Grounded Earth

"Why is that still not working?", Rose grumbled and changed the pages in the book. Scorpius was looking over her shoulder. "Maybe a bit more Horklump juice?", she shook her head. "I doubt that.", she leaned back onto his chest. "This is already our fourth trial. Professor Longbottom is counting on us.", Scorpius smiled softly and looked down at her. She frowned at the steamy cauldron. "We will figure this out.", he stroke her arm and she looked up. "Easy to say for someone who's grade is not depending on this.", she mocked him and gained a small laughter. "Actually, it is pretty easy to say. You should try it out."

She smiled and turned back to their potion.

"Rose!", Lily ran into the Dungeon.

"Yes.", she looked at her cousin who came to stop in front of them. Her eyes were travelling to Scorpius hand on Rose arm. She frowned and almost shouted. "Can you finish this up. We all are waiting for you to come and play with us. Both of you."

Rose smiled and nodded. "Sure, I will just pour this away and we come with you."

We.

Sometimes Rose was still not used to that. It has been just three weeks since Scorpius and she had kissed. For the first time. Because let's face it after that more than one kiss followed.

They both started to move their stuff back and Rose got lost in thoughts, her eyes travelling to the boy who poured the mis worked potion into the sink. His eyes as bright as always, his hair tangling in his face and his lips slightly bit together to perform his task with full concentration.

In the astronomy tower three weeks ago Scorpius had a similar expression on his face. After they separated.

When he leaned forward and put his forehead on hers, smiling happy first and then turned into this serious look.

"This is not a dream, right? Or a joke of Albus?", he moved away a bit and looked around. "I mean, James would rather do stuff like that, but he is gone. So…", his faces turned back to Rose. She was just standing there, in front of him. Watching him and trying to work this out herself.

"It is not.", Scorpius murmured and smiled. "You do like me.", and he regretted his words straight away. Rose face turned into a fearful expression.

"No, no! I mean, you do not!", he stepped to her and touched her arms. "You don-"

"I do.", she whispered and it sounded as she admitted her biggest fear. Well, it kind of was. Even though she did not understand anymore, what was so bad about liking Scorpius?

The guy with the warmest smile, the brightest eyes and the biggest obsession for her. "You do.", he repeated happily.

She nodded insecure and looked up. "I think… I really wanted to hate you.", she put her hand softly on his chest. "Because you were a Malfoy. Because your dad was horrible to my parents when they were young. Because Albus' liked you.", she gripped his shirt slightly. "I really believed that hate is what you deserve… and what I feel.", she tilted her head in order to look up into his eyes. He was so tall. So broad. His shoulders alone could encircle her. She moved her hands upwards.

He just watched her, took the moment in and listened to her words.

"But… I hated you the most for not being able to hate you.", she grumbled. "I started to watch you, to wait for you. Damn, because of you I almost came late to classes. Just because I wanted to walk with you. Because you were so slow in packing up, I needed to find a reason to be even slower."

Scorpius smiled. He never noticed. He just took it slow to be alone with her.

"And that is not all. You know, with every year following up. With all your presence, I just never was able to look away from you. I mean not literally… but… you were always on my mind. And it annoyed me. I wanted to learn, I wanted to train or hang out with my friends, but there was always you. Either you actually joined us by being constantly on Albus' side or you sat in the library…", he seemed to have missed out a lot of signs.

"You should be sorry.", she stated and looked serious into his eyes. "Be sorry for making my life so complicated. For excepting and changing…"

He put his hand softly on her cheeks. "I am not sorry. You know that.", he moved his thumbs over her smooth skin. "Not for being that annoying thought in your mind. Not for being the reason you have turned out to be this wonderful, open minded, judge-free, and gorgeous young woman."

Her cheeks turned red and he kept stroking them tenderly.

"Don't get it over your head. I did not turn out like this just because of you.", she murmured.

And he started to realise something too. He liked it that she had her problems with being purely nice to him. He liked that she was so stubborn about her feelings. He liked her exactly the way she was, the way she became and will become.

"So, you hated me for liking me?", he smiled.

She nodded and smiled too.

"For being so incredible smart, I am pretty often quite stupid."

He chuckled. "And so am I. I should have seen it."

"Oh, I hoped no one saw it. I mean… I did not want to see it myself. But then… this one simple sentence. The sentence about change. It made me thinking.", she moved her hands around him and put her head on his chest. "What if we won't see each other regularly. What if, you will move on and just remember your feelings when you see me on occasionally meetings when Albus invites you to our family events. What if, only Albus will be the reason we see each other.", she pressed herself closer.

