Chapter 1: A Flicker of Something New
The air in Hogwarts was crisp with the promise of autumn. The leaves of the Forbidden Forest had just begun to turn shades of amber and crimson, creating a soft glow around the ancient castle. rose Granger-Weasley tugged her cloak tighter as the wind whipped around her, biting at her cheeks. It was her sixth year at Hogwarts, and despite all the chaos the previous generations had endured, there was something calming about the rhythm of the school. Yet, there was one thing she hadn't anticipated—scorpius Malfoy.
She caught sight of him from the corner of her eye, leaning against a stone pillar in the courtyard. He was reading, as usual, his blond hair catching the dying light of the day. scorpius had always kept to himself, despite being brilliant at Potions and top of his class in Defense Against the Dark Arts. rose had never really paid much attention to him; after all, their parents' histories loomed like an invisible barrier between them.
But recently, things had changed. They'd been paired in Advanced Transfiguration, and rose had begun to notice things about him—the way his brow furrowed when he was concentrating, the sharp but kind way he corrected her when she made a mistake, and the faintest of smiles that would twitch at the corner of his lips when she cracked a joke.
"Hey, rose !" Grant Potter's voice rang out, breaking her thoughts. He jogged up beside her, looking as cheerful as ever. rose shook off her distraction.
"Grant, you scared me," she said with a smile.
"Sorry, didn't mean to. You coming to the Great Hall? James is planning to pull one of his infamous pranks on the Slytherins tonight."
rose rolled her eyes. "I think I'll pass on the chaos. You know McGonagall will see right through it."
Grant grinned but then glanced toward scorpius. "Or are you staying here for a different reason?"
rose narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"
Grant raised an eyebrow, as if she was being deliberately clueless. "You've been hanging around with Malfoy a lot lately. Just thought maybe you found him… interesting?"
Her cheeks flushed slightly. "Don't be ridiculous. We're paired for Transfiguration, that's all."
But Grant's grin didn't fade. "Right. Sure. Well, see you at dinner, then."
He waved and jogged off toward the castle, leaving rose standing alone. She tried to ignore the warmth creeping into her face. What was she doing, thinking about scorpius Malfoy? She turned to head back inside when she heard a voice behind her.
"Your cousin has no subtlety, does he?"
rose froze, then slowly turned. scorpius had closed his book and was looking at her with an amused expression. His grey eyes met hers, and for a moment, rose felt like the world narrowed to just the two of them.
"Not even a little," she admitted with a small laugh.
scorpius smirked, though it was gentler than his father's infamous sneer. "I've noticed. So… you're not going to join in the chaos tonight?"
rose shook her head. "I'd rather avoid the detention. How about you?"
scorpius tilted his head slightly, studying her in a way that made her feel oddly exposed. "I think I'd prefer the quiet tonight. Besides, it's hard to focus on anything with Potter and your cousin's antics constantly distracting everyone."
rose smiled, surprised by how easy it was to talk to him now. She shifted her weight awkwardly, trying to shake off the fluttery feeling in her chest. "Well, we could work on that Transfiguration essay together, if you want. The library should be quiet enough."
scorpius considered her offer for a moment, then nodded. "That sounds good."
As they walked toward the library, rose felt something shift in the air between them. It was subtle, unspoken, but undeniably there—a flicker of something new. She couldn't explain it, but for the first time in a long while, she felt excited about the unknown. Per.