Harry Potter 1. Prelude

**Bed of Roses**

**Prelude**

_A/N: _Welcome to _Bed of Roses_, my first Rosius fic. I've never written for the Harry Potter fandom before, but I simply adore this pairing and this story had to be written. I hope you like it, and please review!

* * *

It did not rain.

Rose Weasley stared, almost accusingly, at the dry sky. There were rain_clouds_- great grey beasts that stained an otherwise flawless blue. But clouds were only the promise of rain, not the thing itself.

It should have been raining. If it would not rain on a day like this- on a day that commemorated the lost life of a noble woman who had done everything right- then it shouldn't rain at all.

Rose was being irrational. She knew this. She felt someone staring at her- observant Alice, she noted- and lowered her hard gaze to her dress, straightening the hem forcefully as though she was angry with it. It was simple and black, with a modest lace collar. She wore a black cloak over it, though the June air was not at all chilly. Everyone was swathed in black; the only revealed skin was that of still hands and somber faces.

Her mother had brought both the dress and the cloak with her to Hogsmeade, specifically for Rose. _Wedding dresses and funeral gowns_, Rose thought, with a sort of wry smile. It was a line from a lullaby her mother used to sing, and it felt appropriate now. If she had a chance to speak- and she knew she wouldn't, of course- she would have recited that lullaby. She had a feeling Minerva McGonagall would appreciate it.

She did not feel sad. That worried her.

Everything else- besides the lack of rain, that is- was fitting for a funeral. Many of her fellow Hogwarts students, most of them upperclassmen, stood in a somber circle. Their parents stood with them, including Rose Weasley's own. Many of their friends were there, including Uncle Harry and other faces she recognized as Ministry officials. The Minister of Magic himself, Kingsley Shacklebolt, was in attendance. Great, big tears rolled off Hagrid's cheeks. Students who were usually rowdy- including her cousin James and her best mate Arielle- stood in total silence. Considering the circumstances, everything was as it should have been.

But it did not rain.

The ceremony was short. That, too, was fitting. McGonagall would have chastised them for wasting time in this way, speaking words of remembrance and wishes that wouldn't really change a thing. She would have wanted them in the castle, learning, not wasting a school day in such a manner.

When it was over, Arielle approached her. She spoke in a low murmur, the only tone permitted at funerals. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Rose replied. What scared her was that it was not very far from the truth.

Arielle seemed to sense the undertones of that one word. She stepped into the gap beside Rose and bowed her head so that her temple rested on her best friend's shoulder. They stood in this way for a long time.

"Hey." Rose nudged Arielle. "I said I was fine, Ari."

"I know," she replied simply. "But what if _I'm_ not?"

Rose raised a brow dubiously. Arielle was the strongest person she knew- and often the most insensitive. "I doubt that."

"Then remain a hopeless cynic for as long as you live." Arielle began to walk, and Rose fell into step with her. They parted waves of black. Everyone, like them, was milling around, conversing in low murmurs and nodding to each other as though they undoubtedly understood.

"What an odd way to end the year," Arielle mused aloud. "First, with McGonagall announcing her retirement... then all that rubbish with Aiden and Scorpius-"

"I know." She didn't really want to think about it. "It's strange."

"Do you think there's..." Arielle bit her lip. "You know. Foul play?"

That was an even more unpleasant topic. Rose refused to let her mind go there. "I don't know."

"I hope not." The note of sympathy in Arielle's voice was enough to make Rose look up. "I really hope not. It should have been... I mean, I'd like to think it was a painless death."

Suddenly, all company was insufferable. Rose made some unintelligible excuse and tore away from her best mate's company. She wandered aimlessly for a few moments, keeping her eyes on the ground. She did not see any nods that came her way, and so they went unacknowledged.

Eventually, the clusters of feet thinned into scattered pairs. Rose thought it might be safe to look up; she did so. A few older men and women were mingling, talking quietly. And a few feet away was Scorpius Malfoy. He, too, stood alone.

Spotting him, she quickly lifted her hands and swiped at her cheeks. They were, of course, completely dry. "I don't want to talk to you."

"I know." He tried to smile; it didn't work. Instead, he nodded. "I guess... nobody really wants to talk when something like this happens."

They were quiet, and Rose made the mistake of thinking it was over. But then she saw it in his eyes; an eagerness, the start of a revelation. With the speed of light, Rose held up a hand. "Don't."

Scorpius let his mouth close, and he settled back into that unique stance that gave the illusion of ultimate relaxation, as though he was leaning on an invisible wall, as though he was exactly where he wanted to be. He raised his brows. "Don't what?"

"Don't say it."

His brows rose further. "You have no idea what I was going to say."

"Whatever it is, it'll only make things worse."

Scorpius stuffed his hands in his pockets. "What if I was going to say I'm sorry?"

Rose could only scoff. "Sorry for what? Sorry for my _loss_?"

For a second, something flashed in Scorpius's eyes. "Yes."

Rose knew they were no longer talking of Minerva McGonagall.

"Don't do this." Rose's words felt as though they were being scraped against her throat. "You can't talk like that. You don't have any _right_ to try to make me feel better."

"Why not? I know that we're not _friends_ exactly-"

Rose looked away. "Just don't."

"Listen, I know you're proud and you like to think you don't need this, but I do realize that it was my fault-"

"_Your_ fault?" Rose's eyes glinted. "That's arrogant."

Scorpius met her gaze with one just as hard. "I'm trying to apologize, here."

"Well you're not too good at it. And I'm not surprised. I don't think you've had much practice."

"Damn it-"

An upcoming tirade was cut off by a new arrival- Albus. He was out of breath, as though he had been running. "Scorpius, Rosie."

"I ought to go," Scorpius declared, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "I've got to say bye to my parents before heading up to the castle..."

"Alright," Albus said. "Bye."

Rose said nothing.

As soon as the blonde Slytherin was gone, Albus heaved a sigh. "Evelyn is a mess."

Rose didn't know why she felt uncharacteristically angry with her just then. Maybe it was jealousy.

"Well, you should go to her," Rose said. "I mean, as long as Alice is alright. Is she?"

"Alice is fine." Albus said this as though it wasn't much of a surprise, and that made Rose feel considerably better. "She's with her brother and her dad. I think... I think this is a sort of family thing, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah." Rose suddenly felt the urge to find her brother, or her parents. "It is."

"Which is why I should really find Evie," Albus continued. "She's got no family here."

Rose patted Albus's arm, nudging him forward. "Go ahead."

"See you at the castle," he promised, his dark head swallowed moments later by the crowd.

She found Hugo quickly. He was sitting on a stone bench, accompanied by a petite brunette. Auroura Goyle rose as soon as she spotted Rose, giving the elder a curt nod before disappearing.

"Oi." Rose settled herself beside Hugo. To her surprise, his face broke into a tired, relieved grin.

"Hey." The grin held. "I thought you were going to offer me condolences or something."

"No, not me." Rose reached for Hugo's hand. "You don't need them, right?"

"Right," he agreed. They were quiet for a moment, before Hugo turned wide eyes to his sister. "Is it okay if I don't feel... well, like rubbish?"

Rose let out a short laugh, a mirror of his grin. She tightened her grip on his hand. "I think it is."

She wasn't sure, but she certainly hoped so.


	2. The Mixed Tape

**The Mixed Tape**

_Disclaimer_: _Everything recognizable belongs to J.K. Rowling, and I make no profit from the telling of this tale._

_A/N_: I hope you liked the prologue! This is the official chapter one, but I won't be numbering the chapters in the titles so as not to confuse anybody since the prologue took up one chapter. Warning for slight language and lots of O/Cs, but no Mary Sues.

Please review! Reviews bring me motivation and bring you quicker updates.

* * *

Rose Weasley began the journey to her sixth year of Hogwarts with the threat of potential suffocation.

She had just settled into a compartment and propped open a book in her lap when a paper was shoved beneath her nose. She blinked twice and tried to read its contents; but, seeing as it was plastered to her face, the task was quite difficult.

"_Look at this_."

Rose recognized the voice. "I _can't_. You're smothering me."

Arielle released her, but only for a second; the paper was insistently shoved into Rose's lap, while her friend towered over her, tapping her foot.

Rolling her eyes at her best mate's impatience, Rose scanned the luridly colored paper before her. Her brow furrowed in confusion. "A circus?"

"Not just _any_ circus." Arielle's startling eyes were alight. "A magical circus! The first of its kind!"

"That is pretty cool."

But Arielle wasn't satisfied with this response. "Don't sound so dismissive, you prig. We're going."

"_Going_?" Rose echoed, amusement in her tone. "Ari, we're on the Hogwarts Express."

"So? We're not going right _now_."

"Yes, but then we'll be at Hogwarts, and if I've read this right..." Rose's eyes flickered towards the advertisement for confirmation. "They're leaving Hogsmeade in two weeks. Our first Hogsmeade trip will be way after that."

Arielle waved her hand dismissively. "I don't really see the problem, Rose."

Rose quirked a brow as realization dawned on her. "Don't tell me you're planning on going to Hogsmeade, past curfew, during the_ first two weeks of term_?"

Arielle clapped her hands together, a smile breaking over her features. "I _knew _there was a reason we were best mates!"

Rose returned her glowing smile. "Alright, then, I'm all for it. We'll need the cloak, of course, and the map, which means we might have to include James, since I don't think he'll just lend them to us during the first two weeks of term without asking questions..."

"The more the merrier," Arielle quipped. "I was going to invite James, anyway."

"Perfect." Rose felt charged with the force of their illicit plan. After the hectic events of the last few months, she'd needed something like this. A rebellion of sorts.

"Where is everyone, anyway?" Arielle mused, as she flicked idly through the pages of _Witch Weekly_. "This bloody compartment was stuffed two minutes ago."

"James said something about food," Rose replied, already absorbed in her own text; a battered copy of Bram Stoker's _Dracula_.

"I hope they bring me some," Arielle said. "I'm starving. Though I wouldn't put it past Potter and Kent to completely forget about our existence..."

As it were, it was a timely stroke of luck that the compartment had been emptied at that precise moment. For if James Potter and his best mate hadn't left the compartment in search of the lunch trolley, they wouldn't have run into a certain Slytherin. And if they hadn't run into said Slytherin and caused quite the spectacle, then Albus Potter and _his _best mate wouldn't have paused on their return journey to the compartment where Rose and Arielle sat wondering where they were. And if they hadn't paused, then they would have returned to the compartment far earlier than they did; when Arielle was convincing Rose to go to the magical circus, perhaps. And if they had arrived at that time, then Albus Potter's best mate would have surely talked them out of it, and they would not have gone to the circus even once, let alone _twice_, and this story would have turned out quite differently.

"_There _you are," Arielle said as the group traipsed back into the compartment.

