~Hallways~

n. one set of stone floor tiles with two sets of stone brick walls and one set of roof beams with stone ceiling supports

The hallways of Hogwarts were either filled to the brim with people or empty, ghostly corridors, which seemed to lead to oblivion. Of course, they didn't but the shadows and flickering torches left much to the imaginations of students of any age.

Scorpius preferred to think of how peaceful the hallways were when they were devoid of students and how lovely the view was when the corridors ran under and overhang. The view of the sky was always clear despite the way the roof slanted to protect the students from whatever weather. The view of the forest or the lake or the grassy plain that filled the courtyard of the school was always simplicity at it's best.

Scorpius liked the view (oh yes he did).

Becoming a Prefect was no trouble for him. This was just another opportunity to explore the unknown walkways of the Hogwarts. Always take a chance when you can get it.

Rose being the other Prefect was a bonus. She'd known about his intense interest with the sky since they had met on the train as first years. She'd known about how simply knowing how something work soothed him. So she let him wander.

But sometimes, knowing too much can be a bad thing (really, really, bad).

The night was nippy. It was one of those burrow-under-your-covers kinds of night.

Scorpius breathed in the cool air as he walked under an overhang. The chill made his lungs feel numb. Opening each classroom slowly, he checked for anything out of place and continued walking after he had made sure everything was normal. He checked every other broom closet just in case.

It was a little after curfew (thirty minutes) and he was walking along the east side of the floor he and Rose had been assigned. She was on the west side. They were working their ways toward the south side where they would meet up and then scribble a quick report on some parchment. After they were done, they would be heading back to the dormitories. The parchment was to be sent down a shoot that would no doubt show itself somewhere near the portrait of the Fat Lady.

Every house had secret Prefects-message-shoot (duh). But every night it would appear somewhere different. Enchanted no doubt.

For the most part, the night was uneventful. He and Rose finished their rounds in record time and met up at the south side of the floor.

"Nothing." Rose chuckled.

"Nada." Scorpius added.

"Goose Eggs."

"Zero."

"Zilch."

"Space."

"Infinity."

"Oblivion."

"Fine, be that way."

Rose stuck out her tongue and gave him a friendly jab in the ribs.

Her hair brushed his nose and he breathed in soap and citrus.

Together, they continued to walk down toward the end of the floor. Each checked the random broom closet or two when Scorpius suddenly stopped.

There was a muffled shuffling behind one door and he took out his wand cautiously as his other hand slowly reached for the doorknob.

He opened the door.

It looked like someone had been snogging quite avidly. The cleaning supplies were still propped up if rather messily and a bucket had been over turned. A girl with white blonde hair spread down her back and covering her face was leaning against a boy with unruly black hair.

Scorpius stared.

Rose walked over and stared at him before glancing at the two in the broom closet.

Then she turned to stare at him some more. Her eyes were calm and a little wary as she stared at him. But he shook his head just the tiniest bit and she nodded back in the same manner. A silent understanding passed between them.

"Ada?" He choked out. His eyes were glued to the couple still wrapped around each other.

The girl flicked some of her hair behind her ear and turned to look at Scorpius with a patient look on her face. She untangled herself from the boy and straightened her robes (wrinkled). She stepped out of the broom closet as if it were an everyday occurrence and helped the boy out by holding out her hand to him.

The two Malfoys raised their eyebrows at each other before Scorpius cracked a smile. Small and a little crooked but a smile.

"You and James?"

"Yes."

"Not doing anything serious?" Scorpius asked in a serious tone but his eyes were starting to twinkle happily (and more than a bit mischievously).

"Nope. Just a snog session in the broom closet on the third floor where my baby brother is patrolling all high and mighty on his Prefect chair." Ada replied steadily.

Scorpius gave a sigh before looking at her again. They both seemed a little standoffish, as they looked each other in the eye.

Scorpius looked away first and quickly stepped to where James was. He held up his wand to James forehead. Scorpius was a little shorter his expression was an icy false cheer (read as downright dangerous). James gave a fleeting glance to Rose but she had stepped back and gave him a look that said 'you got yourself into this'.

"I am excellent at jinxes. My full body-bind will have you squirming on the ground and you won't be able to make a single sound. Do you understand? You wouldn't even be able to wriggle your fingers for you're wand." Scorpius's voice was amused, as he looked James in the eye.

James (for his part) didn't even flinch though he looked a little surprised at what Scorpius was saying. Scorpius continued, "You make Ada cry and I will leave you in Mourning Myrtles bathroom with said jinx on you. You do know that that means right? Good. So my point has been made." His tone was clipped and his sharpening features were edgy in the dim light.

"Leave now and I won't have to write this up in our report." He nodded his head to Rose. She took out a quill and a piece of parchment. Over Scorpius's back she mouthed, "She is his sister."

James clapped Scorpius on the shoulder and said. "I'm more afraid your sister is going to make me cry." This was accompanied by his trademark smirk as he walked toward the Gryffindor dormitories. Ada kissed him on the temple and ruffled his hair in a fair well gesture and walked toward the Ravenclaw dormitories with a wave for her brother and Rose.

"Good night." She said over her shoulder.

Scorpius sighed and ran his hand through his hair while taking out the leather band that held it in a loose ponytail. His white-blonde hair pooled around his shoulders as he turned around to face Rose. She held out her arms as he walked forward and leaned his head onto her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

She stroked his hair comfortingly as he murmured to her neck all the reasons that Ada and James could go wrong and how worried he was and how happy he was that she had found someone. He told her how angry his father would be (though he would probably be resigned after a while) and how excited his mother would be if they would get married.

Rose just stood there and ran her fingers through his hair and murmured to him that James might be a bit of a playboy but he was honest and good and that he would understand. She told him that everything would be fine. That Ada was strong and knew what she was doing.

They didn't know how long they stood there at the south end of the third floor. Quietness settled over the two and a sense of peaceful nothing filled the air.

Void.

But Scorpius eventually backed away from Rose and kissed her on the nose.

"Sorry." He muttered. His smile was sheepish as if to apologize for his moment of dependence.

She had looked up at him searchingly and then she stood up on her toes and kissed him on the lips.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. Her fingers glided through his hair and the smell of soap and citrus filled his senses as he tangled his fingers into her wild red hair. Lips and tongues seemed to spin as the kiss became hungrier. The pressure was intense but everything was quiet except a quiet rustling and drawing of breaths. They were pressed so tightly together that they could have been one shadow.

Scorpius untangled himself first. He eased away from her lips and just looked at her. She had a smile on her face and though they were both breathless she smiled at him. It might have been the wind or maybe the words really had left her lips as she held him close. Her lips barely brushed his ear before she stood back and began to write their report.

Maybe we'll need our own closet one of these days…