"I got afraid. I still am. You and I will start a new chapter and… because of my stubbornness I just did not see that I actually want to start it with you. On my side. Not as friend or a friend's friend. But for me.", his fingers went through her hair, his heart beat rose with every word she said.

"It…made me weak.", she admitted and stared into the dark outside the tower. "Me. The strong, self-confident Rose. I was afraid of losing Scorpius Malfoy. Of losing his love… without even had try from it.", he chuckled again and she looked up with a small frown on her face.

"Rose. If there is one thing, I am sure about, is that I would always join your family events because of you. Albus would never be the reason for that. He and I rather have our time with ourselves. But you… I tried to take every bit I was able to get. If it was in your family circle, in your learning session. I just wanted to know every piece of you. I needed to. I mean, how could I say that I have these feelings for you without actually knowing who you are. The incredible soft you, when your brother is sad or Lily cries over bad test results. The strong you in every Quidditch game or fight for equality and fairness. The smart you in every lesson and in life. The funny you, when your knowledge is just not understood by everyone or your father makes the most stupid jokes, which never fail to make you laugh. Every you there is, I wanted to know it. Just as I wanted you to know all me. And there were so many times, that I started to believe that I am not worth you. That after you got to know me, you really realised that you just do not like me.",

She smiled softly. "Sorry for that."

"Actually, it is fine.", he said and sounded as surprised as Rose looked.

"I mean, I think that else, you and I were not ready. You needed the time to learn that prejudges had its flaws, to understand that equal went for gender, religion, race and house systems. To become brave enough to stand up for that. And I believe that is the reason why you have been sorted into Gryffindor. Because you are brave to face your fears, to accept your flaws and to transform the bad into good. That is a far more outstanding characteristic than your intelligence, which is still not less stunning or the fact that your parents were Gryffindor."

"And I believe that's why you are in Slytherin.", he looked down to her with interest. She has never talked about the houses.

"You are always calm and analytic. You are smart with words and maintain a strong heart.", he saw her smiling. "You are incredible good in making people happy who are close to you. Very Slytherin."

He stared at her. He expected a lot. But not that. He never thought that this is the way Slytherin was represented for her. He knew that she was open for any house and accepted Slytherin since her best friend is one. But that she almost… loved it, was new. And beautiful. And it was because of him. He saw that. Her eyes, her lips, everything on her gave it away.

She moved her head up again. "I think for now I do not want to talk anymore."

His eyes wander over her face, his fingers still in her hair. He moved them down into her neck and leaned down. Smilingly he met her lips again. Yes, for now he had talked enough too.

Rose shook her head. She blushed and turned to collect their stuff.

Scorpius looked up to her. What bothered her? For a moment he thought it was still the potion and their mistrials but then he noticed how she put her short hair behind her ear, repeatedly. He smiled. She was thinking of him. He figured out in the last couple of weeks, whenever she was thinking of him, she would turn nervous, she blushed and played with her hair. Which in turn made her angry, because she felt like she acted like a stupid teenager in love. Which she actually was.

He put the cauldron on the table. Within a few steps, he was next to her, grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms. "This still makes you incredible cute.", he smiled and kissed her softly.

She murmured but gave in. She always did.

They left the dungeon and stepped outside of the hall. Rose felt Scorpius fingers sliding in between hers and by doing so the look of fellow students turned to them. That was the moment when Scorpius became insecure in his actions and wanted to withdraw his movement, just to feel Rose's fingers closing around his. Her thumb slowly turning circles and a soft pressure on his palm. Just for that he would love to never get used to these looks. And always feel her insurance.

"How do you do it?", escaped him.

She looked up, a questionable look on her face.

"How do you manage that they do not get to you?"

Her eyes stayed fixed on him for a moment, then she turned around.

She looked to the students and smiled. "Because what does they look mean to me? I see that they are surprised, jealous, envious, doubtful… but what does that tell me about me?", she commenced. "It has no worth. I still chose to hold your hand because it makes me happy. I enjoy that you want to display us. That we are able to walk like this. And this happiness is all I feel. I do not feel their jealousy, envy or doubt. Just happiness.", she smiled at him. "So, it is easy not to get them to you."

He looked stunned at her. "When did you…", how should he formulate it? "…start living that way?"

"It were a couple of things… but I believe it was due to Albus, Hugo and you in the second year when I began to look at this whole thing a bit differently.", she reminisced.

Rose was sitting with friends in the grass. Her back leaning against the stem of an old shady tree.

