A/N Hello all! This is my Rose/Scorpius attempt. It will be four chapters long and is, as is my custom, already written. So, updates will be quick, but reviews might make them quicker! Enjoy! ~Ozma333

Chapter One

Caught Before Noon

Rose's mind awoke before her body and registered two strong arms holding her as both bodies glided down the hall. A thrill of triumph raced up her spine.

So it worked then?

She vaguely registered the taste of chocolate on her tongue, an aftertaste to the second half of the Fainting Fancy that her cousin Albus must have forced her to eat once they reached the safety of the hall. History of Magic was just so boring! And it was a double period. No, she had been right, a double period was far better spent sneaking off to the pitch and getting in a good fly.

Her body was slowly becoming her own again, she could feel her lips twitch, took note of her legs swinging over her cousin's arm, could smell a slightly woodsy aroma emanating from Albus.

Since when does he wear cologne?

Rose would have snorted had she the ability to do so and she decided right then that she would as soon as she was able.

Albus shifted her in his arms and grunted.

If I'm so heavy why doesn't he put me down?

Rose felt a tingling in her legs and arms and a flutter in her eyelids. Uncle George would have to be told how long it takes to come to after the antidote was given. It wouldn't be so bad if her mind wasn't awake, but this conscious paralysis was just plain annoying.

Albus sniffed and muttered an expletive and suddenly Rose realized…

This is not Albus.

Rose froze the parts of her body she could control and whoever was carrying her must have noticed her stiffening.

"Are you awake yet?"

His voice was deep and rumbled through his chest as it reached her ears. It was familiar, she noted, though she couldn't quite place to whom it belonged.

"Hmm," he hummed as he shifted her in his arms again and suddenly, Rose became extremely self-conscious.

My shirt must be ridden up and for Merlin's sake I'm wearing a skirt and my robes are open and what if I'm drooling? Who the hell is this?

It wasn't a problem to faint into Albus's arms. He was her cousin, he protected her, and he would take care of her. He had already seen her at her best and at her absolute worst. It was quite different to fall into the arms of some, undoubtedly male, stranger.

Rose felt the warm tingling in her chest and upper arms that she recognized as the beginning of her ability to use her muscles once again. She opened her eyes slowly, peeking through her lashes at her savior.

Oh! Well that's not too bad.

Scorpius Malfoy hadn't seemed to realize that she had awoken and she took the moment to study him. She had really never much to do with him before, though she knew who he was of course. He seemed to always stick to the very edge of society, never truly committing to any group and, now that she thought on it, she couldn't exactly place him within a cluster of friends either.

Though, despite being somewhat socially isolative, he wasn't all that bad to look at.

His skin was tanned which surprised Rose. He didn't play Quidditch, so far as she knew. He most certainly wasn't on the Slytherin team or Rose would have played against him. Yet, he must have some hobby that took him outdoors. His features were chiseled and very fine and it all implanted a vision of aristocracy, though surprisingly, that didn't put Rose off. His hair was a white blond and fell forward into his eyes. She knew he got that from his father, in fact, all in all, she supposed he very much resembled his father. Rose wasn't exactly sure how she felt about that.

He shifted her once again in his arms and glanced down, catching her staring at him. His eyes widened a bit in surprise but that was the only reaction to her waking that splayed across his features. His demeanor was remarkably cool.

"Hi," Rose ventured with a timidity that was unusual for her.

He nodded and stopped just feet shy from the rotating staircase that led towards the Hospital Wing. Rose felt her forehead wrinkle in confusion. She wasn't so used to being completely ignored.

"You could put me down now," Rose said, her voice stronger under the influence of irritation that was now rising.

"Are you sure you're quite well?" Scorpius asked and Rose laughed. His tone of voice was just so formal, considering their circumstances. He frowned at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Rose chortled. His frown deepened but he bent to set her on her feet. She toppled immediately into his arms.

"Sorry," she cried out, hating that she could now feel her trademark blush making its' way up her face. "I guess it hasn't worn off my legs yet," Rose muttered, avoiding Scorpius's gaze. His hands had caught her around the waist and Rose was horrified to discover she was right in assuming her shirt had ridden up. Without a word, Scorpius bent and scooped her back up.

