Hello Harry Potter fans! "Age Difference" is separated into three separate love stories, this first one being a Drarose story called "Desperate". I don't want to spoil things and tell you about the last two stories, so they will just be a surprise... at least until I get to posting them =). I wrote this trilogy some time ago, but am just posting it now. The setting is post-Hogwarts, 23 years after for the original characters, and a about year after for their children.

"Desperate" is a story about Hermione and Ron's red-headed daughter Rose Weasley, who is dating Draco Malfoy's son Scorpius, and has since their fifth year at Hogwarts. She becomes a bit uncomfortable with the relationship because she feels that there is something missing, an important something that is key to make any relationship last, or at least make it enjoyable. After meeting Draco Malfoy, she realizes shockingly that this 'something missing' may be found with him. (Rated M)

Enjoy! Reviews would be appreciated! =)

Desperate - Chapter 1

Rose, come by my place around five tonight and we can go out for your 18th birthday. – Scorpius

As she sat on her bed and faced out the window to her upstairs bedroom, Rose read the owl that Scorpius had sent her that morning, and her heart pounded with anticipation. She has never been to the Malfoy Mansion before, even though she and Scorpius have been dating since their fifth year at Hogwarts. Nor has she ever met his father, either… she was too afraid to, on account of what her family has said about him.

Scorpius, I will be over in thirty minutes. ~ Rose

She sent the owl off from her window into the evening air and got ready. She heard her parents talking downstairs as she pulled on tight jeans that showed her curvy figure, and a black blouse that hugged her torso and showed her small bust. She winced. She wished she was a larger size.

Rose finished getting ready, and her long, wavy, almost-scarlet-colored hair flowed to her waist, and it shined in the flower light hanging from the ceiling. She skipped down the stairs and saw her parents and her sixteen-year-old brother sitting on the sofas in the living room. Her mother, of course, had her face in a thick hard-bound book, her dad held The Daily Prophet in his hands. They were on one sofa as her brother was sprawled out snoozing on the other. It was almost fall, so he was still on summer break. Her mother Hermione glanced up at her.

"Oh, Rose. My, you look lovely."

"Thanks, mum. I'm heading to Scorpius's for the first time. I'm a tad nervous."

"You should be more scared than nervous," her father remarked, not looking away from the newspaper page. "I would rather you stay away from that house."

Her father was never thrilled about the idea of her and their past nemesis's son dating. When he found out, he was irate, but learned to deal with it when Rose was adamant about staying with the handsome, blonde young man who was the same age as her.

"I'll be fine, dad. I'm actually rather excited to see what the Malfoy Mansion looks like."

"At least it's not the manor from back then," Hermione said, and eyed her husband. "Horrible things happened there."

"Don't remind me," Ron muttered. "I hate seeing that scare on your left arm."

Rose knew that her parents would be back and forth on that. She bid her family goodbye. She left the house and walked in the cool evening air. The mansion was on the other side of town, so she stopped at the closest street corner and apparated about a block away from the mansion. She took a deep breath as she walked down the street, and then walked by a black iron fence that housed the property, according to what Scorpius has told her. When she got to the gate and opened it, she was in awe at the large round driveway with a fountain in the center, as well as the modernity of the white Victorian mansion itself, and the massiveness of it. She couldn't believe that only Scorpius and his father lived there.

She walked through the round gravel driveway to the large mahogany double doors and knocked using an iron handle in the shape of some animal's claw, then was immediately met by a middle-aged man with a thin face, dressed in a prim suit. She guessed him to be a butler.

"I'm here to see Scorpius," she said to the man.

"Please come in," he said, and she walked in, and was instantly blown away by the large entryway and winding staircases on both sides of the large corridor, the floors of which were sleek wood, but covered mostly by rugs that most likely cost the same as her own house. In fact, her house could fit just inside the massive entry corridor alone! Literally, since the corridor's ceiling rose to the second floor.

"Rose!"

Her heart jumped and she turned and saw Scorpius walk up to her, dressed in jeans and a blue button-down collar shirt. She smiled radiantly as she embraced her boyfriend, taking in his sweet cologne.

"It's good to see you, love," he said into her hair, and running his fingers through it.

"You too."

He looked back at her and smiled, which warmed her heart. "Wait here, alright? I need to get a few things from my room."

"Alright. Your house is lovely by the way. And huge. You weren't kidding when you said it was massive."

"Yeah, I know. Be right back, alright?"

