The Romance of the snake and the rose

Writing to the Minister of Magic

Rose and Scorpius were strolling slowly down the rest of the shrieking shack trail, once again hand in hand. The temperature had dropped by several degrees, and Rose began to shiver in the light breeze that had picked up. A fine drizzle had started a couple of minutes ago, which was not helping her stay warm. Her teeth began to chatter.

"Are you cold Rose?" asked Scorpius, looking over at her.

"N-no, I-I'm fine," replied Rose unconvincingly, through her chattering teeth. Scorpius took off his Rolling Stones hoodie, pulling it over her head before she could protest. It was at least two sizes too big, but it was cozy and warm, and smelt like Scorpius. She turned to him, he was now only wearing a green Slytherin t-shirt, surely he was going to freeze? Rose didn't really want to take his hoodie off now that it was on though, and so remained silent.

Soon they had reached the end of the trail, and a good thing too because it had started to rain properly now. She and Scorpius ran for cover under a large tree.

"let's go inside somewhere," he suggested.

"How about Honeydukes?" asked Rose, and the two of them dashed into the sweets store and out of the cold rain.

It was much warmer inside. Rose performed a drying spell on them both, and they began to wonder through the shelves of assorted candy and chocolate. Eventually Scorpius offered to buy her some pumpkin pasties and after some initial hesitation, she agreed to let him pay. Then it was time to go back to Hogwarts, and the two of them boarded a horseless carriage together once more, setting off back the way they'd come. Rose opened the pumpkin pasties.

"Would you like some?" she asked him.

"Sure," replied Scorpius, reaching into the stiped paper bag.

"Can I ask," said Rose, "How did you know these were my favorites?"

"I just remember overhearing you tell Alice in our first year," he told her.

"You remember that?" asked Rose, astonished.

"I remember everything about you," said Scorpius, blushing, "Ever since I saw you on the train on my first day... I liked you."

"But I was so rude to you!" said Rose, "And we were enemies, weren't we?"

"You might have thought so," said Scorpius, his mouth full of pumpkin pasties, "But honest Rose, I always fancied you," Rose thought about this for a couple of minutes, her brow furrowed. How had she not noticed for all this time?

"I really never even suspected it," she confessed to him.

"Well now you know," said Scorpius, kissing her mouth softly. Rose felt a thrill as their lips met. The carriage stopped and they stepped out. Rose wrapped her arms around Scorpius, giving him a hug. They drew apart and Rose smiled at him.

"Thank you for today," she said to him. Scorpius beamed at her.

"Maybe we could do it again some time," he suggested shyly.

"I'd like that very much," Rose replied, and giving him one last kiss, on the cheek this time, she turned around and began walking back to the Gryffindor common room. She smiled to herself all the way. She'd had a lovely time, never once had it been awkward, and they'd kissed. Rose grinned at the memory. Soon she had reached the common room. Alice was sitting at one of the large arm chairs near the fire, reading something. She saw Rose come in and grinned, standing up and abandoning her book, she crossed the common room to her friend.

"Well, how did it go?" asked Alice excitedly, leading Rose by the arm to the girls dormitories. "Is that your jumper?" she added, gesturing to Scorpius' Rolling Stones hoodie, Rose had forgotten to give it back.