Loving in Red

Chapter Two ~ Albus Takes Charge

Chapter Two

Albus Takes Charge

    Hogwarts was abuzz with gossip, students rushing around and whispering behind their hands, eyes going back and forth like the snitch. And most of it was about Rose Weasley.

Rose herself had no idea what they were gossiping about; she hadn’t changed, not really. She was just…snappier than usual. She was head girl, along with Albus, which was great, but the extra work was really straining her. Also, Al kept on asking her to come study with him and Malfoy-she had to start becoming creative with her excuses. She even had to use the ‘time of the month’ card, which sent him running pretty fast.

That, and Scorpius Malfoy seemed to be everywhere.

She turned a corner, he was there. Breakfast time, he was there, waiting at the double doors. Every class with the Slytherins, he watched her the entire class. Behind every door, around ever corner, there he was with his perfect jaw and grey eyes…those long pale fingers than ran through her hair, and those lips that brushed hers so gently…but still there was a poke to her heart every time she laid eyes on him.

So once again, they sat in potions, Rose sitting rigidly in her seat while Scorpius watched her from behind. It was torture really, knowing that those beautiful eyes were watching her as she took every note, answered each question. And of course, the day she could feel his eyes the most, they were studying love potions. Again.

“Now I know you’ve done this before,” Hemmingway said as cool air blew through the open windows “But I like starting the year off with something fun. Now, who to pick…ah, Ms. Carlit, please, what do you smell?”

As he chose a few students, Rose prayed her name would not be called. But it was worse, as his name rolled of Hemmingway’s tongue like a marble on a slanted floor “Mr. Malfoy, what do you smell?”

“Me, sir?” said Malfoy as titters rose and died around the room.

“Yes, Malfoy, you.” Said Hemmingway, annoyed.

“Well sir, I smell salt water, the ocean-“

Rose’s knuckles grew white as she gripped her quill tightly, barely believing her ears.

“-and vanilla with hazelnuts. Is that good, sir?”

His eyes were burning holes in her back, Rose knew it. She could feel them there, waiting for a reaction. Rose knew her ears were growing red, a trait she’d inherited from her father.

“Perfect Malfoy!” cried Hemmingway, clapping his hands and scanning the room for his next victim. “All right…Ms. Weasley!”

“No thank you, sir.” She said tightly, not looking up from her paper.

“Come on now Ms. Weasley, tell us what you smell.” Urged Hemmingway and Rose realized how easy it would be to hex him from under the desk.

Sighing, Rose straightened. “I smell the ocean-”

…The breeze blew across her skin as they lay in the sand as he brushed his fingers up and down her cheek bone, down her neck and along her collar bone…

“And spicy apples and cinnamon-”

… “You can kiss me you know,” he whispered as she leaned her head against his chest, the smell of his cologne enveloping her…

“And…that’s all.” Ears red as pomegranates, Rose looked down at her parchment.

“Nicely done, Ms. Weasley.” With that, Hemmingway moved on with his lesson. Rose spent the rest of the lecture ignoring Scorpius’ grin as he watched her blush the rest of the class.