Some people believe that if we meet the love of our life before we're ready we still keep coming back to that person. We don't know why at the time, but we can't seem to help ourselves. It's a yo-yo effect and, with every encounter, we come closer and closer to the people with whom we are meant to be.

The process that guided Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy to that point started like most of their encounters did, with a fight. Although Scorpius Malfoy would be the last person, and the last person by a long distance, to admit it, he had always thought that Rose Weasley was beautiful. It hit him the first time he saw her on the train platform. The light hit her bright red hair perfectly, making her stand out from every other girl his age. His father, Draco Malfoy, saw his eleven year old son's transfixed face and instantly discouraged him.

"Scorpius, I want you to be careful. Our family name has a lot of weight to it, and with that comes obligation. I don't care who you are friends with. But don't get interested in a Weasley or Potter girl. They are trouble."

Ever since that moment, Scorpius had made it a point to avoid Rose Weasley, but since he became fast friends with her favorite cousin, Albus, avoiding her was kind of difficult. First year through third year, he just coldly ignored her as if she didn't exist. But, when she came back in fourth year, he found that impossible to do. So, instead, he picked fights with her for the longest time, and he did it cruelly, without any sort of consideration for her feelings. All he thought about was keeping her away from him. But last year, Albus took him aside and asked him to be nicer to Rose.

Albus ruffled his untidy black hair and said, "Look, I get it. You hate her. I don't know why you do, but you do. But can you not be so mean to her? I know she's tough, but you don't have to go as far as you do."

Respecting his friendship with Albus more than his halfhearted promise to his father, Scorpius conceded and, from that point on, he had taken his attempts down a couple of notches. Now he teased her, threw things at her, but he wasn't malicious or vindictive about it. It was more out of desire for entertainment than anything else because, honestly, he could just leave her alone, but by the time that idea had gotten into his head it was too late.

Rose pushed her long red hair out of her face as her thick arched eyebrows furrowed together. It was early April, and soon she would be finishing up her last year at Hogwarts. As Head Girl and top student in her class, she sat in the library working out her schedule for the rest of the week. Though the year was coming to a close, she still had a lot of things left to do and maybe more on her mind.

Across from her sat Albus and her best friend, Charlie. Albus's green eyes were stuck on a Quidditch book, as he leaned back on the back pegs of his chair. Charlie was fixing her high ponytail, her elegant black hair falling sleekly past her shoulders. Under the pretense of studying, Charlie had come with all of her charms homework even though Rose knew for a fact that she had finished it the day before. Unfortunately, Albus was completely clueless to this.

Charlie shared a look with Rose. "I have to meet Jack. I'll see you guys later."

"Bye," Rose replied sympathetically.

Albus nodded, but didn't even bother to look up.

Rose considered saying something to him, but bit her tongue as she saw Scorpius Malfoy waltz into the library. His blonde hair swept across his grey eyes carelessly as he strutted up to Albus.

As soon as he saw his friend, Albus lowered his book and a rather large grin grew on his face.

"Scor! What's new?"

Malfoy grinned, "Nothing just looking for a book."

"We still on for later?"

"Of course."

Albus nodded and went back to his book as Scorpius rounded the table and went behind the bookshelf they sat behind. As he did, his eyes set on Rose's unintentionally. They stared at each other like two people in a Mexican stand-off might eye each other before they reached for their shooting pistols. Rose relaxed as soon Malfoy was out of sight and went back to thinking her plans and tasks for the next week.

Biting the end of her quill, Rose yawned as a wave of exhaustion came over her. If she hadn't yawned, she might have noticed a book rising from its shelf and heading right for her. The first book just smacked her arm, but after the third book hit her forehead, she began to get really annoyed.

"Malfoy," Rose spat through gritted teeth, her big brown eyes wide with fury. "Quit charming books to hit me."

Another book soared across the air and smacked her across the face.

"I mean it! One more book!" Rose glowered at her cousin," Al! Do something!"

Albus raised his hands in innocence. "What do you expect me to do?"

"He's your friend! Why don't you tell him to stop it?"

Shaking his head knowingly, Albus grabbed his bag and got up to leave. "I'm staying out of this."

Another book came flying over and clipped Rose's chin. She threw her hands up and gave Albus a look. "That's it!"

Rose ran to the other side of the bookshelf, not even bothering to grab her wand. Rose lunged at Malfoy and gripped his collar. The rest of his face remained cold and emotionless, but his steel eyes, filled with wild amusement, gave him away.

"WHY ARE YOU THROWING BOOKS AT ME? WHAT IS THE PURPOSE IN THAT?"

He smirked, a look that worked so well on his face that Rose thought it should be marked a cardinal sin. "Do you have any proof that it was me?"

"ARE YOU TAKING THE MICKEY OUT OF ME? THERE'S NO ONE ELSE IN HERE!"

"Actually," he corrected her in a calm tone. "There're about ten people in here, all perfectly capable of cursing you. If I were you I'd get some proof before I shot harsh accusations at innocent bystanders."

"You," She pointed at his face hatefully, "Scorpius Malfoy, are anything but innocent!"

