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Rose Granger-Weasley doesn't spend time with Slytherins. It just isn't done. They're cunning to a fault, constantly strutting the halls of Hogwarts with chips on their shoulders, as if their House wasn't rightfully feared. As if history could just forget.
So it just makes sense to leave Scorpius Malfoy alone on the Hogwarts Express.
It's almost a given that she will be sorted into Gryffindor, and Malfoy into Slytherin. And no matter how sincere or uncertainly friendly he may seem, she doesn't see much point in sitting with him when they won't be friends anyways.
"You go on," her cousin says, eyes not even giving her a second glance.
"Albus," she says, imploringly, not wanting to leave him behind but unafraid to do so. "I won't wait." She's Rose, daughter of Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. She waits for no one.
"And I wouldn't expect you to," Albus responds, "But I'm staying here."
She had expected him to stay behind, but it still stings all the same. She might be Rose: independent and strong, just like her mum, but she still loves Albus.
"Fine!" she huffs, turning tail and leaving the compartment. She doesn't need Albus. She doesn't need anyone.
"She's quite fierce," she overhears, and almost smiles, a fierce jolt of pride shooting through her. Fierce Rose. Yes, that's quite nice, even if it is coming from a Malfoy.
"Yes. Sorry," says Albus, and she rolls her eyes and walks off. She doesn't need to hear what Malfoy will say next.
Gryffindor is perfect in every way. Sometimes, James sneaks her into Quidditch practice, telling her to watch closely, because that will be her next year. She doesn't see much of Albus, but that's perfectly fine.
Rose Granger-Weasley doesn't spend time with Slytherins. And she doesn't miss her cousin. Not in the slightest.
She goes to find Albus near Christmas, a small, glowing stone in hand. A gift, or a peace offering. But when he spots her lingering outside the Slytherin Common Room, he frowns and ignores her, striking up a conversation with Malfoy, who has the audacity to wave at her.
Mocking her. Or being friendly. She doesn't care which, it still changes nothing. Every day, it's the same routine:
"Hi, Rose!"
"Bye, Scorpius!"
Slytherin was indeed the perfect place for Albus. And she doesn't care. She has Yann, her grades are perfect, and Madame Hooch told her that she's every bit the flyer her aunt Ginny was.
Malfoy is in most of her classes, always trying to strike up conversation in the corridors. Rose never pays him much attention.
So yes, her first year could not be more perfect. What else could one expect from someone like her?
At the end of the year, she reluctantly finds Albus on the Hogwarts Express and plops next to him without a word. Across from them, Malfoy's face lights up in a bright smile. She looks anywhere but at him. Annoying prat.
"You don't have to sit here," Albus says, voice muted and cold. Just like a Slytherin's would be.
"I'm sure Malfoy doesn't mind," Rose says in reply, finally looking pointedly at her cousin's friend. "Do you?"
"Not at all!" he supplies enthusiastically. It's almost funny, and she almost smiles. But she doesn't.
"You can sit with your friends," Albus says pointedly. "We both know you don't want to be here."
"James told me your Mum would be mad if I wasn't sitting with you," Rose retorts.
"And James is, of course, all-knowing," Albus mutters with an eye roll.
Rose finally snaps. "You don't have to be such a prat, I'm just trying to be nice!"
"Maybe if you hadn't disowned me after I got sorted into Slytherin, I wouldn't be such a prat. Or maybe I'd be more of one, considering you're as much of a bully as James."
Rose flinches, and Malfoy squirms, clearly uncomfortable.
"I'm not a bully," she says crossing her arms and sitting back with a huff. Nobody speaks until they reach King's Cross.
"Rose?" Malfoy asks uncertainly as they disembark the train. She looks over at him. "I don't think you're a bully. For the record."
She almost smiles.
"As soon as the train leaves you don't have to talk to me."
"I know. We just need to keep the pretense in front of the grown-ups."
And frankly, the pretense is exhausting. Albus is like a young Demeantor, sucking the life out of everything. Rose cannot wait to be back at Hogwarts, where she can pretend he doesn't exist and continue to live a life her parents would be proud of.
"Hi, Rose!" comes an all-too familiar voice. She doesn't even turn to see who it is.
"Bye, Scorpius."
"Rose!"
Rose turns in surprise when she hears Albus calling her name on the Hogwarts Express. By this point, their third year, they don't even bother pretending to be friends.
"Need something?" she asks blandly. But something looks different in Albus' expression. His eyes are colder, narrowed as they stare her down.
"You leave Scorpius alone this year, you hear me? No pranks, no laughing when James makes fun of him." Rose scoffs.
"You're not my mum," she snorts.
"Yes, well his is dead." This stops her dead in her tracks. "He's not okay. And the last thing he needs is you giving him a hard time when all he wants to do is impress you. Got it?"
Rose nods, speechless for the first time. Albus searches her face and, seemingly finding what he was looking for, walks off, back to the compartment he and Scorpius share.
She waits until she spots Albus leaving the compartment, telling Yann to save her a chocolate frog and quietly slipping down the Hogwarts Express. She finds him in the same compartment as ever, head bowed.
Her heart hurts for him, and the sudden wave of compassion surprises her. All the same, she gently taps on the doorframe. Malfoy looks up, grief briefly being replaced by surprise.
"Hi, Rose," he says, voice hoarse. Deeper than it had been. Not that she's been paying attention. Because she hasn't.
"I heard about your Mum," she says quietly. Malfoy's eyes drop back to the ground, becoming hidden by his long, silvery hair. "I'm sorry." He looks back up at her, eyes watery, red from crying.
"Thanks," he says bleakly.
"Yeah. Um." She shifts, unsure of what to say next, or if she should say anything. "I should go."
Scorpius nods, face oddly blank. "Okay."
"Okay," she echoes, stepping out of the compartment.
