So far, he had taken her to Hogsmeade, a very nice muggle restaurant, and a pub in Ireland (which she had actually had a lot of fun at, surprisingly). She had enjoyed herself thoroughly at all of these places, laughing far more than usual and letting loose, putting everything on the line.

At the moment, there were two things Rose Weasley was extremely pissed at.

The first was that she had not taken him anywhere. Everywhere he took her was special to him in some way or the other (she hadn't asked about the Irish pub, she was too alarmed), and she had had fun, yes. But she wanted to bring him somewhere that was special to her.

The second thing that caused her to mope and sulk and cast random spells at things was that even though they had been on three dates, Scorpius hadn't kissed her yet.

At graduation, she had been certain that would be the last time she would ever see Scorpius Malfoy, and she was sad about it. Very sad, so that she considered boycotting her graduation. Albus wouldn't let her do that, so instead she simply sulked in the corner and glared at people so fiercely that no one came anywhere near her. But then Scorpius, braving what no one else could, bent down next to her, dangerously close to her wand, and asked her to dance. Which she did- of course. And then, when that was done, he asked her to dance again. And then again. By then, she was dreadfully tired, and her feet were hurting quite a bit, so she had to stop. But then he asked her to go out with him. Which she agreed to- of course. So they went out, and then he asked her out again. And then again. And that was how she got to her present situation.

Her present situation was sitting in front of her fireplace, debating whether or not to ask him.

The rest of her family were steering clear of her. After she had yelled at her brother when he came in, poking at her and asking if she had finally snapped, after she had glared at her father when he told her that sitting in front of the fireplace wasn't going to do any good (as if she didn't know that!) and after she had roughly shaken her mother off when she gently placed a hand on her shoulder and asked her what was wrong, no one was going anywhere near Rose.

That was the problem.

She had a plan. She knew where she would take him, what they would do, could picture it clearly in her head, as if it had already happened. But her brain was locked in a fierce battle, trying to figure out whether or not she should actually go through with her plan.

He had to like her, right? I mean, he kept asking her out on dates- he had asked her to go to a Quidditch game next week. So he had to like spending time with her, right? But did he like spending time with her as a friend, or as something else? If it was just a friend, why did he keep asking her alone? Unless next week's Quidditch game was with a whole group of other people? If so, why hadn't he told her that? Why hadn't he said, 'Do you want to go to a Quidditch game with some of my mates,' instead of, 'Do you want to go to a Quidditch game with me'? He had to like her. He had to.

But then why hadn't he kissed her yet? Was she doing something wrong? Sending a false sign? Did he think she didn't want to?

She just didn't know. She didn't know.

Rose promptly let out a strangled shriek- almost like a battle cry- and then threw the Floo Powder into the fire, saying, very clearly, 'Malfoy Manor,' before sticking her head in.

She saw his mother first. Astoria let out a little squeak before turning towards her, her face erupting into a kind smile when she saw who it was. "Hello Rose. How are you?"

"I'm good, Mrs. Malfoy, how are you?"

"Wonderful, dear. I suppose you'd like to speak to Scorpius?"

Rose nodded gratefully. She was glad it wasn't his father. Draco tended to frighten her, no matter how many times he said he accepted her relationship (was it even a relationship? What did she and Scorpius even have?) with his son.

Astoria left and a few seconds later Scorpius walked in, causing Rose's breath to catch in her throat and her heart to flutter. He bent down before the fire, smiling wide at her.

"Rose, what are you doing in my fire?"

"I wanted to ask you something, and I didn't send an owl because, well, it's kind of a last minute thing, I wanted to be sure-"

"Rose, you're starting to babble."

Rose blushed deeply and Scorpius laughed. "I really love making you blush, you know."

At that, Rose's tongue wound around itself fifty two times and promptly refused to unravel, leaving her quite speechless.

"You wanted to ask me something?" Scorpius reminded her, and she nodded, working tiredly to untie her tongue.

"Well, you see, I wanted to know if maybe you would like to come for a boat ride with me? My grandpa Granger said I could use it whenever I wanted, and they're out of town today, so I wondered if maybe..."

Rose faltered off, all confidence gone. His expression was weary, and her heart was breaking. He didn't want to go. He didn't want to date her. He didn't want to kiss her. She was stupid.

"If you don't want to, that's okay, I'll just go with Albus or someone..." Or she would cry in her room. He didn't need to know which. Both involved massive amounts of water, at least.

"No, Rose, it's not that I don't want to, it's just, well..."