"Miss me, Reeves?"

Arielle scoffed at James Potter's good-natured teasing. "You wish."

"See, Potter? She's in love with _me_," Hunter Kent stated, before claiming the seat beside her. James rolled his eyes at his best mate before taking the seat across from him, beside Rose.

Rose closed her book; to attempt to read in her friends' rowdy presence would be useless, anyway. "Did you bring any food?"

James turned over his pockets, providing several items of interest. "Always thinking of your stomach, Rosie."

"Shut up." Rose grabbed a chocolate frog and began to unravel the delicate wrapper as the rest of the group took seats in the compartment. Albus Potter and his best mate, a blonde by the name of Evelyn, had quietly taken their seats by the window. Rose looked over them curiously; Evelyn looked either upset or angry, staring fixedly at her shoes, while Albus tried to silently capture her attention.

"Evelyn?" The girl in question glanced up at Rose's voice. "Is something wrong?"

"I see you didn't bring your boyfriend, Albie." It was James.

Albus nodded towards Hunter. "I see you brought yours."

Hunter hooted in laughter, leaning over to clap Albus on the back. Albus smiled, but looked away, uncomfortable with the attention.

"Evie," Rose cut in. "What's wrong?"

Before Evelyn could even consider answering, James's voice cut in. "You'll never guess who we ran into earlier."

"The Scamander twins," Hunter continued, referring to two of their friends.

Arielle quirked an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound terribly exciting. Aren't they practically your family?"

"Yes, but..."

"Lysander has a new haircut," James told them. "It's ridiculous."

"And apparently," Hunter went on. "He's got a thing for Dom."

"Dom doesn't even go to Hogwarts," Rose felt compelled to point out.

"But, then again, everyone has a thing for Dom," Hunter continued. "She's part Veela..."

"And my cousin, asshat," James interrupted.

Rose and Arielle exchanged a brief, knowing glance.

"You two must think I'm _really_ thick if you think I'm gonna fall for that stupid distraction." Rose crossed her arms over her chest and waited expectantly for one of them to reveal whatever it was they were covering up.

None of them did, however. Evelyn glared at James before opening up a textbook and burying her nose in it; James pretended not to notice. Hunter kicked James's foot, who in turn glared at _him_, and then the two seemed to be locked in an entirely silent conversation. Albus stared exasperatedly at the ceiling.

"_What_ in Merlin's name is going on?" Rose said, confused at their odd behavior.

Hunter looked at James, who nodded.

"Well." The eldest Potter sprung to his feet. "We're off."

"Off _where_?" exclaimed Rose.

"You didn't think we'd actually stay _here_ during the entire train ride, did you?" James gave his signature smirk.

"With you stuffy old lot?"

"We're younger than you," Rose pointed out to Hunter, though she hardly thought it mattered to him. Hunter spoke through impulse and instinct, and whatever he said, he never took back.

"We've got places to be," Hunter proclaimed.

"Things to see."

"Birds to snog."

"Thank you for the surplus of information," Rose sighed.

"Here's some Butterscotch Brooms to make up for it." James pulled out a small sack from his pocket and dropped it in Rose's lap, his brown eyes twinkling. "See you at the castle, Red."

Arielle barely looked up from her magazine when she spoke. "Those two are such _girls_."

"It's embarrassing," Rose wholeheartedly agreed, opening the sack of Butterscotch Brooms.

"I can't believe you're _related_ to one of them."

"Hey," Albus protested.

Arielle threw her hands up in the air. "He speaks!"

"Sorry," Albus grinned sheepishly. "Something happened in the..."

Evelyn cleared her throat. "_Albus_."

"There you go, Evelyn. I knew you'd find your voice in there somewhere."

Evelyn rolled her eyes at Arielle's jab, while Rose kicked her best mate's foot. "Ignore her, Evelyn. Tell me, what happened?"

"It's no big deal," Albus cut in.

"That's rubbish-"

"_Really_, Rose." Albus squeezed Rose's hand briefly, conveying to her what he couldn't with words. "Let it drop, okay?"

Although she was made unbearably curious by their increased efforts to hide whatever it was that had happened outside of the compartment, and although it was hardly in her nature to do what she was told, Rose let it go.

For the time being.

"Fuck," Arielle suddenly cursed. "We forgot to tell James and Hunter about the circus."

"What circus?" Albus inquired.

Arielle told him. Evelyn didn't look up from her Arithmancy textbook once, not even when Arielle talked of breaking curfew; which was extremely odd, since Evelyn was a rule-abiding prefect. Rose grew increasingly curious- and a tad bit worried.

"That sounds brilliant," Albus said.

"I know, I can't wait." Arielle's eyes shone. "We are going to have some fun this year. We are going to claim it as our own."

"Are we?" remarked Rose curiously.

"Yes," Arielle stated firmly. "Last year was _not_ our own, because of OWLs, because of... McGonagall. And because of..." Here, her eyes flickered to Rose. "Other things. But mostly because of OWLs- you were a right foul lot last year. And next year, we've got NEWTs, which I imagine with throw you in a worse mood... so this is our last chance." She pumped her fist into the air. "Carpe diem!"

"What?"

"It's Latin," Arielle told Albus. "It means 'seize the day'."

"Muggle expression," Rose clarified.

"Ah." Albus leaned back into his seat, looking much more relaxed than he had been while entering the compartment; though his eyes kept flickering worriedly to Evelyn, who still refused to participate in the conversation.

Two chapters of _Dracula_ later, Arielle glanced up from her sketchbook, which she had pulled out of her trunk a little while earlier. "I just noticed something."

"Yes?"

"Where's Vivienne? Shouldn't she have been here by now?"

Rose shrugged; Vivienne was a fellow Gryffindor sixth year, and a very close friend. "She told me she'd meet us at the station."

"She's not on the train?" Arielle asked.

"She is, but..." Here, Rose glanced up from her book. "She's sitting with _him_."

"Hmph."

Albus looked up. "Why do you say it like that?"

"Oh, don't take offense, Al," Arielle was quick to say. "It's nothing against Slytherin."

Evelyn raised a brow. "Except that it _is_."

"Come on, Evie..."

The two launched into an argument. Albus and Rose exchanged a brief, understanding glance; it was not uncommon for Arielle and Evelyn to disagree. They often had multiple rows per day. It seemed that the summer had hardly changed either of them.

Eventually, Evelyn returned her attention to the textbook, and Arielle to her sketchpad.

"It must be difficult."

Rose looked up. It was Arielle breaking the silence, after long minutes of it. She twirled the stick of charcoal she'd been sketching with, leaving ebony stains on the pale skin of her hands.

"What must be?"

"Dividing your loyalties... the way Vivienne does." Arielle chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. "It must be hard."

"I don't think she thinks of it that way," Rose said dismissively, hoping to put the subject to bed. It wasn't one she felt comfortable discussing, especially in Vivienne's absence.

"Wish she were here, though," Arielle said. "She'd be excited about the circus."

"What circus?"

The question came from the compartment door, which was now open, admitting two tall boys; the Scamander twins. They genially exchanged greetings- and a few teasing remarks regarding Lysander's "thing" for Dominique, which he claimed was an utterly baseless product of the Hogwarts rumor mill- before the boys took seats and repeated the question directed at Arielle.

Arielle began to tell them about the circus and swearing them to secrecy. The brothers swore. Lorcan suggested a game of Exploding Snap, and as the ensuing bloodbath commenced, Rose had Stoker's work opened in her lap, occasionally popping a Butterscotch Broom into her mouth.

Hogsmeade was a truly beautiful village, Rose thought, as she disembarked from the Hogwarts Express. Even while thrown into a darkness which was illuminated only by the golden pools of lamplight, the village was stunning. It wasn't anything concrete; the village was fairly ordinary, and certainly none of it was incredibly luxurious or elaborate. It was simply the fact that it was one of the few all-wizarding villages, the fact that it was so close to the castle she called home.

She spotted a familiar figure, wide and tall, looming above the rest; and her absentminded grin grew even wider. "Oi- Hagrid!"

"Hullo there, Rosie!" He waved with one massive hand, the other clutching a lamp that illuminated the gray streaks in his grizzly beard. "Hullo, Albus!"

"Hullo!" They called back. "It's great to see you!"

"Same to ye! Now- firs' years o'er here! Firs' years!"

Leaving Hagrid to his duties, the group departed, dragging trunks and rattling cages. "Come on," Rose huffed. "Let's find a carriage."

Albus, who was in the lead, found one with two empty seats. Evelyn offered the extra spot to Rose, but Rose declined it, thinking of Vivienne's promise to meet her at the station. "You go on ahead," she said, reassuring Evelyn that she'd be fine waiting for another carriage.

"Agh- _Vivienne_!" Arielle's shriek pierced the night air; she suddenly dropped the handle of her trunk and set the cage of her cat on the floor, running and launching herself into another girl's arms.

"Oi- oi, Arielle, you're smothering me!"

"That's two people who've said that to her today." Rose approached the girls, smiling. "Maybe you ought to take a hint, Arielle."

Arielle stuck out her tongue, but released Vivienne, who in turn embraced Rose.

"_Merlin_, I've missed you, Vivienne," Rose breathed, before drawing away from her friend.

"I have, too," Arielle said. "We haven't seen you at _all_ this summer, and you've barely written..."

"We were worried _sick_," Rose said, to which Arielle nodded fervently.

"Ah... well..." Vivienne sighed. "I guess I've got no more excuses to keep this to myself. I've sort of... had trouble finding a place to live this summer. So that was a load of fun."

"_What_?!"

"It's a _really_ long story," she replied to their incredulous expressions. "Anyways, I'm back at Hogwarts now... and for the next few months, I've got nothing to worry about."

She was wrong, of course.

Vivienne managed to shake off the girls' insistent questions and claimed a carriage. They waited for the third spot to be filled before it set off; and eventually, it was, by a tall wizard with a charming smile.

"This seat taken?"

"Lucas!" Rose's eyes lit up at the sight of him. "No, of course not... come on in!"

His smile grew wider as he did just that, the door shutting magically behind him, and the carriage- now full- started towards the castle.

"Rose, Vivienne, Arielle." Lucas nodded towards each of them in turn. "Good holiday?"

"For some of us," answered Arielle. "Yours?"

"Brilliant," he replied. "I took an internship at the Auror office this summer."

"That's great." It was common knowledge that Lucas's ambition was to be an auror.

Arielle had questions, which Lucas genially answered. Vivienne shuffled closer to Rose on the seat, and Rose turned her attention from the window to her friend.

"You understand why I couldn't sit with you on the train, right?" Vivienne's eyes were apologetic as she spoke to Rose. "I was with-"

"Yeah. I know." Rose squeezed Vivienne's hand. "Don't worry about it. You're here now."

