A Little Insane

Lana was one of those girls who was lovely to everyone, no matter what year or house they were in, their appearance or social standing. Everyone liked her. Everyone, that is, except Rose, who hoped she'd get trampled by a pack of hypogryffs. Twice.

This wasn't something she had always felt. In fact, once the two of them may even have been considered friends.

Not anymore.

Rose gripped the cutlery in her hand so hard they almost broke. Amazingly so, since they were pure silver.

"Um, are you okay, Rosie?"

She ignored her cousin.

"No, really. Are you trying to lay an egg?" Al's eyebrows were creased with concern.

That caught her attention. "What?"

"You look like it, you're straining all funny. I think you've gone cross-eyed."

"Albus, I am not trying to lay an egg."

"Oh."

"Have you seen what that slut is wearing?" Rose was trying her hardest to bore holes into the the side of this girls head with only her eyes. She wasn't getting very far.

"You can't... call someone that, Rose. Who are you even talking about?"

Rose pointed her fork in the direction of the Ravenclaw table. "Lana Stupidface." Her wit was at the top of her game.

Al wasn't impressed. "Rose, she's your friend, and really nice, and she's not a slut... I don't think, and her face really isn't stupid-"

"Just because you have a crush on her."

"Rose, you're insane. And she's wearing her robes, regulation length and everything."

Rose just sat there, fuming. "I hate her."

"No, you're just jealous." Al spoke reasonably.

Rose didn't. "I hate you too."

Beside Lana, sat Scorpius, obliviously munching his way through his beans and potato. As Rose watched, he laughed, and she swore she could hear the sound across the crowded hall. She knew it better than her own heartbeat.

But now he wasn't laughing at something she'd said. No, he was laughing at her.

Maybe he could sense the venom of Rose's thoughts, for their eyes met and his smile fell.

Rose stood up, cutting Al off mid-sentence. She had no idea what he'd been saying. She didn't care. Moments later she was stalking across the Great Hall with her head down, as Al could hopelessly after her.

In the Entrance Hall she kicked at the wall until her feet hurt, not stopping until she felt his the touch of his hand on her arm.

"Hi," she said, daring enough to look at him. Her eyes were big and brown and angry and pleading.

"Rose." He said it in the way that he always did, like he was saying so much more than just her name, but in that moment she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it.

"How's your new girlfriend doing?" she asked.

"What?" He looked so confused, like a startled lamb, and she felt bad even though she knew she shouldn't. ...Shouldn't she?

"You know who I'm talking about."

"Filch? He isn't my girlfriend, we just shared detention together this one time."

"I'd rather you date him."

Scorpius visibly shivered, probably thinking of the old man's wrinkles and yellow nails and the thick tuffs of hair that grew from his nose and ears. "You know, I don't really think he's my type. Can I just stay with you instead?"

Rose narrowed her eyes. "Do you want to?"

"Of course. More than anything. What's wrong, Rosie?"

The possibility that she was being something less than entirely reasonable was worming its way into Rose's mind. "Lana," was all she said. No curses, no colourful adjectives. Just the name.

"What about her?"

"You're always with her."

"How can I be? I'm always with you."

This was... pretty accurate, actually. Rose struggled for the words. "You were laughing at her." She knew she sounded like a whiny little kid, and she was just ready to look up and see something like disgust in his eyes.

"Rose, she was telling me her theory on how she thinks the headmaster's a house elf and I was laughing because I knew how ridiculous you'd find it and how I couldn't wait to tell you. And also because she thinks the headmaster's a house elf."

There was silence for a moment, before Rose broke it. "I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"

"Yes," said Scorpius, but there was a quirk of his lips that said it wasn't true.

"Well, I think that says something about you, seeing as you're the one who's into me," Rose said, dryly, and averting eye contact.

"Oh yes, I'm awful too. You're quite ridiculous, a little irrational, and I think you're absolutely perfect. I clearly have terrible taste. I'm probably a little insane, actually, I should get that checked out."

She couldn't help but smile. "I'm sorry I thought... what I did, about you. About her."

Scorpius smiled. "That's alright. I've thought the same about you and Filch."

This time, Rose kicked him, not the wall.

Well, he dodged it and she did end up kicking the wall, but it's the intent that counts.

AN: Thanks for your the reviews and favourites and follows, the response to this has been amazing. :3 I'm glad people are liking my silly scribblings.

I'm curious, by the way, if anyone noticed that I hadn't made any reference to house until now? Did you anyone make any assumptions or guess what they would be in?

Thanks again, I hope you enjoyed. x