"There they are.", Beth stated and focuses Albus with Scorpius. They left the building in loud laughter, punching theirs arms and laugh even louder.

Rose follows them with her eyes while listening to her friend's judgmental statements.

"A Potter and a Malfoy. That totally does not fit."

"Their parents should prohibit that."

"Rose, what does your dad say about this?"

"I heard that Malfoy always mocked your mum."

"Yeah and I heard she once punched him for that."

They all giggled. Except for Rose. She looked at them and for some reason she did not feel like smiling or laughing.

"What does that have to do with Scorpius and Albus?", she asked in honest confusion. She actually questioned what all the past events between their parents had to do with the two of them?

She herself has always used it to get annoyed by their friendship. To be angry at Albus for letting her down and chose him over her.

However, listening to these arguments for the first time from someone else than herself, it sounded… ridiculous.

And her friends did not seem to register her switch. They thought about the question and came up with just some unclear prattling and one striking sentence: "It is in their blood to be bad for each other."

Rose heard the words from that day one all the time whenever, she saw them. And it did not take her long to see how wrong that was. How wrong she had been herself. Albus and Scorpius were the best for each other. As much as she hated to admit it. And she surely won't ever do that in front of them… at least not any time soon. But what Albus had with Scorpius was a pure, deep and strong friendship. Something she envied. Something she wanted herself and she believed she lost with Albus. Because of her own judgmental believes.

Due to that epiphany she hung out less and less with the girls, until their worlds were completely apart.

Since then she also realised that not just her 'friends' had watched the two. No everyone who ever crossed their path. And each look on its own contained judges. Either good or negative, but all of the students around seemed to gave themselves the right to decided how this friendship should have been defined.

There was just one person on the whole campus' who could not care less. And unsurprisingly, it was her own brother.

She sat down in front of him, while he had a narrowed expression on his face.

"What are you thinking of?", she smiled and tried to figure it out beforehand.

Hugo rose his head. "Why the hell is grass green?"

Rose's expression turned into surprise, then into a laughter. "Well because they contain a compartment called chlorophyll. This little guy uses the light of the sun to produce oxygen. Due to this process red and blue light is taken out of light and all that goes through is…"

"Green!", Hugo shouted in excitement. "How do you know and why do not we learn that?"

"Oh, you will. If Professor Longbottom", it took her still a lot of hassle to talk about Neville like this. "sees your potential and interest, he likes to dig deeper in topics."

Hugo grinned. "Perfect! I surely do my best."

Rose nodded and looked up. Students around them started to whisper, for a split second she thought it may be because of Hugo and her, but she noticed their faces were turned into another direction.

To Albus and Scorpius.

"Hello Albus!", Hugo shouted loud and waved his hand. He received a similar greeting from his cousin.

Rose looked stunned to her brother. He may lack of some knowledge but he was by far social more matured than her.

"What?", he asked and had his attention turned back to his sister.

"Why do you not care that they are friends?"

He twitched his shoulders. "I do not know why I should. You wanted to be friends with this strange girls, while Albus chose Scorpius. You are who you are, right?", he grinned again.

"When did you become that smart?"

"Mum told me this. After I got sorted into Ravenclaw. She said it was fine and that I am the only who should care. I just needed to accept my choice, it would make it easier to be happy."

And here he was, smiling happy at his sister. She was sure, that he completely followed their Mum's words. "Let me guess, Dad tried to agree.", she smiled by the imagination.

Hugo shook his head. "No, he actually did. He sat down next to me and smiled pretty… proudly to me. 'I could not be happier'."

Rose was stunned again. She was sure that her father was counting on them to be sorted into Gryffindor. Okay, Ravenclaw was surely not the worst house, but it was not Gryffindor. "You are sure about that?", she just could not see that happening.

"Yeah. It meant a lot to me. I was pretty sure that Mum would not mind, but Dad was so incredible happy when you wrote us that you were in Gryffindor that I thought he would be disappointed that I am not.", Hugo smiled softly. "But he told me that because we both had so much in common with Mum, that being sorted into Gryffindor showed him that there was maybe actually something of himself in you. Especially you. He never doubted that I had his humour or his clumsiness. And his imitation skills obviously. You on the other hand seemed to be all small Hermoine, just smart. Sure Mum was more than that and had been sorted into Gryffindor too, but…", Hugo thought long. "I think he said: It was good to know that there was more in you than the bookworm."

Rose kept her eyes on him. She remembered how her father had hugged her stronger than ever last year when she came back. How he was eager to hear about everything and she told him everything. She always did. Being around her dad, she was just happy and wanted to share all bits of her life.

