Title: A Deeper Instinct
Author: drcjsnider
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2261
Summary: When Rose agreed to be Scorpius Malfoy's solicitor she opened herself up to more than she'd intended.
Notes/Warning: Written for dellafiamma in the smrw_santa exchange. I used the following quote from Anais Nin which seemed very appropriate for the daughter of Hermione: "I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naive or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman." I apologize in advance for all the 'legal' mistakes I undoubtedly made. A huge thanks to my beta, queenb23more who managed to get this done at the last minute like she always does!

"Let's go."

Rose didn't bother to look up. She recognized the faintly haughty drawl of Scorpius Malfoy and was determined not to give him the impression that she was his to command.

"Ms. Weasley, I require your assistance now," he remarked in exasperation at her failure to leap to attention.

"I am currently occupied with business for my other clients, Mr. Malfoy," she replied, finally looking up from her parchment.

"Well, my business is of an urgent nature," he stated, slapping his leather gloves against the side of his cashmere coat for emphasis.

If Rose wasn't a professional, she'd have rolled her eyes at him. Malfoy thought all of his business was urgent. He had put her on retainer less than two weeks ago and already they'd had four 'emergency' meetings. "Surely, this is something we can take care of in my office."

He arched an eyebrow and looked disappointed in her intelligence. "If it was, I wouldn't be asking you to accompany me."

Rose sighed and pushed her hair away from her face as she mentally rearranged her schedule for the day. She had an appointment at the Ministry at 2 p.m., however, none of her other work had to be completed at a specific time. If she skipped lunch and didn't Floo home to change before her date, she could still accomplish all the tasks she needed to finish today. "Alright, let me just grab my briefcase," she told him with a professional smile, determined to focus on the billable hours she was acquiring and not on fact that she was quickly becoming Scorpius Malfoy's lackey.

0-0-0

"He had you doing what?" Rich Thomas asked just as Rose took a bite of her lasagna.

She made a face as she tried to swallow but only managed to choke herself. When she had recovered from her coughing fit and taken a sip of water, she finally responded. "He had me write a 'Cease and Desist' order to halt the eviction of an elderly Squib woman who was living in the flat above Borgin and Burkes."

"Why in the world did he want you to do that?"

Rose shrugged and took another bite of lasagna.

"He must have given you some clue?"

She shook her head. "It's usually good for a solicitor to be ignorant about the motives of her clients. It was bloody exciting though. I've never been that directly involved in the force of the law before."

Rich looked surprised. "What do you mean? You are involved with making and dispensing legal orders everyday."

"It is different doing it from behind a desk and never really seeing the immediate impact of one's work. Even the few times my clients have appeared before the Wizengamot, I've brought in a barrister to make the actual argument. But today I was out in the streets, waving around a court order that allowed a defenseless woman to remain in her home. It was inspiring."

"It sounds dangerous," Rich said with a frown. "The landlord could easily decide to take his frustrations with an unwanted tenant out on you."

"Please be serious. This is real life, not some Muggle suspense novel. Being a solicitor is probably one of the least dangerous professions in the wizarding world."

"That was when you were sitting at your desk. Now that you're engaging in public confrontations on the behalf of Scorpius Malfoy, who knows what kind of Dark magic you'll be facing. I don't like the idea of my girl putting herself in harm's way."

Rose froze, her fork half-way to her mouth. "Your girl? We've been out on five dates. When did I become your girl?"

Rich leaned across the table and grabbed her empty hand. "But they've been five amazing dates. I really like you, Rose, and I can't stand the idea of you risking yourself for Malfoy's undoubtedly nefarious plans."

Rose shook her hand free and put down her utensil. "I thought our dates went well, too. However, now I'm wondering when you got the impression that I was either too stupid or too incompetent to mange my career and look out after my own safety?"

"What? No, it's not like that. I'm just apprehensive. It's not like this is anything you trained for, and I'd hate for anything bad to happen. Besides, you are supposed to find my concern endearing," Rich said with a hopeful smile.

Pushing back from the table, Rose gathered her wrap around her and stood. "Sorry to disappoint, but I find it condescending. I'm going home now. I'll take care of the bill on my way out."

0-0-0

"This is impossible, Malfoy!" Rose exclaimed as she tossed another law book onto the already littered tabletop. At some point during the last six weeks, she'd dropped the 'Mr.' and reverted to addressing him in the informal manner of their school years.

Scorpius sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Wearing pressed, pinstriped slacks and an immaculate ebony robe trimmed with black satin, he could have just emerged from Madam Malkin's rather than been sitting in the law office's conference room half the night. Rose almost hated him for being so neat and tidy while she undoubtedly looked frightful. "If I wanted a solicitor who would give up at the first sign of difficulty, I would have hired one of the hacks on Diagon Alley. I expect more from you, Rose."

"This isn't the first difficulty! I've been working for two straight days on how to allow a goblin to retain an inherited wand, but there is no precedent for it. In fact, the laws were written explicitly to deny non-human magical creatures access to wands. If you are serious about pursuing this agenda, you need to change the laws."

"That would take too long. Gravefilth's wand is scheduled to be broken on Friday. If you can find a legal means to prevent that from happening, we'll have made more progress for ending discrimination in the magical world than has occurred since the fall of Voldemort."

Rose rested her head in the palm of her hands. Malfoy was simply asking too much of her. This wasn't her cause. It wasn't her fight, yet she'd been neglecting all of her other clients, seeking a solution – an answer – for a problem where there was no happy outcome. Unless…. "I've got it."

"You've got what? A cramp? Dinner?"

"What happens when two laws are in conflict?"

