The Right Kind of Wrong (HP fan fiction)

The Right Kind of Wrong (12)

Chapter Twelve

Rose noticed out of the corner of her eye that Scorpius and the team were leaving, she kept her eyes on her plate, willing herself not to look up. As he passed the Gryffindor table, she could hear his voice make its way through the chatter. Her eyes flashed dangerously at Scorpius when his words cut through her and she could feel her face flush and heart rate quicken as she clenched her jaw as everyone laughed. Was it really that unbelievable that someone could fancy her?

Rose began to feel self-conscience about herself and she glanced at the reflective golden goblet. Her brown eyes stared back at her, quite plain, save for a few flecks of blue here and there. She took in her pale face, her nose dusted with pesky freckles, far from flawless she noted. Then there was her hair...although still a trademark of a Weasley, it was slightly darker from the mixing of vibrant red and brown. It also had a mind of its own when natural, but she had tamed it and it curled around her face. She stared down at her frame which was on the lean side, but still showed evidence of curves. Rose wasn't stunningly beautiful like her cousins, but she felt she was attractive enough, but not enough according to a certain Malfoy.

She glanced up just in time to notice Scorpius tilt his head and smile a crooked smile, unsure what to make of it. Rose stared back, unable to look away. It was always like this between them, like a constant dance. A few days ago they were just like this, battling each other, and then yesterday something was different, gentle and soft. Today, they were back to challenging each other it seemed, save for the tantalizing smile of his. She sighed and finally looked away.

I'm going to get whip lash here... Her thoughts were interrupted by Lily's voice.

"Don't listen to him, Rose...He's just a prat. Besides, there are plenty of blokes who would love to be with you...Lorcan Scamander for example. He boasts about you as his Charms partner all the time..." Lily said, loud enough for Scorpius to hear.

* * * * *

Scorpius and his boys were about to leave when he heard Lily Potter mention the name 'Lorcan Scamander'. He stopped his tracks and turned around with an incredulous smile on his face.

"Scamander?" he asked, clearly amused. "Little Potter, you're boasting about Scamander? Wow," he added in mock surprise. "I must say, I am deeply unimpressed," he told Lily Potter. He chuckled before turning to Rose. "Look at that, Weasle-bee. He just might be your 'secret admirer'. After all, the only ones you can attract are desperate voids like Scamander. Good luck with that."

And before anyone of them could reply, Scorpius left the Great Hall. His team followed, still snickering a couple of feet behind him.

Finally, he can quit the act. The smile vanished from his face. A scowl was now in place. The moment he heard Lily Potter speak about that bloke, it boiled his blood. He seriously wanted to hunt down Lorcan Scamander and hex him until Scorpius was satisfied. Who in Merlin's beard was that lad to boast around about Rose Weasley? His Weasle-bee. It annoyed him very much that he didn't notice himself bare his teeth.

"That must be really hard," said Damon under his breath.

"What is?" asked Scorpius distractedly.

Damon shrugged. "Contain your rising rage and pretend as though Potter's statement didn't bother you one tiny bit," he answered.

Scorpius casually glanced over his shoulder and faced the front again. "Actually, I knew I had to leave before I lose my patience and hunt down that Scamander," replied Scorpius with a low voice.

Damon chuckled. "Knowing you, you'd find a way to hex him anyway."

That made Scorpius smile a little. "True," was his only reply.

They made it to Slughorn's office. Scorpius knocked. After a few moments, the door opened. The professor let them in. The Slytherin team gathered around in the office, looking very cool and big. Slughorn sat down behind his desk and tilted his head. He didn't look angry. But he didn't look particularly happy either. He just looked..... curious.

"M'boys," started Slughorn, "care to inquire me about yesterday's events at the Quidditch Pitch? I heard it quite the match."

Here goes, thought Scorpius. He cleared his throat, and began.

* * * * *

Rose stared after Scorpius, dumbfounded. Did yesterday even happen? He had gone from almost caring to downright infuriating in the matter of hours. She turned back to her plate and just stared moodily down at its contents, her appetite vanishing.

"Ah, he's just a bitter git that's all. He's as blind as much as he is blonde..." Lily said the last part under breath as she patted her cousin’s shoulder. Rose clenched her hands and took a deep breath, calming her stormy emotions. Those who were still in the Great Hall continued to whisper and stare.

"I've had it...I'm going to go hide until all this blows over, seriously, people have no lives and then they have to go and poke around in other people's business...and is it really that difficult for people to understand that someone in this school fancies me? I mean really, I'm no Veela but I'm no troll either...." Rose began to rant and she folded her arms over her chest, glaring at the wall across the hall.

Al, who had remained silent since they arrived, grinned at Rose. "Would you like a picture of Malfoy and some darts on that wall, Rose?"

Rose turned to him and just gave him a look that said to just hush up. When she was finished with breakfast, she mumbled that she would see them later and put her bag on her back and picked her crutches up, leaving the Great Hall. She had to go somewhere where she wouldn't run into people; she just had to bask in some peace for a while. One place would be able to give her that. The Room of Requirement. It was said it had been destroyed in the last war and thus not many people knew about it. But of course magic had its ways.

* * * * *

"Is that so?" asked Slughorn, after Scorpius finished telling the events from yesterday.

"I'm afraid so, sir," answered Scorpius politely, determined at what he was saying. "It was just a simple misunderstanding," he assured, looking intently on the professor's eyes. "I, nor the team, didn't have any idea that the Gryffrindor Quidditch Players would be there. And since it was such a cloudy day yesterday, it was the perfect condition for us to practice. The Gryffindor's Captain and I have decided to have a friendly match. We were enjoying ourselves so much that we tried our new techniques during the game." Scorpius paused, looking away as though he couldn't bring himself to say it. His face was showing the right amount of guilt and sadness. "We didn't intend for anyone to get hurt, professor. We'll apologize if that's what it takes to settle the matter."