"What's with you?" Yann asks when she returns, subdued and lost in thought. "Something Albus said?"
"Yeah," Rose murmurs, "You could say that."
Rose hears three soft knocks on her door, followed by a soft "Rosie?" and sets down her quill, jumping out of bed to open her door. Her dad stands there, a piece of paper in his hand.
She cocks her head, questioningly.
"Can I come in?" Ron requests.
Rose stands to the side, allowing her father into her room. He sits down on her bed and she takes a seat beside him, briefly wondering if she's in trouble.
No.
If she was in trouble her mum would be the one delivering the punishment.
"Mum need something?" she asks, eyes glancing down at the letter her dad still holds.
"Oh, this?" he asks. "Er, no. Your aunt, actually. Ginnny."
"Okay…?"
"She's worried about your cousin."
"Albus?" she guesses, because he's the only one of the Potters to be in a perpetually bad mood. Her father nods.
"He's withdrawn and upset. Doesn't seem to have many friends."
"I don't see how I-"
"Can you talk to him?" Ron finally asks. Rose blinks.
"Dad, Albus and I-we, um. We don't really talk much. Ever, really."
"I know."
"So I don't really see how-"
"Just try, Rosie. Please? Your aunt and uncle are really worried about him. He just has the Malfoy boy, and that's probably not…well, he might need someone like you."
Rose sighs. "I understand."
And in a way, she does, she really does. She's not blind, she knows Albus is unhappy. But he brings it on himself. It's not her fault he's unextraordinary in every way.
Even as the thought crosses her mind, she feels guilty for even thinking it. She can't imagine what it must have felt like for Albus to have been sorted into the one house he knew his family did not want him to get. If she hadn't been in Gryffindor…
Rose knows what the weight of a legacy feels like. She carries not just one, but two last names that make everyone watch her every move closely. The daughter of two-thirds of the Golden Trio, the daughter of the most brilliant witch of her age. Her family names drive her to be the best, to cement her own legacy. Her mother taught her how to have the mental fortitude to embrace her family name, not fear it.
She wonders if Albus could use the same lesson.
"So you'll talk to him?" her father asks hopefully. A brilliant speech is already forming in her head.
"Yes."
"Albus I've been looking for you." Rose runs to catch up with her cousin, skidding to a stop beside him with as friendly a face as she can muster.
"Me?" He blinks, completely clueless, as if she were a stranger. At this point, she admits, she might as well be. "Why?"
"Albus, it's the start of the fourth year, and so the start of a new year for us. I want to be friends again."
Albus' expression remains stony. "We never were friends."
"That's harsh! You were my best friend when I was six!"
"That was a long time ago," Albus says, beginning to walk away, but Rose reaches out and grasps him by the arm, pulling him into the closest empty compartment.
"Have you heard the rumors?" she asks conspiratorially, "Big Ministry raid a few days ago. Your dad was apparently incredibly brave." Albus still looks disinterested.
"How do you know about these things and I don't?" he asks skeptically. She ignores him, continuing on.
"Apparently he — the wizard they raided — Theodore Nott, I think — had all sorts of artifacts that broke all sorts of laws including — and this has got them all gooey — an illegal Time-Turner. And quite a superior one at that."
That reels him in.
"A Time-Turner? Dad found a Time-Turner?" he asks loudly.
"Shh! Yes, I know. Great, right?"
"You're sure."
"Entirely." There's a beat, and Albus begins walking away.
"Now I have to find Scorpius."
"Albus!" she calls, chasing after him. He stops quite suddenly and turns around, an eyebrow raised.
"Who's told you that you have to talk to me?" Rose opens her mouth to deny anything of the sort, but Albus just cocks his head to the side just so, clearly knowing that she wouldn't be bothering with him of her own volition.
"Okay, maybe your mum owled my dad — but only because she's worried about you. And I just think —"
"Leave me alone, Rose." He ducks into the compartment he always shares with Malfoy, and Rose follows. Malfoy looks up with his usual easy smile.
"Albus! Oh hello, Rose, what do you smell of?"
Of all the things Rose was prepared to answer for, that was certainly not one of them.
"What do I smell of?"
Malfoy seems to realize his mistake, rambling on. "No, I meant it as a nice thing. You smell like a mixture of fresh flowers and fresh…bread."
Rose blinks. Malfoy blinks.
She decides to just leave it at that, turning back to her cousin pointedly. "Albus, I'm here, okay? If you need me." And to her own surprise, she finds she actually means it.
"I mean nice bread, good bread, bread…what's wrong with bread?" Malfoy continues. Rose sighs, shaking her head.
"What's wrong with bread!" she mutters under her breath.
She slips into her usual compartment with Yann, Lily, and a few other girls.
"Scorpius still fancy you?" Lily asks, winking. Rose rolls her eyes, cheeks reddening a bit.
"Do I smell like bread?" she asks.
The next time she sees Malfoy and Albus, everything is different. She's had to imagine a world without her cousin in it, and he's had to be in a world where she never existed.
That sort of thing gives you perspective.
The first thing she does when she spots him is run right up and fling her arms around his shoulders. He's tall, so she has to jump a little, but she doesn't care. He's okay. They will have time to fix things. To fix everything.
"I should have never told you about the Time-Turners," she mock-admonishes, grinning widely. Albus grins right back.
"So you'll take the blame, then, yeah?" She snorts.
"I've got a record to uphold, Potter!"
Caught up in the moment, she throws her arms around Malfoy too, who is standing at Albus' side. He immediately reciprocates, even picking her up and spinning her around. Yann wolf-whistles, but she steadfastly ignores it.
"Well that's new," Rose comments as he sets her down, arms still settled around her waist. "And don't think this changes anything, Malfoy. I'm just glad Albus is safe." Malfoy grins, the most animated she thinks she's ever seen him.