"You don't have to carry me," Rose huffed as she was shifted in his arms. "We could just wait a bit until—"

"Sorry, but I don't fancy being caught helping you skive a class."

"I wasn't skiving!" Rose knew that was perfectly not true, but felt a sudden need to defend herself. Scorpius's eyebrows rose in disinterested disbelief and Rose felt herself become unnaturally angry.

"So, it's merely a coincidence that the other half to a Fainting Fancy your cousin shoved into my hand revived you, hmm?" he asked, his tone mild and disinterested. Rose opened her mouth to retort but shut it immediately as the staircase jerked into life. She huffed as she turned her face away, seething.

Scorpius was standing very close to the railing and Rose's eyesight was instinctually drawn down, through a maze of moving staircases and beyond into a dark nothingness that descended far past the ground floor of the castle. Her stomach swirled in a not-so-unfamiliar way and she turned into Scorpius, burying her face into his chest. Her stomach calmed instantly as she breathed him in.

My, he's warm.

"You're not afraid of heights."

It was a statement more than a question and Rose looked up bashfully from where she had buried herself into his chest. "Actually, I am," she said softly, lowering her eyes.

"But, you play Quidditch," Scorpius said, and Rose noted that he had dropped his disinterested air.

"Hmm, but in Quidditch you have a broom. So long as I have a broom to hold onto, I'm alright. But if I just look over the railing like that… it's so far down…" She spoke into his chest, slightly muffled she knew, but she wasn't going to risk her stomach lurching again.

"I see," Scorpius chuckled, tightening his hold on her.

"It's not really funny," Rose countered, registering the fact that he was walking again and realizing she could look up. Scorpius was smirking, though staring straight ahead. "It's really not!"

He nodded before looking down at her, a grin still playing on his lips and Rose was suddenly struck by his eyes.

Blue, they're blue.

Somehow she had always thought them to be colder, grey perhaps.

"I just never knew you had a flaw," he said smoothly, still fighting a smile.

"It's not a flaw!" Rose said hotly, somehow supremely offended that he believed such a common fear a flaw.

"I see," he returned once again in an annoying fashion.

"It's not!" Rose huffed, glaring up at him. "And you can put me down now," she said through clenched teeth, wiggling a bit to emphasis her point.

"Not worth the risk, we're almost there."

"Where?" Rose asked, grunting a bit a she sulked.

"The Hospital Wing. That's where I was instructed to take you," Scorpius said, his tone as even as before.

"Ah no! Not there, please?" Rose begged. "You know there's nothing wrong with me and Poppy will just fuss and, you know what? Albus and I were going to go for a fly. How about we do that? Or, are you hungry? We could nick some food from the kitchens."

"No, I think not."

"Oh, come on Malfoy don't be such a—"

"Scorpius," he interrupted, his mouth set in a hard line and his jaw working.

"Hmm?" Rose looked up at him.

"My name is Scorpius."

"I know it is," Rose offered, confused. "Scorpius Malfoy."

"Right," he said, seeming supremely aggravated. He bent to place Rose on her feet and she stood, wavering slightly.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked as Scorpius turned away from her.

"Back to class, I think you can handle it from here."

"Back to… Why?" Rose asked, shaking her head.

"Because some of us actually need to take notes to score Outstanding on our tests. You may not be one of those people but I mostly certainly am."

"One Exceeds Expectations won't ruin you!" Rose snorted, she was well aware of Scorpius's academic achievements, having tied him often in their shared classes. Scorpius turned, regarding her coolly before nodding and turning back down the hall.

"What a ponce," Rose muttered, scuffing her toe. She must have said it too loudly because she noted Scorpius's back stiffen as he turned to face her. His mouth was set in a hard line and he was breathing heavily, but his eyes, his eyes looked almost deadened.

"I am not a ponce!" he shouted, staring her down. "Just because you are nothing but a—"

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Weasley, what are you doing?"

