Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Rose hurried down the corridors to the Great Hall hoping dinner had only just started. She jogged over to Gryffindor table where her friends were sitting, dropping down to her seat fast.

They barely acknowledged she was there. Side glances out of the eyes and confused looks told her something was wrong.

"Um…what happened?" she asked tentatively, looking at her friends.

Emily Smith looked over at her, her face expressionless.
"Oh. Hello, Rose."
"Did I do something wrong?"

"No."

Rose glanced around at their blank faces.

It was obvious they were talking about something before she came and sat down from the way they were picking awkwardly at their food.

The other three shared a mutual glance then stared piercingly at Rose.

"Rose," said Emily, looking up sharply, "You can't hang out with us anymore."
"What?" shrieked Rose, alarmed, "Why?"

Emily sat up straight and tall. Her crisp words hung sharply in the air. "We're worried about that Malfoy boy. He got into a fight last night. We just wouldn't want to hang around someone who hangs around with…you know. Him."

Martha, who was on one side of Emily, piped up with, "He's the wrong crowd, Rose. Family involved with Dark Arts. Who's to say he's not?"

"But there's nothing wrong with him!" Rose yelled, getting louder. She had no knowledge of the fight up until this point. Her eyes darted to the Slytherin table where a certain blond-haired boy was missing.

"I'm sure…I'm sure the fight happened for a good reason," Rose put in lamely, "He's…he's not like his dad."
"How do you know, Rose? He could be pretending. Lying to you. Besides, you would never think badly of him," her smug expression told Rose everything she was thinking, "It's no secret that you've kissed him or this complicated business between you two."
Rose choked on her water. They'd only kissed a couple times. How did she know? Rose hadn't exactly confided that much in Emily as she had her cousins.

"If you could get up and leave, Rose," Emily said, cold and crisp, "it would be nice."

Rose didn't say a word. She got up, fuming, and stormed over to where Al, James, and Fred were in hysterics. She grabbed a piece of bread and ate in silence, anger overcoming her thoughts.

"Something wrong, Rose?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong," she was practically shouting, "I can't be friends with…them because I'm friends with Scorpius."

Al looked taken aback. "What?"
"You heard me. 'He's the wrong crowd, Rose.' Telling me he's involved with Dark Arts. Load of rubbish, I'll tell you that…"

James and Fred glanced at each other, unsure of what to say or think.

"Telling me that it's 'complicated business between you two,' it doesn't take anyone with half a brain to figure that out-"

"Rose," Albus said uncomfortably, "There have been, some, uh, things going on in Slytherin with Scorpius." His eyes wouldn't meet hers.

"What? Why will no one tell me? I'm his friend, one of the closest of them, why don't I know?"
James, Fred, and Albus didn't respond, didn't even look at her.

James, attempting to change the subject, said, "Rose, we'll prank Emily and her lot tonight, alright?"

"Oh, don't go trying to change the subject, although that would be nice. If none of you will tell me, I'll go ask him myself."
She got up and stormed off, up through the halls until she reached the Hospital Wing.

Madam Pomfrey greeted her. "Yes, Ms. Weasley?"

"I would like to see Scorpius, please."
Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Only for a few minutes."
Rose pushed past her and saw Scorpius, his eye blackened and his arm in a sling.

She gasped. "What…what happened? Everyone's been talking about it, Scorpius, saying you're with 'the wrong lot', which is a load of rubbish, and Emily Smith said I can't be her friend anymore and-"

"Rosie," Scorpius said calmly, "Calm down."
"Tell me! Tell me what happened!" she shouted at him, pulling up a chair next to him.

"Well," he said quietly, "I haven't exactly told you, but, some of the people in Slytherin have been giving me a hard time for…for being your friend. Someone told them that we kissed, Rosie, and I don't know…it just made them mad. It started off with stupid things. Hiding my robes, putting toothpaste in my shoes, you know the sort. But it got…it got to the point where they'd shove me, and then last night…"

Scorpius winced, and retold the tale as it really happened.

Two tall, sneering Slytherin boys ran down the corridor, their faces determined and angry. Scorpius nervously walked, his eyes glancing around warily.

"Oi, Malfoy!" one of them called out, rushing towards Scorpius, "We're going to teach you a lesson about being friends with that Mudblood's daughter!"

The larger of the two, the son of Draco Malfoy's friend Goyle, Joseph, reached for his wand in his pocket. The other hit him on the arm, raising his eyebrows as if to remind him of something.

