Kiss [ fanfiction ] Rose and Scorpius

Year One

"Excuse me."

Scorpius looked up at the doorway of his compartment to see a girl with long, frizzy, red hair and blue eyes and a boy with unruly black hair and almond shaped green eyes. He immediately recognized them to be a Weasley and a Potter. His father had told him a lot about the Weasley and Potter family; not all of it good, but it was civil and Scorpius had the idea that his father respected them to a degree because he owed a Life debt to the Golden Trio.

"Is it all right if my cousin and I sit in this compartment?" asked the girl. "All the other places are full."

"Er…" The way his father talked about the Weasleys and Potters only managed to pique his interest. He never talked to them before, but he was envious of their relationship. From the short glances he saw, their families looked like it was comfortable and fun in comparison to the austereness of the Malfoys. "Sure," Scorpius managed to croak out.

"Great!" beamed the girl. She and the boy pulled their trunks inside and closed the door. The girl eagerly plopped down into the seat across from Scorpius and the boy sat down next to her. "I know you! You're Scorpius Malfoy, aren't you?"

His throat felt dry, and all he could do was nod.

"I've seen you around, but it's a shame we haven't had much opportunities to talk. I'm Rose Weasley." She pointed to the boy beside her and added, "And this is my cousin Albus Potter." Albus seemed nervous and shy, so all he could do was give a small wave. "It's a pleasure!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too…" he answered.

Scorpius felt at ease the rest of the train ride to Hogwarts. Rose was very chatty but friendly, and somehow, she managed to get Albus and him talking. His father may owe the Golden Trio a life debt, but Scorpius felt like he owed a debt to Rose for opening a new world for him where his parents weren't looming over his shoulder.

The train pulled into the station, and students began filing out of the compartments. Albus was so excited that he ran out without waiting for his cousin and his new friend.

"Albus, wait for me!" called Rose, but he was already gone. She was about to run after him, but stopped and smiled at Scorpius. "Oh, I almost forgot!"

"Huh?"

Rose quickly leaned over to peck him on the cheek. She was smiling still, but her ears were burning up.

"What was that for?" asked Scorpius, taken back by her gesture.

"It was a thank you for your kindness in letting Al and I sit with you. It was a very enjoyable trip!" she answered.

"Well, then—" Scorpius gently grasped Rose's shoulders and pressed a chaste kiss on her cheek. Her ears seemed to get redder. "That's a kiss for being kind to me in the first place."

Year Two

Being in Gryffindor meant having courage, especially having courage to stand up and confront friends. At the moment, Rose didn't have any courage whatsoever. She felt scared; scared that her friendship with Scorpius could be over. She was a Gryffindor. He was a Slytherin. By some kind of unwritten law, they were forced to be enemies or something like that. They managed fine in their first year, but Scorpius had made friends in his house. There was a lot to be worried about when Slytherins were generally moody, bad-tempered with the other houses, and their schemes were particularly harmful.

Rose leaned against a tree in the main yard. She couldn't stop fidgeting. She enchanted a piece of parchment in class and sent it to Scorpius when Professor Slughorn wasn't looking, and her classmates were too absorbed in their potions. She asked him to meet her in the main yard. She had to know if they were still friends.

She finally saw him coming across the lawn, and there was this tangle of nerves in the lower pit of her stomach. She gave him a smile when he approached her and said, "Hey."

"Hey," he greeted with a smile of his own. "What's up?"

"I haven't seen you around lately," she said, trying to mask the sad smile that was starting to etch its way onto her lips.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I've been busy with homework and all."

"Well, you're welcome to study with me in the library," said Rose. She tried to smile again, but Scorpius seemed to catch on that something was up.

"Is something wrong, Rose?"

"No," she said. She hesitated for a moment before adding, "Kind of. Sort of. Maybe… Yes." Scorpius cocked an eyebrow with a smirk. Rose wasn't a very good liar. "Yes, yes something is wrong." She sighed.

"Like what?"