Ah no! Neville.

"I was attempting to escort Miss Weasley to the Hospital Wing," Scorpius said, pulling his shoulders back as his cold demeanor overtook his features once more. Neville raised his eyebrows as he approached the pair.

"Miss Weasley seems just fine now," he said, eyeing Rose. "Not another Skiving Snackbox, Rose?"

Rose's jaw fell open. "What? No, of course not, Professor."

"And lying to me too, Rose? Haven't I known you since you were in nappies, is this what it's come to?"

Rose flushed, not only at been caught lying but by Neville's mention of her in nappies.

"I shall expect you both at Greenhouse Four tonight for detention."

Rose's face fell and Scorpius sputtered. "Both? But I wasn't skiving!" he countered furiously. "She fainted and I was helping her to the Hospital Wing. Professor Binns even—"

"Helping a student leave the classroom under false pretenses is wrong, no matter the reason, Mr. Malfoy," Neville interrupted, staring down at Scorpius. "If you knew she was faking you should have turned back around to your class or actually taken her to the Hospital Wing. Here I find you both arguing, and quite loudly, in the middle of the hallway."

"But Professor—" Scorpius cut off as Neville shook his head.

"You're both to be there and," he paused, looking over at Rose. "I'm disappointed in you Rose."

Rose looked to her shoes, feeling as though she had just been punched in the stomach. The detention she didn't mind, it wasn't exactly her first, and it would have even been okay if Neville yelled, but disappointed… She hated it when the adults used that one on her.

"Thanks a lot," Scorpius said through clenched teeth as they both turned to follow Neville back to class.

"Sorry, but it isn't all my fault, you know," Rose said. "You didn't have to leave me there!"

"You wanted me to knick food—"

"And, you didn't have to yell so loudly."

"You called me a ponce!"

"You are a ponce!"

"Enough!" Neville said sternly, turning to fix them both with a glare as they neared the staircase. Rose looked warily past him to the rotating steps and she shuffled closer to Professor Longbottom as he ushered them both unto the staircase.

Professor Longbottom didn't say another word during the walk back, though he did put his hand on Rose's shoulder as the stairs jerked into action to steady her, for which Rose was grateful. She hoped Scorpius hadn't noticed the slight tremble to her gait as she alighted.

As they neared Binn's classroom Rose found herself wanting to say something but instead inhaled sharply through her nose and pushed her way forward into the classroom. Scorpius wisely clamped his mouth shut as well and clenched his teeth. Professor Binn's didn't even pause as Rose stormed to her seat, shooting Albus a 'don't ask' look.

A whole detention to serve with that tosser. Great!

~*~

Scorpius grit his teeth as he took his seat near Rose.

What a stuck-up bitch!

Scorpius was fuming, so much so that he entirely forgot to take notes.

Wasn't her fault indeed! It was entirely her fault!

Scorpius hadn't felt this angry for quite some time. And for a Malfoy at Hogwarts, that was saying something. Hardly a day went by that he wasn't ridiculed, bullied, or shouted at. Though, growing a few inches over the summer had helped a bit with that.

It was just terrible his first year, when he had been not just some scrawny kid, but a scrawny kid with the last name of Malfoy. Apparently, that made all the difference.

Most ex-Death Eaters had chosen not to send their children to Hogwarts, chosen to shield them from what would undoubtedly be their fate there. Draco Malfoy did not believe that would be for the best. Though, Scorpius was unsure if that was for his benefit or the benefit of the Malfoy name. It had not taken Scorpius long to understand that he was the only chance the Malfoy name had. Draco was practically shunned from society and Scorpius's grandparents were completely despised.

"Though that is for good reason," Scorpius thought ruefully, stabbing his quill into his inkwell and scowling.

His first year at Hogwarts had been an absolute nightmare. The bullying was all rather subtle at first. A trip jinx here, a misplaced hex there, and, at first, Scorpius actually believed himself to be clumsy and unlucky.

But, then the threats came, then the name-calling, then the Muggle dueling. Scorpius actually ended up spending most of his first year in the Hospital Wing being tended for his many 'accidents.'

