Untitled, Chapter Two
Untitled, Chapter Two
Rating: PG-13
Ships: Scorpius/Rose
Chapter One can be found HERE.
“Excellent Quidditch conditions,” Albus Severus Potter enthused, as he and Rose stood beside their tents, gazing around the campgrounds. The storm from the night before had left its mark - there were many fallen branches, and the ground was still soggy and wet- but overall, the new day looked quite promising. Rose nodded in agreement.
“No clouds and a stiff breeze,” she commented. “Let’s see if it stays this way for the Cup tomorrow.” It was still very early, and the campsite was quiet. Small clouds of smoke appeared above most tents as mothers and fathers started cooking breakfast, and the smell of bacon wafted towards them. Albus had just rolled out of bed (his jet black hair was sticking up randomly, and he looked so disheveled that Rose had to bite her lips to keep from laughing) and Rose still had her pajamas and dressing gown on. They stood in silence for a minute before Albus began to speak.
“ I heard Malfoy was in your tent last night…” At Rose’s questioning look, Albus shrugged and explained, “Your dad told mine…he didn’t seem too happy about it, Rose...”
“So?” Rose asked, her cheeks reddening. She looked down at the wet ground, idly kicking a fallen branch. If only her father could resist that urge of his to tell Uncle Harry everything. “Did you add anything to their conversation?”
“No, I kept quiet,” Albus replied, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “If you say he’s a good friend, then he’s a good friend. Malfoy’s never been overly-nice to me, but he’s never been unpleasant either… I’m not going to question what you’ve got going on.” Rose smiled, albeit a little sadly. Albus might easily accept her friendship with Scorpius, but he was one of the only ones who did so. Others could not believe that she would befriend the son and grandson of known Death Eaters, when her family had so valiantly fought against them.
“Is your brother awake, Al?” Rose asked, changing the subject. “I heard him stumble past my tent around two this morning…” Albus laughed, steering her towards the Potter tent. They entered, and were immediately surrounded by the smell of frying eggs. “Mum’s not too pleased, so try not to mention it,” he whispered, pointing to Ginny, who was muttering angrily under her breath as she jabbed viciously at the eggs, her wand a blur. Rose heard her grumble, “Coming back drunk - bad example for his siblings - Teddy would never -” and she suppressed a smile.
“Good morning Aunt Ginny, Uncle Harry” Rose said, seating herself in the empty chair next to Harry. There were dark smudges under his eyes, and he looked tired. Although he and Ginny were avid Quidditch fans, she knew they would be happy when the Cup was over, and life returned to normal. Both of their jobs had become more strained as the Cup approached. Aunt Ginny had to write her Quidditch column almost daily, interview players, and review game plans, while Uncle Harry had to prepare numerous security details for the campsite, and, on the odd occasion when an Auror owled in sick, patrol the camp himself. “Morning,” Ginny grunted, slamming the pan on the stove, whispering, “…embarrassment to us all…” while Harry smiled fondly at her. Lily wandered into the room, looking sleepy and rumpled.
“What’s going on?” she asked, yawning, her eyes drifting between her irate mother and her bemused father. Neither answered. “Is it about James?” Lily whispered to Albus. At his nod, she giggled, her ginger hair bouncing. “Heard him trill that old Driscoll Devil song all the way home…Kept messing up the melody…On the shooores of Driscoll Lake, a monster there was boooooorn…A deeeeevil with the biggest eyes, and a large thiiiick hornnnn,” Lily imitated, her singing comparable to a banshee’s.
“Singing’s really not our family attribute, is it?” Albus murmured, flashing his sister and cousin a grin. Rose and Lily giggled but were silenced by another loud slam of the frying pan. “I’d best go and wake Hugo,” Rose said, standing up. “You know given the chance, he’d sleep past noon.”
An hour later, the four cousins met in front of their tents, full from breakfast and dressed for the day. Rose had charmed her curly hair so it was in a neat and tidy plait, pulled away from her face. A bleary eyed James stuck his head out of the tent to greet them but was pulled back by his mother, who promptly began to lecture. “Let’s go before she decides we need to hear some of that as well,” Hugo suggested, zipping up his Muggle sweatshirt.
