A WEEK HAD GONE BY and somehow she'd managed to avoid him the best she could. In the mornings, Rose would wake up extra early just to leave before him. She spent most of her evenings in the Gryffindor common room and returned once the hallways were empty of even Filch and Mrs.Norris.
This time, however, she seemed to have the unfortunate luck of catching Scorpius in the Slytherin common room.
He was wearing a black cable knit sweater, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He wore dark wash jeans that cradled his book between his thighs. Rose felt strange seeing him like that- she wasn't used to seeing him without a signature scowl on his face.
His head was propped on his fist, elbow balanced on the arm of the chair as he flipped through the pages.
"A little late, aren't you?"
She paused, biting her lip before sitting down in front of him. "Roxanne and Dominique had boy troubles. Asked for my opinion."
He didn't look up from his book. "So your cousins needed advice every night for the past week?"
Rose didn't like his tone. "I don't see the problem."
Scorpius sighed and closed his textbook. "The problem is you run the risk of getting caught coming so late to the dungeons. Try and be more discreet. Albus and Thea have spotted you twice. If they can find you, it's only a matter of time before a professor does."
"Then maybe we shouldn't be playing with fire. Honestly if my parents knew about this, you and I and Albus would be buried alive. Call this ridiculous thing off now. Before either of us ends up dead, or worse- expelled." she huffed.
The corner of Scorpius' mouth tipped up into an uneven smirk. "How did I know you were going to say that?"
"Because you know I'm right." she insisted.
He dragged a hand down his face. "Look Rose, all I'm saying is don't expose yourself to unnecessary risks when you can just come back to the dorms that same time everyone else does."
She rolled her eyes and hiked her book bag higher up her shoulder.
"Okay. I'm retiring first." she waved at him and made her way up to the dorm.
Scorpius stayed in his seat, lounging comfortably.
Her bedroom was still covered in emerald green. Tomorrow was the Hogsmeade trip that Heads would take, something Scorpius and her agreed to the beginning of the school year.
Which meant her and Scorpius.
Alone.
At Hogsmeade.
For two days.
She rolled over and screamed into her pillow.
~
"Rose. Rose. ROSE."
She folded the pillow over her ears. "I'm awake, you blithering idiot!"
Scorpius hit the door. "WE'RE LATE!"
At that, she jerked up, instinctively looking to her left where she normally had a window in Gryffindor Tower that poured the early morning rays in. But instead she was greeted by a black dresser. Right. There was no windows in the Slytherin dungeons.
"How late are we?" Rose hollered as she rolled out of bed to get ready.
"If we apparate now we can be there on time." Scorpius' voice sounded grim.
"Apparate? Within Hogwarts? Impossible." she scoffed.
He didn't answer, and she assumed it was because he'd gone back to his room to get ready.
After pulling her hair up in high ponytail and changing into her uniform, she snatched up her overnight duffel and met Scorpius by the front door.
He was dressed to impress, which seemed to be a Slytherin trait. Upon his uniform in place of his robes was a thick black trenchcoat. Wrapped around his neck was the typical silver and green of Slytherin. It really brought out his rain cloud eyes.
He had his wand in his hand- an 11 inch blackthorn wand with a unicorn hair core. It was a reasonably supple wand. She recalled using it once back in fourth year when she, Albus, and Scorpius had the genius idea of switching wands to see if they responded to another wizard or witch wielding it. Scorpius' wand responded fairly well with her. Her wand also answered to Scorpius. Albus' wand rejected both of them and vice versa.
"Ready?" he raised one platinum brow.
"Ready." she said confidently, hoping to hide how shaken she was over this. "But how are we going to apparate?"
Her bag was suddenly jerked out from her hand.
"Hux will take this for you." a nasally but quaint voice came beneath her.
She looked down to see a house-elf in a rather cute burlap dress.
"Hux, hand it over." Scorpius said firmly. "You don't need to carry it. Rose can carry her own bag."
Hux pouted, her ears pinning flat. "But I want to! Madam Astoria said I should carry the bags. It's my duty."
He frowned. "Mum always makes you carry small stuff, and that's only if her hands are full. I just need you to apparate to the front gates of Hogwarts. Can you do that for us, Hux?"
The elf reluctantly handed over my bag back to me. "Oh alright."
Hux grabbed both mine and Scorpius' scarf ends. I held my breath before the apparated. In a blink of an eye we were standing before the gates just as Headmistress McGonagall climbed down the steps to greet us. Hux vanished into thin air just as she crossed the courtyard entrance to meet us.
"Oh, good to see you here on time." she smiled. "Now, here's the list of things we need. I know it's a long list, and usually I'd have Hagrid take it up but he's gone for his wedding anniversary. I truly appreciate the two of you stepping up to the plate for this task."
"Of course." Scorpius said smoothly, taking the list from McGonagall's hands. "It's the least we as Head Boy and Girl could do."
McGonagall handed Rose a box of floo powder. "Use this for the way back. I heard it was going to be rather stormy on the second day and I don't want to risk you two catching anything before your next Quidditch matches."
