The Snake and the Rose

"A'right, everyone quiet now. T'day we're 'gon be studyin' a very special set 'o' creatures. They're call Hellcats. They're jus' babies now so don' go gettin' all hyper an' gutsy, they'd jus' as soon take your head off as eat what ya brought 'em. Now, pair up with someone 'o' the opposite house. No belly achin' over it either." Rose saw the class gradually, and very reluctantly choose people to pair up with. Scorpious seemed to literally be asleep where he stood. She lightly touched his hand and very shyly asked to be his partner. He muttered some kind of "sure in his sleepy state.

Rose smiled ever so slightly and they followed Hagrid to the pen where three eggs stood. One Gryffindor said, "Professor Hagrid, these are just eggs...." "Brilliantly seen, o'course they're eggs, you'll be watchin' 'em hatch." Seconds after he said that one egg began to hatch and the others shortly followed. Out came little black cats with giant sabre teeth, little wings and tails with a spikey bit at the end. They wandered around the cage and mewled cutely, eyes closed as they occassionally ran into each other. Rose squealed softly. "Rose, why don' you try to feed one?" She tapped Malfoy awake enough to walk himself over and Hagrid said, "Hold out this piec 'o meat an' jus' sit there." She nodded and pulled Malfoy in before Hagrid could say no. She split the piece of meat with him and set it in his hand and they sat still, Malfoy pretty much comatose and yet awake at the same time. One of the little cats came up to Rose's hand and gobbled the piece down. It nipped her finger in the process and she started bleeding a slight bit. The little kitten thing mewed and licked her finger too. It's eyes opened revealing slitted, hpnotic amber colored orbs and jumped onto her with a surprising amount of force and tackled her to the ground. The Slytherins laughed, as did some of the Gryffindors. The kitten licked her face and purring and crawling into her shirt before falling asleep.

One of the other took the meat from Malfoy and gingerly licked his finger before mewing some more. Hagrid said, "Now slowly get yer outta th' cage." Rose and Scorpious moved back. "Tha's odd. You two stay af'er class with me." He instructed the rest of the students the same as he had for Rose and Scorpious. The little cat stayed asleep. The Slytherin girl that had been hanging over Malfoy previously got bit hard on her wand hand because she tried to pet one after it took the meat, and so did her Gryffindor partner. They were taken to the infirmary.

After class Hagrid said, "Malfoy, go get yer some rest, Rose, come with me."

Scorpious blinked blearily awake as his friend pulled him off. "Hm? Class over?"

"Yes, good job staying awake during it." Nott poked fun at him. "You really ought to sleep at night, mate."

"Call me that again and Ill stick my wand so far up your--"

"Sorry." Nott laughed.

Scorpious glanced over his shoulder, at Rose and Hagrid as he was led off. It was his own fault he was so tired. Three basic pepper up potions later left someone to crash and burn fairly hard.

As it turned out Hagrid merely wanted to congratulate Rose on being the only person to have a Hellcat imprint on them in over a hundred years. he gave her care instructions and said if anything seems off, to come see him. She nodded, the little cat had been asleep this entire time and remained asleep until she got to the Great Hall for lunch. It mewed and jumped clumsily onto the table and began munching off of her plate. Rose barely smiled at it and said, "Eat your fill little Akuma." She called him. "Oh my gosh Rose what is that adorable thing?" Rose simply said, "My pet." She smiled and then tugged her to an empty room, barely giving her time to scoop up Akuma. "So what's with you and Malfoy? I thought your dad told you to stay away from him?" She looked at Myra, "Look, he isn't anything like his family, and there is nothing between us. Just our paths are having to cross more." She walked away, her friend grinning and making teasing kissy faces. Akuma crawled onto Rose's shoulder as she walked into the courtyard.

The little cat already seemed bigger just from eating. He had gone from the size of her palm to the size of her lap, just like Hagrid had told her. He wouldn't get any bigger for a while as he swatted at her tie. She simply sat in the courtyard enjoying the breeze and trying to relax and get her mind on the Quidditch match tomorrow. Her mind would not stay focused, it kept wandering to a certain blonde haired Slytherin Prefect. She sighed and shook her head, falling asleep against the tree and Akuma resting on her lap.

The next day was Griffindor verses Huffelpuff.

Scorpious was dressed in unusual colors- gold and red, while most of his table was dressed in yellow and black. No one really asked any questions about it- it was the norm for people to root for one team or the other. People most likely assumed he wanted Griffindor to win so they would verse Slytherin the next week.

Fully rested, Scorpious arrived to breakfast with his blond hair down for a change.

He was scribbling into his little black book, paying virtually no mind to the people around him as he wrote. Noone really ever seemed to question him or his notes either.

"Scorpious." the black haired girl chirped (She needs a name lol)

The blond looked up raising an eyebrow.