“I think she’s being rather harsh,” Lily said, pocketing her wand. Although underage, she was in the habit of carrying it with her everywhere. “He met a couple of mates and they got carried away…so what? It’s his first summer out of Hogwarts, he deserves to celebrate.”
“I bet he was with Morgan Nightstar,” Albus said, referring to a Hufflepuff boy who had just graduated with James. “The two of them are always more wild when they’re together…remember when they exploded those cauldrons in Potions? For fun?” he added, his tone suggesting that his brother was out of his mind.
“No one was hurt,” Lily snapped defensively, crossing her arms. “Luckily,” Rose chimed in, silently agreeing with Albus.
They had covered a lot of ground and were now approaching the fields designated for shopkeepers, advertisements, and events. Many witches and wizards were wandering around, enthralled by the things available to them. A large purple, flashing sign pointed the way to the Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes shop, and next to it, Scarab’s Mysterious Menagerie was stationed.
“Oh Mum, can’t we please get a Hydra?” a little boy nearest Rose pleaded, pointing to one of the magical creatures displayed. “I’ve told you, Ralph, no,” his mother replied sharply. “I’ll feed its nine heads, promise,” Ralph cried, sounding desperate, trying to pull his mother closer to the shop. “And when it grows more?” Ralph’s mother countered, disbelief evident in her voice. Rose didn’t get to hear the rest of the mother’s reply, but was certain that it would still be no. She had also campaigned for a Hydra when she was younger, and her wish had remained unfulfilled.
“We should stop by and see Uncle George later,” Hugo said, frowning, and Rose knew he was thinking of the Hydra they’d never had, too. “I’m sure we’ll run into him and the boys somewhere around here,” Lily replied, tossing her hair proudly as a pack of French boys passed by, looking her over. Albus and Hugo snickered. “Oh-la-la, young love,” Albus sighed dramatically.
“Oh shut it,” Lily snarled, her face turning bright red.
They continued onward, working their way through the ever-growing crowd. On their right was a light-blue, patched tent with a large and uneven sign that blinked: “CERAUNOSCOPY - RIGHT FOR YOU TODAY.” Already the queue outside was long and the people impatient. “Ceraunoscopy?” Albus asked, looking at Rose for answers. “Divining from thunder and lightning,” Rose replied. “Total hogwash if you ask me. Those people are wasting their galleons…it’s apparent that the owners pulled their spare tent out to profit from yesterday’s storm.”
“I can see the vintage broomsticks sign,” Hugo interrupted, pointing further up the field, where a large Cleansweep hovered in the air. It circled around a shiny gold tent, attracting many visitors.
“Dad keeps joking that he’s going to donate his Firebolt one of these days,” Albus commented, as they joined the queue to enter the tent. “Oh he’ll never,” Lily replied. “It was a gift from Sirius…I told him he should keep in it the family…give it to me...”
“Why should you get it?” Albus asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, she is the best Quidditch player in our family,” Hugo said shrugging, and Lily shot him a grateful grin. “Might give an added boost to the Gryffindor Quidditch team, too.”
“From what I’ve heard, the Gryffindor Quidditch teams needs no extra boost,” a low voice behind them said. “The team’s won for the last three years, isn’t that right?” The four cousins turned around, grins on their faces. “Teddy!” Lily said happily, reaching out to hug the man she considered an older brother. The boys shook hands, and Rose leaned over to kiss him fondly on the cheek. His hair blazed bright green in the morning sunlight and he surveyed them kindly.
“Your dad told me you lot were heading over here,” Teddy said to Lily. “Victoire wanted to come but she was taking so bleeding long to get ready, so I left without her.”
“Engagement going well, then?” Rose asked brightly. After six years of dating, Teddy Lupin had asked Victoire Weasley to marry him. They had plans for a small, intimate wedding to be held by Andromeda Tonks during the Christmas holiday.
“Oh yeah,” replied Teddy, as they shuffled into the tent. “All the planning is driving us batty, but we’ll survive. Poor Victoire might have to take a few calming potions…that or carry around a flask of Firewhisky,” he added, a large grin spreading across his face.
