Amortentia (a Scorose Fanfiction)

Chapter Seventeen

"What?!" Charlie exclaimed, dropping his quill and glaring at me from the across the table.

Rose shot him a look, shushing him. The library was actually fairly busy for a Wednesday night, and someone was bound to complain if Charlie didn't lower his voice.

"Don't you shush me, Weasley," he sniffed, cocking an eyebrow. "What do you mean it's a secret?"

"What do you think I mean?" Rose hissed back in hushed tones, leaning over her roll of parchment on the desk in front of her. "You can't tell anyone."

Charlie rolled his eyes. "I understood that much, Rose. But why?"

She shrugged, fiddling with the length of the quill. "It would cause unnecessary drama."

"So, in other words, you're a coward."

"Excuse me?" Her expression twisted to a scowl. "Do you have any idea how our families would react if they found out Scorpius and I were friends?"

"Oh, please, enlighten me."

Rose scoffed, dropping her quill on the table and crossing her arms over her chest with a huff. "I shouldn't even have to, Charlie, it's common sense. Our families don't mix. They don't like each other — they never will and they certainly won't like our friendship."

Charlie narrowed his eyes, copying Rose's defensive stance of folded arms and a scowl. He didn't speak for at least a minute, just studied her with that same expression on his face. Finally, he dropped his arms to his lap.

"You two are impossible," he sighed. "Fine. My lips are sealed."

Rose's lips turned up in a small smile of gratitude. She didn't say another word, however, and the two revisited the essay they had been trying to write since class had finished over an hour ago. Rose was fairly pleased with the progress they had made so far — although, granted, a lot of it had been her own work, rather than a combined effort.

Charlie really was not the brightest of boys, however, he was trying. And that was enough for Rose to be pleased with. She would gladly take on the majority of the work if it meant they came out the other end of it with the best grade they could.

Truthfully, Rose just wanted to beat Scorpius.

The two of them had stayed on the Astronomy Tower for much longer than they had planned. They laughed and joked and confided in each other. Rose told him about her sometimes rocky relationship with James — which he had already witnessed firsthand — and her cousin's desire to leave school to help out in the joke shop.

Scorpius admitted to owning a few too many Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products which, if his dad uncovered hidden away in a box at the back of his wardrobe, would undoubtedly be confiscated due to their brand.

Rose had felt a flower of warm pride blossom in her chest at his confession. She was truly so very proud of her family and their roots.

She glanced over at Charlie. He was frowning deeply at the textbook in front of him, chewing his lip as he did so. After a few seconds, he made a face and sat back in his chair, a long sigh escaping him.

Rose struggled to stifle a smirk. Charlie was something else.

"Where was Scorp today?" She asked casually — or, as casually as she could — eyes trained on the words she was scribbling onto the parchment. "I didn't see him in any of our classes."