The blonde-haired boy ran in from the downpour. He'd stayed behind after class to talk to Professor Longbottom about their assignment, assuming that the sprinkling rain would stay a sprinkle.

Needless to say, I was wrong, Scorpius thought as he wrung out the excess water from one sleeve of his drenched cloak, wishing he knew how to cast a drying charm. At least Rose can help me out.

Resigning himself to a wet lunchtime, he walked through the open doors to the Great Hall, where most of the school was already tucking in to the scrumptious food. He let his eyes wander over the Gryffindor table, but he couldn't see the girl of his affections, not that he had expected to. Rose spent most of her lunchtimes in the library, stopping by the Great Hall only to catch a quick something before her next class.

Scanning the Slytherin table, he saw Albus and Joshua's heads bending over a large book and he laughed. Of course they had left their Transfiguration homework until the last moment yet again. His two best friends were the biggest procrastinators he knew, and they seemed to spend more of their lunchtimes doing assignments than eating.

A flash of lightning lit up the already bright hall, followed by a few girls screams that were soon drowned in the accompanying thunder. Neither Albus nor Joshua seemed to have paid any attention to the ruckus and an idea popped into Scorpius's head, making him smile mischeviously.

Creeping up behind the two working boys wasn't much trouble (partly because of their intensity in their task and partly because most of the people in his way avoided his sopping figure). He stood behind them, waiting for a moment they were both pouring over the book to pull them into a tight hug, Albus in his left arm and Joshua in his left.

"Hey guys!"

"Scorp! Let go!"

"Dude! You're soaking!"

He laughed and let go, but then set his arms on either boy's head. "So, what's up?"

"Get off!" Albus scolded with a sour expression, pushing the offending arm off of his hair. "We're finishing our Transfiguration homework, as you well know. What happened, anyway? Is Peeves throwing water balloons again?"

"I wish. This is all from that torrential shower outside."

"Certainly a shower," Joshua said, smirking. "Are you all nice and squeaky-clean now, Scorp?"

Scorpius glared at him and slid down in an empty space next to the two procrastinators. He made a scene out of smelling the air around him. "Too bad you hadn't stayed behind with me. You really needed one more than I did, not that it would make you smell any better."

It was Joshua's turn to glare playfully. Albus sniggered, and went back to his work. "Scorp, do you know the root of the Inanimatus Conjurus incantation? We haven't been able to find it in the textbook, and it's due next period-"

"And what if I say I don't know what it is?"

"You're the best in our class at all the theory stuff, of course you know."

"Sorry, must have missed that bit. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Scorpius!"

"Joshua!"

"Just tell us, Scorp! Or else I'll tell Rose you were the one who charmed all of her socks different shades of yellow!"

"But that wasn't even me, that was James!"

"But she doesn't know that!" Albus grinned triumphantly at Scorpius's scowl.

"Page 283, second paragraph."

Joshua repeated his words in a simpering tone of voice, fluttering his eyelashes. "Oi! Watch it!" he shouted as Scorpius took a swing at his head but missed, instead only shaking droplets of water over his mostly-completed essay.

Scorpius spent the rest of his lunchtime helping the other two find enough information on the Inanimatus Conjurus to get the last three inches for their essay. He knew they were perfectly capable of doing it themselves, but he did appreciate their need to hurry, with only half an hour for lunch.

As the bell rang, signaling for the three of them to head to Transfiguration, Scorpius shot up, abandoning his friends to find a certain red-haired Gryffindor.

"Rosie!" he called, seeing her bushy red-haired head about to leave the hall. She didn't turn. "Rosemary Weasley!"

She spun round, meeting his gaze almost instantly with a glare that seemed to bore through him.

"Don't call me that," she hissed when the rushing crowd brought him close enough. "Or I'll hex you with the Bat-Bogey Curse Aunt Ginny told me about."

Scorpius shuddered, remembering his dad's story about when Rose's Aunt Ginny had cursed him. He didn't want to have to suffer through that.

"Sorry Rosie," he said, putting his face into a pout. "I won't do it again."

She nodded curtly, looking dubious, and continued following the crowd.

"Hang on!" he shouted, catching up to her. "I need a drying charm!" He was really getting cold.

"What for?" she called over her shoulder. He caught a glimpse of her playful smile and shoved past a few first years to get to her.

"Just help me out!"