"After the match today, will you come with us to Hogsmeade for a change? It's the last chance for most of us to do any Christmas shopping we need to get done." she said batting her eyelashes.

Scorpious looked down to his book, getting back to writing. "Sure." he said pensively.

Rose was getting several pats and whispers of good luck. She headed down to the field, her Firebolt over her shoulder and she looked up to the sky, it looked like it was going to snow, smelled like it too. She shivered, she had Hagrid taking care of Akuma in the stands. It was a match against Huffflepuff....not good, they usually played dirty. She took a deep breath and looked out over the field and tried to focus on the match. She closed her eyes and pictured the snitch. "Rose! You alright? She jumped as Wood patted her shoulder. She nodded, "Just tired is all." He looked concerned, "Will you be alright?" She nodded again. He said, "Alright, keep it clean, even if the Puffs do not. We are Gryffindor. Do your best." The Gryffindors flew out to the field and did a lap. Rose sat on her broom, absently following her team mates. She looked around at all the cheering fans, and suddenly it things seemed to perk up as she saw a blond wearing red and gold. A small smile came across her face and her eyes gained an intense stare as she hovered in her spot.

As the game started she hunted for the little golden ball, not really paying attention to the rest of the game. She dodged a Bludger that came whizzing past her head. She looked to see one of Jaxon's friends, who looked very closely related to Marcus Flint, and he grinned evilly at her. The Bludger then came rocketing over her head and she dove out of the way, almost making an art for out of the flying, simply because it didn't even look like she was thinking about the flying aspect of the game.

Later on in the game the Gryffindor team was ahead by 10 points and the snow had started falling. The game had been really intense thus far and continued going up a level. Rose continued looking for the golden ball. She saw it and dove from the skies after it. However a Bludger hit her broom at an angle that sent her plummeting to the ground from a fair height that would not end well. She focused and held at out her hand to her broom, "Accio Firebolt." She willed the broom to fly at her, and surprisingly it did. She caught her broomstick as it flew by her and she pulled herself onto it. She climbed higher into the air and looked for the golden ball. She found it and hauled ass for it. She was flying faster than ever before, she was right on the Snitch's wings and snatched it out of the air, ducking ANOTHER Bludger, clipping the ground and went skidding and tumbling across the thickly snow covered field ground. She was a pile of snow as the whole field went quiet. She remained motionless for a tiny bit in pain, but stuck her arm up through the snow, revealing the snitch. HUGE cheers erupted from the Gryffindor side...and the game was over.

Later she was sent to the infirmary to be checked out before she would be allowed to go to Hogsmead.

"Guess there's at least one redeeming quality to those blood traitors- that girl's one hell of a seeker." a couple Slytherins chatted idly on their way to the village.

Scorpious frowned and kept silent on the matter. He'd heard the Wesleys called that a multitude of times in his life.

"Think you can beat her, Ravina?" Scorpious quipped finally as they walked. He was surrounded by a gaggle of the gossiping girls. As soon as he got the chance, he would ditch them in the village to get his own Christmas shopping finished.

The ebony haired girl scoffed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Of course. I've beaten the snot out of her in the past, haven't I?" she said cockily.

Scorpious shrugged.

"Oh! That reminds me!" She spun around, walking backwards with a grin on her face. "So spill."

Scorpious blinked. "I- what?" he frowned at her.

Ravina rolled her eyes. "About the letter!" she said sternly. "All of ours said to ask you for details."

For a moment, Scorpious paused. Oh, he could just picture the snide grin on his grandfathers face! Check.

They had been invited to the Knighting too, and were told to ask him for details. If he claimed not to know, they would continually house him. If he gave them details, there was no escaping the ceremony Christmas break.

"What letter?" he asked raising an eyebrow. "You mean the one Rose gave me?"

The girls frowned and stood in a line infront of him. "Well yes, that too." she said with distaste. "But I'm talking about the Knights. You know 'see you at Kings Cross'?" she recited. "What's the deal with the Knights? I know my mother and father are in the knighthood, but they never really talk about it."

Scorpious did his best to force a confused look, really, he did. Instead, it looked more like he was nervious.

Once cleared she went to Hogsmead and began to shop. Yes she was from a poor family, but she had done odd jobs here and there throughout the year and gotten enough to comfortably Christmas shop. She wandered around and began to think aloud, not noticing the group of Slytherins. "Mom'll want something hand made, Dad'll want something Muggle world related, Fred....some kind of Prank *devious grin*, Charlie, Dragon related, Bill, I have no clue, Dad....uhmm something to make mom be quiet....*another breif devious grin* and then Blondie....No idea." she continued her shopping and got Charlie a pewter dragon figuring, She got bill a remembrall for shiggles. ginny she got a package of chocolate animals. Harry, also a dragon, but a horntail instead of a Swedish Shortsnout. Albus a pack of glass beads, Jacks for Arthur, and then went about shopping for Blondie. That was until she saw a black book with silver pages, a bottle of green ink and a silvery design that was really a random pattern, but still looked like a snake. She bought it and put it all in her bag and began to skip to get a Butter beer.