"I think I am going to write them.", she stood up.

Hugo smiled nodding. "Tell them it was me, who is the reason."

She rolled her eyes. "As if they would not know.", she moved on and before the entered the great hall, she saw Albus with Scorpius again.

She noticed something else.

It was just as Hugo did not care for them, they did not care for the others. They laughed, smiled and talked as if there was no one around.

"Hi Albus.", she said while passing them and this time Albus' looked surprise, too surprised to return the greeting.

Rose smiled. There was always more than just one trait in someone. And above all, she should not dare to judge until she knew everone of them.

Rose ended her explanation and focuses back to Scorpius.

"So, actually… why did you start to care about their looks? You never did before."

"Because it is you, Rose.", his grip got stronger."You know… Albus' chose my side. But you…"

"I did too."

"Well… you have not been there from the start. You don't know how it is to judged. I mean….", how should he put it? He just wanted to protect her.

"I know what it means to be judged.", she snapped. Scorpius smiled about that, it had been some time that she had talked to him in that manner. "I am a Granger, a Weasley. I had to prove myself worth this name… at least that's how I felt in the beginning. And then… when Hugo was here. Taking it so lightly. As well as Lily. I could not allow myself to let me defined by my name. And the worst part of all was that I had to adapt that tolerance to the people around me. To you.", she explained and the slight panic she must have felt back then was clearly visible in her face and voice.

"And I really hated you for that. To force me into… giving you chance."

"Actually, you forced yourself."

She grumbled. "Not the point here."

He nodded smiling. "The point is that I just did not want them transfer their hate for me to you just because…", he blushed. "… we like each other."

"And if they do. Their problem. If they don't have anything else to worry.", she shrugged and moved closer to him. "I will not step away. I was long enough far away."

Scorpius could not agree more to that.

"And since your dad and mum are so tolerant, telling them should be a piece of a cake."

Rose laughed. "Oh no. Not at all. My father is indeed more protective towards Hugo, however, I am still his little girl. No chance that this will be easy. But… I believe it will be harder for me to convince your dad."

"Doubtful. I had the impression that my dad already is all over you. You remember your last encounter?"

"Sure. I felt his ice cold look on my back the whole time."

"Just that it was not ice cold but full with pure impressive sparkles.", both of them chuckled to that description.

"Still… liking someone just as a single person is one thing, liking that person in connection with something valuable can change someone's opinion drastically."

"True, just as your change of heart due to Albus."

She grumbled. "He will put that on me forever… maybe we should actually keep it a secret."

Scorpius laughed and put a small kiss on her hand, which was still strongly entangled in his. "Way to late for that change of heart.", he murmured and saw her cheeks redden. He had always wished for that. All of it.

"There you are!", Hugo took Rose free hand and dragged her with him. "How do you imagine to play a game of Quidditch with just four of us? We already put it down to just the keeper and the chaser. Still more than four players are needed and I told you about it ages ago."

"You mean one hour?"

"Ages!", he emphasised and stopped at the field. "Lily, you are the worst in getting people to follow."

Lily pouted and murmured something unintelligible.

"So, let's start! Albus, Rose and Lily against Scorp, Zab and me."

"Why can't we play Slytherin together?", Albus interfered.

"Because this is a friendly game and none of your house-issue related one.", Lily stated annoyed and smacked her brother.

That little girl turned into a proper Molly.

"She totally should spent more time with grandma."

"Totally not!", shouted Albus.

They played for several hours and in the course of their game, the winning became less and less important. At least for Lily, Zab and Rose. Scorpius and Albus never stopped counting and when Albus actually passed Hugo to get the Quaffel through the ring, he shouted out loudly. "We won!"

Scorpius grumbled deeply and made his way down.

"Don't worry, next time we mix the teams better.", Lily had followed him and flew next to him. He smiled. "Thanks. It is just annoying how Albus' celebrates his winnings."

"Yeah. Lucky you that until today you had been on the same team.", Hugo joined them and lay on his broom while keeping it flying.

They all looked up and observed how Zab and Rose tried their best to calm Albus down, who almost lost balance.

"True. I actually get James a bit when he said that Albus' can be a pain in the ass."

Hugo laughed out loudly. "I would have never thought to hear that from you."

Lily turned back to Scorpius and looked quietly. "So, Rose and you."

Scorpius and Hugo applied their attention to her.

She blushed and starred to the ground. "It is… like… for real?"

Hugo rolled his eyes and at the same time he would have loved to take her pain away.