She bit her lip before saying, "We haven't talked for a while. When the Gryffindors and Slytherins do have class together, we don't even sit with each other."

"You're wondering if we're still friends," Scorpius pointed out.

"Are we?"

He reached out to brush Rose's bangs out of her face and kissed her on the forehead. "Of course," he whispered.

Year Three

"Oi, Miss Know-It-All Weasley! Why don't you just go bury your head in the ground! No one cares about what you think!" yelled a Slytherin student.

"Yeah!"

"Stupid Weasel!"

"Go die!"

Tears were stinging Rose's eyes, and she was trembling as she whipped out her wand to point it at her classmates. There was nothing wrong with being smart, and she was tired of being called a know-it-all. It hurt, and she wasn't going to stand and take their insults.

BANG!

Just like that, the Slytherins began to disperse, grabbing their hexed friends and running off. Rose was still shaking when she realized that she never muttered any hexes.

"You traitor, Malfoy!"

"You bloody git!"

There was another bang and the Slytherins were gone when the smoke cleared. Scorpius gently touched Rose's shoulder and asked, "Are you okay?"

She watched him stuff his wand back into his robes, and did the same for hers. She nodded slowly as she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulling him into a hug. "Thank you," she mumbled into his chest.

"They're a bunch of tossers," he replied, putting his arms around her.

Rose smiled up at him and said, "Hey, close your eyes."

"Why?"

She gave him a pointed look, and Scorpius did as he was told. She made sure that his eyes were completely closed when she stood up on her toes to kiss his eyelids. When she was firmly planted on the ground, Scorpius opened his eyes in surprise.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"You're my idol, Scorpius Malfoy," she answered, smiling. "You should have been in Gryffindor, not Slytherin."

He let out a low chuckle. "A little late for that, but—"

"Malfoy! What is this I hear about you hexing other students in your house?" yelled a Ravenclaw prefect.

"Your idol is about to get detention," he finished. "Later, Rose!" And off he went, sprinting down a corridor as the prefect chased after him.

Year Four

The Yule Ball was held every year for students in their fourth year and up even though there was no Triwizard Tournament. Hugo and Lily desperately wanted to go, and they even asked Albus and Rose to take them as their dates. Unfortunately for them, Albus already asked a cute Hufflepuff girl, and Scorpius had asked Rose.

Rose had never been more nervous or excited in her life. It was her very first Yule Ball, and her date was her best friend. While the boys spent more time playing outside in the snow, she spent hours with Lily, prepping for the dance. She had remembered her mother telling her about how she used Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on herself for her Yule Ball, and Rose did the same. Her frizzy hair became sleek, soft, and very tamable, much like her Aunt Ginny's.

As she descended the stone steps into the Entrance Hall, she found Scorpius waiting for her at the bottom. He was dressed in dark green robes that mirrored his house colors. In the same likeness, she was wearing a deep red that showed off her pride for her house. ("Red is the perfect color for a redhead like you, Rose," which is what Albus always used to say, but she never really understood what he meant.) Rose had to admit that Scorpius looked very, very handsome in his robes.

Scorpius thought that Rose looked so beautiful. She looked like a true Gryffindor and much like a rose. If she was the petals of a rose, then he was the stem to hold her up. She was stunning with her hair so silky and pulled up into a romantic looking hairdo.

At the last few steps, Scorpius took her hand and guided her down to the ground floor. He pulled out his wand and muttered, "Orchideous!" A bouquet of flowers burst out of his wand, and Rose gathered them up into her free arm.

"Thank you, Scorpius," she said softly, her eyes shining. "They're beautiful."

"They're not as beautiful as you," he murmured. He smiled back at her, pulling her hand up to his lips, pressing all respect and admiration for her into that one kiss.

Year Five

When she and Scorpius were fifteen, Rose realized just how popular her best friend was. They were in the library. Scorpius was slacking off, but he was keeping her company, which entailed him casually leaning against the small desk in front of the bookshelf while she was trying to find material to use in her Transfiguration essay.