Scorpious insisted he didn't know what letter they had been asking about and brushed them aside, sweeping into the village to do his shopping unhindered.

The village had grown over the years nearly to the size of a small city. He didn't take long, buying small little chockies for the majority of his family, and an assorted box of 12 'mystery' gifts for his house mates.

When money wasn't an issue, neither was gift shopping.

he stepped into the new pet store and purchased a few toys for his pet, and a couple of frozen mice as well before leaving. He noticed the Weasley joke shop and frowned. Te last time he had gone inside, the owner had tried to sell him chocolates that would make someons hair fall out. He didn't much like the idea of going in there again since.

Insted, with two bags of gifts, he made his way to the pub to get some butterbeer to warm up. Inside, he spotted Rose imediatly, sitting with her cousins, Albus and Lilly.

The blond sighed and turned, leaving without a drink, deciding it was better not to start a scene on accident.

Rose saw the blonde walk in then promptly leave, she packed her second butterbeer to go and politely excused herself, the two smiled and nodded and she grabbed her gifts and followed. She caught up to Scorpious and tapped his shoulder softly.

The blond looked back over his shoulder and stopped, moving aside out of the busy street. "Hey." he greeted. "Congratulations with the match." he said, putting his bags down on a barrel under one of the shops awnings and off of the snow covered floor.

'Ole Leb' was scrawled across one bag-- high class and highly expensive tailors shop in the town. Scorpious had taken care to cover it with the other plane brown bag he was carrying around.

Rose smiled at him and blushed lightly over her cheeks. She took a deep breath and handed him the reshly packed butter beer and then a small box wrapped in silver wrapping paper with the Slytherin logo on the top, hand drawn in green. "These are both for you, you can open this one *indicating the box* now or wait 'til Christmas....I wanted to give it to you when you weren't around anyone else...and you looked cold so I brought you a butterbeer." She smiled up at him and gave him a hug, after looking to see if anyone was watching. "Hope you have a merry Christmas." She smiled a sincere smile and began to walk away.

She had only gotten a few steps due to Scorpious being surprised. "Hold on!' he called, setting down the box and buttterbeer, rummaging through the 'Ole Leb' bag. he pulled out a small jewlary box and tossed it to her. "It isn't wrapped yet-" he pointed out. "But I plan on spending the Holiday at Hogwarts, so I thought it would be a good idea to get a few gifts for people I knew."

"Oh really? Is everything alright?" She asked softly, and blushed as she caught the box. "You didn't have to get me anything either...." She blushed harder on her cheeks, not something that usually happens, even despite the slight bruise on her cheek from dodging the Bludger. "Maybe....then, if everything IS alright, maybe we could make a trip down here...together? during the break, if that's alright with you?" She asked shyly, to the point he was barely able to hear her. "I would like to know more about you since all the rumors are wrong." She looked up at him, her striking green eyes peered into his Grey orbs and she waited for his response.

Scorpious offered her a smile. "Sure. I'll wait to open this." he added, placing the box she handed him in one of the bags. "I need to get back." he stated, picking up his belongings and cheering to her with the butterbeer. "If I plan on getting back to the castle without those girls mobbing me again, I better do it now before the new petshop closes."

She smiled, "You know...you could just tell them you have a Hufflepuff girlfriend, they'll e so shocked they'll have no choice, but to leave you alone." She said laughing ever so slightly and began walking away. She began to walk home in the direction of the castle, holding the jewelry box tightly to her cheast. She put it in her nightstand near her bed and couldn't wait til Christmas.

She later went roaming the castle, attempting to find something to do. What she found was NOT something she wanted. The same Hufflepuff boys spotted her...but this time they had another person. They cornered her before she could react. "You're coming with us." They led her outside and to an out of the way tree in the courtyard. "You're going to stay here and chill for a while." They snow was getting worse. She punched one of them and tried to run, but she was grabbed and silenced. A ropes charm was summoned and she was tied in the shadowed end of the tree. She couldn't free herself, or call for help and the wind was colder than normal it seemed. They laughed and left her there.

It was nearly an hour later that a shadow fell over her, the snow already mostly having covered her.

http://browse.deviantart.com/?order=9&q=ice+bird&offset=24#/d491ym6

"Neve!" Scorpious called, frowning as he looked around. The damn bird had flown off again, and when he needed it to deliver a message too.

The sun was beginning to set over the Castle grounds, making the snow shadow seem all the more blue-- the perfect conditions for a cryo phoenix to hunt. The blond swore, pulling his scarf tighter around himself. Most students had already returned inside, by order of the Headmistress. A blizzard was blowing in and it was due to be a bad one.

