Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter, or Rose and Scorpius etc.

A/N – Okay, my first Rose/Scorpius. I've got into this pairing recently, as I think they'd be quite cute together. However, for this fic, you kind of need to understand my personal timeline for the characters. Basically, they were in competition with each other up until the end of fifth year, when they because really good friends.

I see Rose as being very clever, but more laid-back than Hermione was. She plays Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and she's a prefect. She had crazy frizzy red hair, a load of freckles and is fairly lanky (Ron's genes coming into play!) Scorpius looks a lot like his father, with pale blonde hair and blue eyes. He doesn't play Quidditch, but is also a Slytherin prefect. He's kind of snarky, but is kind overall. He was placed in Slytherin because he asked to be, and also because the Sorting Hat detected cunning in him.

This is set in the middle of their sixth year of Hogwarts.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and please review! That makes me happy!

---

"Bloody hell!" Rose exclaimed, throwing her heavy book-filled bag onto the table in front of her.

"What's wrong with you?" Scorpius replied, without looking up from the book he was perusing. "And keep it down, you don't want to get us chucked out of the library."

"Sorreeee…" Rose retorted, reverting to wit of around Hugo's calibre. She sighed loudly, before opening her bag and taking out her own copy of Advanced Potion Making, identical to the one that Scorpius was so enthusiastically devouring.

"Is it the stuff on the Polyjuice potion we're supposed to be researching?" she asked.

Groaning, Scorpius looked up. His blonde hair had fallen into his eyes slightly, and Rose watched him swat it away with a deft flick of his hand.

"Yes. And you, Miss Perfect Prefect, should have known that."

Rose felt herself begin to smile, but stopped herself.

"I've just… I've had other stuff to think about." She said simply, a part of her hoping that Scorpius would inquire further.

"You want me to ask you what's going on, don't you?" he asked, seemingly bored.

"You know me too well…" Rose replied.

"Well? Why are you so pissed off? Is it to do with the fact that today is in fact, the 13th day of February?"

Rose took a deep breath, before launching into the rant she had prepared carefully on the way to the library.

"Argh, you have no idea Scorpius! It's true, this stupid day was just invented to make single people feel bad about themselves! About twenty different people, well, okay, two, asked me what I was doing tomorrow, and if I had a bloody Valentine, and of course, I don't, because quite frankly, look at me. And then I got a letter off Mum, asking me the same damn thing, and some little patronising aside from Dad, reminding me that he'd met the love of his life at Hogwarts, when he was my age, and so had Uncle Harry and Auntie Ginny, and that's just served to make me feel worse! And on the way here, I was just thinking, that I shouldn't get so worked up over this, considering how I'm supposed to be a Gryffindor, and brave and all that stuff, and as well as that, an intelligent woman, and I shouldn't need a man, and I was maybe starting to accept that, but then a stupid bloody goblin, or dwarf or whatever chucked a load of confetti at me and tried to sing at me about how I apparently have a secret admirer!"

Rose paused, feeling that her face had reddened significantly.

Scorpius gave a snort, slamming his hands down onto the table in amusement.

"Really Rose? And how did this little Valentine message go?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

"Oh, I think I do."

"It probably wasn't even intended for me!" Rose protested, suddenly frightened by the prospect of sharing her experience with Scorpius, even if he did happen to be her best friend.

"But then again, it might have been…" Scorpius said, in his simple, logical manner. Rose liked this about him. He never skirted around anything, he said what he thought. Occasionally he would dress it up with fancy words, but it was always easy to understand where he was coming from.

"If I write it down…" Rose mused out loud, hoping that he would agree.

"No, I want you to tell me. It can't have been that bad…"

Rose took another deep breath, before beginning.

"Rose, my perfect Rose,

You grow more and more each day.

I love to watch you flourish

Rain or shine, come what may

You hair shines with brilliance

Your eyes even more so

Your sparkling wit dazzles me daily

Without you, I'd be low

So be mine this Valentine's

I promise I'll be yours forever

You are my Amortentia

My Rose, my love, my clever."

Rose carefully watched Scorpius's face for any hint of a reaction. This was it. She would find out… Her first thought as the dwarf had begun to sing was that it could have been from Scorpius, even as a joke… Surely he would give it away if he was the one who had proclaimed her "his love"….

"My clever?" Scorpius smiled, heavy sarcasm in his voice. Rose let out the breath she hadn't been aware of holding in.

"I think it's because it rhymed with 'forever'…" she answered.

"Still…" Scorpius said, shaking his head slowly. "That's poor, very poor."

"I told you that you didn't want to know!"

"Oh, on the contrary. I can tease you about this for years…"

Rose giggled, feeling the blush on her cheeks intensify. She had been relieved it wasn't him… hadn't she?

Why did she feel disappointed?

"So…" Scorpius began, breaking the rather uncomfortable silence. "Who d'you think it was from?"