"Aren't you going to do your essay as well?" she asked.

"Nah," he said with a grin. "I'll just copy off of you."

"You will not," snapped Rose. "You always do that."

"And yet you keep letting me in the end."

Rose snatched a book off the shelf in slight irritation and began thumbing through it. She was just starting to get engrossed in its words when she heard some giggling. Looking up, she found a group of girls peeking around the next bookshelf, no doubt spying on Scorpius. She groaned. "Your bloody fan club is back," she whispered, shoving the book back in its place.

"What's wrong with that?" he asked.

"I can't concentrate when they're here!"

Scorpius smirked and reached over to grab the lapel of her robe and showed her the prefect badge pinned to it. "With this thing, you could just dock them house points if they don't stop annoying you, or better yet, hex them."

She pried his hand off of her robe and said, "That's not a legitimate reason to dock points, but I am going to hex you soon because you're the reason why they're here."

"Aw, Rosie, you're wounding me," he joked.

"I soon will be." Rose waved her wand and another book flew off the shelf and into her hand. As she was opening it up, she watched Scorpius shrug from the corner of her eye and continue to stare around the library, not minding the giggling of the girls.

Rose guessed that Scorpius was attractive. Okay, very attractive. He looked exactly like his father with a pointed face, platinum blonde hair, and grey eyes, but the difference was that Scorpius carried himself differently. He was sweet and kind and he never discriminated against Muggle Borns and Mixed Bloods. He was smart, charming, tall (she had never noticed until now that he was towering over her; when did he get so tall?), and the Slytherin team's best Chaser.

She heard the giggling again and let out an inaudible sigh. She suddenly couldn't blame those fan girls. Scorpius was popular and desirable and sexy and…she now wanted to smack herself with a book for ever thinking that her best friend was sexy. Sure, he was, but best friends should never think of each other that way. Right?

She was scared to sneak a peek at him, but she did anyway. He was just casually leaning against the bookshelf and looking so good. Her face was burning up, and felt this fire running through her veins and pooling in the pit of her stomach. She had the desire to grab him and kiss him and tell those girls to shove off because he was hers. Oh god, she was going mental. Rose squeezed her eyes shut and tried to ignore the cold shower of shame running down her spine.

"Out! Out!" screamed Madam Pince at the girls fawning over Scorpius. "If you are not here for the books then get out!"

Rose was too distracted by how hot she suddenly felt to even enjoy Madam Pince chasing the girls out of the library. Scorpius heard her heavy sigh and turned to her. "Are you all right?" he asked, voice seeped with worry. "You look like you have a fever." He reached out to feel her forehead, but she moved away slightly.

"I'll have to finish my essay later. I'm not feeling well," she said quickly. She put the book back and grabbed her bag from the floor, slinging it over her shoulder. "I'll see you later." Her desires and thoughts possessed her at the last minute, and she pressed her lips to Scorpius' neck for one second too long. He seemed surprised at such a kiss, and Rose was shocked that she had even done such a thing.

Before he could open his mouth to say anything, she lamely excused herself with, "Sorry. I wanted to kiss your cheek, but I was too lazy to stand on my toes."

Her knees were trembling beneath her, and she forced herself to move away and not look back at him. What was this desire flaring up in her chest? What she was feeling for Scorpius was different from what those giggling girls felt for him. They only liked him because he was hot. Oh no, what Rose felt was different; it wasn't desire just because he was handsome, but because he was shrewd, loyal, smart, and brave, and it just felt right to feel this way.

Year Six

Scorpius tried not to let it show, but he had always noticed Rose Weasley. Since their first meeting on the Hogwarts Express, he always watched her. She was brilliant beyond belief, loyal to all those who were important to her, could be sly at opportune times, and was naturally fearless. The more the years passed, the more her body changed, too, and Scorpius definitely could not stop watching that. She got taller (still not as tall as him), and her body started filling in at all the right places. He was so relieved that no one seemed to notice what he did.