They spent the next hour perusing the broomsticks on display. Some had been maintained very well in the years since created, and they glinted softly under the candlelight. “Wow, look at that one,” Hugo murmured, and they raced to his side to gaze lovingly at an early 19th century broom. Rose could imagine riding it to victory in an intense match of Quidditch or gliding underneath large apple trees, playing with family. She wondered aloud about its price and whether the owner could bear to be parted with it.
No one answered her, and she realized that her family had slowly been filing out of the tent. Rose followed, hurrying to catch up, blinking as she left the tent and stepped out into the warm sunlight.
“So? Where to now?” Lily asked, throwing a scathing look at a tall Bulgarian boy who had bumped into her. The field had become very crowded while they were inside the golden tent, and the only way to make it through the hordes of people was to push and shove. Rose spotted a few housemates jostling through, and she waved at them.
“I’ve got to work for a few hours,” Teddy answered, “so I’m going to go check into the main security tent.”
“Oh, you’re on duty?” Lily asked, her face falling. Rose was also disappointed. Teddy was a member of the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad who worked long and unusual hours. They often had trouble meeting with him during the summer holiday. To top it off, he was an accomplished Obliviator, and needed to patrol the Quidditch campgrounds, ensuring that the Muggle camp owners remained unsuspecting.
“I’m afraid so,” Teddy said, putting a consoling arm around each of the girls. “But we still have an unfinished game of Gobstones,” he added, speaking to Rose and Albus, “so I’ll be around tonight with Victoire.” Lily smiled up at him, her young eyes shining; she was happy again.
Rose spoke up. “I have to meet someone by the Chocolate Frogs’ Trading Tent,” she began, but Hugo cut her off.
“Who? Malfoy?” he scoffed, his blue eyes growing cooler. Albus shot him a look and Rose plowed on, ignoring the interruption. “If anyone would like to come, that would be great,” she finished. Hugo shook his head.
“I’ve got a few Galleons to spend,” he said, his red hair shining in the sunlight, “so I’m going to go to the memorabilia section - there’s this flashy hat I want to wear to the match tomorrow.”
“I’ll go with you, Hugo,” Lily added, and Albus also chimed in, opting to go with them. He shot Rose an apologetic look. “If they’re selling those talking shamrocks, want me to buy you one, Rosie?” Albus asked. Rose nodded, forcing herself to smile.
“You can walk with me, Rose,” Teddy decided, reaching down to take her hand in his. “The Trading Tent is on the way to security …see you lot later!” She and Teddy broke away from them, winding through the large mob of people. Some tried to shove through them, but Teddy kept his grip firm, and they stayed together. They approached the Chocolate Frogs’ tent, and Rose was surprised to see her father’s card prominently displayed. Somehow, to Ron’s immense delight, his card had become exceedingly rare in the last five years, and card collectors went wild when they bought or sold a Ron Weasley.
“Funny isn’t it, seeing him up there?” Teddy asked, pulling her close so she could hear him above the gentle roar of the crowd. She nodded, a small smile on her face. She surveyed the people in front of the tent and spotted Scorpius’s mop of white-blonde hair on the far right. “Over there, Teddy,” she pointed, tightening her grip on his hand, and they weaseled through the crowd.
Scorpius began to smile when he saw her coming, but it faded quickly as he noticed Teddy walking behind her. His grey eyes dropped to their entwined fingers, and his mouth tightened. He looked as if he had eaten an unsavory Bernie Botts’ Every Flavour Bean. “Hi,” Rose said breathlessly, dropping Teddy’s hand. There was soot smeared across Scorpius’ face and she could see the hint of a bruise forming on his jaw. “What happened to you?” she asked, worried.
“The Quod exploded a few times,” Scorpius replied, lifting his hands to show her the calluses and burns that dotted his fingers. He was not focused on her, though. His eyes remaining firmly fixed on Teddy, who stood staring back. It was then that Rose remembered that they were not-too-distantly related, and had never met each other before. They also had a sordid family past: Scorpius’ grandmother and great-aunt had disowned their sister, Andromeda, Teddy’s grandmother, for marrying a Muggleborn. Then later, during the Great Battle of Hogwarts, Teddy’s mother, Nymphadora, had been murdered by her aunt Bellatrix.