Rose shrugged, occupying herself by searching in her bag for a quill.

"No idea. Could be anyone… I bet it was Fred, his idea of a hilarious joke…"

"No, I don't think it was a joke." Scorpius answered, running his hands through his hair. "It sounded like some poor guy worked really hard on that poem, getting it to rhyme et cetera."

"And they didn't really succeed at that…" Rose smiled. "It doesn't scan very well, the rhythm's a bit off."

"Well, sorry, Elizabeth Barrett Browning!" Scorpius retaliated, and Rose thought she could detect a hint of annoyance in his voice. "What would you have written instead?"

"Oh, shut up." Rose said, feeling the typical red-headed anger tendency rising inside her. "You were taking the piss out of it earlier as well, don't suddenly turn on me."

"I just think you should… give them a break." Scorpius said quietly. "And do your Potions homework, we've got Garsmith next."

Rose cast her eyes down to the pages of her book, scanning the long passage about the possible side-effects of Polyjuice potion. She'd read it before, obviously. Her mother had described in detail, the story of how a girl she knew had been accidentally transformed into a cat by using a cat hair in her potion. For some reason, that story always made her dad laugh.

Her mum and dad. Rose was amazed by how ridiculously happy, and well, in love, they appeared to be. She had walked in on far too many kissing sessions to not think so: against the kitchen table, on the sofa whilst watching the Muggle television, sometimes even in the street.

Rose wanted what they had.

If only the idiot who'd written the stupid Valentine would come forward… she thought. She couldn't have cared less who they were. They seemed to like her anyway… judging by the use of the phrase "my love"…

But then again, she only really wanted them to come forward if they happened to have blonde hair, blue eyes and the name of Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy…

---

The next morning, Rose was woken up by the squeals of her dorm mate, Laura Wood.

"I knew it! I knew he'd send me something, I told you, didn't I? Rose, wake up, look! Al sent me a card! Look at it, isn't it beautiful! It's signed guess who of course, but I'd recognise his handwriting anywhere! I can't believe he remembered, oh my god! Rose, get up! Look!"

Rose heaved out of bed, glancing at her reflection in the mirror by her bed. Groaning at the usual mass of red frizz, freckles and huge front teeth, she walked over to Laura, who was bright pink with excitement.

"D'you think he'll take me to Hogsmeade today? D'you really think so? He said he might, if Quidditch practice isn't on… is it on? Rose, you should know... oh, please say it's not on!"

"It's cancelled…" Rose replied, counting down the number of players on her fingers. "Roxanne and Bradley wanted to go off together, so that's a Chaser and a Keeper down, and Louis and Sebastian were planning something elaborate for their girlfriends, so that's the Beaters gone, and Chris said he had a load of work to do. We can't play with just a Seeker and a Chaser."

"Whatever." Laura shrugged, examining her own chestnut brown hair in the mirror. "As long as Al isn't on the Quidditch pitch chasing after some red ball today, I'm happy."

Rose murmured what could have been a reply in Laura's general direction, the previous day's Valentine bitterness overtaking her once more.

"Well, I'll see you later…" Laura smiled, waving over her shoulder, as she pulled open the dormitory door. "Don't wait up!"

"Okay…" Rose said, forcing her sock onto her foot so hard she poked a hole in it. "Bloody hell!" she exclaimed, using her dad's favourite swearwords. She aimed her wand at the sock and watched it knit itself back together, before trying again to dress herself, without incident.

Ten minutes later, Rose dragged her brush through her unruly hair once more, willing it to stay straight. Today of all days… she thought, before stopping herself. Nothing was going to happen today! What was she thinking? Today was just another day…. Just another day.

----

"Rose!" Scorpius greeted, as Rose strode into the Great Hall. "Sit here, I saved you a seat."

Rose sat down graciously beside him. She was glad that after the famous Battle of Hogwarts, the old system of having separate houses sit apart had been abolished. Still, she and Scorpius were the only Gryffindors and Slytherins to mix, but Rose liked to think it showed some vague social progress.

"Have you worked it out yet?" Scorpius asked, helping himself to a heart shaped piece of toast smothered in strawberry jam from the plate in front of him.

"What?" Rose asked.

"Who sent you your mysterious Valentine?"

"Oh, that." Rose sighed, pouring herself a glass of pink milk. "I don't really care any more. More important things in life, right?" she lied, nervously awaiting his response.

"I'll drink to that." Scorpius grinned, holding up his half-eaten slice in a mock-toast. Rose followed suit, grinning at the smear of jam on Scorpius's chin, anything to distract herself from his disinterest in her Valentine that meant that it had probably not been him who had sent it…

"You've got a little bit…" she gestured, feeling herself redden. Stupid Weasley blood, she cursed. Making her blush at the worst moments…

"What?" Scorpius frowned, clearly not knowing what on earth she was on about.