"Rubbish, Scorpius," said Slughorn, waving his hand. "There's no need to apologize. It was an understandable accident. Things like that naturally occurs in Quidditch, wouldn't you say?" he asked as he stood up and walked toward Scorpius. He gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Don't you worry, m'dear boys. I'll have a talk with Longbottom to sort out this incident. After all, it will be quite unreasonable to give you punishments after learning that it was all just a misunderstanding." He gave them a smile. "Now, off you go. It's a beautiful day and I know that you'd all want to enjoy it in Hogsmeade. I happen to have plans with a bottle vodka in the Three Broomsticks."

Slughorn gave them a meaningful look. Everyone in the room laughed.

"Thank you, professor," said Scorpius, bowing his head very slightly. "And your secret is safe with us," he added, giving Slughorn his trademark crooked smile.

Scorpius led the way out, his team following close behind him. His smile was undeniably devilish. He succeeded in tricking Slughorn into believing that they were innocent. He just twisted the truth. There's nothing wrong with that. And since when were the Slytherins innocent from anything? In every action, there's always a reason behind it. They're only truthful to their fellow ones.

He sighed in satisfaction. Was it really that easy for him to deceive others?

"That was marvelous, Scorp!" exclaimed Goyle. The others nodded in agreement. "We got out of that one in less than an hour."

"You were counting?" asked Scorpius with a raised eyebrow.

Goyle smiled sheepishly. "I was bored," he answered.

Damon muffled his laughter. "I didn't know you could count," he said.

Scorpius didn't hear the rest of the conversation because he just saw a redheaded person out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't sure but the first person to pop into his mind was Rose Weasley. Where might she be going?

He cleared his throat to get the others' attention.

"I'll be going, then," said Scorpius, when they stopped to listen. "I have to enjoy the 'beautiful day', after all," he added, nodding toward outside the grounds.

"You won't be going to Hogsmeade with us?" asked Nott.

"No," answered Scorpius. "You lads enjoy it, though."

And with that, he left them. He quickly followed the redheaded person he saw a while ago. Was that Rose Weasley? He wasn't sure. But he'll find out. Because if that is her, he wants to talk to her. Right now. It can't wait. He can't wait.

* * * * *

Rose managed to hobble past the door three times, wishing for a peaceful environment. The door finally appeared and she grasped the handle and pushed the door open. A cozy room greeted her; a fire was crackling away in a nearby fireplace and before the fireplace, a red, squishy couch. The walls were lined with bookcases, but Rose for once did not feel like reading. She shed her bag next to the couch as she plopped down on the cushions, her crutches on the floor. Rose heaved a great sigh, enjoying the sound of a popping and crackling fire. She shifted in her seat, her arm leaning on the arm rest and cradling her head in her hand. Her one leg was tucked beneath her while the wrapped one was stretched out. Rose gazed into the fire as the flames danced before her.

She gave a sigh, trying to release the tension and frustration that had built up inside her all morning. It was amazing how one person could make her feel so much and send her into a frenzy. He was the only one who could do that to her, make her feel beyond annoyed at one moment and then completely attracted the next.

The past few days had been like a roller coaster of thoughts and emotions. Rose leaned over and took out the rose and scroll, reading it for the millionth time since she got it. Who was it? Could it be Lorcan? It surely couldn't be Scorpius, he had proven that this morning. Rose felt her heart sink as she put the scroll away. She stared at the rose, twirling it between her fingers and could catch it's faint, sweet fragrance. Rose probably shouldn't have spent so much time over the past few days thinking of Scorpius, it had instilled false hope in her heart and a sense of longing for him. It was wrong for her to fall for Scorpius, but the more she told herself no, the worse it got. Now with how this morning went, she was sure yesterday was just a fluke. He would probably have saved anyone if they were in the position she had been in then. Her attention went back to the flames, the rose still in her hand and resting on her leg. Her other hand captured a curl and began to twirl it. She had to be rational now, no more nonsense.

* * * * *

Scorpius stared at the wall Rose disappeared into. He looked around, what floor was he on? Then, he realized that it was the Seventh floor. Something popped in his mind. He stared at the wall again. Could it be possible? He slowly walked toward it. He touched the wall.

No way, he thought. Father said that it had been destroyed. He saw it in his own eyes. How can it be possible that it had survived the cursed fire?

He frowned. His father told him about the Room of Requirement, and that the room also helped him a great deal when he was studying at Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy is honest to Scorpius. Telling Scorpius these experiences helped him avoid the same mistakes his father made more than two decades ago. It served as guidelines for Scorpius. It helped him, somehow, become a better man. But would a better man make the one he has fallen in love with suffer from his doings? That made Scorpius think -- hard.

Scorpius tried to remember the instructions his father told him on how to manage to open the Room of Requirement. He closed his eyes, and thought for the perfect words.

I wish for a place where I can spend the time peacefully alone with Rose Weasley, without any interruptions..

He opened his eyes and stepped back. He took his time passing the wall thrice, hoping that it worked. And if it did, he would apologize to her -- which is rare. Because he had never apologized to anyone before -- also meaning it, for that matter.

He stopped, facing the wall. He smiled when the bare wall morphed into a door. He opened it, feeling excited on what's inside. He stepped inside and closed the door. He can hear the door return to its former state as a wall. He saw a fireplace, bookshelves, and armchairs. And then, he eyes finally wandered across Rose's. He stared at her for a long moment, taking in her beautiful face, before smiling crookedly at her.

"I hope you don't mind me joining your secret hide-out," teased Scorpius, as he walked toward her.

End of Chapter Twelve

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