"You should've seen the alternate Scorp, Rose," Albus jokes the next week as they walk from Potions together, smiling at his friend. "They called him the Scorpion King. Most popular boy in Hogwarts."
Rose's eyebrows shoot up in disbelief. "Oh really, now?"
Scorpius runs a hand through his hair, looking down modestly. "Yeah, well, that world was a bit rubbish, you know? You weren't in it."
Rose freezes, and some poor Hufflepuff walks right into her back. She pays him no heed. "Malfoy, what are you-"
"Wouldyouliketogotodinnersometime?" Malfoy says in a rush. Taking a breath, he seems to compose himself a bit, standing taller. "What I mean is, I would like to go on a date. With you. Rose."
Albus stares, slack-jawed. For what feels like an eternity, it's all Rose can seem to do as well, staring down an adrenaline-hyped Scorpius Malfoy, who apparently has a real interest in her.
Scorpius Malfoy, who she barely knows.
She purses her lips, not liking the idea of turning him down while he feels on top of the world. "No," she says, simply but firmly. Malfoy, to his credit, doesn't seem bothered at all, shrugging nonchalantly…and then bolting, Albus at his heels.
Rose stands in the middle of the hall for a moment, slightly shell-shocked and red in the face. She remembers to walk at some point, continuing towards the stairwell.
She spots the pair further down the stairs, locked in animated conversation. They quiet down when they spot her, both stopping in their tracks.
"Hi," she says, as if she didn't just see them five minutes ago. They both stare at her blankly. She looks over at Scorpius, face flushed with what must be adrenaline. This time, he doesn't immediately divert his eyes. "This is only going to be weird if you let it be weird," she says to him.
"Received and entirely understood," he replies right away, the barest hint of a smirk on his face.
"Okay, Scorpion King," she says, smiling despite herself at the way his face lights up at the ridiculous nickname, and walks off before her smile can turn into a grin.
"Rose! We saved you a seat!"
Rose pauses at the entrance to the compartment she has sat in on her way to and from Hogwarts for her first four years there, with Lily and Yann. Gossiping, laughing, wondering what the coming year would bring them.
"Thanks," she says to her friend and cousin, "But I think I'll sit with Al and Scorpius this time around. They had a rough year, could probably use the company of someone sane." Lily smiles, but Yann frowns.
"You're willingly sitting in the same car as Scorpius Malfoy?"
"What's wrong with Scorpius?"
She's seen more of him than she ever would have guessed since the Time-Turner incident, electing to fix her broken relationship with Albus and, by extension, Scorpius, since they're basically a package deal. And she's trying, she really is, to be better, to be there for Albus.
She had forgotten how much fun to be around he can be when he's not sulking and brooding. He has a dry sense of humor, one that he's only truly begun to let out at her insistence. And Scorpius is…well, he's Scorpius. After asking her out, he never mentioned it again, instead treating her like a normal girl.
She's found that, against all odds, she enjoys having him around. He makes Albus smile with practiced ease, and has the kind of open heart she cannot understand.
Yann smirks. "I just hope Malfoy doesn't get any…ideas about you sitting with him." Rose snorts.
"Sitting with Albus," she clarifies.
"Sure."
Rose rolls her eyes and walks off, leaving her snickering friend and cousin behind. She finds Albus and Scorpius in their usual compartment and sits down without a word next to Albus.
Scorpius, to his credit, doesn't blush or skip a beat when he sees her, just sends a warm smile her way. She smiles back, surprised at how easy it is, taking note of the shiny new Prefect badge he wears, just the same as hers. Maybe it's the badge that has given him to confidence to just relax around her. Or maybe he's just well and truly moving on, which is fine by her.
"So, which of my parents bribed you to sit with us?" Albus asks. Rose rolls her eyes.
"Don't be a prat, Albus, I'm here on my own this year." Albus smiles, satisfied, and excuses himself to grab some candy from the trolley.
"You sure about that?" Scorpius asks skeptically. "She might not, er-"
"I'll go instead," Rose volunteers, "For your sake, Albus. But only because I'm really nice."
"I'll go with you," Scorpius offers. "I just might be hiding behind you the whole time." Rose shrugs.
"Fair enough." Albus lets out a sigh of relief, and she pretends not to see the wink he sends to Scorpius as they shuffle out.
"So does following me not count as making things weird?" Rose asks, and laughs at the way his eyes widen in panic. "Relax, I'm just teasing."
Scorpius visibly relaxes, smiling at her. "Careful, or I might think you're starting to like me," he says slyly. Rose rolls her eyes.
"Such a charmer. That's almost as seductive as you telling me I smell like bread."
"What's wrong with bread? Bread smells good!" Scorpius protests as they reach the candy cart. Rose pulls some change from her robe pockets, buying a few chocolate frogs before turning back to Scorpius, who is now hiding very obviously behind her.
"Hm, then maybe it was just your delivery of the line and the fact that you looked like you were facing down a demeantor." She grins at the annoyance on his face. "My, you're easy to fluster. Must be a Malfoy thing."
"My, your hair is wild," Scorpius deadpans in return, "Must be a Granger thing." Rose laughs out loud.
"I think that's the first time you've ever insulted me," she says with a smile. "Well…on purpose, that is."
"You goaded me into it," Scorpius protests, "Are you sure you don't belong in Slytherin?"
Rose snorts, not caring how unladylike it might sound. She pauses, turning to examine Scorpius. He's grown into himself since the wildness of the last year, standing taller and not looking at the ground so much. His voice has grown deeper too, just enough to almost make him sound like a man. He's let his hair grow out, almost sweeping over his piercing eyes.
"Are you ready to be a Prefect?" she asks. "Congratulations, by the way." Scorpius blushes slightly, hand coming up to gently touch his badge.
"I'm surprised they even considered me," he admits. Rose frowns.
