What you holdin' on, holdin' on for?
If you wanna leave, just leave
Why you wanna bite your tongue for?
The silence is killing me
~
ROSE SLIPPED INTO THE DORM, her hands shaking as she whispered the password to her room. She collapsed on the bed, her mind running a thousand kilometers a minute. Even throughout lunch with the Slytherins, Scorpius absent as usual, all she could think about was the scent.
White chocolate peppermint tea?
Yes, it was her favorite tea so it would make sense that she'd be obsessed with it. The only issue was that Scorpius was drinking white chocolate peppermint tea this morning- and he was the one who introduced Albus to it, who then introduced Rose to it.
She prayed it didn't mean what the textbooks said. Her? In love with Scorpius?
No. No. She absolutely loathed him...right?
And then there was the suspicious act of Thea's wand slipping back into her robes.
Rose decided to come up with a pro/con list after changing into red pajama shorts and a white loose shirt. Pulling up parchment and quill, she sat by on the corner of her bed and thought back to all her memories of Scorpius.
PROS
- Platinum blond hair is cute
- Dreamy cloud eyes
- Really fit
- Great quidditch player
- Gets along with Albus
CONS
- Slytherin
- Ditched me in fifth year
- Player
- Crude
She paused mid way, addressing the list. This was bad- the list of pros were longer than cons. By one, but still.
With a frustrated snarl that rivaled a lion's, she crumpled up the list and stomped outside her room to throw the list away only to bump right into Scorpius.
He was stripped of his robes but still had his white button up on. His fist was poised shoulder height, possibly ready to knock on her door.
Rose saw something in his eyes- the pale clouds darkening to storms.
"Move Malfoy," she snapped, brushing past the opening to slam her shoulder against him.
She threw the parchment into the rubbish bin.
"Rose," he said tightly, "what are you wearing?"
And the slight judgemental undertone had her snap at him. "Oh what now, Malfoy? Going to tell me how to dress? It's bad enough I already have to live with you for the rest of the quidditch season."
Scorpius watched in shock as Rose kicked over the bin. "You and Albus and all of Slytherin think this is some joke? I don't like this! I don't like my feelings being played with!"
Rose glared at Scorpius, confused by the glimmer of hope shining in his eyes.
"Feelings?" he said softly.
Rose snorted- unladylike, but the situation demanded it. "Oh don't act like you don't know. I saw your friend Thea tucking her wand in her robes after the cauldron fell over. She was responsible for it. She had to have been."
His eyes hardened. "That's what you're upset about? That Thea-"
"THAT SHE MADE IT SMELL LIKE YOU!" she cried out, frustrated tears pricking at her eyes.
Scorpius sucked in a breath. "What?"
She ran forward to shove him back. "I hate you!"
He stood there, just stood there shocked. Rose felt her anger bubbling and brewing. Oh what a good actor he was- to act as if he knew nothing. Knowing him, he probably asked Thea to do it.
"You love me?" he said, repeating it as if to humiliate her further. "You love me?"
Rose scoffed, shoving him once more until he was backed against his own room door. "No. I don't love you, you vile little cockroach. I love Lysander."
At that moment, Rose regretted provoking him. He let her lion roar out her pain and anger. Now she was about to get a taste of his snake's venom.
"Love him?" Scorpius laughed mirthlessly, the sound cold and mocking. "Love Lysander, do you? Even though he loves someone else?"
She scowled, standing her ground against him despite her lion's ears pinned down. "He doesn't! I know he cares for me. Besides, Thea messed with our potion, making us smell something else."
He shook his head slowly. "Thea knocked over your cauldron so you wouldn't have to answer Slughorn's question. You were practically quivering in your robes when Slughorn asked you what you smelled. Thea never altered your potion. So you smelled me, and Lysander smelled your cousin."
Rose's chest tightened. "What?"
"Yes." Scorpius' smile was serpentine. "Lysander loves Lily, not you."
She stumbled back, her mind a flurry of heartbreak and realization. Him buying chocolate frogs for them on the train- it was never really for her. It was for Lily.
"Godric," she gasped, the pain tighter in her chest, as if Scorpius was constricting her heart with every word spoken. "You're lying. Poisoning my mind."
He reached out to tip her chin up with a forefinger. "Oh Rose. Don't you know, darling? Scorpions are venomous. And you're much more like me than you think; after all, every Rose has its thorns."
She jerked away. "Screw you, Malfoy."
He caught her jaw in his hand. "Gladly."
Without another word, Scorpius knotted his hand at the nape of her neck and pulled her in the bruising kiss.
His pale pink lips were as soft as they looked. Soft and firm, like the pillows. He followed her back steps until the lower back hit the countertop.
No warning given, Scorpius gripped her hips in his impossibly large hands and lifted her onto the countertop.
"Malfoy-" she murmured between kisses. "Stop."
He pulled back, Rose struggling to catch her break.
She was confused- her head befuddled in a flurry of euphoria and curiosity. "Why? I thought you liked Maryse."
Scorpius' laugh was short. "Maryse? Zabini? No. Never. It's been you. Since first year, it's always been you. How could anyone ever compare?"
Rose felt her blood sing at his praise, however it would take more than a few sweet words for him to explain. "But I can't. It's just- you, me, Lysander, and now Lily. And fifth year. You ditching me. You isolating me off from yourself. Like I was nothing. You pushed me away and now you want me by your side? I was one of your best friends."
Scorpius scowled, removing his hands to grip the counter on either side of her thighs. "You're still on about Lysander?"
"Is that all you heard?" she bit out. "Honestly, you probably think about him more than I do."
His eyes narrowed into slits. "Don't even joke about that. I hate the bloody git."
A part of Rose enjoyed seeing his jealous side. No one had ever gotten jealous over her.
"Be my girl, Rosie." he pressed forward. "Forget Lysander, forget Lily and Maryse and Albus. It's just us."
"No." she said firmly, without hesitation. "There are still things I'm confused about. Things that are left unspoken. For example; why did you leave me in fifth year?"
He clenched his jaw and pulled away slowly. "I can't."
Rose was surprised at his guarded eyes. He was holding something back from her. The truth.
"Scorpius, tell me." she insisted, sliding down from the counter to grab his hand in her own.
He looked past her, averting his eyes. "I can't."
"Why?" she whispered brokenly. He was shutting her out again. Leaving her behind like it was fifth year.
"Because," he looked down at her and brushed him thumb across her cheek, catching the beginnings of a tear. "You'd hate me even more so."
With that, he pulled away to retreat in his room.
And all the events of the night evaporated into nothingness before her.
A frustrated snarl turned into a painful whimper as she tripped into her room, catching herself on the dresser. She was going to cry, she felt the lump build up in her throat.
Casting a muffliato on her room with her wand on the dresser, Rose erupted.
"DIFFINDO!"
The spell ripped the green sheets into shreds. Her wand wreaked havoc in her room until it looked like a tornado had sliced through. When Rose could finally take in clear breaths, she fell upon the bed among the rips and tears so similar to her broken heart. She casted a repairo to fix the mess, but there was no spell that could fix Rose and Scorpius.
Things would never be the same.