Name Game (completed)

Chapter One

AUTHOR'S NOTE: edited 26-05-14

Scorpius sat at the Ravenclaw table, absorbed, as per usual, in a battered Muggle classic. He was alone – with the exception of the group of near-hysterical girls, who insisted upon following him about constantly, and now sat a few seats down, flipping their hair and crossing-and-uncrossing their legs with supposed nonchalance. He sensed somebody slip into the seat beside, and glanced up rather angrily, assuming it was one of his so-called fangirls.

It wasn’t, he soon acknowledged.

It was Rose Weasley.

Scorpius was surprised. Rose was his good friend – best friend even – but since beginning to date Ashley Woodsmith she’d taken to hanging around the Gryffindor Quidditch team meals. Scorpius didn’t necessarily have an objection to the whole the Gryffindor team; he positively liked their captain, Roxanne, and Louis was another of his best friends. It was the sight of Ashley’s smug face and Albus’ ceaseless teasing alone was enough to prevent him joining them.

“Hey Scorp!” Rose smiled at him brightly.

Scorpius struggled to arrange his features in something similar, but judging by her expression, what he thought he had got right, had probably end up looking more like a tortured grimace.

“Hey,” he mumbled, attempting to bury himself in his novel, but failing miserably. All he could think about was the deep blue of her eyes, framed by those red-tinted lashes...

“First day of lessons,” she grinned, “Do you know what NEWTs you’re going to apply for?”

He shrugged noncommittally, “I got Os in most of my OWLs – theoretically I could takes any subject, but I think Professor Logpond might suggest I don’t take Care of Magical Creatures, after that incident with the salamander last year...”

Rose laughed.

“Yeah, me too. It’s ridiculous – our futures rely on the decisions we make today, but I just can’t choose!”

“I want to keep up Muggle Studies,” sighed Scorpius, “But my grandfather would be furious; he only let me take it as an option subject on the condition that I’d give it up after my OWLs. My parents wouldn’t mind so much, but my dad would never stand up to him, so...”

“You’re grandfather doesn’t rule your life, Scorpius,” Rose told him firmly. “Everybody in your class says you’re brilliant at it, and you obviously enjoy it – you ought to take it.”

Scorpius looked up at her, allowing himself to momentarily lose himself in the azure ocean of her eyes. She turned away quickly to spoon some cereal into her bowl and he checked himself. The crush he’d hidden carefully since their third year had turned rapidly to obsession, and if he didn’t do something about it soon, well – she was going to notice.

“Thank you, Rose. That means a lot,” he said quietly, and she snapped her head away from the milk jug she was reaching for.

“Anytime, Scorp,” she replied, slightly disconcerted by the sincere look in his unfathomable eyes. “Aren’t you going to eat anyway? You’ve got Quidditch trials to day – what will Ravenclaw do if their Captain collapses with hunger?

He smirked at her faux distress, but ladled porridge into his bowl nevertheless.

“They’re scheduled for tomorrow actually. By the way, I got a new broom over the summer. It’s brilliant.”

“Oh really? How... exciting...? What type?’

“Model,” he corrected her. “Anyway it’s an antique Silver Arrow I found in Borgin and Burkes for just fifty galleons. I’ve been studying what aspects give the Firebolt it’s speed and flexibility, so I was able to make a few adjustments to the Silver Arrow, to give it the features normally unique to a Firebolt. It’s the best broom I’ve ever flown.”