“Scorpius, this is Teddy Lupin. He’s a dear friend of my family’s,” Rose said quietly, her eyes flickering nervously between the boys. “Teddy, this is Scorpius Malfoy, a friend of mine from Hogwarts…” They continued to stare. Teddy finally roused himself, giving Scorpius a curt nod, which the blonde boy returned slowly.
“I’m going to be late if I don’t get a move on,” Teddy said, clasping Rose’s hand in goodbye. She kissed his cheek, and then watched him push back into the crowd, his green hair visible in the sea of people.
“I’m sorry,” Rose apologized, turning back to Scorpius. She played with her wand nervously. “I didn’t think- I forgot that you two- ”
Scorpius’ mouth twisted into an ugly sort of smile. “I’m sure you did, Rose,” he interrupted, his tone rude and haughty. Rose looked away, hoping tears would not spring into her eyes. Although Scorpius was a good friend, he had a cruel streak that could cut her to the core.
“There’s no need for that tone,” she said softly, hurt but finally trusting herself to look at him again. Scorpius’ body seemed to sag, like she’d put a softening charm on him, and his grey eyes turned remorseful.
“I know… please, forget I said it,” he added, shaking his head in frustration. They stood silently for a moment, just looking at each other. “Can you do a healing charm on me?” he asked, holding up his hands again. “I would, but…you know…statute of underage sorcery.”
“Oh yes, you’re not seventeen yet, you baby,” Rose teased, a smile coming back to her face. She took his hand, silently marveling at how easy it was to hold Teddy’s without a thought, while holding Scorpius’ made her stomach knot and a slow flush spread throughout her body. Rose grabbed her wand, thinking for a moment, before quietly casting a spell. The burns lessened, but his skin still looked raw and used. “You need some essence of dittany,” Rose decided, doing his other hand.
“Thank you,” Scorpius said, his fingers curling around hers. He was looking at her with an expression that made her feel uncomfortable and thrilled at the same time. He wet his lips, stepping closer, and Rose smiled encouragingly. “Rose, I - ” he began, but someone knocked into her from behind, and the moment was ruined.
“Sorry!” the person called. “So sorry - oh, hey Rosie!” James Potter said, throwing an arm around her. “What’s up, Malfoy?” he added cordially, shoving a grimy looking piece of parchment into his hands. “Take a look at that - someone just gave it to me - Crup fight tonight!” he said, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. For someone who had been up drinking the night before, he was exceedingly chipper. Scorpius unrolled the parchment and looked with interest at the crudely drawn map.
“We have to keep it a bit hush-hush,” James added. “The Ministry wouldn’t be too keen on having the fight on their grounds.”
“Is it … wise to go to, then?” Rose asked, thinking cautiously of the many people in her family who were Ministry workers. She looked up at Scorpius who shrugged.
“Stop worrying,” James said, slipping the map out of Scorpius’ hands and shoving it into his back pocket. “A bunch of us are meeting by the water pump at midnight to walk together - you’ll be there, right?” he added, looking at Scorpius.
Scorpius nodded. “Sure, sounds exciting,” he said, grinning at Rose. Rose was still a bit uncomfortable with the whole idea...Would Teddy approve?...but if Scorpius was going...
“I’ll go too,” she decided and James whooped loudly. “Great, fantastic. Anyway Malfoy, we’ve got to leave - Rose, your mum was looking for you, and wants you back for lunch.”
“Oh all right,” Rose said, her face falling. She had planned on spending the afternoon with Scorpius. “Sorry,” she added, gently touching his hand, “but I’ll see you tonight.”
“Can’t wait,” Scorpius replied, smiling. He kissed the top of her head, something he’d never done before, and Rose trembled inside. James looked away, pretending he had not seen. “Remember - kept this quiet, don’t tell you parents,” he added as a last warning.
Scorpius laughed. “Trust me, I won’t...”
