Scorrose

one

Jul 26, 2020: Update! Edited version of story begins after final chapter (seventeen)

A/N: This is my first ever fanfiction, so please don't hate on me if it's not great

Dedicated to OverObsessedWriter for encouraging me to post this fic! If you happen to read this, be sure to check out her work (:

"Go to the Yule ball with me."

Rose hadn't heard him approach and she jumped at the voice, nearly dropping her books in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"The ball," he said again, turning to look her straight in the eye. "Go with me."

The forwardness of the request caught her slightly off guard but she hid it by sticking up her chin and pressing her books closer to her chest. She knew how he was. He'd ask, she'd say no, he'd ask again, she'd repeat her answer, and after a few minutes of empty banter he'd slink off with a sly grin, only to repeat the same process the next week. It was a bit of a tiring game; one they'd been playing for many months now. "No," she answered simply.

Scorpius remained adamant. "Come on. Go with me."

She refrained from sighing. "I said no, Scorpius."

He gave her a wide, lopsided grin. "I love it when you say my name, Rose Granger-Weasley."

They reached a staircase and with a newfound determination to ignore this lemon-haired pest, she quickly marched upwards towards the Gryffindor commons. "You're cute when you're trying to get rid of me," he said, keeping up with her pace.

She huffed in irritation, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response. She'd learned by now that any sort of reply would just add fuel to the fire and his incessant flirting would only triple in intensity. All she had to do was reach the commons, and she'd be rid of him.

Just a few more paces, she told herself. Just a few more.

"I know you want to go with me," Scorpius continued, Rose's attitude failing to deter him. He hopped off the last stair and went ahead of her, turning around to face her as he walked so that she had no choice but to meet his gaze. He raised his eyebrows when she finally did. "You're not denying it."

Rose shot him the most withering glare she could manage, though his smile only widened in response. She found this highly annoying. Just a few short years ago her glares had him running in the other direction, cowering with fear. Now, he didn't even so much as flinch. Whether this was bravery or stupidity, she could not quite tell.

"Just because you cannot find any other girl to go with you," she said coolly, unable to help herself from replying, "does not make me your back up. I refuse to go with you. Not now, not ever."

"Back up?" Scorpius repeated, pressing a palm to his chest as if the words offended him even though his expression proved otherwise. "You have never been a back up." Rose rolled her eyes. "And I'll have you know, I have been asked. By Polly Chapman herself, actually."

"Oh really?" Rose said dryly.

"Yes," he answered. "To be honest, she's been a bit bothersome lately."

He scratched his ear, and though Rose liked to believe he was making this up, she had recently noticed the way Polly had flirted with him during potions and giggled at his very lame jokes. She frowned, her hands tightening around her textbooks.