three days. What do you remember?”
“I remember…” She faltered again. After a deep breath, she continued. “I remember you walking me to my room. You say it was days ago, but it seems like just a few hours ago to me.”
“You have no memory after that.”
“No,” she replied, but he knew that she was not telling the truth because she was biting her lower lip. She always bit her lower lip when she was not being honest.
“Rose, I have to tell you something that I have never told another person. During our sixth year, I managed to transform myself into an owl.” She gasped and her eyes widened perceptibly.
“What?” she whispered.
“I am an Animagus. I have never registered with the Ministry.”
“But-“
“Let me finish, Rose.” She nodded her head in ascent. “Two nights ago I felt the need to fly again, so I changed and set out over the Forbidden Forest. I met a snowy owl. It was knocked out of the sky and when I went to help, I found you. When did you become an Animagus, Rose?”
“Fifth year.” Her voice was still barely above a whisper.
“Does anyone know?”
“No, not even my parents. No one even suspected.” Her voice grew stronger now, as if she were coming back to herself. “I never registered either. It was something that I did just for me. I haven’t really transformed much since school. But I felt, I mean, I needed to the other night.”
They were each silent, contemplative, yet still wrapped together. Scorpius continued to play with the ends of her hair. He could feel her hands caressing his back and her breasts crushed against his chest.
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you need to? I thought you were sick that night.” She was biting her lip again. “Just tell me the truth. Please, Rosie. Please”
“Scorpius, I . . . I am afraid. I don’t want to tell you.”
“You have never been afraid of anything in your life.”
“Never, until now.”
“Rose,” Scorpius turned her face up to his. The time had come, he knew it. “I have to confess something else. I love you, Rose.”
Ch. 6: Love requited
“What?” she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes.
“I love you.”
Rose was speechless. He loved her! Her breath began to come in swift bursts. She couldn’t get a thought to hold in her brain other than his words, the three words she had craved but had thought she would never hear from him.
“Scorpius,” she finally managed, “I wasn’t sick the other night, I was miserable. I thought you would never see me as anything more than a friend and I . . . I love you.”
She clasped her hands on his face and pulled him to her. Their kiss tasted of mutual relief and passion unfurling. His hands were wide and firm against her back, pressing her even closer as if they could merge together. Her hands caressed his face and hair while his lips and tongue warred with hers.
He laid her back against the pillows, never losing contact with her mouth. Rose felt his hand moving around her side and her heart began to beat an uneven tattoo. The higher his hand travelled, the harder her heart beat. When his knuckles grazed the underside of her breast, she nearly came off the bed.
She felt his smile against her lips as he spread his fingers out to massage her whole breast. Her back bowed and she let out a moan. Her body was on fire. His lips never left hers as he caressed her body with more patience than she ever thought possible. His fingers played with the buttons of her pajama top.
“I want you so much, Rose,” he whispered into her ear, “but I want you to be sure.”
“Please, Scorpius. I feel like I have been in the dark waiting for years for you.”
Her words seemed to be all the encouragement he needed. She was quickly divested of her garments. His hands were hot against her skin, kindling a raging inferno. His body pressed like heated steel against hers as he drove her up over the first crest. Then he was there, filling her, taking her up again. Her whole body coiled as she wrapped herself around him, wanting to become a part of him. Then suddenly stars burst behind her eyes and she was falling. Above her, she felt Scorpius’ body bow, then he collapsed against her.
His breath caressed her neck and all Rose could think was how wonderful Scorpius felt in her arms. Could she really have everything that she wanted? Just two days before she had been convinced he could never love her.
“You are thinking so hard, my head is hurting. What’s wrong, my love?”
“Nothing. Nothing is wrong.” She looked up into his beautiful grey eyes and smiled. “Everything is so right, I am afraid that maybe I didn’t wake up after all.”
“Then I hope we never wake up because I could never be as happy in the real world as I am in your arms. Do you know what a hell I have lived in since I walked into your office? I have wanted you every second since.”
“Every second? Really, Scorpius!”
“No really! I fancied you when we were in school, but your whole family was so intimidating, I never dared to make a move!”
“My family was not intimidating!”
“You were the most intimidating of them all!”
“Oh, please! You were so cool; I can’t believe that you pined in unrequited love.”
“Not so unrequited now,” he smirked and ran his hand over her bare hip and buttocks as if to illustrate the point. She could not hold in her laughter.
“Well, you can’t tell me that you have been pining since then! I won’t believe it!”
“No, I languished for about a year and then decided that I had to resign myself to a life without you. I had nearly convinced myself that I hadn’t really been in love with you; but then I saw you sitting at your desk and it began all over again. I can’t help but love you, Rose.”
“I love you, Scorpius.” Tears spilled over her cheeks. Rose had never been so happy. Her perfect love story was happening after all.