"Why? You helped save us all, remember? And you never stirred up any-"
"Some people still think I'm the son of Voldemort," he interjects, firmly but gently. "In fact, I bet McGonnagall has already received letters of complaint for giving me any authority at Hogwarts."
"Perhaps she's making that statement on purpose," Rose suggests. "And if you tell Albus I told you this, I'll knock your brains out, but you deserve it. More than me, even."
Scorpius' eyes widen. "More than you? But Rose, you-you're-"
"The girl who was awful to her cousin for years just because he was in Slytherin? Who wouldn't even sit with you at the age of ten because you were a Malfoy?" Rose smiles wistfully. "I know I'm smart, but last year I realized how rubbish I was at being kind."
"I was going to say perfect," Scorpius says mildly. Rose smiles for what feels like the millionth time. "Albus forgave you a long time ago, you know."
Rose nods, fingers tapping a nervous rhythm on her skirt as she asks, "And you?"
Scorpius chuckles. "Rose, I was practically in love with you since I first saw you. There was never anything to forgive." He seems to realize what he just admitted, and blushes beet-red. "I'm making things weird again, aren't I?"
Rose laughs. "Only slightly."
Rose finds that she actually quite enjoys Scorpius' company. He's got a very self-deprecating sense of humor that turns out to be more charming than awkward. And he's easy to patrol with, content to listen to everything she can think of to talk about.
Which is a lot, because she's Rose Granger-Weasley, and she has plenty to say.
"I actually think you'd make more of a decent Keeper than a Seeker like your dad," she says as they patrol the corridors the night before going home for Christmas. "People underestimate you a lot, so you can take advantage."
"You just want the chance to get the quaffle past me so you can brag about it," Scorpius says with a simpering grin. "I'm actually going for Beater."
Rose blinks. "You're shitting me."
"Language, language!"
Rose rolls her eyes. "I can't believe this. You're going to be hitting bludgers at me. You wanker."
"You wound me," Scorpius says flatly. "And it was Albus' idea, actually. He said I could use my family's dark magic to really put myself on the map." Rose blanches, and he grins. "That was a joke, Rose."
"I know," Rose says, suddenly defensive. "You'd never-you're too, um." She bites her lip, memories suddenly flooding back.
Your mum and dad were Death Eaters!
"What's wrong?" Scorpius asks, all traces of humor gone.
The rumor is that he's Voldemort's son, Albus.
"Nothing," Rose snaps, and Scorpius flinches. "Let's just keep going."
They continue walking in silence, the darkness of the corridors not quite enough to hide the wounded expression on Scorpius' face. Rose is glad he can't seem to look at her, because she really would rather not have him see her cry
She hates crying. But the thought that Scorpius would think that he has to point out that he was joking about using dark magic…
She's made an effort to change. To be a girl her mum and dad would be proud of not just for her achievements, which come easily, but for who she was as a person. She wants to be more open, wants to be like her mum, a decent woman with the brains to back it up.
She spent her first years at Hogwarts molding herself into who the wizarding world expected her to be: the best Quidditch player on Gryffindor's team, the top witch of her class. And she is proud of that: she works hard for what she gets, works hard to uphold her family's legacy every day. But somewhere along the way, she lost a bit of herself.
It took Albus going missing for her to realize how much she regretted leaving him behind that day, and almost never talking to him. And why? Because he was a Slytherin? She hadn't been able to separate her pre-determined prejudices against Slytherin from her cousin.
She doesn't want to be that person. And it's horrifying to imagine Scorpius, whom she's started to see as a friend, thinking of her as that person.
"I'm sorry," she blurts out, voice breaking slightly. Scorpius stops, looking at her warily.
"For what?"
"For the way I treated you before…everything. I was cruel. For what I said the first time we met. And I don't know how anyone could think you could even be related to Voldemort, because you're one of the nicest people at this school, and-"
She's cut off when Scorpius pulls her into a tight hug.
"I told you before," he whispers into her hair, "I have never hated you."
"You should have."
"Probably." He pulls back slightly, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yet here we are."
Rose offers him a shaky smile. "Seriously, Scorpius, I'll never understand why you ever liked me."
"I was young and foolish."
"You asked me out a year ago."
"Like I said, young and foolish." Rose laughs. "And there you are again."
"Since when do you know me so well?" she asks. He shrugs.
"We've seen each other nearly every day this year. Plus you're an open book." He pauses. "Funny, I never thought asking you out would end with us becoming actual friends."
"All it took was you nearly changing history with my cousin." She shrugs. "I'm actually glad you did, though. I don't want to imagine where I'd be without reconnecting with Albus."
"Ask you out or change history?" he asks with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Ask me out, clearly," she deadpans. "I can barely restrain myself whenever I'm around you."
"Tease."
"Bread boy."
"This is all your fault, you know," Albus yells over the shouts of the Slytherin crowd. Rose squirms, still uncomfortable sitting with them even though it's Ravenclaw facing Slytherin in this particular Quidditch match.
But she's trying. For Albus.
And maybe Scorpius. Because he means a lot to Albus.
"Give it a chance!" she scolds with a laugh. "I honestly think you're trying NOT to have fun!"
"I resent that accusation!" Albus snaps, but he's smirking. "LET'S GO SCORP!"
Rose feels a wave of pride wash over her as Scorpius sails through the air, beating the bludger unforgivingly at Ravenclaw's poor Chasers. She'd practiced with him for weeks before try-outs, while Albus complained loudly from somewhere nearby. He had taken to it quickly, his laser-focus and eagerness helping him progress well.
Of course, he still has nothing on her. But not many people do.
She can't wait to face him.
Slytherin wins, and for the first time in her life, Rose actually finds herself excited. Albus runs right up to him after the match and gives him a big hug. Scorpius' face is alight with pure and honest joy as he's swarmed by housemates and his team.