He loved being Rose's friend, but the downfall to that was that he had a zero chance of ever being more than just a friend. Friends fell short of romance. Going past that line would make them lovers and most likely boyfriend and girlfriend. They would never go past that line though; he wanted to, but not when Rose had the sexual interest of a celibate. They were friends; best friends, but that never seemed to be the case when he was asleep.

So he had to be satisfied with being friends with Rose and dissatisfied with a relationship that wouldn't move forward. It sucked. It sucked to be alone with her when going to Hogsmeade and it wasn't considered to be a date. It was just a friendly outing just like how it had been for the past three years.

"You're still cold?" he asked. They were in the Three Broomsticks, enjoying a glass of butterbeer. It was cozy and warm and just what they needed after trudging through powder snow and enduring the cold winds beating against their faces.

Rose was sitting across from him, rubbing her hands together to try to create enough friction and warmth. "Chilly," she corrected. "My hands are still cold so I'm still shivering a little."

He reached across the table to gently grab one of her wrists. He pressed a kiss to the palm of her hand, his eyes never leaving hers, hoping that she could feel how much and how long he longed for her, and only her.

Year Seven

Warm afternoons by the lake were bliss for Rose and Scorpius. They were breaks from homework and studying for N.E.W.T.S, and it was the most time that they could be together. No one knew that their friendship was going to last this long. With Scorpius in Slytherin and Rose in Gryffindor, everyone expected them to have some kind of falling out. They had arguments time to time, but there were quickly resolved because their relationship meant more than their pride.

But when people weren't expecting them to end their friendship, they were expecting for Scorpius and Rose to officially become an item. It was obvious from the way they looked at each other that their feelings ran much deeper than friendship; they just didn't know how the other felt.

Sitting beside Rose, Scorpius couldn't help but enjoy the view of the girl lying on the grass, her hair sprawled out around her. Her eyes were closed, enjoying the sun caressing her exposed skin. He could count the freckles sprinkled across her nose and how smooth looking her skin was. Seven years of temptations was too much for him, and he raised a hand to stroke her cheek. Her skin was even softer and smoother than he ever imagined; it was like the finest velvet in the whole world. He held his breath when she stirred slightly, but she merely turned her cheek into the palm of his hand and sighed.

The fragile glass bottle that held up all his feelings shattered with that simple gesture, and he bent down, kissing her lips. It wasn't like the innocent, platonic kisses of friends, but that of lovers, as a man loves a woman and as a hero loves a heroine.

At first, Rose seemed to be surprised as she shifted a little beneath him, but she let out a breathy sigh against his lips and accepted the gesture, slowly waking up by degrees. He was sure that she would push him away, scream and shout, once she realized who it was she was kissing, but with the caress of her hands against his cheeks, it seemed like she knew exactly who it was.

Scorpius hovered above her, brushing a thumb against her red lips. The thin veil that her feelings had hid behind was lifted, and he could see it in her eyes; pure, raw love directed solely at him.

Rose smiled softly at him. "Is this a dream?" she asked quietly, slowly batting her eyes at him.

"I hope not," he growled, kissing her again.

And just like that, they crossed that thin, thin line in the next stage of their relationship.

credits: fanfiction.com and author

DISTRACTIONS [ fanfiction ] Rose and Scorpius

I've been told all my life to be careful when it comes to boys. And I've almost always followed that rule. But not this time.

I can't help myself; something about him draws me in.

The way he looks at me across the room, it's scary-almost predatory. But at the same time, very enticing and only makes me want him more. His light blue eyes, almost ice-like, draw me in; inviting me to come and stay for a while. And I guarantee if he asked, I wouldn't say no.

But at the same time, I know that I should. He is someone that I've been told to watch out for; someone to avoid. Sometimes, I think that is what makes it worse.

As I sit in the library, I notice him looking at me again. More like staring now. It seems he has noticed that I have noticed him, and with a smirk he looks down. But it wasn't a smirk implying he was embarrassed. No, it was more of an accomplished look, one that said he got what he wanted. This was a look that he often bared.

