Rose Weasley doesn't even like coffee.

She doesn't like the taste or the aftertaste, the lingering on her taste buds that no amount of water can relinquish. She doesn't like the heat on her tongue, swirling around between her cheeks, burning her. It's not an acquired taste- she can't understand how people can stand to drink this.

Rose Weasley doesn't like coffee, yet still, everyday the summer before her last year at Hogwarts, she walks to a little Muggle coffee shop and sits down at a little table in the corner and orders a large coffee.

The first time, she gets it black, and the taste is so pungent she can't take more then two sips. She pays for her unfinished coffee and then leaves. The next day, she orders it with four milks and four sugars, which still isn't enough to disguise the taste. The first few times, she stopped the waitress four times and asked for a few more packs of sugar. After Rose had come enough times to be considered a regular, the waitress (whose name is April. Rose has become quite friendly with her) brings Rose's coffee with enough packs of sugar so that her coffee has a grainy taste and does not even remotely resemble coffee.

Rose comes to this coffee shop everyday for a month before Scorpius Malfoy enters the picture.

Scorpius Malfoy was at this coffee shop for a very specific reason. Whereas Rose's experience with coffee was less then satisfying, Scorpius knew that this little hole in the wall coffee shop had the most amazing espresso's he had ever tasted in his life. Normally, he came in the evening, after he had done whatever he needed to do, when the town was shutting down and everyone was settling in for the night, sitting at a little table in the back and sipping his espresso and watching people pass by and wondering what their lives were like, wondering what they were thinking about him, if they even noticed him at all.

Today, however, is different. His father is having a party at the manor tonight, and he has to attend. So he switches his schedule around and goes in the morning. When he enters the coffee shop and heads to his usual seat, it's occupied.

It's occupied by a girl with curly red hair tied back at her neck, but many strands have come loose and frame her face. Her blue eyes, impossibly bright, are concentrating on her coffee in front of her, pouring a packet of sugar into the cup. There are at least five more packages of sugar around her.

Scorpius is so put off by this girl in his seat that he just stands there staring at her for a few moments until a waitress comes up to him and directs him to another seat. From his seat, he stares at the girl in his seat. It isn't until she looks up, clearly conscience of his gaze, that he realizes its Rose Weasley.

He coughs violently on his drink and spits into his napkin, wiping his mouth as she hurriedly looks away. She drinks the rest of her coffee in record time, pays, and then hurries past him.

At his dad's party that night, he sits in the corner and wonders what Rose Weasley was doing in a Muggle coffee shop.

At her home, Rose is wondering the same thing about Scorpius.

He rises early the next morning and sets out, and he doesn't even realize he's heading towards the coffee shop until he's there.

She's there, sitting in her same spot, sipping her coffee, empty sugar packets littered around her. He sits in the same spot he sat yesterday. It's not a booth, and the seat is hard. The sun from the window beats down on his face and he has to raise his hand to block it out. He looks at his regular seat with longing and watches Rose Weasley as she finishes off her coffee (sugar?) and hurries out.

The next morning, when Rose arrives, she finds Scorpius Malfoy sitting in her seat. She falters, starts to turn around and then, filled with a sudden fierceness she didn't know she possessed, stalks right up to him.

"That's my seat," she tells him. Scorpius lifts up his head from where he is stirring his espresso and stares at her with unresponsive grey eyes. She feels the need to repeat herself.

"That's my seat," she says again.

"I don't see you sitting in it," he drawls, taking a sip. Rose sighs.

"I always sit there."

Scorpius puts his cup down. "I'll let you know that I always sit here, as well."

Rose scowls. "Not when I'm sitting here, you don't."

Scorpius just shrugs. Rose angrily stalks away.

The next day, she gets there earlier then usual. Sure enough, Scorpius isn't there when she arrives. Settling into her booth, she orders her coffee and sugars and sips and waits.