Rose hangs back, lingering in the stands as green and silver floods the Quidditch pitch, not wanting to leave before congratulating him but not wanting to be immersed in Slytherin students. They probably wouldn't like her much anyways. She wasn't exactly the role model for house unity her first years at Hogwarts.
Albus says something to Scorpius, about her probably, because he looks up and his eyes find her. He grins widely at her and waves her over. She shakes her head, not quite up for celebrating with Slytherins, but offers him a thumbs up.
Because he's Scorpius (briefly, Rose wonders when she got to know him so well he became predictable), he doesn't just accept that, hopping on his broom and prompting Albus aboard as well before flying right to her. A few Slytherin eyes follow.
He lands right in front of her, a wicked gleam in his eye. "Impressed?" he asks. Albus rolls his eyes.
"It takes a lot more than some fancy flying to impress me," Rose shoots back with a smirk.
"I don't know, Weasley, you looked pretty impressed to me."
"Okay, you two, enough flirting, I'm famished!" Albus says, exasperated. Rose instantly goes red. "Let's go stuff our faces in the Great Hall!"
"I wasn't flirting," Rose mumbles, glancing at Scorpius.
She might be imagining it, but his smile looks even wider. She elects not to dwell on it. For now.
Over the summer, Scorpius' father has to go to the United States for business, and the Potters invite him to stay with them. It's almost unsettling for Rose to see how little bad blood is left between her uncle and Draco Malfoy. Perhaps she was not the only one changed by what happened.
Albus, to her surprise, says she's welcome to stay with them as well if she wants. And of course she wants.
She and Albus grew back together over their fifth year, one of the many good things to come out of it all. He's trying to be more open and make friends for her sake as well as his, and his effort is not ignored.
She agrees instantly, openly enjoying her father's disbelief at her even considering sharing a living space with a Malfoy for two weeks. Her mother gives her a curious glance, but otherwise says nothing.
Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny both give her warm hugs when she arrives, luggage in tow. She finds Scorpius and Albus both reclining in the shade of an old willow tree in the backyard of the Potters' secluded cottage.
"Rose!" Albus greets her with a wolfish grin, hopping down from the low-hanging branch he was sitting on. Rose smiles back.
"You two planning your wedding? Can I be a bridesmaid?" she teases. Albus winks, and she laughs.
"Miss us?" Albus asks as she ducks through the leaves of the willow, spotting Scorpius sitting casually against the base of the tree, book in hand. His hair has grown slightly shaggy, curling and frizzing a little from the humidity. Instead of his usual robes, he wears a plain white t-shirt and light gray stone-washed jeans. He's straight out of a Muggle magazine.
Rose's mouth goes slightly dry, and Albus has to repeat his inquiry.
"What? Oh, of course I did, you git." Albus laughs, and Scorpius flashes her a smile. His eyes wander over her curiously, and Rose thanks the heavens that she decided to wear her ripped denim shorts and try a crop top.
She glances at Albus, who is watching her smugly, and wonders if he's onto her. Judging by how he looks to be on the verge of laughter, she supposes she's caught.
Oh well.
"So, we have two weeks to entertain ourselves," Albus says, climbing back up to his perch on the willow. "I was thinking we could test out the lake a ways South of here." He looks at Rose. "You have a swimsuit?" he asks with wide, innocent eyes.
Scorpius coughs, and Rose narrows her eyes.
"Yes," she answers as calmly as she can. Albus' lazy smile widens.
"Perfect."
They go swimming that afternoon, and Rose soon realizes that Albus' smugness was not because he thought Scorpius would like seeing her in a bikini, but because hidden beneath all of those robes, Scorpius had abs. Real, human abs.
"Where have you been hiding those?" she asks incredulously when Scorpius takes off his shirt. Albus howls with laughter and Scorpius goes red.
"Quidditch conditioning inspired me," he says modestly, "Thought I would try out regular conditioning."
"Mhmm," Rose mutters, blinking rapidly. "That's, uh…well frankly that's unfair." Scorpius chuckles, and she turns away, shimmying out of her cover-up, hoping that the orange bikini Victoire gave her for Christmas does her body favors.
Not that she wants to impress, Scorpius, of course. Yes, he's suddenly ridiculously attractive and bites his bottom lip in this maddening way, but he's just her friend. No, she only wants Scorpius to gawk at her because of ego. Yes, that's exactly it.
There's a boulder at the lake's edge perfect for jumping off of, so Albus leaves her and Scorpius at the lake's shore to go and jump in, sending an eye roll her way before running off.
She and Scorpius stand awkwardly for a moment, appraising each other.
"So…how'd you do on your OWLS?" Scorpius finally chokes out. Rose grins.
Rose hates Tessa Melville.
And it has absolutely nothing to do with her being Scorpius' girlfriend.
A sixth year Seeker for Ravenclaw's Quidditch team with long, brown hair and piercing blue eyes, Tessa is everything Rose isn't: quiet and demure with an easygoing sense of humor and friends in all houses. She speaks in a silky voice that is almost a whisper, and Rose has never heard anything remotely unkind come from her lips.
She's the absolute worst. And even worse? Scorpius is positively smitten.
"You should talk to Tessa more," Scorpius tells her as they patrol the hallways. "She loves you already."
"Of course she does," Rose mutters. Scorpius frowns at her, but she keeps looking straight ahead.
The relationship refuses to go away. Tessa begins sitting with them at meals, and even though she and Scorpius are not outwardly affectionate like James and any of his girlfriends on a given day, Rose spots the little things. The casual touches, the lingering looks, the way Scorpius smiles whenever Tessa speaks.
"Why do you even care?" Yann asks her as they work on Arithmancy homework in the Common Room. "Tessa's really nice."