Please review...
Rating: PG-13
Ships: Scorpius/Rose
Chapter One can be found HERE.
“Excellent Quidditch conditions,” Albus Severus Potter enthused, as he and Rose stood beside their tents, gazing around the campgrounds. The storm from the night before had left its mark - there were many fallen branches, and the ground was still soggy and wet- but overall, the new day looked quite promising. Rose nodded in agreement.
“No clouds and a stiff breeze,” she commented. “Let’s see if it stays this way for the Cup tomorrow.” It was still very early, and the campsite was quiet. Small clouds of smoke appeared above most tents as mothers and fathers started cooking breakfast, and the smell of bacon wafted towards them. Albus had just rolled out of bed (his jet black hair was sticking up randomly, and he looked so disheveled that Rose had to bite her lips to keep from laughing) and Rose still had her pajamas and dressing gown on. They stood in silence for a minute before Albus began to speak.
“ I heard Malfoy was in your tent last night…” At Rose’s questioning look, Albus shrugged and explained, “Your dad told mine…he didn’t seem too happy about it, Rose...”
“So?” Rose asked, her cheeks reddening. She looked down at the wet ground, idly kicking a fallen branch. If only her father could resist that urge of his to tell Uncle Harry everything. “Did you add anything to their conversation?”
“No, I kept quiet,” Albus replied, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “If you say he’s a good friend, then he’s a good friend. Malfoy’s never been overly-nice to me, but he’s never been unpleasant either… I’m not going to question what you’ve got going on.” Rose smiled, albeit a little sadly. Albus might easily accept her friendship with Scorpius, but he was one of the only ones who did so. Others could not believe that she would befriend the son and grandson of known Death Eaters, when her family had so valiantly fought against them.
“Is your brother awake, Al?” Rose asked, changing the subject. “I heard him stumble past my tent around two this morning…” Albus laughed, steering her towards the Potter tent. They entered, and were immediately surrounded by the smell of frying eggs. “Mum’s not too pleased, so try not to mention it,” he whispered, pointing to Ginny, who was muttering angrily under her breath as she jabbed viciously at the eggs, her wand a blur. Rose heard her grumble, “Coming back drunk - bad example for his siblings - Teddy would never -” and she suppressed a smile.
“Good morning Aunt Ginny, Uncle Harry” Rose said, seating herself in the empty chair next to Harry. There were dark smudges under his eyes, and he looked tired. Although he and Ginny were avid Quidditch fans, she knew they would be happy when the Cup was over, and life returned to normal. Both of their jobs had become more strained as the Cup approached. Aunt Ginny had to write her Quidditch column almost daily, interview players, and review game plans, while Uncle Harry had to prepare numerous security details for the campsite, and, on the odd occasion when an Auror owled in sick, patrol the camp himself. “Morning,” Ginny grunted, slamming the pan on the stove, whispering, “…embarrassment to us all…” while Harry smiled fondly at her. Lily wandered into the room, looking sleepy and rumpled.
“What’s going on?” she asked, yawning, her eyes drifting between her irate mother and her bemused father. Neither answered. “Is it about James?” Lily whispered to Albus. At his nod, she giggled, her ginger hair bouncing. “Heard him trill that old Driscoll Devil song all the way home…Kept messing up the melody…On the shooores of Driscoll Lake, a monster there was boooooorn…A deeeeevil with the biggest eyes, and a large thiiiick hornnnn,” Lily imitated, her singing comparable to a banshee’s.
“Singing’s really not our family attribute, is it?” Albus murmured, flashing his sister and cousin a grin. Rose and Lily giggled but were silenced by another loud slam of the frying pan. “I’d best go and wake Hugo,” Rose said, standing up. “You know given the chance, he’d sleep past noon.”
An hour later, the four cousins met in front of their tents, full from breakfast and dressed for the day. Rose had charmed her curly hair so it was in a neat and tidy plait, pulled away from her face. A bleary eyed James stuck his head out of the tent to greet them but was pulled back by his mother, who promptly began to lecture. “Let’s go before she decides we need to hear some of that as well,” Hugo suggested, zipping up his Muggle sweatshirt.