I'm in love with someone else, you repulse me, going out with you was a bet, I felt sorry for you-

"I'm afraid of boats," he mumbled quickly under his breath, and Rose stared at him.

"Pardon?"

He blushed deeply (Scorpius, blush?) before repeating, slower this time, "I'm afraid of boats."

Rose stared at him a few moments longer, before biting her tongue, hard, to keep from laughing.

"You're afraid... of boats?"

He nodded solemnly, and a chuckle escaped her barrier. He glared.

"I'm sorry, it's just... how? Why?"

"Well, when I was younger we went on a ferry ride, as a family, see, and I was leaning over the edge, looking down at the water, and I, well, I leaned too far, and I... I fell in."

Rose barked out a laugh before biting her tongue harder. "I'm so sorry, Scorpius, it's just... it is a little funny, don't you think?"

"No, I don't! It was a very traumatic experience!"

"I'll bet it was..." Rose muttered, before grinning at him. "But look, I won't let anything happen. You can wear your life jacket, okay? It'll be okay."

He thought about it for a while, before nodding. "Fine, I suppose. I'll meet you at your house in 10 minutes, okay?"

Ten minutes? She couldn't get ready in ten minutes!

But she did, pulling her head out of the fire and collapsing, laughing hysterically, on her living room floor, before running upstairs and getting dressed quicker then she ever had before. When she came downstairs, Scorpius was already in her living room.

"You look nice," she noticed, taking in his outfit. He looked sheepish. "Well, I didn't exactly know what I was supposed to wear. I brought some more clothes," he told her, blushing at she smiled.

"No, you're fine. Come on." Scorpius took her hand and they apparated into a secluded wood near where her grandparents kept the boat. "This way," she told him, biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from grinning like a maniac when he kept a hold of her hand.

Rose had driven her grandparent's boat many times before. Much like her grandpa Weasley, she loved muggle contraptions, and since her own grandparents were muggle, she could always find a way to look at them, learn how to use them. Her grandpa had first taken her on the boat when she was 7, taught her how to drive it when she was 15. Now, of course, she could use magic.

When Scorpius caught sight of the boat, he stopped.

"Scorpius?" She asked. He just stared.

"So this boat… its muggle, right?"

"Through and through," she replied, but realised too late that that wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"Scorpius, it's okay, alright? Nothing will happen. I know how to drive it."

He gulped but followed her nonetheless. She helped him on, handing him a life jacket and trying not to laugh when he struggled into it.

"Aren't you going to wear one?" She shook her head.

"Scorpius, you didn't have to agree to this, you know."

"I know. But I wanted to."

"Yeah, you look like you're having loads of fun."

"I am. I'm with you, aren't I?"

Rose blushed so deeply she was sure she was setting off a beacon, and somebody would come rushing, trying to help. She turned away and started the boat up.

It stalled a few times ("Maybe it won't work. Maybe we'll have to leave," Scorpius had whispered to her) but after a tap of her wand everything ran smoothly, and then they were off. Rose got behind the steering wheel, going slowly through the channel before she reached open waters and gunned it. Scorpius abruptly grabbed her arm. She grinned.

"Are you okay?" She asked. He just nodded shakily, sitting down behind her and keeping a firm hold on her shoulders.

As Rose cruised the open waters, Scorpius looked at her. She was positively glowing. Her curly red hair was held back with an elastic, her bare arms and legs soaking in sunlight, illuminating each freckle. Every time the boat lurched, she would laugh, even as Scorpius would squeeze her shoulders and curse ever getting on the godforsaken thing.

After driving for a little, Rose slowed the boat, eventually stopping. Scorpius looked up from where he had been firmly staring at the bottom, trying not to concentrate on the rushing water all around him.

"Why've we stopped? Has the boat broken down?"

Rose smiled again. "Scorpius, you're green."

"I'm what?"

"Green. Scorpius, if you hated boats this much, why did you come?"

He shrugged. "It was something you wanted to do. It was something that made you happy."

Rose smiled, blushing again. Then she stood up, walking over to the side of the boat. She leaned over, smiling at the water below her. She smiled back at Scorpius. She held out her hand.

"Come on. I won't let you fall in, I promise."

Swallowing, Scorpius took her hand and inched closer to the side. He peered over the edge into the water below.

"See? It's not so bad." Scorpius laughed nervously.

"I guess not." It really wasn't. For one, Rose's grandfather's boat was small. For another, standing with Rose's hand in his calmed him down immensely.

