Questions

Chapter 3: Second Year

The first year of Hogwarts passed in a happy blur for Rose. She discovered that she enjoyed cheering for the Quidditch team with her new friends, Cici and Chessie and spending time with her family on the weekends on the school grounds; and she absolutely loved to learn everything she possibly could. Studying to her was a simple task and she quickly became the top of each of her classes--except for Astronomy. Scorpius Malfoy took the top spot for their midnight lessons.

Rose grew increasingly frustrated throughout the year with Scorpius. She just couldn't figure the boy out! From what she could tell, he didn't have many friends, if any at all. He usually sat in the back row of each class, and during the evenings sat against an isolated wall in the common room so he was away from the other students, doing homework or reading a book. She honestly didn't know why he wasn't the top student in each class, seeing as all he did was eat, sleep, and study.

No matter how many times she would talk to the boy, he simply did not want to talk back, replying with one word or simple shrugs.

"Scorpius, how was your weekend?"

"Fine."

"Scorpius, what's your favorite topic?"

*shrug*

"Scorpius, will you pass the bacon?"

"Mm."

Being the smartest girl in her class didn't help her get an entire sentence out of Scorpius Malfoy and it frustrated her to no end. Coming from a big, open family where everything, from how someone feels about the meal they're eating to their inner most feelings about, well, anything was openly discussed, she wasn't familiar with having such a quiet, closed-off person in her midst

"Mum, why is he like that?" Rose asked her mother during her summer vacation. Rose had been sitting with her mother in their kitchen for over an hour, taking a break from playing Quidditch with her many cousins and discussing her frustration of not being able to identify with the boy. "He won't talk to anyone; he won't stick up for himself when people pick on him... I just don't understand!"

Hermione Weasley looked at her daughter and sighed sadly. "I have a theory, darling, but it's not my place to spread rumors."

"But mum!" Rose pleaded. "It's driving me insane! All I want to do is get to know him. I know that Dad said to stay away," she said quickly before her mother could, once again, bring up her father's objections to her endless task of understanding Scorpius. "Please, just give me some sort of clue so I can figure him out!"

"Rosie, I learned a long time ago that not everything in this world is here for you to figure out," Hermione said with a small smile on her face. "And as I said, I don't know anything for sure. But I promise you, sweetheart," she continued, patting her daughter on the hand, "if Scorpius wants to tell you why he is the way he is, he will."

"But--"

"Rose, don't push him too far. He'll talk to you when he's ready." Hermione stood up and kissed her daughter on the head before exiting the kitchen, leaving Rose as frustrated as she was before she started talking to her mother.

Rose thought back on her conversation with her mother while watching Scorpius their first evening back at Hogwarts. He sat where he usually planted himself while the sorting ceremony took place--at the end of the table, where no one else could really sit around him.

This is ridiculous, thought Rose. I'm the smartest girl in my class, not to toot my own horn. I should be able to figure out something as simple as Scorpius Malfoy!

After the sorting ceremony and the delicious meal that followed, the Ravenclaws made their way to their common room on the west side of the castle. Rose flopped on the blue couch in front of the fire place with her friends, Cici and Chessie. They were talking about what they did during the summer and the new class of Ravenclaws. Cici turned her head slightly, glancing at something, then laughed.

"And there he goes, sticking his nose in another book. I suppose nothing's changed about him over the summer."

Rose glimpse around at who Cici was looking at and found Scorpius sitting against a far wall in the circular common room, reading a book.

"Someone should examine that boy's brain," Chessie giggled.

Cici laughed as well. "I'm sure they wouldn't find very much."

Rose watched as her two friends giggled at the expense of the quiet boy.

"Don't be mean," she scolded. "He's done nothing to you."

"Ah, the defender of the downtrodden," Chessie sighed, rolling her eyes.

Rose squinted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Rose, ever since your very first day at Hogwarts, you've defended the poor sod," Chessie explained. "I don't understand why. He's never even spoken a full sentence to you. Or anyone, for that matter."

Rose tutted at her friends. "I have not."

"Yes you have, Rose," Cici said. "It's almost as if you're obsessed with keeping the boy protected."

"You two are being ridiculous," Rose sneered. "And just to prove to you about how wrong you are, I'm going to go and have an actual conversation with him." Rose stood up and began walking towards the isolated Scorpius.

"Fine, but you're just going to be disappointed again!" Chessie yelled at Rose's back.

Rose reached Scorpius and took a seat in the chair next to him. She watched him, waiting to be recognized. After a few minutes of simply staring at the boy reading, she cleared her throat.

And was met by him reading the book.

Okay, next plan.

"Hello, Scorpius."

"Hello, Rose," he greeted, not looking up from his book.

Rose continued to stare at him. She shifted in her seat. Then she tied her shoe. She put her hair up in a pony tail. After picking at all of her nails, she decided that her presence alone wasn't going to get him talking.

"So," Rose began, jump-starting the conversation, "what book are you reading?"

Scorpius sighed and closed his book before looking up at her. "Rose, was there something I could do for you?"

"Oh! Um..." Rose was at a loss for words now that he had actually spoken a full sentence to her. "No, I was... I was just--"

"Then if you wouldn't mind," Scorpius said, opening his book again, "I would like to get back to reading."

Rose stared at him silently, frustrated that he was still not willing to talk to her. She shook her head and began to get up, and then had a change of heart.

"Listen," she said, sitting back down. "This day last year, Flitwick told us that our houses were like our families. And I just wanted to... I don't know," Rose huffed. "We're in the same house, so I wanted to treat you fairly, like family. And at least get to know you... or something."

Scorpius sighed again and put his book on the table in front of them. She perked up. Finally, he was going to talk to her! Scorpius leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, looking her straight in the eyes.

"You'll find, Rose, that I'm not a very big 'family' person."

And with that, he picked up his book again and continued to read.

Rose gaped at him, not sure of what she had just heard. She stood up, trying to quickly think of something to say. Nothing came to her. She walked back to the couch in front of the fireplace in a daze and sat down with a huff.

"Told you s--"

"Shut up, Chessie," Rose muttered, crossing her arms and sitting down further on the couch. She glanced back at Scorpius and glared. He was still reading his book, as if nothing happened. But there was one thing about Scorpius that Rose could always read, and that was his eyes. He was still sad.

Perhaps Scorpius Malfoy isn't as simple as I originally thought...