"And she and Scorpius seem happy," Lily adds. Rose sighs, regretting the day she finally convinced Yann and Lily to befriend Scorpius. Lily took less convincing, as she liked to be friends with any and everyone, but now that Yann and Scorpius had bonded over a shared love for travel, Rose no longer had a completely biased ally.
"I just don't see her and Scorpius working out," Rose says stiffly. "Because-"
"He's going to end up with you?" Yann supplies. Rose blanches.
"What?! No! Of course not!" Lily slaps her book shut.
"Really? Because for the past two years he's the only boy you've ever talked about. You eat together, you spend breaks together, you study together…hell, you even patrol together! He has fancied you for years. And you're telling me that you're not the slightest bit jealous that he's dating someone that isn't you?" she demands.
Rose gapes. "I…he does not like me that way anymore." Lily groans and drops her head to her desk.
"Clearly," Yann deadpans, "Seeing as he's dating Tessa." Rose flinches.
"Yes, we've covered that," she snaps. Yann shrugs.
"You're gonna have to accept it Rose, or do something about it. We're supposed to be brave, right? Be brave."
Rose huffs, frustrated, and picks up her books, leaving Yann and Lily to their own devices. Her stomach growls, so she decides to sneak down to the kitchens and see if there's anything there she can scavenge before Quidditch practice.
She slips through the corridors briskly, not in the mood to stop and chat with anyone.
"Rose!" comes a melodic voice from behind her. She recognizes it immediately, but resists the urge to pretend she didn't hear and stops, turning around to see Tessa jogging to catch up with her.
"Hey Tessa," she says shortly. Tessa smiles.
"Hey, Rose, where are you off to?" she asks, either not noticing Rose's icy demeanor or deliberately ignoring it. Rose sighs.
"The kitchens. I'm hungry."
Tessa nods knowingly. "Studying works up quite the appetite," she comments. "Can I come with?"
Rose wants to tell her to bugger off and go snog Scorpius or whatever it is she does for fun, but she can't imagine Scorpius liking that, so she nods reluctantly. Tessa smiles at her, and the two set off.
They don't speak until arriving at the kitchens, coaxing themselves a few cookies and glasses of milk. They sit together, eating in silence, until Tessa breaks it.
"Have I done something to upset you, Rose?" Rose freezes mid-chew, looking at Tessa in surprise. The Ravenclaw brunette doesn't look angry, merely curious as she looks at her.
"No, not at all," Rose stammers out. Tessa arches a delicate eyebrow.
"Really, Rose, it's alright if you don't like me. I was just…" she trails off, as if searching for words. "I know you and Scorpius have been friends for a long time. And I know he used to fancy you. I guess I just want to know if the reason you don't like us together is because you might-"
"No, no-"
"If that's the case," Tessa cuts her off firmly, "Then I can stop sitting with you lot at lunch. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Rose, and I can spend time with Scorpius some other way. I don't think you'd try and break us up, because you're a good person, and I trust Scorpius. So if that could make things less…awkward, I'll do it. Because Scorpius cares about you, and I'd like us to be friends."
"You'd stop eating with him to placate me?" Rose asks doubtfully. Tessa nods.
"Friendships are important. And I'm not the jealous type." Rose buries her face in her hands, immensely uncomfortable.
"I don't have feelings for Scorpius. I guess I'm just protective," she says finally. "Keep eating with us. And, um…" Rose takes a deep, steadying breath. "Yeah, I'd like us to be friends too."
Tessa studies her for a long time, light blue eyes searching her face. It's unsettling, how much they seem to take in. Finally, she nods.
Friendship with Tessa turns out to be much easier than Rose expected it would be. She and Tessa poke fun at Scorpius together, and having someone who seems to understand how to push his buttons as well as she is pretty damn fun.
They talk about everything, from Quidditch to what they want to do when they leave Hogwarts to silly rumors floating around the castle. Rose, long going without any good girl friends aside from Lily, is pleasantly surprised to find herself wanting to spend more time with Tessa rather than less.
Granted, Rose still has to avert her eyes whenever Tessa and Scorpius decide to be cute together, but it's just because it's weird seeing her two friends in love.
Tessa and Scorpius both are invited to spend Christmas night with the Weasley-Potter clan, and Rose has to mentally prepare herself for that. She loves Christmas, and having all of her ridiculous family around will certainly make things easier.
Against her better judgment, Rose bought Scorpius and Tessa both gifts. She knows Albus got something for his best friend, but she didn't want Tessa to walk away empty-handed. She sits beneath the Burrow's massive tree after the family, holding the small box containing Scorpius' present an hour before everyone is set to arrive.
"The mistletoe is hanging at every doorway," comes the voice of her brother from behind as he sits next to her. Rose chuckles at her younger brother, proudly sporting his favorite Hufflepuff scarf.
"Is that a warning or word of advice?" she asks teasingly. Hugo just shrugs.
"How to you reckon Dad will react to having the Malfoys here for Christmas?" he asks. Rose shrugs herself.
"I'm betting on at least one Weasley-Malfoy argument tonight," she says.
Dinner is a grand affair as always, with Grandma Molly sparing no expense in creating the kind of feast fit for Hogwarts. As everyone is seated at the massive dinner table, Rose grabs a seat next to Roxanne, her senior by four years.
"Albus has attractive friends," Roxanne says bluntly, eyes on Scorpius, who is conversing with Tessa at the other end of the table next to his very overwhelmed father.
"Yeah," Rose agrees blandly. Roxanne raises an eyebrow curiously, but Rose just shakes her head, not wanting to explain the complicated relationship she has with them.
"So Scorpius," Hermione says, "Rosie tells me that you're in Ancient Runes with her?"
"I think they're both insane," Albus says. Hermione smiles brightly.
"I always loved that class. Are you enjoying it?"