"I know." The words left Vivienne's lips in a relieved _whoosh_. "Thank Merlin."

Somehow, Rose knew she wasn't talking about being in the carriage with her mates. "Vivienne... what happened this summer?"

But Vivienne only shook her head, glancing at the seat across from them, where Arielle and Lucas were still talking; and Rose forced herself, for the second time that day, to wait.

"By the way," Vivienne spoke after a few minutes. "I need to tell you something. Something that happened on the train. James-"

"We're here," announced Lucas, cutting off Vivienne's and climbing out of the carriage.

The three girls followed, beginning the short walk to the castle.

"Wait." Rose grabbed Vivienne's forearm. "What were you about to tell me? About James and the train?"

"_Well_," drawled a sudden voice behind them; Rose groaned as she recognized it as her cousin's. "If it isn't my favorite dark-haired Gryffindor."

"I'm insulted," Arielle said dryly, as James draped an arm over an irritated Vivienne's shouders.

"You won't be my favorite dark-haired Gryffindor till you agree to go out with me, Reeves," James retorted.

Arielle pretended to consider, then shrugged. "Guess I'll just have to settle for being second-best, then."

"Damn you," James said genially. "_Anyways_... where's your best mate, Vivvy?"

"Don't call me Vivvy," Vivienne snapped. "And my best mates are right here, you prat."

"No, I meant your _other_ best mate," James clarified impatiently; and in the small staring match that insued, it was clear that with this statement, James had won.

"Fine, Potter." Vivienne rolled her eyes. She disentangled herself from James and stepped off to the side. "I won't tell her. But _you _should."

With that, Vivienne stepped off to the right, with the clear intention of departing from the group. "Wait- Vivienne! Where're you going?"

"Unfortunately, _he's _right." Vivienne nodded towards James. "I've gotta find him..."

At Rose's exasperated expression, Vivienne tried to smile reassuringly. "I'll explain later. Meet you at the Great Hall?"

And, without waiting for an answer, Vivienne melded into another group of students, then another, weaving through the crowd.

Rose turned towards James, fuming. "You _git_!"

"Rose. _Language_."

"_What_ happened on the train? And why does everybody know about it except for me?"

"And me," Arielle pointed out.

"Oi! Hunter!" And with that suspiciously timed call, the bespectacled James jogged forward, leaving a furious Rose in the dust.

"He's infuriating!" Rose exclaimed to Arielle, the only one of her mates who now remained.

"Relatives." Arielle patted Rose's shoulder comfortingly. "At least we're almost at the castle... think of the feast! I hope there's scones."

* * *

"_Ah_." Arielle bit into the pumpkin scone, an expression of pure bliss on her pale, dainty features. "Hogwarts never disappoints."

At that, Rose scoffed, and Arielle rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean, you idiot. The feasts. The house elves. So constant, so diligent..."

Around them, other students were delighting in the delicacies on the gilded plates. The first years had been sorted, and the hall was full of a pleasant sort of rowdiness. Rose smiled as her eyes scanned the long Gryffindor table. A little far off, James and Hunter sat with a few other seventh year boys. Beyond them, a gaggle of fifth year girls were batting their eyelashes and attempting to capture either James's or Hunter's attention. It was, of course, in vain; the boys were stuffing their faces, as happy and as self-absorbed as always.

Further along the table, Lily Potter and Lucy Weasley sat together, with their third year friends. Rose had cousins in every year, it seemed; James Potter and Louis Weasley were in seventh, Albus and Fred the second in sixth, while Lily, Lucy, and Roxanne were in third. In addition, Lorcan, Lysander, Lucas, and Alice Longbottom were practically family. She spotted each of their heads in turn, and she had to turn her head quite a bit to accomplish this task. While many of her relatives and friends were in Gryffindor, not all of them were. Rose had to run her eyes along the Slytherin table for Albus and Lysander, the Hufflepuff table for Roxanne, then along the Ravenclaw table for Hugo, Lorcan, and Louis.

That was when she spotted Aiden, however, and returned her attention to her food.

"Earth to Rose," Vivienne said. "What're you scanning the Ravenclaw table for?"

"Hugo," she said automatically. "Just making sure he's alright."

"He's fine," Arielle dismissed. "_Anyways_, I was just about to pester Vivienne to tell us what happened to her this summer."

"Nothing major," Vivienne said automatically, spooning potatoes into her mouth.

"_Vivienne_."

"Being homeless is major."

"Oh, alright," Vivienne huffed, letting her spoon clatter against her plate. "I got kicked out."

Rose and Arielle were silent for a moment, but Arielle was the first to speak.

"_Again_?"

"What was it this time?" Rose said angrily. "You like your steaks on the raw side? Your hair is too long? Too dark?"

"Stop," Vivienne sighed. "You _know_ I'm not blameless. You know I'm a bitch when I want to be."

"You're not a bitch," Rose said automatically.

"_I'm_ a bitch," Arielle supplied.

"I was _awful_ to them," Vivienne admitted. "But.. but they deserved it. They were so bloody condescending. Always dropping comments about my blood status..."

"Nevermind," Arielle said. "_They're_ the bitches."

"So, one day, I guess I went too far, and they kicked me out."

Vivienne stopped speaking, but Arielle and Rose were still watching her expectantly.

"_Well_?" Rose pressed.

"Well, what?"

"Well, what did you do to get yourself kicked out, you prig."

"Well... Howard's sister- Howard's the husband- came to visit, and... I blew her up."

Arielle choked on her scone.

"You _blew her up_?" Rose echoed incredulously.

Vivienne nodded.

Arielle and Rose exchanged a glance, then collapsed into a fit of giggles. "Oh my god."

"Oh, Merlin."

"That's _wicked_."

"How did she _look_?"

"Fat as a balloon, I reckon."

"What's a balloon?"

"Muggle thing."

"Tell me, can you do me a favor and blow up Landon Zabini just now?"

"_Stop_." Despite her tone, however, Vivienne was smiling. "Alright, I know you'll tease me about it forever, but honestly, there's more to the story."

The two girls tried their best to sober up. "Alright, we're listening."

"Alright." Vivienne resumed her story. "Obviously, I didn't just leave her floating in the air- or else I'd be in Azkaban right now- but they said they'd had enough, and they turned me out in nothing but the clothes I was wearing. Oh, and my wand."

Arielle frowned. "Can they do that?"

"_No_," Rose answered. "There has to be some Ministry protocol for foster parents, or... why didn't you write- well, someone?"

She was about to say McGonagall, but stopped herself just in time.

"It was summer holiday, and... I don't think anyone could have done anything anyway. Besides, I could take care of myself."

This was all true, but her mates understood the undercurrents of Vivienne's words; she was too proud to ask for any favors.

"So... what did you do?"

"Travelled quite a bit on foot," Vivienne answered promptly. "It was fun."

"Viv..."

"Don't be thick."

"I really don't want to talk about it," Vivienne said, her tone full of a finality that was not there before.

An impeding worry ate at Rose. "Vivienne... did... you're _okay_, aren't you?"

"Nothing too scarring happened?" Arielle joked, attempting to make light of the matter.

"Nothing too scarring," Vivienne agreed. "Just a couple of hungry days."

For some reason, this statement saddened Rose more than the rest.

"Well, no more." Rose raised her goblet of pumpkin juice, a tiny bit sloshing over the side. "To Hogwarts."

"To Hogwarts," Arielle and Vivienne toasted, capturing the attention of a few others sitting near them.

They drank. But something didn't quite fit in Rose's mind, and she contemplated asking the question Vivienne already knew she was going to ask.

"Why didn't you stay with-"

"I tried," Vivienne answered. "It... it didn't work out. He _wanted_ to help me, but he couldn't."

"Why?" Suddenly, Rose was very angry; angrier than she had any right to be, perhaps. "Why couldn't he help you? He's got all this bloody money, and-"

"He tried," Vivienne insisted. "Really, Rose. Just let it go."

How many times would that statement be said to her today? Again, against her instincts, Rose obeyed.

"Why didn't you come stay with me?" Rose asked quietly.

Vivienne smiled sadly. "You know why."

"Attention, students."

The buzz of conversation in the hall withered to silence as Headmaster Flitwick began to speak.

"I'd like to welcome you all to another year at Hogwarts. There are two differences in staffing this year..."

And, sure enough, Rose noticed two new faces on the staff table. Seated next to Professor Baddock, their sallow-faced Potions professor and head of Slytherin House, was a rather young-looking woman with long, chestnut hair. She was sipping from a goblet and smiling politely at Professor Boot, who seemed to be engaged in conversation with her. Next to Professor Babbling was the second new face; also quite handsome, though not as young. He was pale, with inky black hair that was tucked behind his ears. His face was a well-arranged amalgam of sharp planes and angles; and although he seemed to be keeping to himself as he quietly awaited Professor Flitwick to continue speaking, he looked kind enough.

"Professor Gemini Reed, your new instructor for Muggle Studies." The woman with the chestnut hair stood, to polite applause. "And Professor Daniel Dorrid, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Professor Daniel Dorrid." Arielle was stifling her giggles with her fist. "How horrid."

Hunter, who seemed to think this statement was the height of wit, nudged James and repeated the joke. The two chortled quietly as Flitwick concluded his concise speech, bidding them good luck with the first few weeks of term.

"I, for one, am excited," Arielle told them, eyes glittering. "I know _we're_ going to have a fantastic first few weeks of term."

"Have you finally decided to give into the temptation, Reeves?" James spoke around a mouthful of potatoes.

"How attractive." Arielle rolled her eyes.

"_No_," Rose cut in, also fighting the urge to roll her eyes at their general lunacy. "Arielle has decided that we are going to a magical circus in Hogsmeade during the first two weeks of term."

Vivienne gushed in excitement, while James stared at Arielle for a total of two seconds before turning around and punching Hunter in the chest. "And you _ask_ me why I'm in love with her."

"Oh shut _up_, Potter. You're embarrassing."

"James, she's my best mate, could you maybe save your proposal for _after_ dinner? Just so that I don't throw up?"

"Positively brilliant," James was saying, as though he hadn't heard Arielle and Rose's protests.

Vivienne shook her head in amusement. They continued to eat. When Rose deemed herself full, she clapped her hands once and stood. "I'm going to go sit with Al for a bit."

"Have fun on the traitor table," James waved.

Rose stuck out her tongue at James, and Vivienne stood. "I'll come with you."

"Brilliant." Arm in arm, the two girls made their way across the hall to the table bedecked in green. Rose spotted Albus quickly enough; he was sitting with Evelyn, Alice, Lysander, and Lorcan. Scorpius Malfoy sat there too, somewhat detached from the group. Rose lifted a hand to wave, then thought better of it. It was just as well; Albus was in whispered conference with Evelyn behind a _Daily Prophet _that stood open between them.