And it was this look that made my spine shiver.

I attempted to get back to my studies, knowing I would regret not doing so tomorrow when the tests were handed out. But I couldn't, not with those smoldering eyes across the room. I looked up again, to see if he was staring, only to find he had disappeared.

I should have been thankful; this would allow me to study. But instead I felt this odd sense of disappointment, which was strange considering I didn't even talk to him. But as I was about to look down at my book, I felt a warm touch on my shoulder. I didn't even have to look up to know whose hand it was on my shoulder.

"Weasley." He said softly, in his low growl of a voice.

"Yes?" I somehow manage.

"I do not believe that staring at others in the library is the most effective way to study for that Charms test tomorrow. Do you?" He whispers.

"No, its most definitely not." I almost squeaked.

"Well," he said leaning in, to where I felt his warm breathe against my ear, "how about we try to keep away from each other in here? Considering both of us seem to get so distracted when the other is present."

A simple "hmmm" was all I could manage. I couldn't focus, not with him so close. All I could focus on was his smell, and how intoxicating it was. It was simple, but yet manly; as if he had just taken a walk through the woods.

"Weasley," he breathed, "I said you should probably try to focus." He whispered, even softer this time.

"Yes. But I can't, not with you here."

"Well how about I leave then." He said, moving away. And before I could think about it, I reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him. He turned to face me, with that accomplished smirk on his face. "Getting a little handsy aren't we?"

"Oh hush." I stood, unaware that we had now created an audience.

"You know, I'm not so sure that your precious little family would approve of this close proximity here."

"Does it look like I really care what they think right now?" I purr, leaving any sensibility behind me.

"Actually, it doesn't." he smiled. He swiftly intertwined our fingers and pulled me after him outside the library, grabbing my bag as he went.

This was so unlike me, following a boy, none the less this boy, out of the library. He led me down the hallway, out to the main hall and sat us down at a dining table. I was hardly aware of surroundings, or the fact that half of the school as gaping at two of us.

They are staring for two reasons. One, Malfoy is the renowned "playboy" of Hogwarts and a Slytherin at that, while I top of the class and Gryffindor. And second, they are staring because his surname is Malfoy, and mine Weasley. We are not supposed to be friends, let alone be this close.

"You know Weasley, I think you're quite adorable when you sit there and scrutinize me." He smiles, flashing his brilliant white teeth at me.

"Malfoy." I said, letting his name escape my mouth in something that is more of a sigh. "You know why I don't ever speak to you, right?"

"Of course. You're intimidated by my good looks. It happens all the time, don't worry about." He winks, mocking himself. Although, his gorgeous appearance doesn't make this any easier.

"No, because I'm a Weasley, and you're a Malfoy. I was born to hate you, it's in my blood. And I do not like that at all. Want to know why?" I ask him, watching as he straddles the bench and scoots closer to me: dangerously closer.

"Mhmm." He sighs, putting his hand on my arm.

"Because of this thing that somehow, no matter how hard I try to avoid you, has started. It's the fact that anytime you're in the room, my mind loses focus. And you know what? It seems as though you could care less. And that sucks, because here I am, falling head over heels in love with this guy who barely notices me." I said, looking him right into the eyes so he could feel the full extent of my pain.

"Oh, Weasley. I couldn't ever not notice you. You're the one who is mesmerizing. My marks have dropped so low since we began going to the library on the same evenings, or rather since I've begun sitting and waiting for you to arrive. And that's because it's all I can do not to come across that room and snatch you up and snog you senseless. Really, it is quite frustrating." He sighs, moving a stray hair from my face.

For a while I can't muster anything to say. It's taking everything within me to not close the mere gap that is separating us now, but I know there were others in the room so I contain myself. I look into his eyes and see only sincerity and longing, something we both share.

"I want so badly for this all to work, for us to be able to be together and not have to worry what our families have to say. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. Why must life be so cruel?" I sigh, leaning my forehead against his.

"Rose."