"It's my favorite elective behind Care of Magical Creatures," Scorpius replies. Next to him, his father chokes on whatever he's eating. "But Rose is the best one in there. She's a bloody genius." His eyes find hers, and he smiles warmly.
Rose tries her best not to blush. Roxanne watches her curiously.
"So, James, you've been taking care of the Quidditch team in my absence?" she asks, and Rose is grateful for the subject change.
"You know it," James says proudly, "Me, Rosie, and little Molly are gonna capture the Cup this year, I guarantee it."
"Yeah, if you ever learn how to get past Scorpius," Albus snorts. "Or if Tessa doesn't catch the Snitch again."
"You're a Seeker?" Uncle Harry asks, beaming at Tessa, who nods bashfully.
"Bloody good one at that," Rose pipes in with a grin. Tessa laughs.
"You oversell me, Rose. You're the best Chaser in Gryffindor. No offense, James." James shrugs.
"I'll own that. But she doesn't have my dashing good looks."
"No, that would be Scorpius," Rose shoots back before realizing what she's said. Everyone's eyes fly to her, and she attempts to cover with casual innocence. "What? James looks like a flobberworm."
Everyone laughs as James protests, and Rose doesn't speak for the rest of dinner.
As everyone exchanges gifts, Rose spots Tessa and Scorpius sharing a loveseat and looking far too happy, and suddenly feels very tired. Surrounded by happy couples and happy people, she feels quite alone.
She thanks her parents for the leather-bound books they got her, makes sure that Albus opens his gift: a book of fun jinxes she got from Uncle George, watches Tessa's face as she opens the beautiful necklace that Rose found at Hogsmeade before break, and quietly retreats, not bothering to change before slipping under her covers, trying to tune out the sounds of the party below.
About ten minutes after the shuts her door, a soft knock sounds. She assumes it's her mum or dad. "Come in," she says blearily.
To her surprise, it's Scorpius who enters, closing her door behind him.
"I thought you loved parties," he says, sitting on the edge of her bed. She sighs, closing her eyes so she doesn't have to look at him.
"I'm just tired," she says, hoping he'll go away. He doesn't, and when she opens her eyes, she sees that he's holding her gift in his hands: a Muggle cookbook entitled The Art of Baking Bread.
She groans inwardly, now realizing all the different ways he could have interpreted the gift.
"You left before I could give you my gift," he says quietly, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket. "Here." Surprised, Rose takes it, sliding the small golden ribbon off before opening it and gasping.
It's a simple silver charm bracelet, with three tiny charms already on it: a broom, a Time-Turner, and a simple emerald. It's stunning.
"Scorpius," she breathes, " I can't-"
He cuts her off by simply grasping her hand, clasping the bracelet on. "I should get back to the party now," he whispers, before glancing up and turning a little pale. Rose follows his gaze, and to her shock, sees a small sprig of mistletoe above her bed.
"I swear I did not-" she begins, but it cut off by Scorpius gently pressing his lips against her cheek. Almost by instinct, she turns her head, and their lips fleetingly brush before she realizes that no, they cannot do this. His girlfriend, who trusts him and her, is downstairs, and she can't. She just can't.
"I'm sorry," she whispers, not exactly knowing what for.
Scorpius pulls back, and leaves her room without another word.
Rose likes to think of herself as a healthy, adjusted young woman who is open about how she feels and unafraid to just be herself, other opinions be damned. With that in mind, she finally has to accept upon returning to Hogwarts to finish off her sixth year that she has developed fairly strong feelings for Scorpius Malfoy.
And she has no idea what to do with them.
The funny thing is, now that she's owned up to liking him, she doesn't know who to tell. Lily and Yann will just be smug that they knew the whole time. Tessa…no. Albus would probably ruin everything and blab to Scorpius, so she just suffers in silence.
She wears the bracelet from Scorpius every day, and she's pretty sure he notices. Even if they never talk about whatever it was that happened at Christmas.
It's hard to believe how far she's come from the little girl who wouldn't even sit with him because he was a Malfoy, or befriend him because he was Slytherin. Her worldview has been expanded so much in a few short years. Much of that change in perspective was because of him.
He's ambitious, but only to help others. He's cunning, sure, but he never uses his wit with the intent to harm. He's soft-spoken, but always up to argue with her or tease Albus.
She just wishes he still felt the same way he did all those years ago.
"Earth to Rose? Rose, you there?" Scorpius asks. Rose snaps out of her reverie with a start, blinking rapidly at Scorpius, sitting across from her. Tessa enters the compartment, taking a seat next to her.
"Huh?" Rose asks, "Sorry, I was, er, thinking."
"Scorpius was probably telling you that we're breaking up," Tessa says with an all-too-knowing smile.
"Wait, what?" Albus asks from his seat next to Scorpius. "Why?"
Tessa shrugs. "We both want different things," she says.
Interesting.
"We're still friends," Scorpius adds, looking at Rose. "And it's only weird if you make it weird." Albus snorts.
"Huh," Rose says, processing. Scorpius' eyes stay fixed on her.
"I think I'm going to get some snacks," Tessa announces. "Wanna come with, Rose?" Rose nods, standing up, and sneaks a glance at Scorpius, who is staring at Tessa with a nervous expression.
"I'm sorry about the breakup," Rose says as soon as they're out of earshot. Tessa shrugs nonchalantly.
"Like I said, it was mutual." She blushes a bit, pulling Rose into an empty compartment. "Can you keep a secret?" Rose arches an eyebrow.
"Depends on the secret."
She doesn't think she's ever seen Tessa this flustered. "Scorpius and I decided to ends things because we both realized that we were with the wrong person."
Rose blinks. "You both did?" She leans forward. "Wait, so you like-"
"Albus."
Rose's jaw drops. "WHAT?" Tessa blushes, nodding.