Rose picked up a scarlet napkin, which was incidentally folded into the shape of a pair of puckered lips, and brushed it against Scorpius's chin, removing the jam.

"Oh. Thanks." He said, and for a second, Rose could have sworn that his pale skin had turned the slightest shade of pink.

"S'alright." Rose said, concentrating on eating her own slice of toast without any similar incident.

They chewed in silence for a while, neither looking up. Rose considered casting a few sneaky Tergeo spells on her face, to completely ensure that she remained clean, but she decided against it, trusting herself to not behave like a three-year old (or Hugo when he was hungry.)

"Scorpius?"

"Yes?"

"You're quiet today."

"Am I?"

"Well, usually you're making some sarcastic comment about something or other, or telling me my hair looks ridiculous…"

"I never say your hair looks ridiculous!"

"You do! You said the other day that it reminded you of – what was it? – oh yes, as if a bird's nest had caught on fire?"

"I meant that in a nice way!"

"Since when do you ever compliment me?"

Scorpius paused for a second.

"Well, maybe I don't say it out loud… but I think it."

Rose smiled shyly, warmth spreading through her body. Had he just said… did he just say…?

"Clearly not as much as your admirer though…" Scorpius continued, smirking slightly.

"Don't start that again…" Rose murmured, still a million miles away. "I just want to forget about it."

"Whatever you say, Rose…" Scorpius answered. "I doubt that's the last you've heard from him. I'll bet he's waiting somewhere for the right moment to present you with an amazingly appalling hand-made card dripping with red and pink glitter, proclaiming his love for all to see, and asking you to escort him to Hogsmeade."

Rose snorted.

"I highly doubt that…" she said, still smarting from her earlier disappointment.

"Anyway, I'll see you later maybe?" Scorpius said, picking up his bag and swinging it over his shoulder in one fluid motion. With one more flick of his hair, he headed towards the entrance doors, not once looking back.

"'Kay." Rose answered, deciding against waving goodbye.

Alone, she hurriedly finished her breakfast. What she had said to Scorpius had been true. She didn't care about who had sent the stupid thing anymore. It had probably been a joke… and anyway, it clearly hadn't been from Scorpius.

And Rose realised with something like horror that that was all that had ever mattered.

She drained her glass, spluttering slightly. This was… wrong. Rose and Scorpius? Scorpius and Rose?

He'd never want me anyway… she thought sadly, picking up her schoolbag and heading out of the Great Hall.

She never noticed the discarded piece of parchment, on the floor underneath where Scorpius had been sat.

---

Possible:

Fred Weasley (joke)

Hugo Weasley (joke)

Louis Weasley (joke)

Al Potter (joke)

Ron Weasley (cheer me up?)

Chris Moran (he said he liked my prefect badge once)

Rose was completely stuck as to who could have sent the stupid bloody valentine.

And for once, making a list hadn't helped. The only real possibility was Chris Moran, Rose's fellow player on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. But he hardly said a word to her… and besides, Rose doubted he had any sense of poetry in him whatsoever.

And she refused to add one Scorpius Malfoy to the list.

He hadn't sent it after all.

Sighing, Rose crumpled up the piece of paper she had been listing possibilities on and threw it into the lake. The Hogwarts grounds were almost deserted, owing to the majority of students spending their Valentine's Day with their respective girlfriends or boyfriends. Rose was alone, under her favourite tree overlooking the lake. She watched as a tentacle from the giant squid lazily threw back the ball of paper, it landing by her feet.

"Want me to give him a detention for that?"

Rose looked up to find Scorpius standing over her, his bright blue eyes looking right into hers.

"No, it's fine…" Rose smiled, as Scorpius sat down next to her. "Anyway, I'm a prefect too remember…"

"Oh, I remember…" Scorpius smirked. "I remember you running up to me on the first day of fifth year, trying to rub it in my face that you'd got the badge. Then as it happened, I'd got one too…"

"Yeah…" Rose remembered. "See, that was back when I hated you…"

"So you don't hate me now?"

Rose thought for a second about her answer.

"Far from it."

"Likewise."

Rose felt Scorpius shift his body closer to hers, in such a way that if she tilted her head slightly to the left, it would be resting on his shoulder. The idea made her heart start to beat faster, and she could have sworn she could hear the blood pounding in her veins.

"Have you still not worked it out?" she heard Scorpius ask.

"No. And I don't care. Nothing would come from it anyway. It's just Valentine's Day. Nothing special."

A few moments passed. Rose closed her eyes, basking in the unusual February sunshine. She felt Scorpius move slightly beside her, and the zip on his bag close.

"What're you doing?" she asked lazily, not looking round.

"Just putting something away" Scorpius replied, hiding the clumsily made card safely inside his bag, brushing the specks of glitter off his fingers.

This was not the moment, clearly.