Scorpius watched her carefully. "I hope so.", he always had the impression that Lily had grown fond of him but rather in a brotherly way. In that instant it appeared a lot different however.

"Good. Do not play with her heart.", she tried to cover her true feelings. The disappointment she felt whenever she saw them.

"I never planned to.", Scorpius searched for help, but Hugo just gave him a weak smile and flew off. He grumbled. Thanks.

"I mean…"

"Lily.", Scorpius laid a hand on her shoulder, she shrank and turned her red face towards him. Oh damn, she looked like she would start to cry.

He really needed help. He was able to handle an angry Rose or distressed or confused – damn, overall he was able to handle Rose. Every other girl, women was just a mystery to him.

"Why her?", she sniffed.

She actually started to sniff while asking him a question which- if he would answer honestly would break her completely.

"You know…", yeah, what? "Life goes on.", that sounded wrong. "Lily, if I am able to hurt you that much, I can not be the one who makes you happy.", way better.

Lily sniffed again, her cheeks red. "But she hurt you…"

"Rose never hurt me.", he smiled. "She never made me cry.", everything else would be a lie. Rose often made him sad. And there were a lot of times when he almost lost faith.

"She is pretty lucky.", she said weakly.

"And you will be too.", he smiled. It felt like that he actually handled the situation quite… well.

"I totally smashed you!", and there was his saviour. Albus put is arm with all power and rest energy onto Scorpius' shoulders. "You may be an awesome seeker but you are incredible awful as a chaser."

"Oh just cut it. You have been lucky! Hugo hold most of your attempts."

"Not the last one.", Albus grinned hugely.

Rose landed next to them. "He is just too much.", her eyes caught Lilys face. She turned to Scorpius. "Was that you?"

"No.", he defended himself. "Actually… yes.", now even Albus realized his sister expression. "Why do you cry? We won!"

"You are an idiot.", Lily said annoyed and moved away.

"Al, you really do not get girls. Like at all.", Rose said and followed her cousin.

"Always wanted to tell you that.", Scorpius agreed and got a smack on his head. "Hey, we never smack each other for telling the truth."

"But for being rude. And for kissing my cousin."

"So, you will constantly smack me now?"

Another one followed.

"Hey. Lil.", she tried to keep up but Lily was way faster than expected and she did not slow down.

"Lil. Can we talk?"

"There is nothing to talk about.", then Lily stopped abruptly. She spun around and came towards Rose with the same speed. Rose froze in fear.

"Except for one thing. Why?", Lily stood in front of her now. Her eyes burning into Rose's. "What has changed?"

Rose looked at her and calmed down. "Nothing.", she whispered.

"Nothing? Then why do you want to be with him?"

Rose smiled softly. "I think, I just allowed myself to admit that I always wanted to. But until now I never had the guts to be honest to myself or accept that all I did over the last years was to find a way to allow him to be in my life."

Lily's look softened. "You wanted him in your life…"

"Yes. I wanted to accept him for Al and my sake. I wanted to get to know him, just to allow myself to judge him. In the end, I just needed to accept that what I thought and felt for him was everything else what I started off with."

Lily nodded slightly. "Okay."

"Okay?", Rose watched her.

"That is all I can give you for now.", Lily smiled and turned away. "And for now, leave me alone. I do not need to see the two of you all in love."

Rose blushed and wanted to protest, but she left it unsaid as she saw that Hugo was already next to Lily.

She will be over it.

Rose smiled and wanted to turn around again, when Albus hung one arm over her shoulder. "Isn't that the moment I should tell you that hurting my sister will be the last thing you will ever do?"

"Sure and tell that your buddy too.", she pointed to Scorpius who appeared on her other side.

"As if I would be worried. Lily is a strong girl."

"What a lovely brother you are.", Scorpius hand found Rose and their finger entangle within an instant.

"Anyways, I still need time to get used to this."

"Do you think your dad said the same to Ron and Hermoine?"

Albus laughed at that image. "I believe; he was saying something like: it was about time."

Rose smiled soflty. Her parents were always a very unique couple.

"I will fly off now. I have to meet …my girlfriend.", then he flew off

"He forgot her name?"

"He did.", Scorpius approved.

Rose cuddled into Scorpius' arm and smiled. He loosed his grip from her hand and put it around her waist. "Please tell me that I do not have to go to any more tortures like this?"

"Surely I can tell you this, but it won't be less any truthful."

Scorpius sighed and Roses laughed into his chest. If that is their next step, he can work it out as long as Rose will maintain to lay in his arms.