"Oi, Al."

Albus lowered the newspaper as Rose and Vivienne took seats across from him. Evelyn's expression behind it was one of muted anger.

"What?" Rose felt the color drain from her face as her eyes darted back to the newspaper. "What is it? What happened?"

"Nothing," Albus said immediately, unspoken messages hidden in his tone. _Nothing personal, nothing to any of our relatives, nothing to anyone we know or care about_. "Just... more Redeemer stuff."

Rose's heartbeat returned to its normal pace. Though the news was far from jolly, her fear was assuaged. "Oh."

"What did they do this time?" Vivienne wanted to know.

"Apparently, there's some sort of rally," Evelyn answered. "It's supposed to be very secret, invitation-only, but someone leaked the information to the Ministry."

"Huh."

"Cheer up, you lot." It was Lorcan. "It's just a rally- could be worse, knowing these lunatics."

"Yeah," agreed Rose quietly. Her attention was focused mostly on Vivienne, whose expression was inscrutable. "Could definitely be worse."

"I wish there were éclairs…" bemoaned Lorcan, and just like that, the conversation was steered to normal, less strenuous grounds.

Arielle joined them, plopping herself down on the Slytherin table as though she owned it. "Boring there without you," she told Rose, then began to fill a plate.

Rose and Vivienne told her about the Redeemer rally. Arielle turned to Evelyn. "How did you _get_ a newspaper, anyway? Don't they come by morning post?"

"I've had it since the morning..." Evelyn informed her.

"Why'd you read it just now, then?"

"I was a little preoccupied with something called _coming back to Hogwarts_..."

As the group of friends fell into separate conversations, Rose nudged Vivienne gently. "What's on your mind?"

"Fucking Redeemers," Vivienne muttered; and Rose nodded, having expected as much.

"I don't understand why the Ministry doesn't just take action." Vivienne sounded exasperated. "Shut them up."

"It's sort of complicated," Rose answered, and this was true. Since so many of her family members worked at the Ministry, including her own parents, Rose was privy to information that many of her peers weren't. "First off, their members are unknown. They all go by aliases, or by nothing. And since they don't really hurt anyone, the Ministry doesn't have any grounds to do anything about them."

"Don't hurt anyone, Rose?" Vivienne's eyes were wide and incredulous. "What about the killings?"

"I remember," Rose replied quietly. She remembered the killings with astute clarity. "But that was a long time ago, Viv."

"They're only getting started," Vivienne insisted vehemently. "They're only laying low."

Rose looked down at her plate, uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken. "I hope you're wrong."

"So do I," Vivienne replied, before viciously stabbing her fork into a plate of chops.

* * *

Scorpius Malfoy wasn't sure where, exactly, he was supposed to be.

No matter where he walked, he felt as though he didn't exactly belong there; if not that, he felt as though he didn't _want_ to be there. He did a flawless job of hiding it, though; insecurity was a trait better reserved for Hufflepuffs. He walked with a straight back and head held high, as though he owned whatever place his feet carried him. It was a Malfoy gait, and it was a trait he was born with, same as his blonde hair and aristocratic bone structure.

Scorpius Malfoy had an unbelievable headache.

In the carriage that transported him to the castle, he'd sat with a couple of babbling Ravenclaw girls. They'd chattered mercilessly during the entire ride, throwing him coquettish glances beneath their eyelashes. Scorpius had treated them to his signature grin, but had generally ignored them. As his thoughts pounded behind his eyelids, Scorpius prayed for a speedy journey; and he thought he'd never felt as relieved as when the carriage finally stopped, releasing him, and he'd felt the brisk air on his face.

Due to the fact that he couldn't locate any of his friends, Scorpius trekked up to the castle alone. He didn't mind; in fact, he liked it. As he walked, the soles of his dragonskin shoes scuffing against the ground, his gaze followed the bobbing heads of other students to the darkened edges of the magnificent castle.

_Hogwarts_.

He felt an unexpected surge of something akin to giddiness at the word. His headache almost disappeared on the spot. For this was _Hogwarts_; the castle that had served as his home and sanctuary for the better part of five years. Yes, there would be lessons, there would be homework and exams, there would be irritating classmates and sometimes irritating teachers, there would probably be an occasional brawl, and there was the small matter of Rose Weasley… but Hogwarts was _predictable_- even painfully so- and right then, Scorpius had a boundless appreciation for predictability.

His summer holiday had not been very pleasant. In a very odd series of events, Scorpius had irreparably severed his relationship with his parents. He felt the happiness in his veins trickle away at the thought, and he suddenly _really_ needed his trusty flask of firewhiskey.

But that was up in his trunk, he recalled with a sigh. Life was full of disappointments.

Once inside the castle, his bad mood lifted marginally. In the Great Hall, he whittled away the time by watching everyone. Nobody seemed too changed. His Slytherin cronies were just as well-polished as ever, with new shoes and haircuts. Landon Zabini held an audience of sixth, seventh, and timid fifth years; he was telling them of a week he'd spent in Australia with his grandmother over the holiday. Scorpius wondered absentmindedly if the story was true, considering his father no longer worked at the Ministry- but, then again, the old families never truly ran out of money. Their names were made from gold.

Albus and Evelyn had joined him. Scorpius's headache had lifted slightly at that; he found Albus's company much like a cup of hot tea. Simple, unobtrusive, and welcome. Evelyn was not much different. That is, until Zabini spotted her and began to shout obceneties over the people that sat between them. Evelyn had tried to ignore him- Scorpius was a witness to this- but her patience eventually broke, and a loud row ensued.

The delectable food appeared on the plates- oh, delicious predictability- and Scorpius picked at it. A couple of Slytherin girls made small talk with him, and Scorpius returned it half-heartedly, though the girls never suspected it. For Scorpius talked the same way he did everything else- with a natural grace that hardly required any effort on his part. He supposed he should have considered himself a lucky bastard, but it was difficult to do so when his mind was fixed with an image of the disappointed gleam in his father's eyes.

It was truly giving him a headache.

He therefore decided to focus on the only other thing that could override thoughts of his father- and stole a glance at the Gryffindor table.

She didn't notice. Her attention was focused entirely on her friends; she laughed and talked and ate and sat quietly to listen. Her hair had grown longer since the last time he'd seen her- that hideously rainy night during the summer- and it fell in waves of liquid fire past her ears.

Scorpius felt his stomach turn, and he returned his gaze to the empty plate before him. Thoughts of Rose Weasley were a bit too strong a cure.

He ate one helping of roast chicken- Scorpius Malfoy didn't eat much. As he was finishing, Lorcan joined his brother, and the three of them began to talk about Quidditch. Albus and Evie propped open a newspaper.

Then Rose had come.

She avoided him entirely. Even when Arielle inquired as to how his summer was, her attitude unashamedly flirtatious in a way he'd come to accept as Arielle's, Rose refused to acknowledge him. Scorpius didn't really blame her.

Except that some part of him _did_.

As Arielle was finishing off her second plate and Vivienne was arguing with Lorcan over Quidditch, a passing Landon Zabini paused for a moment to survey the group. He then reached over their heads and grabbed the newspaper. "Let me see that."

"Hey! That's mine." Evelyn glared at Landon.

"Not anymore," said Zabini breezily. His cold blue eyes quickly scanned the text. They were narrowed when he slammed it back on the table. "Should have expected this much from you fuckers."

Rose's mouth fell open. "_Excuse_ me?"

"Redeemers, Mudbloods... it's all the same."

Arielle was already out of her seat. Scorpius quickly stood, grasping her shoulders and forcing her back down.

"You clearly have no idea what you're talking about." Evelyn's eyes were blazing in anger.

"You're exactly the same. You're bitter about nothing, so you beat up a bunch of pureblood Slytherins for no reason."

"They're not all purebloods," cut in Albus.

"And they're not all Slytherins," said Vivienne.

Zabini shrugged. "Blood traitors. Whatever. You're the same."

"Fuck _off_, you git." It was Rose. Scorpius spared her a glance; her eyes were narrowed, her hands balled into fists on the table.

Zabini cocked his head to one side, his eyes on Rose. "Your cousin hexed Jarvis Prewett today. On the train."

Scorpius watched Rose's eyes widen.

"So, you see," Zabini continued. "This is about_ you, _Rose."

Rose's cheeks flamed. Zabini plowed on mindlessly. "How does it feel to be the center of attention, Weasley?"

"I don't know." Rose lifted her chin. "How does it feel to be a foul prat, Zabini?"

Zabini grinned, though his face was completely devoid of mirth. "How's Aiden Prewett?"

Rose's eyes narrowed as her face grew redder. "How's Daddy Zabini? Still on temporary leave?"

Zabini's face fell; then his expression hardened. "Though you wouldn't know how dear Aiden is," he continued in a mockingly sweet voice. "Didn't he dump you in front of the entire school?"

Following this statement, Scorpius moved very quickly.

He rose from his seat. He was standing by Zabini a moment later. Grabbing Zabini's forearm, he began to move forward. Zabini tried to pull himself free, but Scorpius was bigger. As soon as they had moved a few feet away, Zabini's protests were camouflauged by the general din in the hall.

Zabini fought Scorpius all the way to the dungeons, where Scorpius finally released him. "What the _fuck_? Who the bloody hell do you think you are?"

Scorpius caught a whiff of Zabini's breath and cringed. "Spiked your pumpkin juice, did you?"

If Zabini responded, Scorpius didn't hear it. He ducked into his dormitory, tucking his flask into his pocket. When Scorpius returned to the hall, Zabini was gone.

Scorpius quietly navigated the halls, with the intention of enjoying the firewhiskey in his preferred spot by the lake. He was, however, delayed by a girl whose arms were crossed over her chest.

"Scorpius," she said, and her tone was concerned rather than angry. "What happened back there?"

But he was already moving past her; though he loved and appreciated her for her steadfast friendship, he really wanted to nurse his firewhiskey at the moment. "Nothing."

"Scorpius, don't-"

"I have a headache," he told her. He barely heard her frustrated sigh as he made his way out of the dungeons and towards the castle doors.

He made it with no other unwelcome interruptions, and the cool night air greeted his cheeks. The night was perfect. A calm settled inside him as he walked; this was something he knew, this was something he _liked_, and nobody would take this night away from him.

And so, when he heard his name called with furious undertones just as he was approaching the lake, Scorpius heaved a heavy, defeated sigh. He wouldn't be getting any firewhiskey- or any sleep, for that matter- tonight.

* * *

"_Scorpius Malfoy_."

He turned around slowly; _too_ slowly, thought Rose, as though he was already planning his next words before speaking them. "Rose Weasley."

"What the hell was that?"

If Scorpius was confused, or at all fazed by her language, he didn't let it show. "Are you following me?"