"He's always been so kind to me, and he's remained sweet in spite of all he's been though. And at Christmas, we both got caught under the mistletoe, and-"
"No!"
"Yes, we kissed, and it was completely meaningless to him, but I realized…I was only with Scorpius because he was as close to Albus and I could get. And Scorpius, well, he was only with me because he couldn't be with-oh, well, hm, I think you'll have to ask him about it."
Unlikely.
"You should, though," Tessa insists, and Rose realizes she'd spoken aloud. Tessa gives her an understanding smile. "I know you have feelings for him, Rose. It's okay." Rose's eyes widen.
"What, me? No, I don't-he's my-"
"Rose, take a breath," Tessa laughs. "Rose, listen to me. I never minded that you liked him. You respected our relationship and I appreciated that. But I think, the whole time I was with Scorpius, I knew that I wasn't his endgame." She gives Rose a meaningful look. "That's you." Rose shakes her head.
"Look, Tessa, no matter what I…may feel, he asked me out years ago and I said no. He doesn't feel the same way anymore. I missed my chance." Tessa regards her skeptically.
"Rose, I really think you should just talk to him." Rose crosses her arms defiantly.
"I will when you talk to Albus!" Tessa smirks, and starts out of the compartment. "Wait, Tessa, I didn't mean that as a-" She runs after the Ravenclaw, who marches right back into the compartment and sits next to Albus.
"Hey, Albus, want to go for dinner sometime this summer?" Albus raises his eyebrows, and glances at Scorpius, who nods with a grin.
"Um, sure!" he says, looking quite confused. Tessa smiles and shoots a meaningful look at Rose, who stands gaping in the entrance.
"Your move, Rose," she says.
Over the summer, Scorpius gets an internship at St. Mungo's, so she and Albus are left to their own devices for most of it. They explore Muggle London and play Quidditch with Hugo and Lily, but things feel a bit off without Scorpius there. Rose wants to talk to him desperately, before she loses her nerve, but he's always busy and she doesn't want to be in his way.
"You could always just owl him," Albus points out. He's become her closest confidant for the summer, something she has a feeling he doesn't particularly appreciate, since she spends most of her time complaining about her feelings for Scorpius.
"And say what?" Rose asks, "Dear Scorpion King, remember that time I rejected you? Well, now that we have only one year left together, I take it back."
Albus blinks. "Well I would probably word it better than that."
Around July, she's sitting inside the shade of Albus' willow tree, reading, when Scorpius pushes his way in, looking ruffled. She stands up, shocked.
"What are you doing here?" she asks. "Albus is in the-"
"Now Rose," Scorpius cuts her off, "Is that any way to treat your friend who got off work early to come and wish you a happy birthday?" Rose grins widely, and he reaches out, pulling her in for an all-too-short hug.
"Thank you for remembering," she murmurs as he pulls back, sitting down against the willow. He sits beside her, pressed against her side, and she takes a little risk, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry I haven't been by," Scorpius says softly.
"You've been busy," Rose says. "I didn't expect you to."
"I wanted to," he admits, pulling a small drawstring bag out of his pocket. "I got you something." Rose takes the bag.
"You didn't have to-" she begins, but he just raises an eyebrow, exasperated. "Right. What I meant was-thank you."
She pulls the small black satin ribbon, and a small silver charm drops into her palm. For her bracelet, she realizes. She examines the charm, a beautiful infinity symbol with a tiny red gem in the center.
"Scorpius…"
"Infinity," he says in a small voice. "Forever. Because, um, forever feels about how long I've loved you for." Rose's heart pounds in her chest. Ohgodohgod…
"Scorpius…"
"I know the timing's weird, but I didn't want you to think I was rebounding after Tessa, but Rose, my feelings have never changed. You're just…you're Rose, how could I get over you when you're so smart and funny and mmppphh-"
Rose cuts him off with her mouth on his, leaning up to capture his lips in a chaste kiss. His lips are still against hers for a moment, registering that yes, she is in fact kissing him, and then he's kissing her back, hands winding around her waist and pulling her closer into his lap.
Her arms wrap around his neck, hands tangling into his hair as she deepens the kiss. They only part to breathe, and when they do Scorpius looks so awed that Rose has to laugh.
"Rose Granger-Weasley," he says, "Would you go out with me?" It sounds so juvenile when he says it, but there's a teasing gleam in his eyes that makes her heart leap in her chest.
"Yes," she says, firmly but simply, and leans in to kiss him again.
"Rosie, we've got to talk," Albus says, marching into her room.
"Yeah, sure, come on in," Rose says sarcastically, lounging on her bed in a loose pair of sweatpants and a skintight camisole. "What's wrong?"
"You and Scorpius. This 'will they, won't they' routine is getting tired."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"You heard me. If I have to sit through another year of the two of you pining after each other or dating other people, I'm going to go mental. He's never stopped liking you, and he probably never will, you stop being shy (also, since when are YOU shy) and just tell him how you feel so everything can just go back to normal!"
"Okay," Rose says simply. Albus looks ready to say more, but freezes, bewildered.
"Okay?!"
Rose grins wickedly. "Hey Scorpius, I think I have feelings for you!" Her closet door cracks open, and a platinum blonde head peeks out. Albus looks as if he's going to faint.
"You do? Well, I have feelings for you too!"
Rose beams. "Great!"
Albus looks from Scorpius to Rose, then back to Scorpius. "I can't believe you didn't tell me!" he yells, and Rose laughs.
Rose Weasley: Head Girl. It still feels slightly surreal, achieving something she's dreamed of since she was a little girl, but it also feels different. She's thrilled, holding the badge in her hand, but she's also got so much to look forward to when her days at Hogwarts are over.
Acceptance into the Auror program. Finding a loft of her own. Building a future for herself.
A future that, she thinks, might just have Scorpius Malfoy in it for a very, very long time.