3 YEARS LATER

3 years of studying later and I was officially a qualified wandmaker and because I'd had the sense to apply early, Ollivander was expecting me at the end of the month to begin working with him. Before beginning to work, I'd wanted to spend a couple of weeks just holed up at home and actually enjoy just being home. For the past few years, my every visit had wound up with me revising to pass my exams and I'd missed being able to do nothing. Just when I thought I had the opportunity to relax before having to get back to reality, my parents were insistent on getting out of the house. They insisted that I needed to accompany them to Scorpius's graduation party and to take the chance to see everyone since I'd resolutely refused to visit people when I'd returned home. Was it so bad to just want to sleep for a couple of days straight?

But, before I could verbalise any of my protests, before I even knew it I was getting dressed and heading off to Malfoy manor. Entering the manor, I found myself apprehended by several of the older adults who wanted to hear everything about my studies and what I planned to do now. I entertained them all, having to repeat myself multiple times but eventually, spying Caesar Zabini lingering and searching the crowd for someone, I apprehended him.

Professor Zabini's son, only one year younger than myself, was startled but let me use him as an excuse to escape. Although he too began to ask me about my work and I found myself giving him the same answers – word for word – that I'd given everyone before him. He listened, half-heartedly I was sure, given the way he continued to look into the crowd but I answered him, nonetheless. Just as I went to ask him who he was searching for, I was cut off by a call of my name.

I turned, uncertain and searched the people around me. And then I saw him, striding through the crowd toward me and I couldn't help the way my brows rose in surprise. Silently dismissing a grateful Zabini, I allowed myself to actually look over Scorpius Malfoy as he approached me. The past 3 years had done him well; he'd grown tall, taller than his father I was sure and broadening out at the shoulders. He was no longer that gangly fifteen year old I'd left behind. When he finally reached me, he glanced around us and then took my arm without a single word. I started for a moment at the contact, so used to him hesitating about touching me, but I followed him without a word as he drew me into a less populated corner of the room. Once we were alone, he dropped his hand quickly, using it to rub the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Sorry about that," he said eventually just as I was beginning to get used to having to look up at him. "When did you get back?"

"A couple of days ago," I said, more than pleased that my voice remained neutral with no signs of my surprise. Although, perhaps he wasn't so different from that boy who'd had the most bashful crush on me, given how he couldn't seem to hold my eyes for too long.

"Now that you're back –"

I cut him off before he could recount the exact same question others already had. Instead, I asked, "Isn't this supposed to be about you? What are your plans now?"

"Magical law," he said simply, eyes lingering slightly and then narrowing when my own looked over him once more. "What?"

"Sorry," I said with a shake of my head, "I just can't get over it. You just seem really grown up and it's kind of throwing me."

"Well, a growth space will do that you." He shrugged slowly, and I held back from informing that it wasn't necessarily because he'd grown – he was carrying himself differently as well. Dad always said Mr Malfoy had the Malfoy arrogance (confidence, Mr Malfoy always insisted) and that the arrogance must have been in his DNA. Perhaps Scorpius had finally come into his Malfoy confidence – because it wasn't arrogance, not on him. "Is it – is it a bad thing."

"No," I assured him instantly. "Definitely not a bad thing."

He smiled then, soft at the corner of his mouth. But in the next instant, his smile curled up further and if I didn't know better, I'd have claimed it was a smirk. Was it a smirk? Merlin, I couldn't quite get used to it. Finally, he asked, "Do you have plans tomorrow?"

"Well I was planning on getting reacquainted with my bed." From behind shielded eyes, I watched as he nodded to himself. Surely – no crush lasted this long. Especially not when the other person was on the other side of the planet. Right? And I couldn't, surely, I couldn't have wanted him to keep looking at me the way he was. Someone had spiked the drinks – I was certain.

"No plans then." He watched me for a moment, waiting for me to tell him otherwise. "Then why don't we go out for coffee?"

"Now why do I get the idea that you're asking me out on a date?"

"Because I am." Salazar's soul, he was too different and I wasn't sure how to proceed with a grown up Scorpius Malfoy. Well, not quite grown up, I supposed. 18 was hardly grown up. Then again, to some people, neither was 21.

"You're still young."

"Young, yes," he shrugged easily, "but like I've already told you, I can't do anything about being born 3 years after you. Besides, it's not like it's illegal or anything."

"Salazar." He grinned at the way the name left my mouth sounded like a curse. And then, when he moved to approach me, I simply eyed his approach, watching as he outstretched a hand to cradle my face. Breathing out shakily, I complained, "I have no idea how to deal with you anymore."

"Is this the part where I confess that I've never known how to deal with you?"