A/N: Ok, so this is the prequel to His Only Daughter, and although I wrote that one first, this one can be read first without any confusion.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter at all. I'm not even British. I don't even know if British is supposed to be capitalized… I swear!

My Only Desire

We met in first year. He was just as arrogant as my father said he would be, with his blonde hair slicked back in a perfect imitation of Draco during his first year, an air of superiority hanging lazily about him, as though it were his Merlin-given right. It made my stomach churn with something close to disgust, and we hadn't even been properly introduced. I had no desire to correct that oversight back then, though I guess he had other thoughts.

I came across a group of five Slytherins -first years- outside the Potions room. It wasn't a rare occurrence; they all seemed to travel in packs with their heads held high. It was apparently tradition to put Slytherins and Gryffindors together in first year potions at Hogwarts. Among the throng of sneering Slytherins, I spotted a white-blond head with slicked back hair. Despite myself, I was curious. I'd only glimpsed Scorpius Malfoy a couple of times since arriving at school. To all extents, I'd seen all I needed to in order to realize he was exactly as my father told me, yet I had this inexplicable feeling that there was more beneath the surface. Well, as much more as there can be at age 11.

I was about to find out, as my thoughts were shattered by a cold drawl. "Take a picture. It'll last longer."

I immediately looked away, blushing furiously. I hadn't realized I was staring so obviously. I hoped he would leave me to my mortification in peace.

Of course, that couldn't happen. He stepped closer, away from the group. They looked on in mild curiosity. "Let's see… Red hair, stack of books bigger than you can carry, fifteen minutes early for class… You must be Rose Weasley."

I frowned half in surprise and half in anger. I didn't point out that he was also fifteen minutes early for class as I retorted, "Let me see… blonde, slicked-back, greasy hair, arrogance and superiority oozing off you. You must be Scorpius Malfoy."

So it wasn't exactly a conventional introduction, nor was it very creative on my part, but give me some credit. I was only 11. Needless to say, our relationship progressed steadily into hostility from there, and we finished first year in a place that was very comfortable for both of us: mutual dislike. We didn't go out of our way to antagonize each other, instead opting to go the route of mutual avoidance. We ignored each other as much as possible, and when forced to interact, spoke in short, clipped sentences littered with insults.

One good thing did come out of meeting Scorpius Malfoy. I met one of my best friends straight after: Emily Longworth. She approached shortly after Scorpius and I 'met', and I gratefully partook in the conversation she started. We got on very well, and when Dominique finally joined us, I was pleased to find that the three of us fit together quite nicely. Albus ran into class late with a boy that I thought I recognized as a fellow Gryffindor. I found out later that he was called Ben Thomas.

Since it was two to a table, there was an open seat next to Emily which Ben slipped into at Albus's insistence. This left Albus to sit next to the last person I could possibly wish upon him: Scorpius Malfoy. I could tell from the way they looked at each other that they had probably already met, and Albus's impression of the boy was much similar to mine. Professor Klipper interrupted any remaining chatter and began the lesson before I could dwell on it further.

Imagine my horror when, at the end of the first month of classes, I caught a glimpse of Albus and Scorpius laughing together. At least Al had the decency to appear guilty when I confronted him about it afterwards.

"What's going on with you and Malfoy?" I snapped, hands on my hips, causing him to stop shoving his feet into the shoes he'd kicked off earlier. I didn't realize at the time that I was making it sound as though he were having an affair. Al's cheeks tinted pink as he tried to brush it off.

"Nothing, Rose. We're Potions partners. Not by choice, either."

I snorted, "Yeah, it sure looked like you were having a rough go of it today."

"Well the way I figure, I might as well make good of something that I thought was bad. He's not that bad of a person. Really," He replied, his voice still meek.

"Are you serious? This is Malfoy we're talking about, Al! He's vile!"

I can't say what did it exactly, but for the first time since I'd known him, Albus Potter bristled. "What proof do you have of that?"

Surprised at the change, I faltered for a moment. "Well, he's rude to everyone."

"He's not rude to me," Albus snapped, drawing himself up to his full height, which was suddenly taller than me. "Well, he was at first, but you just have to get past it. He's not half bad."

"Are you crazy? Do I need to write your Mum and Dad and ask that they have you committed to St. Mungo's?"

"Whatever, Rose. You have your opinions and I have mine. We'll just have to agree to disagree," He sighed, never one for prolonged conflict.

Angered at the loss of steam his words brought, I huffed, "Yes, I suppose we will."

Despite our decision to 'agree to disagree', I refused to speak with Albus for the first two months of his budding 'partnership' with Malfoy. Instead, I grew closer with Dominique and Emily. Disheartened as I was at the distance between myself and Albus, who had been my best friend, I was glad to have them with me, even if we weren't yet as close as Al and I had been.