As McGonagall said her parting words, Rose couldn't help but think what exactly was going on in the Headmistress' mind. A boy and a girl? Alone? In Hogsmeade? This time of year guaranteed romantic scenery. Now in no way was Rose insinuating that McGonagall didn't know what attraction was. Or teenage hormones. But to have that much faith in the Heads to let them go to Hogsmeade alone? Maybe someone slipped a little bit of firewhiskey in McGonagall's tea this past week.
A breezy wind jerked Rose out of her thoughts. She pulled the lapels of her coat closer, hoping it would fight against the biting chill.
The road to Hogsmeade was laid in front of them. Just as Rose was about to take a step forward, Scorpius' house elf apparated suddenly.
"Hux will take Young Master and Rose Granger-Weasley to Hogsmeade!" Hux demanded.
Rose felt her heart warm inexplicably when Scorpius sat on his haunches to drape his scarf over Hux, wrapping it twice around, then after a moment a third time for good measure.
"Ready when you are?" he said softly, addressing both of them.
Rose crouched down as well, taking Hux's hand in her own while Scorpius held onto his scarf. Hux winked before the world span on its head as they were apparated straight into the heart of Hogsmeade.
Feeling a little lightheaded, Rose waited a few breaths before standing up with shaky knees.
Hux had vanished, and so had their luggage.
Reading the question in her eyes, Scorpius flitted his eyes over to the building behind them. "Hux has taken it up to our room."
Rose jerked at those words. "Wait what- our room?"
A Slytherin-like grin that screamed mischievous intentions barely flashed across Scorpius' face before he schooled his face into his usual boredom. "You didn't think the bet wouldn't include trips outside Hogwarts? You and I are bound to share a room until Quidditch season is over."
Rose felt her metaphorical feathers get ruffled at his words.
"Arrogant prick," she muttered under her breath.
Her anger grew when he tipped up a smirk- a sure fire sign that he heard what she said.
"What's first on the list?" he leaned down over her shoulder to look at the crumpled parchment in her hand.
With a shaky voice, Rose read out the first item: "Parchment, ink, and quills. Package should be ready already."
Scorpius looked to the left. "Scrivenshaft's is there. Let's go, shall we?"
He had already begun his trek through the crunchy snow to reach the door of Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. Rose followed briskly behind him just as he opened the door. A draft of warm air returned feeling to her nipping cheeks. The door shut behind them with a bell ringing above them. The place was a stationery heaven, model quills dancing around shop, writing on the walls to demonstrate their capability. On further inspection, Rose realized the wallpaper was actually a patchwork of various types of parchment.
The place was kind of a mess, but definitely a mess Rose could recognize- the same type of mess she made when she had finals to study for- an organized chaos of sorts.
"Hello?" she called out, standing on her tiptoes in hopes of feeling what lied beyond the twin mahogany winding staircases.
Scorpius pulled out his wand. "Stay here, I'll check it out."
Rose scoffed, throwing him a vicious look. "Uh, I don't think so. I'm not some damsel in distress."
The Slytherin Head Boy looked down at her in shock when she shoved the crumpled list in his hand. "Why don't you stay here while I check out the place? Good? Good." she snapped.
Scorpius tucked his wand back into his back pocket. "Fine. Don't blame me if you get hit with a spell off guard. You've always been slow at defense."
She bit her lip to stop from doing something she'd regret and made her way up the stairs.
"Hello? Mr.Scrivenshaft?" she called out cautiously.
At the apex of the stairs, she was disappointed to see that there was no one there. Turning around, she looked down to see a shadow hovering on the left of Scorpius.
"Confringo!"
The curse sent the shadow slamming against the parchment walls.
Scorpius drew his wand, keeping it poised on the shadow.
"Rose? Are you okay?" he asked, never taking his eyes off the shadow.
"I'm fine," she said, keeping her stance at the top of the stairs. "Slow to defense, but quick to attack."
He chuckled low, "A true Gryffindor."
The shadow slinked down the walls.
"And now for you..." he murmured. "Homenum revelio."
The shadows dispersed to reveal Silas Scrivenshaft. He grumbled at the two of them. "Put yer bloody wands away."
Rose tucked her wand away. "Why did you hide?"
He frowned. "Two Hogwarts students without supervision entering my shop on a day when Hogwarts students haven't been approved to visit? How much more suspicious ken you two get."
"McGonagall sent us." Scorpius handed over the parchment. "We're here to pick up these items."
Scrivenshaft's scratched his beard, "Where's Hagrid?"
Rose's temper was running short. "Nevermind where Hagrid is, we need these items."
The shop owner glanced at Scorpius before taking the list. "With an attitude like that, you wonder why I canna believe that you're no' who you say you are."
She wanted to punch Scorpius when he laughed under his breath. Instead, she settled for stepping on his foot with her heeled boots.
gHe growled but didn't respond as Scrivenshaft entered the back of the store to gather the materials needed.
"Why is Hogsmeade so...dead?" Scorpius called out as he examined some of the quills scribbling on the walls.
Rose didn't notice it before, but now that she looked outside the frosty windows, she realized that the streets were empty.
"Everyone's gone for the Quidditch World Cup." he said, heaving a brown paper package on top the counter. "Here's all the stationery Minerva requested."
Rose and Scorpius glanced at each other before looking back down at the list.
8 more items to go...