“I think she’s being rather harsh,” Lily said, pocketing her wand. Although underage, she was in the habit of carrying it with her everywhere. “He met a couple of mates and they got carried away…so what? It’s his first summer out of Hogwarts, he deserves to celebrate.”
“I bet he was with Morgan Nightstar,” Albus said, referring to a Hufflepuff boy who had just graduated with James. “The two of them are always more wild when they’re together…remember when they exploded those cauldrons in Potions? For fun?” he added, his tone suggesting that his brother was out of his mind.
“No one was hurt,” Lily snapped defensively, crossing her arms. “Luckily,” Rose chimed in, silently agreeing with Albus.
They had covered a lot of ground and were now approaching the fields designated for shopkeepers, advertisements, and events. Many witches and wizards were wandering around, enthralled by the things available to them. A large purple, flashing sign pointed the way to the Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes shop, and next to it, Scarab’s Mysterious Menagerie was stationed.
“Oh Mum, can’t we please get a Hydra?” a little boy nearest Rose pleaded, pointing to one of the magical creatures displayed. “I’ve told you, Ralph, no,” his mother replied sharply. “I’ll feed its nine heads, promise,” Ralph cried, sounding desperate, trying to pull his mother closer to the shop. “And when it grows more?” Ralph’s mother countered, disbelief evident in her voice. Rose didn’t get to hear the rest of the mother’s reply, but was certain that it would still be no. She had also campaigned for a Hydra when she was younger, and her wish had remained unfulfilled.
“We should stop by and see Uncle George later,” Hugo said, frowning, and Rose knew he was thinking of the Hydra they’d never had, too. “I’m sure we’ll run into him and the boys somewhere around here,” Lily replied, tossing her hair proudly as a pack of French boys passed by, looking her over. Albus and Hugo snickered. “Oh-la-la, young love,” Albus sighed dramatically.
“Oh shut it,” Lily snarled, her face turning bright red.
They continued onward, working their way through the ever-growing crowd. On their right was a light-blue, patched tent with a large and uneven sign that blinked: “CERAUNOSCOPY - RIGHT FOR YOU TODAY.” Already the queue outside was long and the people impatient. “Ceraunoscopy?” Albus asked, looking at Rose for answers. “Divining from thunder and lightning,” Rose replied. “Total hogwash if you ask me. Those people are wasting their galleons…it’s apparent that the owners pulled their spare tent out to profit from yesterday’s storm.”
“I can see the vintage broomsticks sign,” Hugo interrupted, pointing further up the field, where a large Cleansweep hovered in the air. It circled around a shiny gold tent, attracting many visitors.
“Dad keeps joking that he’s going to donate his Firebolt one of these days,” Albus commented, as they joined the queue to enter the tent. “Oh he’ll never,” Lily replied. “It was a gift from Sirius…I told him he should keep in it the family…give it to me...”
“Why should you get it?” Albus asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, she is the best Quidditch player in our family,” Hugo said shrugging, and Lily shot him a grateful grin. “Might give an added boost to the Gryffindor Quidditch team, too.”
“From what I’ve heard, the Gryffindor Quidditch teams needs no extra boost,” a low voice behind them said. “The team’s won for the last three years, isn’t that right?” The four cousins turned around, grins on their faces. “Teddy!” Lily said happily, reaching out to hug the man she considered an older brother. The boys shook hands, and Rose leaned over to kiss him fondly on the cheek. His hair blazed bright green in the morning sunlight and he surveyed them kindly.
“Your dad told me you lot were heading over here,” Teddy said to Lily. “Victoire wanted to come but she was taking so bleeding long to get ready, so I left without her.”
“Engagement going well, then?” Rose asked brightly. After six years of dating, Teddy Lupin had asked Victoire Weasley to marry him. They had plans for a small, intimate wedding to be held by Andromeda Tonks during the Christmas holiday.
“Oh yeah,” replied Teddy, as they shuffled into the tent. “All the planning is driving us batty, but we’ll survive. Poor Victoire might have to take a few calming potions…that or carry around a flask of Firewhisky,” he added, a large grin spreading across his face.