Normally someone saying my name wouldn't have this effect on me, but Scorpius has never actually said my first name. It's always been Weasley, never Rose.

"Yes, Scorpius?" I return the favor of first names.

"This can work. No. This will work. I promise you. And if any of your family has a problem with it, they can come talk it over with me. I'm sure I can make them see our side of things." He says, leaning me back so he can look into my eyes.

"You really think that this can work? A Slytherin and a Gryffindor? A Malfoy and Weasley?"

"Yes, I do think it can work. I'm tired of denying my feelings for you, it's been a long six years already, I can't take much more of your temptation." He smirks.

"Well… If you ready to face my family, here they come." I say, smiling at Scorpius.

He looks over his shoulder and sees the Weasley-Potter clan walking our direction, the pack headed up by James and Hugo. Scorpius stands up, takes my hand and kisses me swiftly on the mouth.

"Rose, I was born ready." He winks, before leading me off to face the impending wrath of my family.

credits: fanfiction.com and author

Mama Do (fanfiction) Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy

It was a late December night and the members of Gryffindor house were huddled away in their tower dormitories. A cold wind whistled through the old stone of the castle walls, but the students were oblivious to its intrusion, safe and warm in their beds.

In the Sixth Year girls' dormitory, four figures lay in peaceful slumber, the only sound that of Iris Finnigan's soft snuffling snores. Every so often, one of the girls rolled over in her sleep and the crisply ironed sheets crackled quietly. An easy tranquillity seemed to hold every member of the dormitory, all bar one.

Rose Weasley lay flat on her back within the sanctuary of the crimson drapes surrounding her four-poster, thinking. She had gone up to bed with the rest of the girls after a particularly competitive game of Exploding Snap had left Lorcan Scamander with singed eyebrows and her cousin James bearing a nasty burn down his left cheek, but while Iris and the others had drifted almost immediately into relaxed slumber, Rose had remained wide awake for several hours. She lay on top of her duvet cover, oblivious to the cold. Once she was certain that the rest of the girls were sound asleep she had fished a simple Muggle torch from her trunk and used it to read the letter currently clutched in her sweaty palm. Her mother had written to her earlier that day, a typical Hermione Weasley letter enquiring about her schoolwork and test results, and informing Rose that they would be spending Christmas at the Burrow this year, as Grandpa Weasley wasn't up to travelling. Tagged on at the end of the piece of parchment, as usual, was her father's untidy, sprawling warning to stay away from all boys, especially what he referred to as 'slimy, half-troll Slytherins'. Rose's knuckles were turning white as she grasped the letter. An internal debate raged within her for the longest time, before a quiet tapping on the window jolted her from her thoughts. For a moment, she froze. The tapping grew louder.

Tentatively, Rose eased herself out of bed and padded across the rich red carpet to the closed window. She pressed a palm to the cold window pane and glanced out the window. Sure enough, a familiar shock of blonde hair was visible against a black school cloak. Rose stared down at the figure waving emphatically to her, unsure whether to laugh or cry, before she gingerly pried the window open.

"Rosie, it's bloody freezing out here!"

"Ssh, will you?" Rose hissed back. "Someone will hear."

"Then get yourself down here, now!" Scorpius called. He rubbed his hands together and shot her a plaintive look that Rose could recognise, even from such a great distance. "Come on Rosie, please."

Rose hesitated for a long moment and then nodded. "I'll be down in five minutes. Keep out of sight."

She shut the window as quietly as possible and turned to fish Albus's invisibility cloak, which she had borrowed earlier in exchange for doing his Potions homework, from her overflowing trunk. She jammed her feet into a pair of shoes and wrapped her dressing gown tight around her slight frame, clutching the cloak to her chest. She was about to leave the room when she heard a noise behind her.

"Rose?" yawned Iris, struggling upright and running a hand through her tousled mop of sandy-blonde hair. "'S that you?"

"Yeah," Rose whispered back, hastily hiding the cloak behind her back. "I'm just going to use the bathroom."