Sure enough, Scorpius comes in a little earlier then she usually does. As he sees her sitting at the booth, his mouth turns up a bit at the edges and he nods at her.

The next day, she goes at the same time. Scorpius is sitting in the booth, smiling at her. She smiles back, then sits at what has become the loser table- the one with the hard seats and the sunlight.

Earlier and earlier the two would arrive, trying to be the first to arrive. Two weeks later, Rose finds the only earlier she can arrive is right when it opens.

As Rose approaches the still closed doors of the coffee shop, she is astonished to see a blond head already there.

Scorpius smiles as he sees her approach.

"I guess you had the same idea I did."

Rose shakes her head, collapsing against the wall. "I can't believe I woke up early and you still beat me here."

Scorpius laughs softly, a musical sound that makes Rose laugh, too.

When the owner of the shop opens up, he gives the two of them a look and then just shakes his head.

The two of them walk to the back. When they reach the booth, they both stop.

Scorpius extends his hand.

Rose shakes her head. "No way. You were here first."

Scorpius looks at the booth. Then he turns to Rose.

"Rose. It's a pretty big booth. Why don't we…" He gestures. Rose smiles, and then slides into the booth. He slides in next to her.

They sit there for a long time, talking about everything and nothing, until finally Rose looks at the clock on the wall and curses.

"Bugger, I really have to go. I've been here far too long. We don't need my father barging in, do we?" Scorpius laughs.

"No, we don't need that."

She stands, puts some money on the table. Scorpius hands it back to her. She glares. He smiles. She starts to walk away. Scorpius scratches his arm, and then, slowly, says,

"I'll be here tomorrow at around eight, if, maybe… you know."

Rose turns around and smiles. Then she leaves.

When eight o clock rolls around, Scorpius has already ordered his espresso and is stirring when Rose walks in. She smiles at April and then orders her usual.

They keep up this act for a while, meeting at eight, sitting in the booth and talking about everything, no limitations. One day, when April returns with her coffee and sugar, Scorpius asks a question he's been wondering for a while.

"Why do you take so much sugar? It's not good for you, you know." He can't imagine asking somebody this when he barely knows them, but Rose and him had talked about so much he feels as if he could ask her anything. She blushes, stirring another packet of sugar into her coffee.

"Oh, well, you see… I don't really like coffee."

Scorpius is sure he's misheard, but the blush that creeps up her neck tells him he heard her correctly.

"Then why are you in a bloody coffee shop?"

She shrugs. "At first, I liked the serenity, the quiet, the calm. And now…" She trails off.

Scorpius finds he is holding his breath. "Now?"

She shrugs again, self-conscience. She smiles at him, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It comes loose again.

Scorpius carefully tucks the curl behind her ear again. Rose stares at him.

"It won't stay," she whispers. Sure enough, it comes loose again. This time, when Scorpius reaches up to tuck the hair away, he holds his hand there. Rose's breathing is haggard as he leans closer to her. Scorpius wonders how it's possible he could feel so connected to somebody he's only really interacted with for two weeks, but his entire body is screaming out and telling him to close the space between them.

When he falters, Rose sighs, backs away, and stands up. Scorpius stares after her, and it's not until she's out the door that he gets up and follows her.

"Rose! Rose, wait!"

She turns around, her eyes swimming with tears. Scorpius catches up to her.

"Rose, hang on, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It was silly of me to think-"

Scorpius cuts her off with his lips. Rose kisses him back, hands running up his arms until they rest on his biceps, as his hand entangles in her hair and the other goes to the small of her back.

When they separate, the touch their foreheads together and breathe heavily, while Rose grins like an idiot and Scorpius plays with her curls.

"Hey! You two!"

The turn around to see a waitress from the coffee shop, glaring at them.

"You forgot to pay!"

Scorpius laughs and digs around for his Muggle money. He gives it to the waitress and then wraps an arm around Rose's waist, walking down the street together, talking like they always did.