Somebody That I Use to Know

Chapter 1

Summary:

"Well, love. If you plan to marry Creevey, I suggest you actually divorce Malfoy."

Chudley, England - 19 Years Old

"You realize it's 6 in the morning?"

Rose held the door open, light pouring in through the opening. She held up her arm to block the onslaught of daylight intruding on her morning. It didn't seem to phase her boyfriend, who quickly gave his explanation,

"I was thinking about what you said last night. About Christmas with my father-"

"And these thoughts couldn't wait until 7...maybe even 8?"

Scorpius clearly had no concept of the time. Looking him over, Rose realized it was probably because he hadn't slept that night; he was still wearing the outfit he'd left in and his eyes looked worn.

"I was afraid I would lose my nerve if I did not come straight away."

He looked ragged, but he also had an energy about him that was making Rose nervous. Cautiously, she dropped her arm and nodded into the flat, heading towards the kitchen. Scorpius followed her in, stopping at the stove where Rose moved the kettle and switched on a burner.

"My father, he is not particularly proud of my choices." he started in his normal, soothing tone, "and he is really not fond of his name being in the press. Even worse when it is associated with yours-"

"It was just a thought." Rose interrupted his calm cadence with her own blunt fragments, still annoyed that he'd woken her up this early to apologize for an argument she'd already forgotten about. "You know you're welcome with mine. I thought you might want to spend it with your family-"

"That's what had me thinking."

He reached out and held her hands to stop them from continuing to fiddle with whatever was in front of her and focus on him.

"Draco, he's my father, but he is not what I think of when I think of family."

He said it like a finished statement, but Rose's expression made it clear there were still blanks to fill in. He let go of her hands and paced a couple of steps, his emotions spilling out in a way she'd seldom seen.

"You're brilliant, you know that?" He stopped again, "I mean you are erratic and sometimes irrational, but mostly you are ambitious and bold."

Rose crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked over at him, still puzzled. Was he apologizing or insulting her? She blamed half of her confusion on the early hour and the other half on Scorpius rambling like he'd rarely done before.

"Out with it, Scorp."

His tension seemed to ease into a mischievous grin that reminded Rose of their Hogwarts days.

"I want you to be my family, Rose. Marry me."

He said it with a confidence it had taken him all morning to muster and still Rose wasn't sure if he meant what he said. She tilted her head, hoping the new perspective would help bring sense to his statement. For a moment, they just looked at one another. Then, Rose slowly gained a mischievous grin of her own and she all but ran to the boy she loved, wrapping her arms around him.

He must have walked all the way over, he still smelled like the woods. Rose pushed herself onto her tiptoes so she could press her lips against his. She wrapped her hand in his hair and felt one of his on the small of her back.