Rose made her way down the corridor. She had one thing on her mind, setting that sexist jerk straight. There were so many things she wanted to say to him that she would never dare to in public...there were also things that she wanted to say to him that she would never say out loud. But that was completely beside the point.

Rose quickly shook the thought from her head. He was a menace, and the only thing she was going to give him was a piece of her mind.

'What are you saying Rose?' she thought to herself. 'You hate him. Despise him. Loathe him. You can't stand his very presence. Get it together; you're going there to yell at him for his behaviour today and nothing more.'

Early that day, her nemeses took the liberty of making her the laughing stock of their entire transfiguration class when she accidently bumped up against him on her way to hand in her exam. This wasn't the first time he had done something to belittle her in some way. He seemed to derive a sick enjoyment from it. So when she found a note waiting for her in the Hufflepuff common room earlier that night, she was utterly baffled.

I cannot believe the way I acted today. I want to apologize in person. Meet me in the unused classroom on the fifth floor at 11:00 tonight.

-S.M.

That was where she was headed now.

She turned the corner and there it was: The door to the old Defense against the Dark Arts room. It was the same classroom that her mother and father learned the skills that they would later use to help the famous Harry Potter, her uncle, defeat Lord Voldemort. It had been closed as a classroom after the battle, and the new class was now held on the second floor.

She stood outside the door for a brief moment, her hand on the knob. She took a deep breath, turned the knob and threw open the door.

"You're unbelievable, you know that?" Rose said forcefully as soon as she saw his freakish shock of white-blond hair.

"I can say the same about you," Scorpius countered, his words were just as fierce as hers. He got up from the desk he was sitting on towards the front of the classroom and walked towards her. They met each other halfway, as if they were about to duel.

Rose stared him down. "So, why have you called me here? Hm? Want to insult me more, where no one can hear you?" she huffed. Well, I'll let you know I can have as nasty a mouth as you can."

Rose caught herself. Did she actually say that? Images raced through her mind, and she regretted even speaking.

"Is that a promise?" he teased. His trademark smirk curled across his face.

Rose glared at him. "Oh you know what I meant!"

"Yes I do, but do you?"

"Stop twisting my words Malfoy!" Rose yelled, her frustration building. "You know full well how much I loathe your presence."

"If you loathe me so much why did you show up?" Scorpius challenged.

"I came here to give you a piece of my mind!"

"Is that all?" He raised his eyebrow suggestively.

Rose could sense the enjoyment he was getting out of this, which boiled her blood even more.

"I am sick and tired of your sexist comments, of you twisting my words. You treat me like I'm a piece of meat, one that doesn't quite meet your ridiculous 'standards' nonetheless, and I've had it up to here," she narrowed her eyes at him. "You act all high and mighty, but the truth is your nothing but a fucking dog!" After the words came tumbling out of her mouth she took a deep breath.

She had expressed similar sentiments repeatedly during their fighting over the years, but there was a certain air about her current words that was different, more raw.

There was a long period of silence. Scorpius looked at the ground, the smirk clearly wiped off his face with the force of what she had said.

"I'm sorry," Scorpius finally whispered.

Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What?" she asked for conformation.

"I'm sorry," he said louder this time. He raised his eyes from the floor and locked them onto Rose's.

Despite her rage, the mysterious and stormy quality of his light gray irises captivated Rose. Even she had to admit that they were quite alluring.

"Oh," was all she could manage to say.

She then noticed a change in Scorpius' visage. The seemingly genuine apologetic expression disappeared as Scorpius was able to gain control of himself again. He quickly pieced his normal mask back together after the ferocity of Rose's words had shattered it.

"I told you I had asked you here so I could apologize, and what do you do as soon as you walk in the door? You attack me!" his voice was now filled with anger.

"Well, I...I" Rose stuttered, taken aback by Scorpius' rapid change in emotion.

"You what?" Scorpius' defense was building back up again, and he continued to press on. "You make me out to be the bad guy, but you don't take into account that you're also at fault here. You're always so quick to attack without hearing the other person's side of the story."

"The other persons side of the story?" Rose asked amazed. She had regained her footing now that the old Scorpius she knew full well had returned. "And what, pray tell, is your excuse for being such an arse?"

"You," he retorted taking a step closer.

"Me? That makes no sense what so ever," she insisted also taking a step closer to him.

"Oh, it makes perfect sense. Don't you realize that you're a force that needs to be reckoned with?" He reached up and tightly gripped the bicep of her right arm. "Unruly women need to be put in their place, and I, am here to put you in your place, Rose Weasley"

"Let. Go. Of. Me." Rose demanded through clenched teeth.

