Here We Go Again

Tutoring Troubles

                                                                               Here We Go Again

                                                                    Chapter 19: Tutoring Troubles

                                                                                 POV: Scorpius

"This is nice, isn't it?" Glancing away from the surprisingly nice day that we were having, I looked at the girl laying next to me. She had been silent just as long as I'd been, focused and dazed in the puffy clouds and blue sky.

A small smile stretched a corner of her lips. "You mean the day or this?"

Against the etiquette code of Malfoys, I rolled from my place to land at the side of the girl's. I propped myself up on my elbows, grinning at her with the goofiest grin I could allow myself to muster. "Definitely this."

"You charmer, Scorpius Malfoy."

"You liar, Emily Taylor."

Laughing, the dark-haired witch pulled herself into a sitting position. She pulled her long, black locks down to her sides; fluffing them down and removing the blades of grass that had weaved themselves in. "I guess we don't spend much time together nowadays, huh?"

"Who's fault is that?" I removed a hand from underneath my chin. I extended out a finger and jabbed her on her collarbone. "Little Miss Taylor, completely enthralled with James Potter. Incapable to pull herself away from her monster of a boyfriend to spend some time with her neglected best friend."

"You're not neglected," she chided, pulling my finger away from her. She held onto my hand, however. "And...let's not talk about James."

"Why not? If you two are on the verge of breaking up that'd be bloody fantastic, Ems. I didn't want to say anything these months you've been dating Potter, but I completely disapprove. I think you can do much better."

She shook her head, laughing lightly at me as she pinched the skin over my knuckles. "Yeah, somehow I missed the you not wanting complain about James and I. As I recall, you've kept a rivalry with my boyfriend all these months. Why, may I ask?"

"He's a git, a total tosser, a loser, will end up working at his uncle's shop, no future whatsoever, not funny at all, he's keeping us apart, clearly needs to be brought down a couple of pegs, not good enough for you—"

"I'm not good enough for him, you mean." Emily stopped my very long list of all the things that are wrong with the eldest Potter. "James is amazing to me, Scor, and you know it. I'm the one that doesn't deserve to have a guy as fantastic as him."

I frowned. "So, I'm guessing there's no breakup?"

She sighed. Her green eyes looked away from my face and back up at the sky. "I keep messing up, Scor. I wouldn't be surprised if he...if he decides to breakup with me. I'm too much to deal with."

My hand squeezed hers. "You're brilliant."

"I'm not," she huffed indignantly. I was a little surprised at the sudden hostility within her, the look of her emerald eyes as they narrowed into slits when they gazed back at me. Her pretty face was not peaceful and kind as it always was—she looked completely frustrated. "That's the problem. You, him...You both see me as something that I'm not, Scorpius. Why? Why do you two insist on seeing me like a puppy in training? Like I can't do anything wrong? Oh, she peed on the carpet, it's okay! She'll get better—well, maybe I won't! Maybe I'm never going to get better!"