April 16th, Year 5
“Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?” Margaret inquired as she walked down to wide, stone hallway with Scorpius. Scorpius shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets and strolling with a smooth confidence in his step.
“Depends on if I get invited. Though I’ll probably go with Rose. Or James. Or both.” Margaret forced a smile, clearly upset. She hadn’t been invited by anyone, rumors about her were floating around, and nobody wanted any part of her. Scorpius was the only person who could really stand to be in her presence. “Hey, you okay?” Scorpius said, frowning, “You could come with us too, if you want. I’d be really fun, do you want to come?” Margaret looked down at her shoes. Scorpius casually threw an arm around her shoulder.
“I’d- I mean, I would like that, but I don’t think Rose would-”
“She doesn’t know you at all, Mar. She just knows what she hears from the rumors.” Margaret smirked.
“I suppose.”
“She’d get to know you better,” Scorpius tightened his arm around her. Margaret stopped
for a moment, debating her options.
“Okay. I’ll go with you.” Scorpius smiled broadly, mussing her hair with his free hand. “I have Transfiguration next period,” Margaret said, “I hope Divination won’t be too dull or dreary for you.” Scorpius grinned his annoyingly attractive half grin as they stopped, the two of them ready to part their separate ways.
“It’ll be dull because you’re not in it, Mar,” he said, even though it was a lie. James was in his class, and that meant nothing was ever dull. His voice was rich and clear, and hearing his words, she looked up at him with her big blue eyes full of delight.
“Transfiguration might be dull without you, too,” she whispered. Scorpius’s eyes lit up too.
“I guess we’ll both be bored as hell in our separate places with nothing to think about but one another,” he confirmed, his grey eyes falling waveringly over her blue ones. “You know, Mar,” Scorpius started, “If I didn’t know better, I might think you like me.” Margaret blushed, biting her lip.
“I’m going to be late for Transfiguration,” she said quickly before darting away and leaving Scorpius alone, his heart beating like a wildfire.
~
Scorpius arrived in Divination, the previous scene between Margaret and himself playing over and over in his head. Upon his arrival, he seated himself at a table with Davey Thomas and James. Davey was busy pulling together a last minute paper for Defense Against the Dark Arts, which he had next period. Scorpius glanced over at the next table, and smiled fondly at Rose who was chatting with Grace Chang and Elise Davis.
“Hey, mate,” James said, then noticed the strangely broad smile on Scorpius’ face, “Why’re you- why’re you smiling like that?” Scorpius stopped in his tracks. He couldn’t say ‘Oh, just because Rose looks so happy and pretty,’ so instead, he made up some lie about Margaret.
“I invited Margaret to Hogsmeade. With all of us of course.” James looked flabberghasted.
“Er- why would you do that? Don’t- Don’t you know how made that’ll make Rose?” Of course he knew. And he also knew he’d much rather go all alone with Rose, but he needed to make some effort to find someone else. And he felt bad for Margaret.
“Sure, but Margaret is feeling really... alone lately. She could use some friends, or even just some people to pretend to be her friend.”
“Rose won’t come. She wouldn’t think of even possibly pretending to be Margaret’s friend...” James paused his sentence thinking for a moment. “Do you like her?” Scorpius shrugged.