"'K," Iris nodded, already drifting back to sleep. Before anybody else could spot her, Rose dodged out the door and quietly slipped through the deserted common room.

Five minutes later, Rose slid out through the heavy front doors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and into the bitter wind outside. The invisibility cloak remained safely stowed in her pocket; she hadn't needed it this time. A quick glance around told her that the grounds were devoid of human life; Scorpius must be down by the lake, a favourite haunt of theirs. Rose loved it too, but not in the middle of the night, nor in mid-December.

Crossly, she began to walk across the dewy grass towards the rippling waters of the Black Lake. As she walked, she thought. She thought about Scorpius, about her and Scorpius, and what had been going on between them over the last few months. It was only since September that he had become something more than civil to her, but their relationship had blossomed quickly into something Rose was scared to think of as love. It pained her that such a burning romance had to be carried out behind closed doors and in the twilight hours when prying eyes were blind to their stolen embraces, but true love, as her Uncle George often told her, never seemed to run smooth. There were other people to consider in all of this, things more complicated than Scorpius seemed able to understand. Reputations to protect. Family names to consider.

"Galleon for your thoughts," a voice whispered in her ear, and Rose barely managed to contain an ear-splitting squeal. Instead, she whirled around to find herself trapped in an embrace by Scorpius Malfoy, who was smirking mischievously at her with a maddening air she had come to know all too well. Ordinarily, she would playfully jab him in the arm and steal in under his guard to press a chaste kiss to his hungry lips. Tonight, however, she pulled away from him and strode quickly towards the edge of the lake. Scorpius's pace quickened as he hurried to keep up with her.

"Rosie, what's wrong?" he asked, bewildered. Rose swallowed the lump in her throat and continued to pace around the lake; she was sure she could see the giant squid's tentacles waving lazily towards the middle of the choppy waters. Scorpius's hand locked around her wrist, and this time she couldn't shake him off. She turned, grudgingly, to find his gentle grey eyes searching her face, hurt and anxious.

"Did I do something wrong? Because whatever it is, I'm sorry."

Rose couldn't help but chuckle drily; it was such a typically Scorpius Malfoy thing to say. She reached out a hand and sadly trailed it the length of his pale, oval-shaped face. Scorpius held her cold fingers to his cheek and shook his head slightly.

"What's wrong Rose?" he whispered tensely, sensing that something was brewing beneath her calm exterior. "Rose?"

"I got a letter from my mum this evening," she said quietly, drawing away from him and trailing towards the edge of the lake. She crouched down and let her fingers skim the dark, murky surface. The lump pressed hard against her throat.

"Oh. I-is everything alright at home?"

"What?" Rose asked distractedly. "I-yes, yes of course. Mum wanted to tell me that we'd be spending Christmas at the Burrow this year. With the rest of the family."

"And?"

"And I don't think I'll be able to see you, Scor," Rose said in a quiet voice. She was sure the finality in her tone was obvious, but apparently Scorpius did not agree. He just shook his head again and came to sit on the gravelly lakeshore next to her, wrapping a toned arm around her shivering form.

"Is that all? Merlin Rose, you had me worried there. It'll be fine, all you have to do is Floo yourself out of there for an hour or two. Everyone will be running everywhere, they won't even notice you're gone. It'll be fine."

He smiled encouragingly, but it was Rose's turn to shake her head. She removed Scorpius's arm from around her and instead clasped it between both of hers. She shot him a sad, watery smile.

"I don' think you understand," she whispered brokenly. "I don't think I'll be able to see you, not anymore."

"Rosie, where is this-"

"I'm tired, Scor," Rose interjected. "I'm tired of all this sneaking around behind everyone's backs. I'm lying to them, to my friends. To Al and Lily and Dom. I'm sneaking out to meet you when nobody else can see, I'm snatching kisses in deserted corridors between classes. It's too much, Scor. I'm not a liar, I'm a Gryffindor, and at first I thought all the hiding and sneaking around was romantic. Now I'm just tired of it."

