Second choice

I ran down the hall, my red curls bouncing behind me. The halls of Hogwarts where completely deserted, I am so dead! Trying to be subtle I sneak into potions class keeping my head down. Please don't notice me, please don't notice me.

"Ahh Mrs. Weasley" Professor Slughorn says, "late again I see."

"Sorry Professor I over slept again."

"Well take your seat."

"Yes Professor Slughorn," I say as I slide in next to my lab partner and best friend Scorpius Malfoy.

"Did you actually think he wouldn't notice you?" he asks skeptically

"A girl can dream right?"
"Not when it looks like her head is on fire. It is seventh year you really should have known better."

"Shut up," I say hitting him lightly.

"Why are you always late anyway?"

"My alarm didn't go off" I mutter.

"Well Professor Slughorn is beginning to get kind of annoyed, even your parents can't bail you out next time."

"I will try, ok."

"Fine but get here on time tomorrow."

"I will" I say absent mindedly throwing something into our cauldron.

"ROSE," Scorpius yells a little too late, our potion starts bubbling over filling the whole classroom

"Everyone out now", Slughorn yells as we all run out.

"Rose and Scorpius I guess this goes unsaid but you fail and Rose, I will be writing your parents" Professor Slughorn yells when we have all evacuated the classroom

"I am so dead"

The day progresses pretty well after the potions incident.

At dinner I sat with Scorpius. Even though I am a Hufflepuff I often sit with Scorpius at the Ravenclaw table . After the battle of Hogwarts it became impossible to control students. Now we all sit where we want.

"Hey" says Al, my favorite cousin and other best friend.

"Hi" I say in a sing song voice.

"What?" he says.

I smirk at Scorpius.

"Oh nothing," Scorpius says a light smirk lighting up his face.

"What?"

"You're taking Jasmine Longbottom to Hogsmead Saturday and you want to know what?" I ask startled.

"Oh that."

"Oh that, oh that, Luna and Neville are like an aunt and uncle to us, it's like you are dating your cousin"

Al gives me a disdainful look.

"Plus" I add "they both work at Hogwarts, you break her heart, you fail herbology and devination"

He suddenly pales realizing I am right.

"Anyway" I say standing up "I'm going up to my dorm see you boys later."

"Get to potions on time ok," Scorpius yells on my way out.

"Yeah yeah," I say as I wave him off.

Just as I am about to open the door to my dorm I hear my roommates talking. This is not surprising, they are those kind of girls, the kind that talk about absolutely everything. Usually I would have just barged in, I mean it is my room, but this time something stops me.

"Anyway it is SO obvious Scorpius likes her" Isabelle Abbot giggles.

"I know she may be his friend but she doesn't know him at all," laughed Sybil Longbottom, Luna and Neville's other daughter. Everyone at Hogwarts was surprised by their instant friend.

Wait.

WHAT?

Who does Scorpius like?

Not that I care.

"Scorpius should just get it over with and ask her out" Isabelle adds.

"Yeah she would be insane to say no" Sybil replied.

She was referring, of course to his good looks. Tall, with pale, flawless skin, white blond hair, a strait longish nose high cheek bones and lips always slightly turned up in a smirk. Every girl liked Scorpius Malfoy at one point or another. Of course Scorpius never noticed, why would he? He spent almost all his time in the library.

"So" Sybil giggled, "did you hear Albus Potter asked my sister to Hogsmead?"

I decided this was a good time to enter.

"Hey" I smile, even though for some reason I felt like crying.

"Oh hi" Isabelle said.

"Well I think I am just going to change then go to bed ok?"

"Yeah ok" Sybil says.

I grab my yellow and black striped pajamas and I bolt to the bathroom. When I have locked myself in the private bathroom connected to our dorm, I sink down to the floor. I always knew Scorpius would fall in love, but the truth, I didn't even want to admit to myself is, I am in love with him.

And now he loves someone else.

I look in the mirror. I am not ugly am I? I don't think so. I have a roundish face, framed by bright red curls; my skin is pale white, my eyes dark brown and framed by long eyelashes, I am slight but not tiny, and I am pretty tall.

Too bad, he loves someone else, and my heart is breaking because of it.

I am having trouble waking up; I got to bed late last night. Apparently a broken heart makes you tired. I am on the brink of sleep not asleep but still in that dream state. Maybe I will just sleep through potions today. I don't really want to see Scorpius anyway. As I snuggle in to my bed, I hear the world's worst sound. I bolt up from bed.

"What the…?" I scream. I look over at my bed side table where the sound seems to be coming from. There, sitting on my bedroom table, was a huge, blue, alarm clock. I reach for it, but it moves out of my reach, and it is still screeching! I get out of bed the second my feet touch the floor the clock explodes into thousands of piece of blue confetti spelling out the words:

WAKE UP!