Scorpius shrugged. "You're the legal expert."

"Nothing happens! Or at least it doesn't happen for a long time and after numerous appeals. I'm going to file a probate challenge on the awarding of the wand to Gravefilth. He'll get to retain temporary control of it, and the Ministry won't be able to destroy it until the probate case is decided. It isn't a permanent solution; however, it buys us at least another six months."

A slow smile spread over Scorpius' face, a real smile, not the obnoxious smirk he reserved for most occasions. "I knew you were the right person for this job. We must go out and celebrate tomorrow night after you file the challenge."

Rose's own smile faltered a bit. "I- I can't."

"Of course you can. Frankly, Rose, if you don't get out this office soon, you are going to fade into the decor."

"No. You don't understand. I have a date tomorrow evening."

"A date?" Scorpius articulated the phrase slowly as if he'd never heard the term before.

"Yes, a date. It's when two people have an appointment for social interaction at a set time."

"Are you going to have sex with your date?"

Rose gasped. "That is completely inappropriate!"

"Why? Would you prefer me to treat you like a delicate virgin?"

"No, Malfoy. It's inappropriate because I'm your solicitor. We aren't partners or comrades in arms or friends. Just because you have me on retainer and at your beck and call professionally doesn't mean you get to know all about my personal life."

"I see," Scorpius said. He stood and straightened his robes. "I look forward to hearing about the outcome of the probate challenge. I'll be in touch soon."

Rose nodded quickly and then watched as he Disapparated from the room with loud pop.

0-0-0

"I've been begging James to introduce me to you for months."

Rose smiled at Ian MacMillan and tried to look interested in his conversation, which for the last twenty minutes had revolved around how fortunate he felt to be out on a date with her. "I wonder why James was so reluctant?"

"I daresay he was just being protective of his younger cousin. Goodness knows I like to keep an eye on the men involved with my sisters. You can't be too cautious in this day and age."

Rose tilted her head and narrowed her eyes slightly. "Really? How old are you sisters?"

"Nineteen and twenty-two. Great girls and really bright, but they tend to let their hearts rule their heads. I like to meet the men they go out with before their second or third dates just to make sure the guys realize that the MacMillan girls have someone watching out for them."

"Don't your sisters resent your interference?" Rose would strangle Hugo, Al, or James if they ever pulled something like that on her.

Ian shrugged and took a drink of his coffee. "Why would they?"

"It's a bit offensive to suggest that a grown woman's sexuality somehow needs to be monitored or protected by her male relatives."

"Don't get me wrong," Ian hurried to explain. "I don't think I should have a veto over who my sisters date. But if my involvement can prevent them from being some guy's one-off or drunken shag, then I'm performing an indispensable service."

Rose took a deep breath to calm her rising temper. After all, she didn't know Ian's sisters; maybe they were singularly in need of familial guidance. He couldn't believe that all women needed such male supervision.

"I blame Witch Weekly and fashion magazines for suggesting that all women are in pursuit of better orgasms. Seriously, what kind of chance does a girl have of finding a stable husband and starting a family if her main relationship requirement is a satisfactory orgasm? Personally, I think society would be a lot better with a return to more traditional family values."

A strangled noise emerged from the back of Rose's throat, and she could feel her face heating up.

"Oh, Merlin, I've offended you haven't I?" Ian said with an apologetic smile, looking very much like a puppy that'd just soiled the living room floor and was now trying to avoid punishment. "I can't think of anything more inappropriate to talk about on a date with a nice girl than orgasms."

"Quite. You should only talk about orgasms on dates with naughty girls." Rose glanced at her watch and stood up quickly. "I must be going, early day at the office tomorrow."

Ian got to his feet hurriedly as well. "Well, thanks for having coffee with me. I would love to go out with you again sometime, maybe for dinner and a show."

Rose gave him her bitchiest smile, the one she typically reserved for opposing solicitors. "Go see my father and ask his permission. If you survive that encounter, then we can talk."

0-0-0

Rose sat next to Scorpius on an examining table in the emergency room of St. Mungo's, where they had just been treated for a variety of minor bruises and cuts. They were now waiting for an investigating team of Aurors to show up and take their statements about the attack.

"Why do you do it?"

"Why do I do what?" Scorpius replied, still smiling like he was twelve and he'd just received a professional quality racing broom for Christmas.

"Why do you drag me into dangerous situations?" This morning he'd had her attempt to issue restraining orders to a group of wizards running a sweatshop in Knockturn Alley manned by house-elves. That the wizards had not taken the court order kindly was an understatement. Rather, they'd started throwing hexes until disarmed and immobilized by Rose and Scorpius.

He blinked several times as if he didn't quite understand her question. "I bring you along because I'd be nutters not to. You are the toughest, most courageous person I know. I couldn't have anyone more competent backing me up. I thank Merlin everyday that you agreed to work with me."

A slow smile spread across her face. "You really mean that, don't you?"

He nodded, his eyes opening wide as Rose leaned toward him and pressed her lips against his gently. "What was that for?" he asked when she drew back.

"For treating me like an adult, an equal, a grown woman. It's a bigger turn-on than I would have ever suspected."

"Wow, I have a hidden talent. My parents will be so proud," Scorpius said with grin. "Does this mean you'll come out with me this evening to celebrate?"

Rose blushed slightly and tried to stop smiling like a loon. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"That depends on whether or not you are going to have sex with your date," he teased.

Rose laughed. "It's too early to know. I warn you, however, that I'm in pursuit of a really good orgasm."

"Me too! One more thing we have in common," he said before pulling her back into his arms and kissing her like he was certain he could give her everything she'd ever thought she'd wanted.

The End