Rose snorted. "Leave the haughty bit for Zabini, will you?"

"Then what else are you doing out here?"

Rose paused. "I asked you. _What the hell was that_?"

She watched him as he pulled something from the pocket of his trousers; a flask. "What do you mean?"

"You know perfectly well what I mean," she snapped. "I had it well in hand-"

"_No_," he interrupted, unscrewing the flask, which gleamed silver in the night. "You didn't. You were embarrassed."

Rose felt her cheeks grow warm- whether or not she was embarrassed before, she definitely was now. Silently, she willed her cheeks not to match her hair. "I was not. I was fine."

"Oh, really?"

"_Yes_. You see, I've trained myself to be immune to prats."

The corner of Scorpius's mouth twitched. "We had this conversation before."

_In this very spot_, she was tempted to say; but she didn't. In the series of conversations she'd had with him in her years of Hogwarts, the one in this particular spot by the lake was definitely her least favorite.

"You never did explain what you meant," Scorpius went on. "I don't know if you remember, but we were-"

"Interrupted," she snapped, irritated. "Yes, I remember. And I meant you. _You're_ a prat."

"No, you didn't." He sounded so self-assured in this that Rose was momentarily tempted to throttle him.

"Did too. You're a prat."

Scorpius regarded her with half-lidded eyes. "Albus seems to like me."

Rose shrugged. "Albus likes everyone. You're still a prat."

"If I was a prat, would I have saved the day just a few minutes ago?"

Rose scoffed. "You didn't save anything. You know we had it in hand." She paused. "So why'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Why'd you interfere?"

Scorpius leaned forward. "Why does there have to be a reason?"

"Because there is."

"So everybody else has the right to interfere, but _I _need a reason?"

"Precisely."

Scorpius smiled in a way that Rose suspected meant he was humoring her. He traded his flask back and forth, from hand to hand.

"Come on," Rose goaded. "Zabini may be in your House, but he's a foul prat, and I suspect you hate him. So why'd you save him from a flurry of Gryffindor hexes?"

It was a moment before Scorpius spoke.

"Maybe I didn't do it for Zabini."

Rose was now sure she'd never felt more unsettled. "I had it well in hand," she said again; but this time, the conviction behind the declaration was notably weaker.

"Well. In any case, it wasn't for Zabini."

Her cheeks were reddening again, though she couldn't say _why_. He wasn't flirting with her, exactly, because that wasn't Scorpius. He didn't waste his words; and that, perhaps, was what disarmed her most of all.

She watched him bring the flask to his lips and tilt his head back. She watched his throat work as he swallowed. Then the flask was offered to her. "Firewhiskey?"

"No, thank you," she bristled.

"Don't act so high and mighty," he said. "Everyone knows you smoke. A lot."

"I do not smoke a _lot_!" She said indignantly. "I only smoke… sometimes!"

"Sure," he said breezily, taking another sip from the flask.

Suddenly, Rose realized that they were no longer _talking_ about anything; he'd deemed the conversation over, even as she stood with hands at her hips, still charged with the anger she'd fully intended to hurl at him, while he was completely relaxed with the silver flask. They weren't talking about anything, but she still stood there.

That wouldn't do.

"Aren't you going to apologize?"

"For what?"

"For interfering."

Here, Scorpius grinned; a white, crooked thing that looked as though it needed more practice. "You ask for too much, Rubylocks. I don't usually apologize."

Rose refused to let the nickname faze her. "Could've fooled me. That's not what it looked like a couple months ago."

"That was different," Scorpius dismissed. "That was actually my fault."

For some reason, this angered her more than any of his other transgressions and interferences. "You flatter yourself."

He let his shoulders roll in an easy shrug. "Maybe. It _is_ one of the defining qualities of a Slytherin, you know."

Rose felt her mouth twitch. "You will never fit in, Scorpius Malfoy."

Scorpius shook his head slightly, though when he spoke, it was in agreement. "No, I don't think I will."

There was definitely something inexplicably sad in that last statement, and so- figuring she'd really had enough for one day- Rose gave him a small wave and took her leave.

* * *

"_There you are_, you selfish bitch."

Rose paused at the entrance to her dormitory and stared at her best mate. "Did I miss something?"

Arielle, who was sitting on her bed, crossed her legs and fixed Rose with knowing eyes. "Where have_ you_ been, missy?"

"I hope you weren't in a row with James," Vivienne piped up. She was standing before the mirror, piling her curly hair atop her head. "Even though he deserves it. He was really just doing it for you, on the train I mean, and-"

"I don't want to talk about it, Viv." Now that she recalled James's part in the night's events, her stomach turned. In her hasty chase after Scorpius, she'd forgotten to call him out on it, and she was far too tired to do so now. She supposed it would have to wait until morning.

"I hope you're not really upset with him, though," Arielle said, sufficiently deterred from her mission to uncover Rose's whereabouts. "He _was_ doing it for you."

Rose began to pull off her robes. "I know Jarvis. He's quiet. I really doubt he was saying or doing anything on the train that would set James off."

"But he's Aiden's brother."

Rose whirled on her, fingers halfway through unbuttoning her blouse. "And that makes it alright? Hell, if someone attacked _me_ every time one of my cousins had a bad breakup, I doubt I'd be alive right now."

"Alright, alright." Arielle held up her hands in mock surrender. "James is a prat. We're in agreement."

Rose's eyes softened. "_No_. I mean, he _is_, but… I mean, he's my cousin, and I love him, but it really has to stop. You know?"

Arielle watched her curiously as she began to don her Muggle pajamas. "What does?"

"The way he and Hunter just hex people whenever they want and just throw punches all the time. I mean, it's never _too_ bad, but one day someone will really get hurt."

"I guess," said Vivienne.

"You've thrown your fair share of punches, Rose," Arielle teased.

"Quidditch doesn't count."

The girls continued to prepare for bed, donning sleep clothes and drawing some necessities from their trunks. Eventually, the three were settled across from each other on two beds, discussing the not-quite exhausted topic of their upcoming trip to the Hogsmeade circus when their fourth dorm-mate appeared.

"Hullo," Amber Finnegan greeted them with a smile. "Good holiday?"

The three gave generic answers, while Amber crossed the room to her trunk.

"Where's Hazel?" Rose inquired, referring to their last dorm-mate.

"She'll be along in a minute," Amber replied brightly. "She ran into some Ravenclaw guys who had some drinks…"

"Ah." The rest was easily deducible.

"_Anyways_, I heard Evelyn punched Landon Zabini."

The girls burst into peals of laughter.

"And what about you, Rose? I heard you and Scorpius hooked up."

"Oh, _Merlin..._" Rose groaned.

"I worry about the way information circulates in this school…"

"It's not true, Amber," Rose assured her.

"It partially is!" Arielle piped up, which caused Rose to hurl a pillow at her, which spurred a small pillow fight.

Vivienne tucked herself beneath her blanket. "You kids have fun," she called over her shoulder.

Minutes after the pillow fight was subdued, Arielle piped up. "Why's Vivienne been so quiet?"

"Because she's been asleep, idiot."

"We should wake her." Arielle's eyes gleamed. "Go to the Astronomy Tower or something. I'm wired."

"No way." Rose shook her head. "Not tonight. Tomorrow's our first day of lessons…"

"Come on, please!" pleaded Arielle. "When have lessons ever stopped us?"

Their eyes met in a silent challenge, to which Rose eventually relented. She _did _want to. "_Alright_, we'll go…"

"Yes!" squealed Arielle, hopping up from her bed.

"But we're leaving Vivienne," Rose said. Her eyes fell on the slumbering form of her friend, the dark head of hair. "This is probably the first proper bed she's been in for weeks."

Arielle nodded silently. She pulled slippers out of her trunk and onto her feet, then wrapped a glass bottle in a scarf. "Let's go."

And so the girls made their way to the Astronomy Tower. They sat themselves on cold stone with their bare legs dangling over the edge, tempting fate with their daring and small rebellions. A bottle was passed between them- Coca Cola spiked with rum, Arielle's preference- and they talked of the summer and the day, of past and future, of nothing and everything. They laughed quite a bit, and they were still giddy on the high of their merriment and the rum as they returned to their dormitory. They collapsed on their beds and closed their eyes almost instantly, falling into dreamless sleep, while a boy far below them thrashed in his bed, plagued by a parentless world where evil was allowed to roam free.

* * *

_A/N: _Please review!


	3. Engines

**Engines**

When he was nine years old, Scorpius Malfoy cut his finger while sifting through the papers that sat on the desk in his father's study.

Before breakfast, he'd overheard his parents talking about something in the hushed sort of volumes that practically begged for eavesdropping. He'd sat on the base of the spiraling stairs in their large foyer, but he couldn't overhear much. What he did hear, however, was the unmistakable sound of his mother crying. That had shifted the entire situation into a new light, a new perspective. Scorpius vowed to find out what it was that they were talking about, what it was that had made his mother cry, if it was the last thing he did.

Eventually, his father had made an appearance- holding a newspaper- and Scorpius had put all his energy into looking as innocent as possible.

After breakfast, Scorpius silently slipped into his father's study with the intention of finding the newspaper his father was holding that morning. It didn't occur to him that it probably wasn't there, since his father didn't usually stop by the study before leaving for work. Instead, he patted himself on the back for his powers of deduction. His father usually departed for work immediately after breakfast- which was why Scorpius was shocked when none other than Draco Malfoy opened the ebony door and regarded him with raised eyebrows.

"Scorpius? What are you doing?"

Scorpius was suddenly aware that he was sucking his index finger into his mouth. Hoping he wouldn't turn red, he pulled it out. "Nothing."

His father wouldn't have it, moving to the side of the desk and peering at Scorpius's hand. "Did you cut yourself?"

Scorpius nodded, though he didn't need to; his finger was branded with a line of red, the bubble of blood there bright as a beacon.

Draco reached beneath the desk and lifted Scorpius's hand from his lap, then examined the small wound with exaggerated interest. "Blimey. Would you like me to heal it?"

Scorpius withdrew his hand. "No." He wasn't a wuss.

"Alright." At that, Draco Malfoy had pulled out his wand and done something Scorpius would never quite forget. With a bit of nonverbal magic- which, on its own, left Scorpius in awe- his father cut his own finger.

Scorpius stared at the crimson blood beading along his father's index finger. He'd cut his finger in the exact same place that Scorpius had. "Why did you do that?"

"More than one reason," his father had replied. "But mostly because when you're in pain, so am I."

Scorpius felt warmth blossom inside him, as though it was nighttime and he was tucked into his blanket.

"What were you doing here, anyway?" his father had asked.

And because he couldn't lie to his father after what he'd just done, Scorpius said, "I was looking for the newspaper you had this morning. I wanted to know why it made Mum cry."