He kissed her cheek and was off, running up the right flight of stairs. Rose inhaled deeply and let it out. Why was she so scared? This place seemed cheery and welcoming, not the dungeon and dark place she imagined in her head, something similar to what her parents described the Malfoy Manor to be.

Rose walked around the room a bit, eyeing the portraits on the walls of people who she guessed were ancestors to the family. A few of them winked at her, and she smiled at the complement. Then she came across a smaller portrait with an elegant gold frame of a young man with platinum blonde hair, lighter than Scorpius's. He was wearing a black suit, and stood in a dignified pose, with a straight face. He looked around her age, and had penetrating blue eyes.

"Golly, he's handsome," she muttered. "Who is he? He looks like Scorpius."

"That would be me," she heard a mature male voice say behind her and she whirled around. Her heart jumped through the tall mansion roof when she saw those same penetrating blue eyes, only with little winkles in the corners from age. She stared at Scorpius's father Draco Malfoy.

"Mr. Malfoy," she squeaked, heat rising to her cheeks. "I was just… um…"

The rather dashing middle-aged man simply stood there with his hands in his black slacks pockets. He wore a white button-down collar shirt. "Feel free to look," he said and took a few steps up to her and looked at the picture. "I was about seventeen then. It's amazing what twenty-three years can do to a person." He faced her and held out his hand and smiled. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. Draco Malfoy."

She smiled as well, despite herself. She took his hand and was surprised by the softness and warmth of it. "Rose Weasley."

"Pleasure." He put his hand back in his pocket. "Now, I understand from what my son has said, that it's your eighteenth birthday today?"

"Yes, that's correct."

He smiled again, this time, showing his straight white teeth that almost matched his platinum blonde hair. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you."

Rose couldn't believe she was actually afraid of this man in the past. He seems the polar opposite of the man her parents described, which was mean, melancholy, broody, and even a bully. Looking at him now, with his bright blue eyes, friendly smile, broad forehead, and a bit of blonde stubble on his chin, he seems like a quite pleasant man.

"Rose," she heard, then saw Scorpius walking up to them, jacket and a large canvas bag in his hand. "Shall we go?" He looked over and saw his father standing there. "Oh, dad, I thought you were at work."

"The Ministry gave me the week off, starting today. They figured I needed a break after not taking a holiday for a year."

"Sounds like you dad - always the workaholic."

Mr. Malfoy pointed at Rose. "So, when were you going to introduce me to your lovely girlfriend here, Scorpius? After how long?"

"After your grudge of the Weasleys ended."

"Which was years ago," he said begrudgingly. "I've gotten past all that. You know that."

"Yeah, so.. dad, this is Rose Weasley." He put an arm around her. "The best of the Weasleys in my opinion."

"We were acquainted."

"Alright," Scorpius said. "Rose, let's get going. We'll be late."

"Alright," she said, and glanced at Mr. Malfoy. "Pleasure to meet you, sir."

"The pleasure was all mine."

Scorpius and Rose left out the door and walked around the large fountain in the center of the round driveway. "I didn't expect your father to be such a nice man," Rose commented.

"Yeah, he's been like that since my mum passed away. I think it softened him up a bit. Maybe it's a good thing that you didn't meet him before then."

Scorpius has told her about his mother passing away just two years before they met, and how difficult that was for him and his father. Astoria Malfoy died of a rare illness that couldn't be cured by magic. "Really? What was he like then?"

"Just really… hm, how do I say it? He was just… sullen. Even mum sometimes had a hard time cheering him up."

"He wasn't mean and arrogant? Like my parents have said?"

"Oh, he was arrogant, and still is. But not mean. He's come a long way since his teenage years, according to what mum said."

"Well, my opinion about him has changed. I guess judging people based on what you heard about them isn't such a wise idea."

He chuckled and tightened his hold around her shoulder. He leaned in and she felt his breath hit her cheek. "I heard that you were the most beautiful creature to ever walk the Hogwarts campus, and then I met you and found that I was right. Didn't seem like an unwise idea then."

She smiled and leaned into him. "And I heard that you were the most handsome and charming, and found that I was right as well."

They both chuckled together and went on walking until they got to Scorpius's car. On the way to wherever they were going, Rose couldn't get the feeling of that strong, warm hand grasping hers, nor those penetrating blue eyes and brilliant white smile, out of her head. She put a hand on her cheek. Why in heaven's name were her cheeks heating up?