- Scorpius

"Scorpius Malfoy" I screamed when I finally saw him in the hall.

"Oh Rose nice to see you are on time today," Scorpius snickered.

"You," I yelled pointing my wand at his throat.

"Mister Malfoy, Miss. Weasley" professor Slughorn yells "detention for fighting in the halls. I have had it with you Miss. Weasley, I will be owling your parents immediately."

"But Sir…"

"No buts, you to see me in my office after class."

I am so dead.

As Scorpius and I enter Slughorn's office, I suddenly realize what this will mean: I have to spend time alone with Scorpius. Great just great.

"Ahh Miss Weasly Mister Malfoy sit down as we discuss your punishment."

"Yes sir."

"As you know fighting in the halls is something we do not tolerate at Hogwarts, therefore you will both be in detention with me for the next two weeks."

"Two weeks," we cry at the same time.

"Yes and be thankful it wasn't more," Slughorn replies calmly, "see you at seven sharp, you will be cleaning up the supply closet, and arranging all the supplies in alphabetical order. You may go"

I eat dinner fast, like record fast, and quickly run to Professor Slughorn's classroom for detention. Yet somehow I still arrive at 7:10, oops.

"Sorry" I say as I run in.

"Get to work Miss Weasley," is all he says. Oops he's mad.

The supply closet is huge, I guess it would have to be, but what is worse is that it is in ruins. The book shelves holding the ingredients are cracked, not safe. There are feathers everywhere (why I don't know) and there are broken bottles on the floor, their contents spilled on the floor. I almost scream, it will take us forever to clean this without magic.

"Hey," says Scorpius.

"Hi," I reply and start to work.

I am so dead.

At ten (just before curfew) Slughorn enters.

"You are dismissed, see you tomorrow" he says and exits.

"Ahhhhh I am so tired" I groan.

"Come on I will walk you back to the Hufflepuff rooms.

"OK" I smile.

When we reach the portrait hole, a picture of our founder Helga Hufflpuff, I smile at him as I think of a joke to tell her (the only way to get in is to make her laugh but it is ok she laughs at everything) it is almost impossible, this has been a hard night, I hate this. Why does he have to like some stupid girl?

"Hey Rose?" Scorpius says.

"Yeah" I try to smile. I just want to go to bed.

"Do you maybe want to go to Hogsmead with me? On Saturday?" I look at him startled, then I get mad.

"No" I tell him coldly "I am no one's second choice," tears prick my eyes.

"What?" he says confused.

"I AM NO ONE'S SECOND CHOICE" I yell furious. How could he do this to me, "Go away please."

"Ok" he says "whatever you want" and he walks away.

"Why did the bike fall over? Because it was too tired ha ha ha, let me in."

"Ok dear" the portrait says as it swings open.

I run up to my room and cry myself to sleep.

Me and Scorpius haven't talked since Tuesday night, the night he "asked me out". It is now Friday, this is the longest we have ever gone without talking.

I am walking to the great hall I see Al approach, we haven't talked either.

"Ok" he says when he gets to me, "what did you to Scorp? He has been moping around since Tuesday night, he won't even study, and he loves to study."

"He asked me to Hogsmead I said no, so what sue me" I say annoyed it is not my fault he was being a jerk.

"Why did you say no? We all know you like him!"

"Because Albus, I am no one's second choice."

"You're not his second choice, gosh, he has fancied you since third year, you where just too oblivious to notice."

"What?" I ask, and then something clicks.

"I know she may be his friend but she doesn't know him at all."

His friend.

Friend.

"Oh," I gasp and run for the Ravenclaw common room.

Great luck, Scorpius is just leaving when I get there.

"I am so sorry" I say as I almost crash into him.

"Rose…" he starts but I cut him off by kissing him. Finally my brain sings. It is only short but it is perfect. When we pull away we are both smiling like idiots.

"So, Hogsmead tomorrow?" I ask.

"Yeah ok" he smiles, as we walk away hand in hand.

"I can't believe I am doing this," dad muttered.

From outside the door…

"I am ready" I call. Taking a deep breath I step out of the door. This was my room at the burrow, I smile.

"Oh Rosie," dad says.

"Do I look ok?" I ask looking down at my long white dress.

"You look beautiful honey"

"Thanks dad."

I smile when I hear our cue.

"This is us" dad smiles .

I smile back as we start to walk. Scorpius is waiting for me at the end of the aisle grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"Hey" he whispers.

"Hey" I beam.

"Ready to become Mrs. Malfoy?"

I can only nod.