He was just starting to genuinely enjoy himself when a wave came and lurched the boat. Scorpius, who had been leaning, trying to see to the bottom of the water, lost his balance. His hand was ripped out of Rose's and he fell in with a strangled scream.

"Scorp!" She cried out as he splashed into the water. He was yelling and splashing and kicking water up wildly. Rose was laughing.

"Scorpius! Scorpius stop! You have a- you have a life jacket! Scorp!"

He was freaking out completely. Holding back laughter, she dived into the water, bobbing up next to him. She reached out and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him until he opened his eyes.

"Am I dead?"

She snorted. "Why do you think I put you in the life jacket, silly?"

He looked around. Then he looked down at the life jacket. Then he looked at Rose, his face red.

"Oh."

Rose burst out laughing. Scorpius glared at her.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but you should have seen yourself, splashing and screaming bloody murder…"

He stared at her. Then he splashed her.

Rose spat water out of her mouth and glared at the bobbing boy. He grinned.

"What are you gonna do? I'm the one in the life jacket."

She splashed him back. He shook his head like a dog and splashed her with water from his hair.

Without even stopping to think about it, she jumped on him.

"Rose!"

"Life jacket isn't going to save you now!" She cried wickedly, holding onto him with one hand and splashing him with water with the other. She splashed him relentlessly until he cried-

"Rose, stop! Please, stop!"

His voice sounded distressed. Terrified she had overstepped the boundaries- he was afraid of water, after all- she lay off, letting go of him.

He grinned wickedly. "I can't believe you fell for that," he smirked, splashing her nonstop. "I have a life jacket, remember?"

"Not- fair!" She cried, covering her face, trying to get away from the water. She splashed him back, but he had the upper hand.

She swum to the ladder leading up to the boat. She climbed in, collapsing tiredly on the floor, dripping. Scorpius climbed in after her, taking off his life jacket and falling to the floor beside her.

"I'm soaking."

She turned her head. He was looking at her. "That's what water does, you know."

"Do you want me to throw you back in the water?"

She smirked. "Go ahead. I can swim."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I can swim. I'm just… afraid to."

"How can you know how to swim but be afraid of drowning?"

He sat up. She was afraid she had insulted him when he reached down over the side of the boat and splashed her again.

"Do you really want to start this war again?" She asked cheekily. He grinned.

"It's not a war when one side is so much better than the other."

She raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you participating, considering you're losing so badly?"

He laughed and then suddenly darted and grabbed her. His attack would have been better if the boat hadn't once again lurched and he shrieked, his arms around her suddenly seeking comfort. She laughed and wrapped her arms around him as well.

"Scorpius, you should put your life jacket back on."

He nodded, taking the discarded fluorescent yellow and orange jacket and snapping it back on. He looked at her oddly.

"What?"

"Thank you."

She cocked her head. "For what?"

"For making me come. I haven't been on a boat in nine years. I had fun."

"Even though you fell in?"

"Yeah. Because you dived in after me. I felt… safe."

She stared at him for a moment. Then she laughed.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "It's just so hard to take you seriously in that."

He smiled and then, once again, darted out to grab her. She shrieked, trying to get away from his fingers, which were working hard to tickle her. Finally, his relentless fingers stopped.

"I think I win."

She stared at his gray eyes, and then said, "No you don't." Then she leaned forward to kiss him.

She was terrified he wouldn't kiss her back. Maybe he never wanted to. That's why he hadn't done it before, because he hadn't even wanted to.

But then, he started to kiss her back. His lips were wet from their swim but so were hers- his hair was in his face and she reached up to brush it away even as his brought her as close as possible to him, considering his life jacket was in the way.

When they finally separated, they touched foreheads, breathing heavily.

"I am… so glad you did that."

She grinned. "So am I."

"I mean, I had wanted to. Since, well… I dunno, fifth year? But I was just terrified that you didn't want to, that you were only going out with me out of pity or maybe it was like, a bet or something, and I just worked myself up until I just-"

"Freaked out?"

He smiled. "Yeah."

He kissed her again, gentler this time.

"Come on Scorpius, let's turn around."

"Why?"

"Because you're still green."

He blushed. "Oh."

She smiled. "Don't worry. I think it's cute that you're such a big baby."

He raised his eyebrows. "Baby?"

She walked over to the front of the boat. "It's just a little water, Scorpius," she laughed and turned her back.

He came out of no where, picking her up off her feet and throwing her in. She shrieked.

"Scopius!" He laughed and jumped in after her. His life jacket keeping him afloat, he splashed her gently and then brought her towards him, catching her lips again as she clung to his neck.

"Baby my arse," he muttered.