The year wore on, as did our separation. Albus and Scorpius were seated next to each other in any classes we shared due to their last names being close together in the alphabet. They continued to grow closer, while Scorpius and I continued to grow more hostile towards one another. Not only did our 'introduction' stick in my mind, but I also now resented his stealing my best friend. I wasn't sure what had gotten into Albus to so blatantly go against the grain of normality. It wasn't like him. However, as much disapproval as James, Fred, Dominique, Lucy, and I (James, Fred, and Lucy being in second year while we were in first) expressed towards him, he didn't seem to care. He always told us the same thing: "Names mean nothing. Scorpius is my friend, whether you like it or not."

Time wore on, and Christmas break came faster than any of us had anticipated. With the return to the Burrow came the realization of just how far apart Albus and I had grown. Usually, we were inseparable, always running everywhere together. This year, I sat quietly in one corner with Dominique while he sat quietly in the other with a book. The adults noticed our separation, but didn't comment on it until later that evening, when everyone had parted for the night. Apparently, we both had the same response:

"He's being unreasonable!"

"She's being unreasonable!"

We were stubborn children.

And so the fight raged on. We only spoke to greet each other or nod for the rest of the year, and by this time it absolutely killed me. Although I was glad that I was growing closer to Dominique and Emily, the gaping hole in my life where Albus used to be was always present. I missed my best friend.

Over the summer break, I was finally fed up with not speaking to him, and decided to be the bigger person.

"Look, I may have overreacted a little, and that may not have been fair."

Albus raised one eyebrow, something I wished I could do. "Is that you saying sorry?"

Pink coloured my cheeks. "Yes."

"Ok!"

And just like that we were best friends again.

Over summer we grew closer once more, though I retained my newfound friendships. When we returned to school for our second year, Albus and Scorpius picked right back up where they left off, quickly becoming known around the school as a kind of dynamic duo. The family and I remained frustrated with it, but the experience of the previous year taught me not to comment. I refused to talk to him while Scorpius was present, though.

"No, Al. You have to swish and flick. Remember to flick," I sighed, guiding his hand once again in the motion to cast the Wingardium Leviosa charm. Though we were only revising what we learned in first year, Al was still struggling. Charms was the one subject he had trouble with, surprisingly. Given his father and brother's performance in Potions, everyone assumed that would be his downfall as well, yet he and Malfoy seemed to make the perfect team. Albus was always annoyed with people's assumptions, loudly complaining that he wasn't his father, nor his brother. My only guess as to why Albus was suddenly much more vocal about these worries was the influence of Malfoy. Everyone in the school knew exactly what Malfoy thought exactly when he thought it.

"Hey, Al, you done with the keener?"

Speak of the devil. I turned my head to frown in Malfoy's direction. "As a matter of fact-"

"Yep," Albus cut me off, popping the 'p'. He'd told me when we first met that he and Malfoy would be going off to practice for Quidditch tryouts after we finished.

"Wait a minute-" I snapped, knowing full well he hadn't even practiced the charm yet, so he didn't know if he was done. And I wasn't a keener.

"Swish and flick. I got it, Rose," He said, cutting me off again. "See you later."

I frowned after them, fuming at his abrupt departure. Malfoy always came first.

If it was any comfort, they both made the Quidditch teams, so the interruption was worth it. The addition of 'Hot-shot Quidditch Player' to their reputations only increased their popularity and the size of Malfoy's head. Sadly, it also increased the size of Albus's. I began to see the disappearance of my shy, soft-spoken cousin in favour of a loud, boisterous, attention-grabbing boy. He wasn't as egotistical as Malfoy by any means, but it still bothered me that his hanging round the arrogant kid resulted in his own head blowing up.

As second year transformed into third year, and proceeded right into fourth, Scorpius and Albus took their relationship to a whole new level. Yes, it was time to meet the parents.

"Hi, Aunt Ginny! Is Al upstairs?" I asked, stepping out of the fireplace at the Potters' house on the hottest July day we'd had yet.

"Sure is, Rose."

Grinning, I took the steps two at a time. I loved the summer months almost as much as my time at Hogwarts. Why? Because Malfoy was far far away.

"Hey, Al-"

Or, that is, he was far far away. Until he ended up on the floor of Albus Potter's room.

"What are you doing here?" I sneered, recovering from the shock of seeing Malfoy rather quickly.

"Could ask you the same question," He replied in his signature drawl, leaning back against Albus's bed.

"Well, I was going to see if Albus wanted to hang out, but I think I've changed my mind."

Albus sighed. "Come on, Rose. We can still hang out."

I gave him as much of a withering look as a fourteen year old can before departing.

During fourth year, things started to change. No, I did not fall suddenly in love with Scorpius. I just noticed that he'd… started developing. His long, lanky arms filled out, forming killer biceps that the vast majority of the female population at school swooned over (That included Dom. Her excuse was that he was one of the only 'Hogwarts Hunks' she wasn't related to). His shoulders broadened and he shot up about two feet. Damn Quidditch. The same thing happened to Al, though I didn't take as much notice since he's, you know, my cousin. The point is that I wasn't the only one to notice, and the entire school aren't Albus's cousins, so Scorpius wasn't the only one getting the attention.

"Oh Merlin, have you seen Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy?" Alberta Corner asked in a not-so-quiet whisper. It was the first day of classes of fourth year and the girl still hadn't mastered the art of talking quietly.