Scorpius leaned in closer to her. The proximity made Rose uncomfortable, "No," he whispered in her ear.

Rose knew it shouldn't have, but his voice sent chills down her spin. Not frightened chills, chills of another origin.

Rose took a gulp of air, trying to cope with her newly invaded space. "Scorpius, I'm sorry that you have such a close minded view of women, but don't get me involved," she managed to say steadily.

Scorpius slackened his grip on her, disappointed that his desired reaction out of her was starting to fade away. Rose took the chance to dash for the door.

She tried opening it, but it was locked. She instinctively reached into her pocket for her wand, only to remember she had left it in her room. 'Oh perfect' Rose thought, angry with herself. This wasn't the first time she had forgotten to keep her wand on her person.

She turned around to see that Scorpius was only inches away from her again. How the bloody hell was he able to move so fast, and so quietly?

"Unlock the door," she said almost breathless. His closeness frightened and thrilled her.

"No."

"Unlock the door," she repeated, this time stronger.

"No," he replied again more forcibly.

Rose rolled her eyes, and pushed past him. She headed towards the opposite end of the room, the farther from him the better.

"Just admit it Rose; you can't win," Scorpius claimed, sitting on top of the desk closest to him.

Rose scoffed as she turned to look out of the gigantic windows.

"You know it's true."

"Maybe in your world," she muttered.

"Well don't you know Rose, it's a man's world, and I am one of those men."

"More like a delusional teenage boy whose main goal in life is prehistoric. I mean, Merlin, Scorpius do you hear what you're actually saying? It's a load of B.S. Sure, the world used to run like that, with men controlling women, but news flash: it's no longer the 1800s! We live in the 21st century. 'The times they are a changin'.' Women are treated like fellow human beings, not property. We have feelings and wants to, you know?"

"And what do you want, Rose?" Scorpius asked, his voice sincere.

'Merlin, stop doing that!' Rose thought to herself. 'Why can't he just act like he normally does, instead of throwing these "sincere" curve balls? You'd think he was legitimately mad!'

"What's it to you?" Rose finally said, bitterness dripping from her words.

"Everything and nothing." Rose could hear his smile through his words.

"Wait, what?" Rose turned back to face him, confused. She was glad that he had not moved from his spot.

"You heard me," was all he responded with.

"Scorpius, you aren't making any sense. Please just...leave me alone!" she turned around again to face the window. She made herself focus on the full moon that dominated the sky, casting the shadows of the trees on the virgin snow.

There was a long period of silence and Rose was almost convinced he had left.

"But, I can't" Scorpius' voice whispered in her ear.

It wasn't until Scorpius' hands slid around her waist that Rose realized just how close he was. She stood there frozen, not knowing what to do. Her brain said 'No, this should not be happening! He's a jerk! He just sees you as a prize to be had!' but her body was actually enjoyingthe tingling sensation that arose from the electricity between them.

'Merlin, Morgan, and Maeve! Please someone save me!' Rose inwardly pleaded. She desperately wanted someone to burst through the door. She regretted not telling her friend, Nemo, what the note was about after he had asked her only a half an hour before. Maybe if she had, there would still be hope.

"I want you Rose," he whispered in her ear. "You're the only girl whose ever opposed me, it's...it's...sexy,"

'WHAT THE BLOODY HELL? Did he just call me sexy?' Rose couldn't believe what was going on here. It must be a dream. No a nightmare. 'It's a nightmare' she corrected herself. 'Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!'

But she couldn't wake up, because she was already awake. Everything was so real: his breath on her neck, the light of the moon washing the colour out of his hands that already looked pale against her black robes.

'No, this cannot be happening. Rose, on the count of three you are going to break away from him and set him straight.' Rose commanded herself. 'One. Two. Three!'

She willed herself to move, but no matter what she wouldn't budge. Her body and her brain seemed painfully disconnected.

Scorpius seemed fully aware of Rose's inner struggle, and Rose could see his smirk reflecting in the glass.

"Please, Scorpius" Rose asked not exactly knowing whether she meant for him to let go, or for him to finish what he had started.

"As you wish," he let go of her and took out his wand. Rose's heart jumped with anxiety. Would he hurt her? He muttered a spell, and for a split second Rose was terrified. When he was finished, the door clicked and creaked open, allowing Rose passage to not only leave, but for relief to wash over her.

She waited a moment before she dashed out of the room. When she reached the door, she took one last look behind her. There was Scorpius, his eyes still on the window, a satisfied smirk on his face. Rose had done exactly what he planed she would do.

"A Rose is no longer dangerous after someone has plucked her thorns out," he muttered to himself after she left.

Or so he thought...