"Oh, right," he said with an evil grin, "No magic in the corridors."

His arm flew out and hit Scorpius straight in the eye, and Scorpius stepped back, stunned.

"Don't call her or her mum that," Scorpius said, his eyes angry. "Go back to Azkaban with the rest of your families."

He lunged for the other two, slamming one down to the ground. He heard a sickening crack, and the boy tried to shove Scorpius off of him. Scorpius continued to fight, determined to make his point known.

"We're some of the only Purebloods left," said Joseph angrily, "You're ruining yourself, being with the Weasleys, the blood traitors, and especially Tulip or whatever her name is, because she's related to a Mudblood-"

Scorpius turned and hit Joseph as hard as he could, who, in turn, hit him back. Joseph pushed Scorpius down to the ground as hard as he could, and the crack and pain in his arm told Scorpius the worst.

Joseph was panting, his face a mix of anger and hatred. "No wonder your father hates you. You're the biggest disappointment to the Malfoys. Can't even imagine what your grandfather must think about you."

The words hit Scorpius like rocks. He winced out of pain and embarrassment. He struggled to think of something to say in response.
"My dad doesn't hate me…"

"Everyone knows your family was Death Eaters. Who's to say you're not? I wouldn't be surprised if they'd been teaching you Dark Arts on the sly," Joseph was grinning wickedly. "You should've been put in Hufflepuff, not Slytherin. Slytherins are cunning, power hungry, ambitious…traits I don't see in you. I see a stupid, ignorant boy sitting in front of me, one who values friendship with ugly, stupid Mudbloods-"

Scorpius managed to push himself off the ground and charged full speed at Joseph. He knocked him to the ground, holding him down.

"Say you're wrong."
"Get off, Malfoy-"

"Say you're sorry and that you were wrong. Say that she's not ugly and she's not…a Mudblood."
"No! You only want me to because you realize it's true and because you looove that stupid Daisy or whatever-"

"Rose. Her name is Rose," his words came out sharp and distinct.

They heard footsteps coming towards them, and Horace Slughorn came into sight.

"Boys, what…? Come with me, all of you, we're going to the Headmaster!"

Rose sat in horror.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Scorpius shook his head. "I was too embarrassed."

"What happened to them?"
"Well, Joseph managed to get out with just some bruises-he put his arm in a sling anyways, though-and the some of the other bloke's ribs are broken."
Rose shook her head sadly. "I can't believe they said those things."
Scorpius didn't say anything. He looked away, not meeting her sad eyes.

Rose reached out and grabbed Scorpius' good hand.

"It's okay," she said quietly. "Your dad doesn't hate you. Even if he's…maybe not proud of some of your choices, he's still your dad and loves you. As for your grandfather, I don't see what he would be disappointed in. I think you're the best thing that's happened to the Malfoys in a long time."

Scorpius smiled shyly at her and pulled her into a kiss.

He heard Madam Pomfrey clear her throat nearby.

"Ms. Weasley," she said, looking at her then gesturing to the door.

Rose moved towards the door, her hand still holding Scorpius'.

"Bye," she said quietly, smiling at him.

He squeezed her hand. "Bye, Rosie."

She didn't know what she was doing, but she did it anyways. Her eyes caught the tall, Slytherin boy sauntering down the halls. She could hear his laughs and jokes about Scorpius, and she walked over to him, her eyes flashing.

She stood in front of him and he and his friends stopped dead.
"Oh, hello, Mudblood-"

"I am not a Mudblood or a…a blood traitor," she said angrily, "I am a Weasley. And he is a Malfoy. And yes, it's complicated between us, but neither of us would have it any other way. Scorpius Malfoy is going to be four times the man you'll ever be, and his father will be the proudest of anyone. And if you've got a problem with that…"

She took a breath.

"Punch me."
Joseph's eyes widened with shock. He wouldn't hit a girl, but…

He raised his fist, his face confused.

"Go ahead. You're going down this path already; why not make it go faster?"

He swung out his fist and she stepped back just in time to miss it. He stumbled forward and fell on his face.

She knelt down and whispered so only he could hear, "I hope you'll learn to be the better man someday."

She walked off, holding her head high.

A/N: This is my entry for PULL. I know this is kind of different from my usual R/S stuff, so tell me what you thought in the reviews.