"Have I ever," her friend Daileen replied, breathless. "I'm so glad Albus is taking after James…"

I turned away in disgust, not wanting to listen to them gossip about someone related to me.

Over the year, the standard mutual dislike between Malfoy and I continued on. I learned later from Albus that he had gone to Malfoy Manor shortly after Scorpius's visit to Potter Manor.

"You actually went over there?" I asked, appalled, yet fascinated despite myself.

"Yes, I'll have you know, I did. It's not that big of a deal."

"Not that big of a deal? You went to Malfoy Manor. Malfoy Manor, Al."

"So?" Albus asked defensively.

"It's Malfoy Manor."

"So you've said. Look, Rose, I don't know why you keep making such a big deal of this. Hogwarts isn't like it used to be. Gryffindors don't always have to hate Slytherins. Stop being so prejudiced."

The conversation ended there.

Albus and I didn't speak of anything Scorpius related for a long while after that. I guess both of us sensed the underlying tension the subject brought about. Neither of us acknowledged it, of course, refusing to be the first one to bring it up. Our parents, or rather my father, didn't seem to have such reservations.

"Harry, I honestly don't know why you let him into your home in the first place. He's a Malfoy! The spawn of Draco! Or have you forgotten that?" My dad 'whispered' in that way of his. I paused outside the kitchen door, knowing full well I wasn't supposed to eavesdrop, but as soon as I'd heard the name Malfoy I couldn't resist.

"I was thinking that everybody deserves a chance. It doesn't matter who his father is."

"Well it kind of does, considering Malfoy's the one raising him."

"Ron, from what I've heard, Draco's changed quite a bit since we last spoke. In case you've forgotten, it's been about 22 years since we exchanged more than a nod in the hallway. We hardly know the man anymore, nor do we know his son."

"People like Malfoy don't change. Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater! Have you forgotten he's tried to kill us? More than once!"

"Draco could hardly be considered a Death Eater, Ron. We were young at the time. He had no choice," Uncle Harry said firmly, in a tone that suggested the argument was over, and I figured my dad must have opened his mouth to protest some more, because Uncle Harry voiced the implication, "I'm not having this discussion with you, Ron. Whom Albus is friends with is really none of my business to judge, and he's actually a nice boy."

I couldn't see what Uncle Harry saw in Scorpius exactly. I always saw an arrogant prick that had a head far too big for his shoulders, not any form of a 'nice boy'. Well, except for those rare moments that I caught him smiling or laughing with Albus or Gage McDonnell, one of his Slytherin dorm mates. Outside of those privileged two, Scorpius was about as egotistical as they come to pretty much everyone. It doesn't say much about the girls at our school that they all swooned over his attitude. I swear, the only one in our year that could give him a run for his money on female admirers was Albus, and that was not a good thing. At least Albus wasn't as quick to take advantage of it.

Fifth year brought with it the arrival of a prefect's badge and uncontained pride on my parents' parts. It was a bit embarrassing really, but I was used to it by then.

After I finally rid myself of my beaming parents at the platform, I found Emily and Dom. Emily was thoroughly unsurprised at the badge pinned to my robes, and Dom already knew, since my father had immediately owled every family member after I'd gotten it.

After we found a compartment and stashed our trunks, I left them to head to the prefect's carriage, my stomach knotted in anticipation. I couldn't help but wonder who my fellow prefects would be. Albus wasn't one of them, we already knew that. I just hoped they were actually serious about the job, not someone like-

Malfoy. Sitting in the prefect's carriage, leaning lazily against the window.

"I think you're in the wrong compartment, Malfoy," I said after recovering from the shock of seeing him there.

A grin formed on his lips as he appraised me, his gaze making me squirm slightly, though I'd never show it. "No, I don't believe I am."

"This is the Prefect's compartment," I pointed out, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, which it was.

Malfoy looked around, adopting a fake-confused expression, "Really? I didn't know that! Thank you for pointing it out, Weasley. At least I don't have to go find it so I can make the meeting now."

I had just felt the beginnings of smugness when his words fully registered. He must have seen the change in my facial expression because his grin widened and he gestured to the badge pinned neatly to his shirt.

"You- You're a Prefect?" I spluttered, my face reddening. How did this happen? How could someone possibly pick Malfoy as a Prefect? How is he a good role model at all? There was no time for further conversation as the rest of the Prefects, including James as a sixth year, and Ben Thomas as my fellow Gryffindor fifth year Prefect, trickled into the compartment.

Luckily, the structure of patrols that year meant that we didn't have to wander around the castle together.

A/N: Ok, so it took me an unbelievably long time to write this. Before I start posting this story (since I suck at keeping constant updates and it takes me like a year to write a story, if I even finish it) I tried to get a really large head start on it so I don't have to make you guys wait for a long time between updates. I also apologize for any inconsistencies in the school year they'd be in. I originally wrote it with them in sixth year, but decided at the last minute to change it to seventh, but then half of it didn't work so it turned into a big mess and I hope I fixed it correctly. Hopefully it works! Reviews are love!