"Huh. How'd you know it was the newspaper?"

"I saw you holding it after you were talking to her. You were sort of squeezing it, like it made you angry."

His father's eyes pierced him then, that unsettling shade of gray he'd inherited. "Very observant. You're going to be a Slytherin, you know that?"

The words filled Scorpius with pride, but he didn't forget his mission. "So? Why was Mum crying?"

His father turned away from him then. "Sometimes people… they do bad things for no reason. Such a thing happened last night. Some people were killed."

"Murdered?" The word filled him with a thrill he knew he shouldn't have felt; a thrill that disappeared at his next thought. "Like the war?"

"No." His father's voice had hardened. "Not like the war. It won't be like the war."

Scorpius watched as the change overcame his father; he doubted that his father knew that his expression was so telling. In fact, he'd heard from many people at Ministry dinners and informal parties that his father had what they called a "stoic face"- that they could hardly ever tell what he was thinking or feeling. Scorpius could never quite see what they meant. He could always read his father like a book.

Now, his father's eyes shifted to an unfocused spot on a far horizon. His eyebrows came together, as though he was thinking something that made him either very confused or very angry. The corners of his mouth turned down.

"What are you thinking about?"

His father turned to him, and something in his gaze was different. "Do you think I work too much?"

Scorpius hadn't quite expected this question. "No."

"So I… I spend time with you, right? And your Mum? If you think that I don't, or if I don't do it enough, you can tell me."

"I think you do," Scorpius said, quite honestly.

Something in his father's shoulders seemed to unknot. "Good."

A thought occurred to Scorpius, one he wasn't sure if he should voice. "Did Grandpa Lucius work too much?"

The corner of Draco's mouth twitched. "Slytherin, indeed."

But Scorpius was undeterred. "Was he a bad father?"

"No. He was a very good father." Draco reached over and ruffled his son's hair. "He gave me an example not to follow."

Scorpius didn't have time to answer, for his father spoke again. "What was it that cut you?"

"A paper," Scorpius replied, feeling foolish.

In response, Draco had pressed his wounded finger to his son's; and though it stung a bit, Scorpius didn't pull away. "This is proof," the father said, "That words can hurt."

* * *

Due to the fact that he had barely slept the night before due to unsettling dreams, that he'd already showered and dressed, that it was too ungodly an hour to show up in the Great Hall for breakfast, and that he was too wired to sit around in his dorm room for another hour, Scorpius Malfoy decided to go for a run.

He shed his robes, switched his trousers into sweatpants, and donned a gray t-shirt before leaving the dormitory. In the common room, he found a surprise waiting for him, in the form of his best mate, sitting on one of the plush emerald sofas, her arms crossed over her chest.

"You know, I never did figure out how you got into the Slytherin Common Room."

The girl on the emerald sofa smiled cryptically. "Maybe I'm a Slytherin at heart."

Scorpius didn't return her grin. "No, you're not."

A small silence ensued.

"How long have you been here?" Scorpius asked, slightly concerned.

"An hour," she replied, undaunted. "Feeling better?" She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Or are you going to tell me to bugger off again?"

"I'm sorry," he replied, sincerity in his voice. "I really did have a headache. I was going to go on a walk, but…"

"Rose," she continued for him.

Scorpius raised a brow, though he figured he shouldn't have been surprised. Girls always talked about everything. "She told you?"

"No," she answered. "But she came to the dorm late last night, and with you looking like arse right now, I figured."

"Thanks."

"Did you sleep at all?" she asked him; the concern in her voice last night was doubled now.

"Sure, I slept," he answered; it wasn't exactly a lie. "Did_ you_?"

"Yeah."

He figured she was lying as well, but since neither of them wanted to admit it, he decided to drop the matter. If it was serious, she would tell him. He knew that. "Anyway, I was going on a run."

The girl rose from her seat. "Great. I'll join you."

Scorpius ran a skeptical eye over her slight figure, over the jeans and maroon t-shirt she wore. "I meant, like, a serious run."

She raised a dark brow threateningly. "What? Think I won't keep up?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "You don't run, Viv."

Vivienne rolled her eyes. "I've been running all summer. All my life, really. This won't be any different."

If it had come from anyone else, Scorpius would have responded with sympathy; or at least he would have thought that she wanted him to respond with sympathy. But this was Vivienne; this was his closest friend, and he knew her, and he knew that she was only stating it as a fact. Sympathy would offend her.

"Right, then." He crossed the room and held open the door that led to the dimly lit corridor. "Let's go."

* * *

Rose Weasley awoke in the morning with a screaming headache.

She winced and pressed her fingertips to her temples, massaging them. _A hangover on the first morning of school. Perfect._ Mentally, she cursed herself for her stupidity.

Or, rather, _Arielle's _stupidity. Damn her and her rum. Rose turned her head, her eyes falling on the four-poster on the opposite wall, where she could glimpse Arielle's sleeping form through the thin curtain.

"Damn you, Arielle," Rose muttered underneath her breath. She heaved a sigh- and another, just for personal satisfaction- then pushed herself into a sitting position and swung her legs off the bed.

One shower later, Rose stood studying her face in the mirror with an unusual scrutiny; spurred, perhaps, by the extra time on her hands. Her skin was pale, as was customary for redheads. Her features closely resembled her mother's; and for that, Rose was grateful. Hermione Granger-Weasley was beautiful. Rose had the same mouth; full lips that formed a perfect bow. She had the same straight nose, which came to a delicate point. Said nose, however, was sprinkled with a slight dusting of freckles; courtesy of her father's genes and of the summer sun. Her eyes took the shape of her mother's, but the sky blue of her father's. Her hair was the same; in texture, it had taken after her mother, and in color her father. At the moment, it was still damp and dark from her shower. In a few hours, however, she knew it would be bushy and quite a few shades lighter. Rose remembered that her mother told her she had worn her hair naturally in her Hogwarts days. Rose, however, refused to do the same. She lifted her trusty bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and applied a generous amount to her hair, then ran her wand over it. Her hair dried and smoothed and shone. It was a ritual she had perfected over the years; she only had to do it once a week now, and her hair fell in gentle, sleek waves past her shoulders.

The operation with her hair finished, Rose pulled back and studied the rest of her body. She wasn't short enough to be called petite, or tall enough to be considered _tall_; she was of a reasonable height for a teenage girl, a little over five feet. She was slim, with a pinched-in waist, and an acceptable rump and breasts. She sometimes found herself wishing for Arielle's enticing curves, or Vivienne's tiny size, or Evelyn's impressive cleavage, or Hazel Farley's generally perfect body. But, on the whole, Rose was content. With a final once-over that deemed herself ready for the day, Rose left the lavatory and made for the trunk at the foot of her bed.

Not quite ready to depart to the Great Hall yet, Rose donned another pair of shorts and a tank top. Her head was still pounding- it was extremely tempting to wear jeans and quickly nip a cup of strong coffee from downstairs- but another need was stronger. Rose's fingers searched and rummaged, before she finally found the small box she needed.

Cigarettes.

She pulled one out, then some parchment and a quill, and seated herself quite comfortably at the window seat. The morning was gray and the glass window was cool to her touch. Rose loved it. She cracked the window open slightly before lighting the cigarette with her wand and taking a couple of delicious drags. Then she spread out her parchment, dipped her quill in ink, and began to write.

Rose was nearly finished with her third letter when Arielle stirred quite loudly awake. "Oh God, oh Merlin, fuck, my _head_…"

"Morning, sunshine," called Rose.

Arielle poked her head out of the gap between her curtains. Her hair was frazzled, and she wore a mean grimace. "What're you doing _awake,_ you prig?"

"Writing letters," Rose answered.

"To who?" Arielle's question was muffled, and a quick glance told Rose that she had seemingly buried her face in a mountain of pillows.

"My parents," she answered. "And Teddy."

"Huh," came Arielle's nearly incoherent reply. "Tell Teddy I'm hot for him."

Rose shook her head, though her writing hand didn't falter. "Can you stop hitting on my cousins, please?"

"Teddy isn't your cousin."

"He basically is."

"Well, tell your cousins to stop hitting on _me_, alright?"

Rose laughed. "Alright. Whatever."

But a sudden snore told Rose that Arielle had fallen asleep again. A few minutes later, Rose turned to her completed letters with a critical eye.

_Dear Mum and Dad, _

_I've arrived at Hogwarts safely, needless to say. I'm very glad to be back. Nothing's really changed, and I'm excited for term. Tell my dozens of relatives hello for me, and that I miss them. _

_Love, _

_Rose_

It was sufficient, she decided. She hardly had anything to say to her parents on the first day of term; she only sent the letter out of custom, a habit she'd developed in first year. Rose turned to the second letter.

_Dear Mum,_

_I hope everything's alright. You seemed okay over the summer. Both of you did. But I can't help but worry. You can't blame me, because I've inherited it from you. I don't want that happiness I saw in you during the summer to go away, now that me and Hugo have returned to Hogwarts. I know it makes me seem unreasonable to ask this of you, but try to keep that alive, okay? You'll be alright if you do. And I know I'm your daughter, so you don't think you can really talk to me or complain to me, but you can. Alright? Actually, you better, or else I won't complain to you. And I know how much you hate that._

_I love you. Take care of yourself._

_Love, _

_Rose_

This, on the other hand, was hardly sufficient. There was so much Rose wanted to say to her mother, and the parchment barely contained it all. With a sigh, Rose examined the third letter.

_Dear Teddy,_

_Settled in at Hogwarts at last. I can't tell you how relieved I am to be here. Everything is so familiar and warm, and after the crazy summer I had, I've missed it._

_Now that I'm here, though, I miss you. It was fun seeing you so often during the holiday, and I got used to it. I guess we'll have to go back to writing each other every other day now- that's probably why I'm writing you, even though it's only the first morning of term, and nothing's really happened yet. Well, besides me and Arielle getting drunk on the Astronomy Tower. Don't tell Mum._

_I just realized that I'm an idiot for putting that in writing._

_In any case, that should just show you how much I love you. Not only am I writing you on the first morning of term, minutes after writing my parents, but I'm doing it with a hangover. Consider yourself lucky._

_How are you, Teddy? I imagine you couldn't have changed much in a week- but then again, you could have, so let me know. How's Victoire? How's life shacked up in sin? Is Aunt Fleur still throwing fits? It's about time you two moved in together, you coward- you've been together since I was a kid._

_By the way, Arielle says she's hot for you. She's joking, of course- and more hung over than I am. Just make sure that, whatever you do, you don't tell James. _

_Ha._

_I suppose I could ask more questions about the family, but I write them all, and my fingers are cramping. Besides, I'm sure that you'll tell me if anything major happens, since we're the world's most loyal and consistent pair of pen pals. Do tell me- don't forget. And that extends to matters outside the family. I read The Daily Prophet, and even if I didn't, I'd find out anything there is to know from my friend Evelyn- but still, The Daily Prophet isn't the most reliable source of news, so make sure you tell me everything. _

_Good luck with everything, Ted. And wish me luck with term!_

_Love, _

"Rose?"

