P A R O X Y S M

Written by: seleneswan

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fics. I would be making it reality.

chapter title/theme: introduction
genre: friendship/humor
words: 1130
rating: K+

warning/caution: (none)

001. introduction

Contrary to popular belief, Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley had not met during their time as students at Hogwarts. Or on the train, or at platform 9¾. Or even during the sorting.

Of course, neither of them knew that they knew each other. They were each just another nameless face in the crowd as they look back on it, a vague memory floating in the slew of cloudy, unmemorable children's days. Even that one day that stuck out in particular took a while to discern among the many and many lengths of recollections.

Each a child, four at the time, was too absorbed in the vibrant, new surroundings to notice much.

The amazing enchanted ceiling that her mother had told her about, the lit candles, the awed faces, the banners of shimmering gold, dark green, navy blue, and maroon. Her four year old mind was quite sharp, and despite her age, she was a clever young girl.

Even smarter than her mother, and inheriting none of her father's lack of common sense but only the red hair that came with his side of the family and a sense of humor reminiscent to that of Fred and George's. And, mysteriously, her eyes were a dark green, so unusual being that no one had green eyes on either side of the family.

A phenomenon indeed.

It was the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. Her mother, father, Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, Albus, and James had traipsed down through the Great Hall.

She wasn't aware of the words being said by her uncle or aunt or even her own mother and father. All she knew is that when her feet touched the marble floor (she was put down after being carried), she took off, waving in a gleeful, childlike manner to the staff members who were torn with the solemnity of the date, and the amusing antics of the child.

Short enough, she wriggled under the table, scampering around by people's feet before selecting a lap and tugging on the robes from beneath the table. In shades of dark green velvet, her fingers grasped around the material and tugged.

The woman above blinked, casting an inconspicuous glance beneath the table. When she saw the small girl, she sighed, attempting to ignore her.

But the lap had been chosen, and with admirable stubbornness, she hoisted herself up on to Headmistress Minerva McGonagall's lap, scooting up cheerfully.

Indeed, her antics were attracting attention from not only the staff, but the student body. Faint chuckles could be heard, but she was oblivious, shifting in to a more comfortable position. Her face scrunched momentarily, becoming pink, before smoothing out in an angelic smile and a giggle.

McGonagall said nothing, but discreetly shifted so Rose would be more comfortable. The little girl giggled enthusiastically, turning around on her makeshift seat and hugging the woman whom she didn't really know. Her slightly chubby arms wrapped part of the way around the elder woman's midsection, and she buried her face among the folds of velvet cloth.

Another family had entered, a reunion from the class most involved in the Battle of Hogwarts. Neville Longbottom, a permanent member of the staff was the only one who had stayed back at Hogwarts from their class.

And then the Malfoys entered. The room hushed, and curiously, Rose turned around, hopped out of the lap, and scampered across the floor. She hurried up behind the podium where her mother was standing, peering out from behind her leg to get a closer view.

She had no eyes for the tall, blonde man with a pointy chin and his wife, her dark locks of hair and beautiful looks, but only for the small boy, perhaps her age, walking with as much dignity as a child of four can walk with.

Now more curious as to whom this boy was, without any shyness at all, she bounded down the steps towards the aisle where they were walking, ignoring the murmurs and whispered commands of her to "Get back here this instant, young lady!" as spoken so eloquently by her mother and the shocked look on her daddy's face.

She ignored the looks received from the boy's parents, but ran up to him with a goofy grin.

"You're pretty!" she exclaimed, bursting out in her characteristic giggles of mirth. She vaguely registered the faint chuckles, and plowed on. Her face scrunched in mild amusement, and she made a statement, decidedly. "You're too pretty to be a boy." She blinked, and then peered closer, squinting her eyes as if to catch something that she might not have. "Are you a boy?"

Said boy sniffed in an arrogant manner, or as arrogant as one can get at age four. "Of course I am. I'm the best one there is."

She gasped, shaking her head. "Nu-uh. My daddy is the best boy in the world. And then maybe Al." she had a faintly disgusted look on her face, and then amended. "Well, maybe Hugo. But he's so small and fat." But she discarded the train of thought easily, continuing on.

"What's your name?" She rocked back on her heels, and then forward on the balls of her feet, and back, and forward.

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy." He said proudly, puffing his chest out. She giggled.

…And then proceeded to mock him. She stood up straight, walked back a bit, puffed her chest out, and strutted forward, speaking. "I'm Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, the best boy in the world!" It was a childish sort of mocking, with no hate, but incredibly obvious amusement.

And he pouted. She stopped, giggled, and poked him in the middle of his chest.

He stopped, shooting her a childish angry look, and stuck out his tongue.

Behind Rose, she could hear the muffled chortling, and her mother's voice. "Rose Weasley, get back here this instant!"

The child sighed, turning around, running towards her mother, and speaking loud enough for anyone to hear. "But Mommy, he's my new best friend!" She tugged on her mother's robes impatiently, and Hermione Weasley sighed.

Rose took this as reconciliation and scampered away, in the middle of the run, grabbing the boy's hand and dragging him along with her, out of the main hall to the portrait of fruit she had seen on her way in. She was barely tall enough to reach the pear, but she somehow managed the bottom, tickling it as she had seen in her mother's copy of Hogwarts, A History.

It transformed into a knob, and she pushed it open…

--

The two were found much later on, sitting on the floor of the kitchen, eating an assortment of fruits, all dipped in liquid chocolate, their mouths framed with smears of the molten liquid, and their hands still clasped together.

A/N: I must have rewritten this at least five different times before I got it how it is. I hope it's okay... :/ Review, for me? I'll be more motivated to write, thus faster updates. It's not a bribe, it's a fact.

IMPORTANT: I have another Harry Potter fic which I am co-authoring with my friend, AkieriN! It is also Scorpius/Rose centric. Read it! It's called Inevitable. Check it out and be sure to drop a review!