Of course, his father had warned him. The night before he left for school, his father had tucked him into bed, something he hadn't done for many years, and spoke to him with tears in his eyes.

"I made a lot of mistakes, Scorpius. Mistakes for which I'm afraid you may have to pay. But, remember son, you are more than just a Malfoy. You are smart and kind and I'm proud of you."

It would be several weeks before Scorpius truly understood what his father had said to him. A large fifth year walked right up to Scorpius, looked him right in the eye and said, "You're grandfather killed my father's brother."

Scorpius wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to respond to that. He was not his grandfather. The fifth year walked straight past him, knocking him hard with her shoulder. That was one of the mild encounters.

Each year progressed much like the last. Scorpius had not made very many friends. He had tried at first, but ultimately, anyone who came near Scorpius was subjected to the same treatment he received and had decided his friendship was just not worth it. He couldn't even retreat into the familiar vestiges of the Slytherin House. Everything had changed the year Roxanne Weasley was accepted into the infamous house two years before him. Suddenly, Slytherins were known far better for their cunning and thirst to prove themselves and much less for their historic involvement in both Wizarding Wars.

And, of course it didn't helped that he was practically a mirror image of his father. It was once a fact he was proud of, now, when others remarked upon the resemblance, he cringed.

Damn Rose Weasley!

It had to be her too. Scorpius had no intention of becoming involved with her and her cousin's juvenile attempt to leave class. He had just placed his belongings and was about to sit down when her limp body collided with him and he caught her. Albus had tried to take her from him immediately and Scorpius was more than willing to give her up but Professor Binns looked up, blinking his ghostly eyes at the commotion.

"Yes, well, Mr. Malpit, take Miss Wilson to the infirmary, if you please."

Scorpius did not please, but was not about to refuse his professor, even as Potter huffed and asked that he be the one to take her. Binns just shook his head and went on about his lesson as Albus shoved a sticky piece of candy in Scorpius's hand, glaring a warning as he did.

So Scorpius did as he was told, trying the entire time not to stare too long at the girl in his arms.

She was very pretty, but Scorpius had always known that. As she lay limp against him, Scorpius felt his mouth go dry. Her shirt had ridden up and exposed her naval. Scorpius felt a tightening in his trousers and willed his mind away from her soft and inviting skin. He took in her face; she looked at peace, which was a different look for her. Normally she looked downright mischievous. He had often wondered how she secured the grades she had when all she ever seemed to be doing was fooling around. Her hair was disheveled, which was not different for her, her hair was always wild. But it looked so soft and Scorpius had a fleeting image of running his fingers through it, burying his nose against her, kissing her…

No! Stop it Scorpius!

Unbidden to his mind came images of the Muggle stories his mother had insisted on reading to him when he was a child, princes waking princesses with kisses and Scorpius snorted at how pathetic he sounded.

He had knelt to administer the candy her cousin had shoved in his hand, a Skiving Snackbox, no doubt.

Her lower body was now lying across the floor while Scorpius supported her upper body and neck. Her head was tossed back and Scorpius was distracted by the smooth column of her neck. He fumbled a bit on the sweet before parting her soft lips with his fingers.

Scorpius gulped as he placed the sweet on her tongue, sweeping her up in his arms as soon as he had and staring straight ahead.

This would not do at all.

The Weasley/Potter children were the only ones who did not torture Scorpius. He had always believed it was because they considered themselves above such things. They ignored him and he generally tried to return the favor.

This attraction to Rose would not serve him well. She could never consider a relationship with him. No one at Hogwarts did. Scorpius had long ago resigned himself to this fact and chose instead to focus on his studies. After Hogwarts he could get a good job, travel, and maybe find a place in this world where the name Malfoy wouldn't precede him.

Scorpius scowled as he focused once more on the parchment in front of him, jabbing his quill in the inkwell again. Rose was whispering with her cousin, grinning as Binns went on about some goblin revolution, completely ignoring the entire lesson, and Scorpius's arms tingled from where he had been holding her.

Damn her!