"Neve!" Scorpious called again, pulling his cloak a bit tighter around himself as well, his boots crunching in the snow.

Finally, he heard his pet call out to him.

Neve landed on Rose's shoulder, it's feathers soft yet colder still than the snow that threatened to bury her.

Scorpious called back and forth until he found the bird, sitting in a small snow bank.

"Stupid bird." he sighed. "Hurt yourself again?" he walked over.

When the bird gave out an indignant cry and flew to his shoulder, he felt his stomach turn. He pulled his wand out form behind his ear, sending a burst of hot air at the snow bank, melting away the snow that had half buried Rose. "Damn it." he swore, tucking his wand behind his ear. He knelt down and scooped her up bridal style, rushing back to the school, trudging through the knee deep snow, Neve flying ahead and making a scene.

Rose was nearly delirious at this point, shaking uncontrollably with cold. She felt someone carrying her and knew it was only warmth and she snuggled into it, calling Malfoy's name softly and sadly. She heard screeching as the awkward motion of being carried jostled her a little more to an awake state, though not much more. She caught a faint hint of blonde as she looked up and smiled up at him..."How did you? Why are you...." She passed out.

When Rose came to, she was in the infirmary. It seemed to be the middle of the night, madame poppy scurrying around with blankets and potions for a couple other.students who seemed to have hurt themselves in a duel.

On her chest was Kusuna, curled up and keeping her warm. On the table to her left was a vase of white roses with a tag from her cousins, and her uncle Harry. On the other side of her bed was a hunched over form in a chair, a blanket pulln around its shoulders and a towel over the head, with only a,littlee blond hair peeking out from under it. A flouresent blue bird was pearched one sleeping boys shoulder, its head tucked under its wing

Rose shook her head softly, careful not to wake Akuma/Kusuna ((lol)). He woke anyway and nuzzled her cheek, purring, his bladed tail whipping back and forth happily. "Shhhhh." She smiled at the roses and then turned to the hunched over figure. She couldn't help, but to giggle softly and she admired the cold bird. She didn't een remember blacking out, or being rescued, or much after about twenty minutes in the cold......She said outloud, a little louder than she meant to, "What happened?" She covered her mouth and looked around, hoping she hadn't woken anybody.

Scorpious stirred, though didnt wake up. His pet did though as P

oppy walked over, another blanket tossed over her arm. "I was going to ask you the same." Poppy said scoldingly. " Mr Malfoy here carried you from the edge of the forest all the way back here, nearly frozen solid." She clicked her tounge.

Outside she could hear the wind howling. Theblizzard was full force, with hail stones clinking against the glass.

"Took me hours to get your colorback." The nyrse fussed, tossing the blanket over kusuma and Rose.

Suddenly it all came back to her. "Well, I was walking around the castle looking for something to do, and I met a group of Hufflepuffs, Jaxon and his little group. They dragged me outside and said I was going to stay there and chill for a while." She shivered at the thought of knowing what they had meant now. She looked down at the bed and curled her knees to her cheast. Akuma pawed at her leg, a little worried. She simply held back tears of embarrassment, shame and anger. She looked over at Scorpious, "How?" She wondered aloud.

Poppy frowned. You will, of course, be tellong your head of hpuse what happened." The elderly witch said sternly. "If Scorpious here had not found you, you likely wouldnt be alive right now."

She looked over to scorpious and tossed another blanket over him as well. "As it is, Scorpious got quite roughed up from the storm while brunging you in." She pursed her lips. " I do hope this doesnt result in him disfiguring anymore patients for me to fix." She added, recalling the boy from a few years back.

Rose quieted up and looked quite depressed. "The other one deserved it I am sure. He wouldn't do anything to hurt someone intentionally unless they did." She looked to the floor, petting Akuma who was now growling as her own rage built, and then looked to Scorpius, she owed him her life and there was no way she could repay that. Her anger abated as she came to this realization and Akuma stopped growling. He hopped onto her head as she sat up and watched Malfoy, waiting for him to wake up.

It was only about five minutes before the cryo Phoenix on Scorpious' shoulder began nibbling at his hair, attempting to preen him. It clicked its beak in his ear untill he stirred, having a hand at the bird to make it stop as he sat up in his seat, cracking his back with a yawn. "Evil bird..." he mumbled, rubbing the sleep form his eyes.

"Morning?" Rose said with a small sad smile. "how are you feeling, sorry you had to save me. Sorry you got roughed up, I owe you my life what can I do to repay you. Please don't say nothing, please give me something...do you want a massage, for me to do your homework, help take care of your bird...." She was saying this all very fast, worried and suddenly panicked. She stopped herself and looked at him, realizng he JUST woke up...he probably didn't catch half of what she said. She fell backwards onto the bed and whimpered into the pillow she put over her face in embarrassment.