The Red Rose That Has Green Thorns

“Get some sleep,” Scorpius instructed once we got to the dorm, as if he were my father.

“I’m not tired,” I said, smiling. My stomach then growled, and I blushed. “But I might be able to eat a bite…”

Scorpius sighed, despite the grin he gave the ground as he shook his head. “I’ll go get you something from the kitchens.”

“Nonono! I can--”

“You couldn’t even come here from the hospital wing, you think you can make it to the basement and back?” he ruffled my hair like you would a child’s. “I’ve got it, Rose.”

I gave in, my stomach growling again, and asked sheepishly, “Then could you be quick about it?”

He laughed and waved to me as he walked out. After he was gone I sighed and looked at the ceiling, letting the horrible images run back through my mind. Again and again they whirled through my head.

“I hope it was really just a nightmare,” I mumbled as I sat up straighter on the couch, where I’d been unceremoniously dumped off (although he was careful about it, if that makes any sense). I knew it was a stupid, foolish hope, but some distant part of me hoped it wasn’t true, that for the first time my divination proficiency had failed me.

As I sat up, I happened to spot Eragon on the table, so I reached for it. I grew slightly lightheaded as I leaned, but I was otherwise unaffected. I found my page in Eragon and started reading immediately. I manage to immerse myself so completely that I was honestly surprised when it left my hands and was replaced with a biscuit.

“Now you get to eat, and after that you’re going to sleep,” Scorpius took on his commanding tone that I’d compared to a father’s protectiveness.

“You’re not my father! Or my mother, for that matter…” I pondered for a second, grinned, and then continued, “So don’t you boss me around, Mister.”

He rolled his eyes as I took a bite of the deliciously warm biscuit.

“You hijacked this from the breakfast foods, didn’t you?” I accused.

“Didn’t have to,” he had a biscuit of his own. He swallowed a bite and then continued, “When I said I wanted breakfast for a friend of mine who wasn’t feeling well and I wanted to eat with them, they practically forced me to take it all.” he gestured.

I noticed the loaded basket that was wafting delicious scents towards me.

“Yes, they’re like that,” I sighed as I finished my biscuit. At least the house elves got wages - if small in most places, but they still got them now. “I have a better idea than eating like this,” I waved my half-eaten biscuit around. I then surprised Scorpius by swiping his wand from his shirt pocked and waving it. Two plain white plates landed gently and safely on the table, along with silverware.

“Smart move,” Scorpius remarked appreciatively even as I shocked him again by replacing his wand from where I’d taken it. I noticed how close he was to me, right by my on the couch so close that our knees were touching, and I quickly looked to my own plate and started filling it. I fervently hoped that my hair hid my burning Weasley ears and slightly pink cheeks.

‘What’s getting into me lately?!’ I thought to myself. ‘A little thing like being close to Scorpius never bothered me before! After all, he’s my best non-family mate!’

“Eat, Rose,” Scorpius reminded me.

“I’m working on it,” I mumbled, nibbling on another biscuit as my cheeks started to cool down. Started to.

“Work faster so you can get some rest!” was his retort.

“I don’t want anymore sleep!”

“Right now you might not want it but we both know you need it. You’re not even strong enough to carry yourself around, much less your schoolbag.” Scorpius pointed out, and rightly so, but it kind of annoyed me at how helpless I was at the moment. Then I thought of something, and quickly spoke what was on my mind.

“Ah, but you’ve said so yourself. It’s Sunday. I don’t need to carry my schoolbag until tomorrow.”

He sighed and took a bite of bacon. I grinned at my little ‘battle’s’ victory - although I knew that this particular ‘war’ was not yet won.

“Mmm!” I cried five minutes later. “These eggs are excellent!”

“Aren’t they always?” Scorpius teased with a chuckle.

“Well, yes, but still!” I took another bite as I said this. Scorpius shook his head but laughed, buttering himself another biscuit.

The meal passed in relative calmness, but then the next little ‘battle’ had to start.

“It’s time for you to get some rest, Rose.” Scorpius said firmly, getting straight to business as soon as I swallowed my last bite of biscuit and gravy.

“You’re not my mother,” I retorted yet again, even with the teasing tone - but that was more hidden this time.

“Yes, but I, like your mother, am thinking only of what is in your best interest,” Scorpius said, and he sounded very much like my mother (not that he sounded like a woman, but that it seemed a very ‘Hermione’ thing to say).

“Well, if you see ‘rest’ as I choose to,” I decided, “then you’ve simply told me to go easy for a while.”

“Rose,” he sighed, “you really do need sleep.”

“I may and I may not, but I think that’s up to me.”

“You asked for it, then.”

“Asked for what?” I turned to look at him, curiosity overtaking me.

“Are you going to lay down and take a nap like I’m asking, or am I going to have to make you?”

“I don’t need any sleep, I said, and you in what army, eh?”

“Rose…” I chose to ignore the hint of warning in his voice.

“I am perfectly fi---hey!””

There was a soft thud as I was forced to lay down, nearly nose to nose with Scorpius - who was practically on top of me. He hovered above me wearing a triumphant smirk.

“Now, Rose,” he said in a low voice, so close I felt his breath on my nose, “you’re going to get some sleep even if I have to sit on you.”

“F-fine!” I said hurriedly. Anything to get him off before my blush started taking effect. I didn’t want him to see and guess at things that even I wasn’t sure about yet.

“Promise me.”

“I promise I’ll try to get some sleep! Now would you please get off?!” I was flushing, and had I been paying enough attention to him as he got up I would have noticed traces of pink on his cheeks. I was too busy looking at the table and thought the trace of pink I had seen was from carrying me.

I couldn’t help thinking that he had made it just THAT much harder for me to fall asleep. Especially with my strange new emotions involving by best non-family friend. They confused me, they excited me, they almost scared me - but not quite.

“Now, go to sleep, Rose,” Scorpius faced me again and I sighed. “You need your rest.”

“Fine.” I said, yet again.

He seemed satisfied and he was glancing around himself as thought deciding what to do.

“Scorpius?” I asked tentatively.

“Yes?” he turned toward me quickly, as though he was worried that something else was bothering me. He probably was worrying about that…he was a worrywart.

“Would you please…” I paused, knowing I was flushed dark red from embarrassment as I finished, “could you please read Eragon out loud to me from where I stopped? Just until I fall asleep?”

I pulled my feet up to indicate to him the empty space I created.

“Sure, I’ll read to you.” he grinned gently at me, picking up the book as I tried to curl into a more comfortable position. His strong, sure voice began to form the words I’ve read so many times before, and they lulled me into a sense of security.

I guess I really did end up falling asleep, because when I woke up, I was still on the couch. What I didn’t remember, however, was falling asleep - or falling asleep using Scorpius’ legs as my pillow. I stared up at his peaceful, sleeping features and the vague question of how he manages to fall asleep sitting up crossed my mind, but I dared not move for fear of waking him up. After a few moments of watching his peaceful breathing, I curled up a bit more and drifted right off to sleep again.