The Way the World Works

Scorpius knew the instant that she entered the Great Hall, something inside him shifted and every cell in his body buzzed. He looked up instantly and saw her practically float in, her long red curls swept up into a ponytail at the back of her head with tendrils falling down to frame her face. His heart squeezed slightly and he averted his gaze before anyone around him noticed that he was looking at her for far too long.

"Scorpius, you up for some Quidditch later?" Albus asked from beside him, talking around his waffles and Scorpius shrugged, trying to resist the temptation to look at her again.

"I suppose so," he answered and stood up. He needed to get out of here, he couldn't look across at her anymore, laughing and joking with her small army of cousins and he made his way to the exit, making sure to stare straight ahead and not to look back. When he reached the door, he subconsciously threw a glance over his shoulder and cursed internally when he saw she was looking directly at him, her gaze on his back and they slowly wondered up his shoulders to his own gun-metal eyes. She blinked, looking slightly shocked to see him looking back at her before she smiled and winked.

He took a deep breath and nodded his head before leaving the Great Hall and moving through the Entrance Hall, not stopping until he reached his secret alcove, covered by a tapestry of Rowena Ravenclaw. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. Now, he was simply waiting.

When the tapestry drew back again he reached for her, pulling her close and the tapestry fell into place again, the only bit of light was coming from the bottom of the tapestry, where it just didn't touch the floor. In the bright summer light, it was enough to see her beauty and he placed on hand on her cheek, his thumb rubbing her cheekbone before he swooped down, pressing a kiss to her lips so tender that his own heart started racing. She moaned lightly and brought her arms up to wrap around his neck and slid her fingers into platinum blonde hair, and he groaned as she rubbed her fingertips lightly against his scalp.

"I'm so tired of this, Rose." He whispered against her lips before pressing some more, quick ones across them, feeling their softness against his own hard, chapped ones. "So tired of having to hide this."

"You know that we have to, Scorpius, we have no choice." She said as she trailed her lips across his cheek and down to his jaw.

"Don't we?" He asked and Rose sighed across his skin and he felt goose-bumps rise. Of all the girls he's kissed, of all the girls he's been with, no-one else has made him react in such a way. They had been together, like this for four years, since they were fourteen and their relationship had grown stronger and stronger with each passing day, despite keeping it a secret from the rest of the world.

"Scorpius, you're parents will freak. They'll cut you off, what are you going to do then?" She asked, her voice practically whispering against his skin and he sighed. He hated this, he really truly did.

"I love you," he said into her red curls and she smiled against his neck, kissing her way back up, letting her teeth graze his pulse-point and his eyes rolled back into his head as his body shivered.

When her lips met his own she hovered over them, before smiling and whispering the elusive three words back to him, "I love you." He smiled and let one hand travel around her waist to the small of her back and pull her closer to his body, kissing her hungrily, greedily. He was taking everything and she was willingly giving it, moaning into his mouth as his other hand slid to her knee, picking it and resting it against his hip bone, his thumb rubbing circles in the underside of her knee before he pushed his body into hers, her back against the cold, hard stone.

"I love you," he said, "I love you, I love you, I love you…" he planted little, frantic kisses on her lips and she smiled into them, her eyes bright and wide and so very happy. "After graduation, Rose. After that, we'll tell them." He whispered and her eyes got a frightened look. "Listen to me. I love you and I am not giving you up."

"Scorpius…They'll shut you off, take your inheritance, throw you out of the manor." She whispered and he let out a breath through his nose before dropping his forehead to rest on hers and closing his eyes.

"They can. I don't care, Rose. You're so worth it." She tightened her grip around his neck and pressed a kiss to his temple.

"I wish that they could just accept this, accept us," she whispered, her fingers carding through his hair and he sighed, letting his body relax slightly, but not putting his full weight on the red-headed girl beneath him.

"That's the way the world works, love. Not everybody gets both. Love or Family. Some have to pick." Rose pulled back and he opened his eyes, watching as her cerulean blue's flickered from his left eye to his right and back again before he placed a secure kiss on her forehead. "I choose you." He whispered and Rose practically sobbed, the moment was so intense that Scorpius felt his own eyes mist over. "I'll always choose you."