They spent the next hour perusing the broomsticks on display. Some had been maintained very well in the years since created, and they glinted softly under the candlelight. “Wow, look at that one,” Hugo murmured, and they raced to his side to gaze lovingly at an early 19th century broom. Rose could imagine riding it to victory in an intense match of Quidditch or gliding underneath large apple trees, playing with family. She wondered aloud about its price and whether the owner could bear to be parted with it.
No one answered her, and she realized that her family had slowly been filing out of the tent. Rose followed, hurrying to catch up, blinking as she left the tent and stepped out into the warm sunlight.
“So? Where to now?” Lily asked, throwing a scathing look at a tall Bulgarian boy who had bumped into her. The field had become very crowded while they were inside the golden tent, and the only way to make it through the hordes of people was to push and shove. Rose spotted a few housemates jostling through, and she waved at them.
“I’ve got to work for a few hours,” Teddy answered, “so I’m going to go check into the main security tent.”
“Oh, you’re on duty?” Lily asked, her face falling. Rose was also disappointed. Teddy was a member of the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad who worked long and unusual hours. They often had trouble meeting with him during the summer holiday. To top it off, he was an accomplished Obliviator, and needed to patrol the Quidditch campgrounds, ensuring that the Muggle camp owners remained unsuspecting.
“I’m afraid so,” Teddy said, putting a consoling arm around each of the girls. “But we still have an unfinished game of Gobstones,” he added, speaking to Rose and Albus, “so I’ll be around tonight with Victoire.” Lily smiled up at him, her young eyes shining; she was happy again.
Rose spoke up. “I have to meet someone by the Chocolate Frogs’ Trading Tent,” she began, but Hugo cut her off.
“Who? Malfoy?” he scoffed, his blue eyes growing cooler. Albus shot him a look and Rose plowed on, ignoring the interruption. “If anyone would like to come, that would be great,” she finished. Hugo shook his head.
“I’ve got a few Galleons to spend,” he said, his red hair shining in the sunlight, “so I’m going to go to the memorabilia section - there’s this flashy hat I want to wear to the match tomorrow.”
“I’ll go with you, Hugo,” Lily added, and Albus also chimed in, opting to go with them. He shot Rose an apologetic look. “If they’re selling those talking shamrocks, want me to buy you one, Rosie?” Albus asked. Rose nodded, forcing herself to smile.
“You can walk with me, Rose,” Teddy decided, reaching down to take her hand in his. “The Trading Tent is on the way to security …see you lot later!” She and Teddy broke away from them, winding through the large mob of people. Some tried to shove through them, but Teddy kept his grip firm, and they stayed together. They approached the Chocolate Frogs’ tent, and Rose was surprised to see her father’s card prominently displayed. Somehow, to Ron’s immense delight, his card had become exceedingly rare in the last five years, and card collectors went wild when they bought or sold a Ron Weasley.
“Funny isn’t it, seeing him up there?” Teddy asked, pulling her close so she could hear him above the gentle roar of the crowd. She nodded, a small smile on her face. She surveyed the people in front of the tent and spotted Scorpius’s mop of white-blonde hair on the far right. “Over there, Teddy,” she pointed, tightening her grip on his hand, and they weaseled through the crowd.
Scorpius began to smile when he saw her coming, but it faded quickly as he noticed Teddy walking behind her. His grey eyes dropped to their entwined fingers, and his mouth tightened. He looked as if he had eaten an unsavory Bernie Botts’ Every Flavour Bean. “Hi,” Rose said breathlessly, dropping Teddy’s hand. There was soot smeared across Scorpius’ face and she could see the hint of a bruise forming on his jaw. “What happened to you?” she asked, worried.
“The Quod exploded a few times,” Scorpius replied, lifting his hands to show her the calluses and burns that dotted his fingers. He was not focused on her, though. His eyes remaining firmly fixed on Teddy, who stood staring back. It was then that Rose remembered that they were not-too-distantly related, and had never met each other before. They also had a sordid family past: Scorpius’ grandmother and great-aunt had disowned their sister, Andromeda, Teddy’s grandmother, for marrying a Muggleborn. Then later, during the Great Battle of Hogwarts, Teddy’s mother, Nymphadora, had been murdered by her aunt Bellatrix.