At the sound of her name, Rose looked up from the letter, finding her dorm-mate quietly slipping in through the door.

"Oh, hullo, Hazel."

"Hullo." Hazel nodded her head in Rose's direction. "What're you doing up?"

"Writing. What about you?"

Hazel arched a perfectly shaped brow. "I run every morning, remember?"

"Right..." Rose ran her gaze over the other girl. She wore running shorts and a skimpy tank top that showed half her abdomen. In her hand, she clutched a large bag. It was Rose's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Did you even sleep here last night?"

Hazel skipped over to her bed and dumped her bag in it, as though in confirmation. "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies."

Rose shrugged. "Who was it?"

"Ravenclaw bloke," Hazel responded, and Rose wished she had never asked. She dragged moodily at her cigarette while Hazel gathered some items from her trunk and announced she was taking a shower.

"Insensitive bitch."

Not sure whether or not she should be amused, Rose glanced at the rumpled pile of sheets that was Arielle. "Excuse me?"

"I said she's an insensitive bitch." Arielle slowly sat up in bed, eyes barely open. "Oh, my _head_."

"Why is she an insensitive bitch? I mean, besides the fact that it's Hazel Farley we're talking about."

"Hold on, too many words." Arielle winced, clutching her head. "Can you fetch me my rum? I need a taste of the snake that bit me."

Rose stared at Arielle as though she was an idiot. "That won't make it better."

"Just give me the rum."

Turning her head away from her friend, Rose took a slow, exquisite drag of her cigarette. "Get it yourself."

"I hate you." Nonetheless, Arielle bent over the edge of her bed and rummaged in her trunk until she found what she wanted, taking short sips.

A minute later, Arielle gave a satisfied sigh. "I feel much better."

"You're mad," Rose commented, while Arielle lifted her hair into a sloppy bun. "So tell me. Why's Hazel a bitch on this particular morning?"

"Oh, just the way she talked about the last guy she shagged who happened to be a Ravenclaw while you just sat there so vulnerably, nursing your hangover..."

Rose chucked her quill at her. "I am not _vulnerable_."

"Aren't you?" Arielle asked, and suddenly they were no longer joking.

Rose huffed, watching the cigarette that dangled from her fingers. "I'm alright. Most of the time. I mean, I've gotten this far, haven't I?"

"Yeah, but summer was full of distractions... now you'll be seeing him every day. It'll be like it just happened."

"No, it won't." Rose gave her a small, false smile. "But if it does... I'll have you to help me out, won't I?"

Arielle smiled. "Of course you will." She stood up and began to gather clothes in her arms. "Now, I will get ready, because I need some bloody _coffee_..."

Rose chuckled. "I will give you five Galleons if you finish getting ready in _under_ thirty minutes."

Arielle quirked a brow. "Five Galleons?"

"Yes."

"You're on."

* * *

"Why're you two so late?" Albus chastised as Rose and Arielle approached the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

"Al! Good to see you on the Gryffindor table," Rose said. "Oh, and Arielle took about a year and a half to get ready."

"Huh."

Rose began to pile eggs on her plate as Arielle raved about what a long-winded and complicated process it was to get her mascara _just right_. Albus pretended to be sympathetic while Evelyn joined them, setting an obscene amount of books beside her with a small _thud_.

"I like your hair, Evie," Arielle said absentmindedly as she poured herself some coffee.

Evelyn looked up, absentmindedly touching the ends of her wavy blonde hair. "It's the same way it always is."

Arielle shrugged. "Still. I like it."

Evelyn began to butter some toast. "You feel guilty about being a bitch to me yesterday, so you're complimenting me so as to skirt an apology."

Arielle's mouth formed a perfect O. "I am not!"

"Whatever." Evelyn shrugged, smiled at Albus, then took a bite of her toast.

Presently, Alice Longbottom joined them. She gave Albus a brief hug and greeted the rest of the group warmly. Arielle and Evelyn, mindless of the new arrival, plowed on with their banter.

"I said, I accept your apology," Evelyn was saying, unable to hold back a wicked grin.

"There was no apology."

"I heard one. I accept it."

"No."

"_Yes_."

"_Ugh_. Fine, Evelyn, believe whatever you want to believe to get through the day. We have important matters at hand." Her piercing gaze cut through to Albus. "Al, can you go, please?"

Albus looked up from his sausages, confused. "Why?"

"Just go, Albus. We have girl things to talk about."

Realization dawned on the girls surrounding him. Evelyn grabbed Albus's arm. "No, Al, stay."

"Yes." Vivienne's eyes were entreating. "Stay."

"I can't believe you, Ari," Rose said. "How many times are we going to tell you that we don't want you to go on a wizard hunt for us?"

Arielle whined. "But it's so fun!"

The other three girls faced her with flat gazes. Alice looked half confused, half amused. "No, it's not."

"Fine, Albus, stay." Arielle lifted a goblet of pumpkin juice to her mouth and took a calculating sip, her eyes calculating over the rim. "There's Jasper. He's the same as always. Semi-cute. Possibility for Viv and Evie. Elijah Vane… he's looking pretty good this year. I believe he's gotten a few inches taller. No particular Ravenclaws of interest… Aiden's out, of course. Yum, Louis… just kidding, Rose, just kidding! Cassius… hmm, maybe. But he's a little too serious for my taste. Might be a good match for Evie. Edward and Rolf… Quidditch players, that's always good…"

Arielle caught Rose's expression. "Okay, enough Ravenclaws. Onto Hufflepuff… Okay, there's Adonis, there's Mohammed… Merlin, that boy is delicious, it's too bad he's religious… oh, and there's Jasmine… just kidding…."

"Are you done yet?" Evelyn's tone was dry.

"_No_. We haven't even ventured into Slytherin yet, _Mrs. Zabini_."

"_Ew_!" Evelyn threw a slice of toast at Arielle, who caught it neatly in her hands and took a large bite.

"To be honest, this conversation is making me a bit sick," Albus confessed.

"Oh, no! Have some tea," Arielle suggested brightly.

"Bet you wish we'd stayed on the Slytherin table this morning," said Evelyn dryly.

"No, seriously." Albus's eyes were wide. "Are we always analyzed like that?"

Alice was quick to soothe. "Of course not."

Albus gave her a grateful smile. Arielle leaned forward. "She's lying. You _are_ analyzed."

Alice shook her head. Rose kicked Arielle's foot. "You're not," she assured Albus. "Ari's just going through a fit of insanity…"

"Be_ honest_ with the boy, Rosie. You are analyzed." Arielle turned on Albus. "And paired off with other girls and such. For example, I personally think you should grow a pair and take Evelyn on a date."

Both Evelyn and Albus gasped, then adopted similar expressions of disgust and shock, then laughed. "Merlin, Arielle, you are _out _of it."

Arielle shrugged. "Deny it all you want."

Alice got to her feet. "I should go..."

"What? Why?"

"I just, um... classes, and I need to get my schedule..." Alice didn't meet any of their eyes as she hoisted her bag onto her shoulder, leaving her virtually untouched plate. She quickly made her way to the doors of the Great Hall, turning once to give Albus a weak smile when he called after her.

Once again, Rose kicked Arielle's foot. "That was rude."

Arielle's eyes grew wide and incredulous. "_What_? What was?"

"You can't say stuff like that in front of my girfriend," Albus said, face flushed.

Arielle rolled her eyes. "You were laughing about it two minutes ago."

"Yeah. Yeah, I was." He stood. "And you know what, that makes it even worse."

"Oh, come on..." Arielle stood and reached across the table for Albus's hand. "Come on, Albus, don't leave."

"Alice is really upset."

"Okay, I'm sorry. And I promise I'll apologize to Alice, too. I'll tell her I'm a complete prig who can't control her mouth. Alright?"

Albus looked at her as though he was considering it. "Well..."

"That is true," Rose cut in.

"Come on, Al, please accept my apology. Please. Please please please please please please-"

"_Alright_."

"Yes!" Arielle smiled. "Perfect. Good. Because we have yet to examine Slytherin…"

Evelyn groaned.

"Let's just… _not_," Rose suggested.

Arielle plowed on as though she hadn't heard. "What about Blonde Rochester? Has that boy grown two feet or_ what_?"

"Scorpius has always been tall," Rose said dismissively.

"Hey, stay away from Scorp," Vivienne intervened. "And will you stop calling him 'Blonde Rochester'? He hates it."

"No he doesn't." Arielle dipped her spoon into a bowl of pudding. "He probably loves it. He probably wishes we'd all nickname him, what with his horrible mouthful of a name…. _Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy_."

Arielle made a face, and Rose couldn't help but laugh. Vivienne rolled her eyes.

"So, Viv… when are you gonna ask him out?"

Vivienne coughed, and even Rose looked startled. "Excuse me?"

"Please! Don't look so surprised. He's a Roman _god_ with features chiseled by angels…"

"She's effectively put me off my food," stated Evelyn, rising. "I think I'll go."

Rose's glance shifted to the doors to the Great Hall, where she happened to catch a glimpse of a familiar retreating head. "Me too. Just a mo."

A few seconds later, Rose caught up with her brother. "Oi, Hugo." Her hand landed on his shoulder. "Miss me?"

"Hullo." Hugo turned around and greeted her with a half-smile.

"Hullo, Auroura," Rose greeted the tiny brunette who stood beside Hugo.

"Good morning," Auroura responded with a smile. "Hugo, I'm gonna go ahead, okay?"

"Alright." Hugo gave her a short parting wave before turning to Rose. "Look, you're an okay older sister and stuff, but you don't have to check up on me. I'm a fourth year now."

"'_Okay older sister'_?" Rose gave a small mock frown. "I'm insulted."

"You should be," said he. "What happened to having breakfast together on the first day of term?"

Rose planted her hands on her hips. "You're the one who left early."

"You're the one who forgot."

She couldn't deny it; she _had _forgotten. "Alright, I'll make it up to you. Let's have lunch together, yeah?"

Hugo pretended to consider, and she punched him on the shoulder, which evoked a laugh. "You're on. Ravenclaw table?"

The last thing Rose wanted was to sit on the Ravenclaw table on the first day of term, but Hugo's eyes were wide and expectant. She only hesitated for a second. "Ravenclaw table."

"Brilliant. See you then."

Rose returned to the Great Hall, and just in time; Professor Longbottom was doling out their schedules.

"Miss Weasley." The friendly face of her favorite professor smiled at her.

"Morning, Professor Longbottom." Rose took her schedule from him and began to examine it, just as James slid into the seat beside her.

