Turn Back the Clock

Chapter 10: The Night It All Began

"It all started on the pitch." Rose sighed, pushing away the tears that had started to fall. Whenever she thought of that fatal day on the pitch it tore her heart apart even more. It reminded her of what could have been and what was yet to come.

Al letting go of his anger at the site of her tears, reached forward and grabbed her hand giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Rose offered him a small smile, that they both knew to be fake. Taking in a deep breath the story began to pour out, painting the picture of the night that started it all.

***

"We really shouldn't be doing this." Rose giggled, glancing back towards the light less castle, then to the night sky. It was a brilliant night. Not a cloud in the sky, only the constellations and sparkling stars.

The stars were their only source of light, as they raced further and further away from the castle and towards the quidditch pitch.

After supper Rose had locked herself in the library behind a tower of books. Their exams were coming up next week and every passing moment she had was dedicated to revising. For hours she flipped through pages, revised notes, and jotted down new information, before Scorp had scaled the tower and demanded she quit studying and do something adventurous. It didn't matter that it was past curfew, Scorp sent her one of his smiles that made Rose disregard the rules and take his hand, heading out into the night. His smiles had always had that affect on her.

"That's why it is fun." Scorp argued, laughing at Rose's giggle. She hardly ever laughed like that, but when she did, Scorp felt a sense of pride. He loved that he was the one that made her laugh like that, it stroked his ego in a way that made him feel invincible. "Besides you needed a break from studying for the exams. They are not until away and I haven't seen you without your nose in a book for two weeks."

"That's not true!" Rose objected sternly. "You saw my face at dinner tonight."

Scorp snorted. "That's only because Martha Checkswire spilled pumpkin juice on your book and ruined it. You had to put it away."

"Even so." Rose laughed good-natured, "You can't blame a girl for trying to be prepared."

Scorp smiled. Always an overachiever. It was one of the things he admired most about her. One of the things he'd miss the most. Scorp shook his head. He couldn't think like that. Not tonight. Tonight was about spending time with Rose, nothing else. With exams approaching and the year ending in two weeks, he knew that they weren't going to have much time together.

He forced a smile. "I can't, but I can blame a girl if she doesn't have fun every once in a while."

"Who says studying isn't fun?"

"Everyone."

"Well I like studying." She stated, crossing her bare arms over her chest.

"That's because you're a nerd." Scorp teased, throwing an arm over Rose's shoulders.

Rose punched his hip, choosing to ignore the butterflies that flew rapid whenever Scorp was in close proximity. She had never really been able to describe the power he held over her. How he could make her smile by just being by her side. How he managed to throw all her worries out the door with a reassuring word. How he could make her heart beat 3 times its normal speed when he sent her his charming smirk.

They walk in a comfortable silence towards the quidditch pitch, with Scorp's arm still draped protectively around Rose. He enjoyed anytime he got the chance to hold her. A small hug to the times she'd fallen asleep, with her head on his legs. He didn't really care, he just liked her in his arms. She fit like a puzzle piece, like she had always been meant to be in his hold. It sounded possessive, but he didn't care, because it was true. She was meant to be there. He knew she was.