“Scorpius, this is Teddy Lupin. He’s a dear friend of my family’s,” Rose said quietly, her eyes flickering nervously between the boys. “Teddy, this is Scorpius Malfoy, a friend of mine from Hogwarts…” They continued to stare. Teddy finally roused himself, giving Scorpius a curt nod, which the blonde boy returned slowly.
“I’m going to be late if I don’t get a move on,” Teddy said, clasping Rose’s hand in goodbye. She kissed his cheek, and then watched him push back into the crowd, his green hair visible in the sea of people.
“I’m sorry,” Rose apologized, turning back to Scorpius. She played with her wand nervously. “I didn’t think- I forgot that you two- ”
Scorpius’ mouth twisted into an ugly sort of smile. “I’m sure you did, Rose,” he interrupted, his tone rude and haughty. Rose looked away, hoping tears would not spring into her eyes. Although Scorpius was a good friend, he had a cruel streak that could cut her to the core.
“There’s no need for that tone,” she said softly, hurt but finally trusting herself to look at him again. Scorpius’ body seemed to sag, like she’d put a softening charm on him, and his grey eyes turned remorseful.
“I know… please, forget I said it,” he added, shaking his head in frustration. They stood silently for a moment, just looking at each other. “Can you do a healing charm on me?” he asked, holding up his hands again. “I would, but…you know…statute of underage sorcery.”
“Oh yes, you’re not seventeen yet, you baby,” Rose teased, a smile coming back to her face. She took his hand, silently marveling at how easy it was to hold Teddy’s without a thought, while holding Scorpius’ made her stomach knot and a slow flush spread throughout her body. Rose grabbed her wand, thinking for a moment, before quietly casting a spell. The burns lessened, but his skin still looked raw and used. “You need some essence of dittany,” Rose decided, doing his other hand.
“Thank you,” Scorpius said, his fingers curling around hers. He was looking at her with an expression that made her feel uncomfortable and thrilled at the same time. He wet his lips, stepping closer, and Rose smiled encouragingly. “Rose, I - ” he began, but someone knocked into her from behind, and the moment was ruined.
“Sorry!” the person called. “So sorry - oh, hey Rosie!” James Potter said, throwing an arm around her. “What’s up, Malfoy?” he added cordially, shoving a grimy looking piece of parchment into his hands. “Take a look at that - someone just gave it to me - Crup fight tonight!” he said, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. For someone who had been up drinking the night before, he was exceedingly chipper. Scorpius unrolled the parchment and looked with interest at the crudely drawn map.
“We have to keep it a bit hush-hush,” James added. “The Ministry wouldn’t be too keen on having the fight on their grounds.”
“Is it … wise to go to, then?” Rose asked, thinking cautiously of the many people in her family who were Ministry workers. She looked up at Scorpius who shrugged.
“Stop worrying,” James said, slipping the map out of Scorpius’ hands and shoving it into his back pocket. “A bunch of us are meeting by the water pump at midnight to walk together - you’ll be there, right?” he added, looking at Scorpius.
Scorpius nodded. “Sure, sounds exciting,” he said, grinning at Rose. Rose was still a bit uncomfortable with the whole idea...Would Teddy approve?...but if Scorpius was going...
“I’ll go too,” she decided and James whooped loudly. “Great, fantastic. Anyway Malfoy, we’ve got to leave - Rose, your mum was looking for you, and wants you back for lunch.”
“Oh all right,” Rose said, her face falling. She had planned on spending the afternoon with Scorpius. “Sorry,” she added, gently touching his hand, “but I’ll see you tonight.”
“Can’t wait,” Scorpius replied, smiling. He kissed the top of her head, something he’d never done before, and Rose trembled inside. James looked away, pretending he had not seen. “Remember - kept this quiet, don’t tell you parents,” he added as a last warning.
Scorpius laughed. “Trust me, I won’t...”
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