Rolling her eyes, Rose grabbed his wrist and pulled him off to the side of the hall where it was slightly less crowded. "You aren't even that wet," she remarked, looking him up and down. "I'm not sure you're even worth my time.

"I could make it worth your time..."

Rose rolled her eyes again, twirled her wand in a figure-eight type motion and spoke the incantation. "Asciutto."*

Scorpius felt his robes dry instantly, emitting a heat that made it feel like he was right next to a fire. "Thanks love. You're a lifesaver."

"And you need to get to Transfiguration, while I need to get to Charms."

She turned on her heel and made to walk away.

"Wait! Are we still on for tonight?" Scorpius asked, raising his voice slightly over the chatter of a gossiping group of sixth-year girls.

Rose looked back over her shoulder, brown eyes twinkling. "Wouldn't miss it. You can make that worth my time."

"You didn't have too much trouble getting past Filch, did you?"

"None at all. Ye of little faith," she scoffed, winking at him, then turning her gaze back to the stars. "And really, I should be asking you that question. You're the one who had to come all the way from the dungeons. I only had to go down a floor and along a corridor to get here."

"I'm fine, ye of little faith. I've been sneaking along quite a bit longer than you have, anyway. A simple trek to the Astronomy Tower after hours is hardly a challenge."

They both fell silent as they studied the twinkling lights above them. It was a surprisingly warm night for mid-April, and a pleasant breeze ruffled their hair as it drifted about the tower. The storm that had battered the grounds only hours before was nowhere in sight. A perfect evening for an informal date.

"I brought a few cauldron cakes my mum sent, and some chocolate-chip biscuits and butterbeer from the kitchens," Scorpius remembered suddenly, pulling a small parcel and two bottles covered with condensation from his bag that laid at his feet. "Are you hungry?"

"My dad is one Ronald Weasley. Naturally I'm hungry."

He smirked and handed her a cauldron cake. She bit into it and he couldn't help but notice the way her delicate pink lips wrapped around the cake, as if she was savoring it to the utmost of her ability. Lips that look so soft... so sweet...

He shook himself out of that train of thought. They had agreed to take their relationship slowly, not just because of the tension between their families, but also for the well-being of each other. They had OWLS coming up and both wanted to focus more on their studies than on a relationship.

His thoughts weren't cooperating with him. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and snog her face off.

Shut up, he told himself. This is a night for her... for us. Don't ruin it by forcing her into something.

Silently sighing, Scorpius grabbed a biscuit and one of the bottles of butterbeer, enjoying his own snack. They stood there in the relative silence of the night, only hearing the sound of hooting owls next to the noises their mouths made as they enjoyed themselves. Rose finished off her first cauldron cake and offered the second to Scorpius, but he declined. He'd only brought the pastries for her; he felt that they were just too sweet. She licked the chocolate crumbs off of her fingers and grabbed the second cauldron cake, washing down every other bite with a sip of butterbeer from her just-opened bottle. Scorpius took another biscuit and finished it in three bites.

They stood there, both finishing the food without talking. Scorpius glanced at Rose every few seconds, taking in every inch of her face, examining how the moonlight crested her brow, fell over her face and made her brown eyes sparkle.

He started when he saw her looking into his own eyes, and she giggled.

"See something you like?" she asked in an innocent tone of voice, giggling again when his usually light skin flushed.

"I- well, I-I was just-"

"You just wanted a kiss?" she whispered as if it were a forbidden secret, widening her eyes and pulling her mouth into a small pout.

Scorpius's stutter worsened. "I- no- but we- our studies- OWLS- we were-"

Rose smiled. "So I suppose that's a yes?"

"No- I mean, yes- but I thought- taking it slow-"

"It's just one kiss," Rose said, taking a step closer to him, her breathing growing shallower. "Hardly something scandalous."

"But our families- our schoolwork-"

"Scorp," she started, tilting her head to the side as if she were a dog amused by something.

"Yeah?" He sounded hesitant, unsure, nervous.

"Shut up and kiss me."

She closed the distance between them and their lips met perfectly, bright fireworks whirling and reeling through the darkness of their eyelids as a shooting star flew over the Hogwarts grounds, it's glowing tail disappearing long before the two fifth years broke apart.

I just needed some fluff... so yeah. :3. This was going to be written for the House Cup Competition, Round 2, but as it's currently three days late, that's sort-of out of the question. :/ Hope you enjoyed! :D