"Rose, why didn't you say something sooner?" Scorpius said with a strangled half-laugh. "I was only up for all this secrecy because you wanted it. If it were up to me I'd be all over you every chance I got, no matter who was watching, because I just want them to know that you're mine. And it's good that you're tired, it is, because now we can stop the pretence and tell everyone that-"

"Don't you see?" Rose gasped, attempting to prevent tears from spilling down her cheeks. She looked beseechingly at Scorpius, her lip trembling violently. "I can't do that Scorpius, I can't. My mum, she sent me this letter, and she told me my grandpa's not doing so well."

"Rosie, I'm so sorry, I-"

"Could you just stop being sorry and listen for a minute?" Rose snapped through her tears. "He's sick, Scor, and I love you, I do, but if he were to find out, it would kill him. All of them. I want you to listen to me, alright? Really listen. I have come to love you Scorpius, and I know you're not like the rest of the Slytherins. Even Al and James agree, though they won't admit it. But my family... they're of a different generation, Scor. And no matter how wonderful and sweet and romantic you are, the fact remains that your father let terrible things happen to my mother in your home. In your home, Scor. How do you think she'd feel, what do you think she'ddo, if she knew the truth about us. Or my dad, or Uncle Harry or anyone else in my family for that matter? My dad would kill you on principle, and I'm pretty sure my uncle George wouldn't be far behind."

"Rose, that's not fair," Scorpius said in a low, dangerous voice. "You know how hard I've had to work to shrug off my father's reputation, the things he did."

"I do, believe me, I do," Rose agreed. "And when we're together, it's nearly perfect. It's so easy to forget everyone else when I'm with you. We're just Rose and Scorpius, and there's no Weasley and no Malfoy. But we can't escape that forever Scor, you know that as well as I do."

"How do you know?" he challenged her, his jaw jutted stubbornly. "They might support us, they might understand how hard this is for us, making this work."

"Don't be naive," Rose laughed bitterly. "Scorpius, when I'm around them, I hear how they talk about your family, how they feel. They can't mention any of you without getting angry or disgusted, and I can't hear them talk about you without feeling guilty. I don't want to feel guilty Scor. I don't want to disappoint them."

She paused and drew in a deep, steadying breath. This was the hardest part, the part that was going to send everything spiralling downwards into catastrophe. The part that was going to rip her apart at the seams, irreversibly and irreparably, and tear Scorpius into a thousand tiny pieces. Her heart hammered against her ribcage, and the part of her that seemed to get warmer every time she laid eyes on Scorpius was screaming at her to stop this idiocy. But the Weasley in her was stronger, as she had known it would be in the end, even as she had kissed Scorpius for the first time in one of the school's lesser-known secret passageways. She staggered to her feet and dropped Scorpius's hand as though it had burned her. Her eyes locked into his, beseeching him not to hate her, even though some small part of her knew he always would, at least a little.

"I'm sorry Scorpius. I love you, I always will. But I love my family more."

He didn't even try to stop her from fleeing, and that hurt more than if he had hurled insults and curses at her. She wished he would, wished he would throw something or hex her or something. But he just sat there, skimming stones across the surface of the lake, and Rose walked back up to the castle, numb and alone.

Nobody heard her slip back into the dormitory ten minutes later, and nobody heard her quiet sobs as she Vanished the handful of snapshots she owned of herself and Scorpius, the ones she kept hidden in her bedside locker.

She would not sleep that night, or for several nights after. Al and Lily and Dom would fret and tell her she looked ill, but Rose had her mother's wit and would come up with some excuse to put them off. She would ghost through her classes until the end of term, and then when she finally got to the Burrow, surrounded by her family, it would all be worth it.

That was what Rose told herself, sitting hunched at the window on a hard, cold chair in the middle of the night, but it didn't help to ease the pain crushing her from all sides. Nothing, not the thoughts of her friends, or the photos of her family, not even her mother's familiar handwriting clutched tightly in her shaking palms, could do that.

credits: fanfiction.com and to the author