Malfoy shrugged, "You are mad."

"MAD…MAD? YOU WANT TO SEE MAD?" Rose, put her leg around him and used all of her strength to throw him down onto the ground.

Shocked, Scorpius allowed her to get the upper hand for a few seconds before he reflexively tried to hold her back, which only made her fight harder. They rolled on the floor viciously, Rose was the one actually trying to get a hit in, and Scorpius was mostly trying to stop her from hurting him.

As she kicked and scratched him, he couldn't help but laugh. He didn't know what it was in him that drove him to provoke her, but he did know that he loved the reaction he got from her when he did. There was a spark in Rose Weasley, which, if he just bothered her just enough, ignited into a rage-filled fire that he loved to see.

Today, however, wasn't a good day to set her off because, in the chaos of the fight, the new librarian, Madame Thatcher, ran to go get the Headmaster. Apparently, after the last time when they took out three bookshelves, she had had enough. By the time she had come back with Headmaster Higgins, half the books were knocked off the shelf, and Scorpius had a bruised jaw.

"When you two are finished." The headmaster began in a cool voice that instant struck a chord with them to stop. "I'd like to see you both in my office."

The headmaster then turned on his heel and left without another word. Rose, who was half-straddling Scorpius at this point, blushed bright red, deeper than even her trademark Weasley hair. She blushed not only at the fact that she had let Malfoy get the better of her but also because of the circumstance the headmaster found her in when he did.

Pushing herself to her feet, she went over to the desk she was working at and collected her things. With her mind beginning to whirl in panic, she raced towards the door with Scorpius hot on her heels.

Guilt, horrible adolescent guilt, crawled up Rose Weasley's throat as she walked to the headmaster's office with Scorpius Malfoy. The only thing that could rival that feeling was the rage she felt towards the tall blonde male next to her. This was all his fault. Yes, Rose should have been the bigger person and left or ignored him, but didn't it matter that he had started the provocation in the first place? Rose wasn't so sure.

In furious silence, they went up to Headmaster Higgins' office. When they knocked, the man told them to enter. They both grabbed the door handle at the same time. After a sharing a heated glare with her rival, Rose pushed Scorpius out of the way to walk in first. Once they entered the office, Rose's anger for Scorpius faded and the guilt took over. The headmaster eyed them both through his aging brown eyes and sighed, a small smile creeping onto his features.

"Sit, both of you."

They did, both of their stomachs twisting and turning in anticipation for what their punishment would be today.

"You both gave me an idea today." He began, "See, I've seen you both in this office very often, and you both seem to bring out something in each other that no one else can. And, I believe that we can use this what's the word… ah, quality of yours for a good cause."

Rose's throat tightened as she became incredibly paranoid as to what that could mean.

He went on to stand up, "For a long time, I have watched the houses partake in a heated rivalry, and you two are the worst offenders. But, I have an idea that might make it better. Call it an experiment."

"I'm sorry, Sir," Rose began in a pitch that was much higher than her normal voice, "What kind of experiment?"

"For the next three weeks, you two won't be able to go farther than three feet away from each other."

Rose was in total shock, her body numb and her jaw open in horror. Adapting quicker than Rose, Scorpius let out a dry, uncomfortable laugh and looked at the Headmaster questionably. He had been patient and willing to take on any punishment the headmaster felt they deserved, but this, he felt, was completely impractical.

"Excuse me professor, I don't mean to be rude, but you can't be serious. There's no way that will work-"

"Quidditch season has been delayed if that's what you're worried about, Mr. Malfoy. But, I want you two to serve as an example to the rest of the student body because, if I see a case like yours again, they too will be stuck together in the same arrangement."

Without any more instruction, Headmaster Higgins raised his dark skinned arm and waved his wand placing a non-verbal spell on the pair. Rose and Scorpius felt nothing but worry and blind panic.

"Now I will see you two when you make your next report, and then again when I take the spell off." Headmaster Higgins said in a calm collected tone. "I warn you not to attempt to do so yourself, because, trust me when I say, it will not work."

Scorpius and Rose shared a look, as they were unsure if they were being dismissed and of what exactly was happening. But, after a beat or two of silence, they both stood and walked out the door.

"That was…strange." Scorpius whispered shutting the headmaster's door.

Rose nodded, her brown eyes wide. "You don't think this is…real? Do you? I mean it's not even legal, is it? He can't be serious, can he?"

"I don't know…" Scorpius furrowed his eyebrows and eyed her. "Let's test it out."

"Fine," Rose scowled, still furious at him for getting them into trouble in the first place.

Scorpius, who was now only a foot or so away from five foot nine inch ginger, took a few steps. He didn't know which step was the wrong one, but he didn't have time to calculate it because, at that moment, Rose came flying at him, knocking him down the remainder of the steps. Groaning, Rose rolled off of him for the second time that day and set him with a heated glare.

"I guess he wasn't joking." Scorpius breathed in surprise as he tried to catch the breath Rose had knocked out of him.

"You think?"

Authors Note:

Thank you to mspstar97 for editing this chapter!