"Morning, Red."

Rose's eyes narrowed into slits as the anger from the night before rose like a wave in her chest. "_Don't_ speak to me, James."

"Hey, that's no way to talk to your dear cousin."

"Well, my _dear cousin_ shouldn't have attacked my ex-boyfriend's harmless brother and made a mockery of me in front of the entire school," Rose snapped. "Don't talk to me. I'm serious."

James held up his hands, palms forward, in a mock gesture of peace. "Fine. But you can't stay mad at me for long."

"Oh, yes I can."

"You can't," James said, his tone smug. "And do you know why?"

Rose didn't answer, for fear of opening her mouth and launching into yet another tirade that would lead to another public embarrassment.

"Why?" Arielle asked. Rose glared at her.

"Because it's the first day of term," James answered. "In two days, it'll be the _third _day of term. And you know what happens on the third day of term, Red."

With that, James departed, leaving Rose fuming.

"Damn him, he's right."

"Why is he right?" said Vivienne.

"Because." It was Albus who answered. "Third day of term is when we have our annual family meeting."

* * *

"Potions first," Albus grumbled as he, Rose, Evelyn, and Vivienne made their way to the dungeons.

"_Double_ Potions first," Rose corrected.

"Merlin." Albus's mouth twisted into a grimace. "Why did I continue taking this class? Someone remind me."

"Because you want to be an Auror," Evelyn was quick to say.

"Like Uncle Harry," added Rose.

"Well, I should've taken James's advice and followed in Mum's footsteps," Albus griped.

"You don't even play Quidditch," said Vivienne.

"But he can." Rose nudged Albus's arm, a mock gesture of pride. "He's pretty good when we all play together, during the summer…"

"Oh." Vivienne looked surprised. "Why aren't you on the team then, Al?"

Albus didn't answer straightaway. "Long story."

"You should try out," Vivienne suggested.

"If he doesn't want to, he doesn't have to," protested Evelyn.

"But if Rose says he's good, then he's good! If he plays Seeker, he could replace Corliss... maybe then Slytherin would _actually_ win a few games. Oi, Albus, do you play Seeker?"

"Sometimes…"

"There you have it!" Vivienne looked triumphant.

"Corliss is pretty good," said Albus meekly.

"Besides, he's a Weasley-Potter..." Vivienne continued, mindless of Albus. "He probably wouldn't even have to try out."

Rose lifted a hand to her mouth, as though in shock. "Are you accusing us of nepotism?"

Evelyn rolled her eyes as Albus began to laugh, and the group began teasingly counting off examples of the large Weasley family's dominance at Hogwarts.

In the midst of it all, Vivienne suddenly lifted a hand. "Oi! Scorp!"

Separated from them by a throng of students, it took a few seconds for Scorpius to catch up to them. "Hullo, Viv. And… everyone else."

They all responded in kind, excepting Evelyn. Rose nudged her. "What's wrong?"

Evelyn stared straight ahead. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Rose and Albus exchanged a glance. The latter shrugged. "Alright."

Vivienne was talking to Scorpius. "… figured I might as well get a word in now, since I probably won't be able to talk to you at all during the next two hours…"

"Why wouldn't you be able to talk to Scorpius?"

"Because you and Scorpius always work together in Potions," Vivienne answered, addressing Rose, who flushed and muttered something underneath her breath.

"What was that, Weasley?"

Rose looked Scorpius in the eye. "I _said_ that it wasn't by choice."

Scorpius's eyes narrowed. "Really? Because your marks wouldn't be quite so high if I wasn't your potions partner."

"Oh, please! _Don't_ make me laugh."

Scorpius curled his lip. "We'll see who makes the better Felix Felicis this year. Wait… do you know what that is?"

"You'll need a dose of it first to beat me, Malfoy."

The two had unconsciously walked ahead of the group, Rose's hair trailing behind her like a flag.

"Maybe they won't work together this year," Evelyn said, her tone doubtful.

Vivienne scoffed. "Professor Baddock is more likely to throw himself to a bunch of dementors than to separate his dream team."

Albus was still watching them. "They do realize that if they're working together, they'll be making the same Felix Felicis, right...?"

* * *

The Potions classroom was entirely unchanged. It was slightly chilly, even on the first day of term, when summer still clung to the air with desperate fingers. Pickled animals lined the walls in glass jars on dark shelves, and the fireplace was stony and cold; entirely useless.

Professor Baddock began the class by pairing off the students. No one was particularly shocked when he read "Scorpius Malfoy" with "Rose Weasley". Begrudgingly, the two took a table in the back, only to be called back to the front of the classroom as Professor Baddock asked them to distribute textbooks.

Rose did it manually, walking from table to table, as she knew Professor Baddock preferred; Scorpius lifted his wand when the professor turned his back. Mouth twisted into a grimace, Rose finally returned to her table and listened as Professor Baddock explained the effects of the Wit-Sharpening potion.

"I passed out more books than you."

Rose's gaze snapped to Scorpius, who looked as though he was holding back a smile. "You're a child."

"So are you."

"I am exceedingly more mature than you are."

"The use of the word 'exceedingly' doesn't make you mature."

The corner of Rose's mouth twitched. "_Alright_. Truce?"

He grinned. "Never."

"Fine." She pulled her sleeves up to her elbow. "I'll cut the ginger root, and you'll grind the beetles."

Scorpius shook his head. "You do hate me, do you?"

"You know it."

"You're going to be the death of me, Rose Weasley."

They began their work in silence. Rose marveled at the ease with which their conversation developed- she couldn't recall it ever being that way. Yes, they'd _fought _easily enough before- and when they weren't fighting, Rose was either angry or too open, while Scorpius was either awkward or cocky. She wondered how it was possible for one person to encompass those two traits so well.

"We need armadillo bile." Scorpius rose from his chair. "Just a mo."

Rose watched him make his way around the tables. When he turned around, a small cylinder in hand, she immediately lowered her gaze to the table in front of her, lifting a small knife and beginning to cut the ginger root.

He placed the bile on the table without comment, rolling up his sleeves and beginning his own work. Eventually, Rose cut the silence. "How's Zabini?"

Scorpius looked at her, then raised his eyebrows. "Do you actually care?"

Rose shrugged. "Just wondering. He's not in class."

"Uhuh..."

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm just making small talk."

"Hmm. Well, you need a bit more practice."

Smiling despite herself, Rose threw a piece of ginger root at him. "Grind your beetles."

He did so. At the end of the class, they bottled a sample of their finished potion and submitted it to Mr. Baddock. And- just as he would do last year- Mr. Baddock fawned over it, complimenting Rose and Scorpius on their "excellent teamwork". Rose and Scorpius exchanged a brief smile over that statement before going their separate ways.

And just like that, the transition into the new term was seamlessly concluded.

* * *

"I feel as though my heart has been ripped out."

Rose announced this state of being to her friends as they walked to their Muggle Studies class, their lunch hour concluded. Arielle inquired as to why this was so- and Rose's mind returned to the lunch hour, in which she had talked and ate while Aiden sat mere feet away. She was exaggerating- the experience wasn't painful, but it was certainly odd.

Evelyn was glowering- Rose noticed this for the first time. Selfishly, she saw an opening to avoid talking about her own cares. "Are you still going to pretend nothing's wrong?"

Arielle raised her eyebrows. "She's been like this before lunch?"

"Since we were walking to Potions."

Grumbling under her breath, Evelyn walked ahead of the two. Arielle regarded this with amusement. "Anyway, Rosie, let me tell you what happened. I know because during lunch, Albus was busy- apparently _snogging _Alice for an entire hour-"

"They weren't snogging, Arielle!" Evelyn whirled around. "Merlin, do you actually think about anything you say?"

Arielle crossed her arms over her chest. "I am explaining to our dear friend why you are being such a bitch. If you would like your behavior to go by unexplained and unexcused, feel free to interrupt me one more time."

Evelyn rolled her eyes, but remained silent.

"In any case… Albus was preoccupied with Alice during lunch, you were preoccupied with Hugo and the dregs of your love life, Vivienne was with Scorpius, and so Evelyn was forced into telling _me_ all about the huge row she had with Zabini this morning."

"I had no other choice."

Rose's eyebrows rose. "What did he do? It couldn't have been that bad if we didn't hear about it…"

Evelyn blinked, then let out a short laugh. "Oh, no, I meant that I had no choice but to confide in Arielle."

"_Gee_. Thanks."

"What did you two have a row about?" Rose asked.

"Nothing new," Evelyn replied, frowning.

"Cheer up," Arielle said brightly, patting Evelyn's shoulder. "We've got that new teacher to look forward to... Professor Reed?"

Sure enough, Professor Reed was standing at the front of her classroom when the girls filed into it. She was wearing a set of baby blue robes, which looked as though they were made from a light, airy material. Her hair gleamed.

She instructed them to take their seats. Then- to the students' surprise- she did not distribute books.

* * *

"So, we've got the oddest new professor for Muggle Studies" Vivienne announced, taking a swig of butterbeer. She and Scorpius were sitting on the Quidditch, four bottles of butterbeer between them. It was a first-day-of-term tradition.

"That Reed bird?"

"Her. Merlin, she's young. I wouldn't put her past twenty five. She's got us reading Muggle novels and poetry... and examining _art_. She says that's the best way to learn about them."

Scorpius shrugged. "Sounds smart."

"Rose was beside herself, naturally," Vivienne continued. "When we told Evelyn at dinner, we could tell that she wished she'd never dropped the class now. And Arielle… well, _she_ just wanted to know if we'd be reading Jane Eyre."

His hands came up to cover his face, though a smile curved beneath them. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Never."

"I despise you."

It was Vivienne's turn to shrug. She was smiling too. "Merlin… I've missed this place."

She closed her eyes, briefly, turning her face up to the stars, and when she opened them, Scorpius was looking at her. Vivienne turned away, uncomfortable with the directness of his gaze. "Aren't you going to ask me what we read?"

Scorpius cocked his head. "Aren't you ever going to tell me what happened this summer?"

She sighed, a small frustrated sound. "I told you. Howard's sister came to visit-"

"I know what you said. I also know you aren't too keen on sharing details regarding what happened _after_ you left Howard's house."

Vivienne picked at the grass beneath her palm. She avoided Scorpius's eye. "It's no big deal."

"Damn it, Viv!"

Vivienne stole a look at him- there was nothing casual about his expression now. He was no longer smiling.

"Whatever it is that happened- it can't be worse than the thoughts going through my head. It's much worse when you _don't_ say… just tell me." He ended on a plea.

"Nothing _happened_," she snapped. "Nothing you're picturing. I wasn't robbed, or attacked, or… or _raped_, if that's what you're thinking. I went around on the Knight Bus. And when I couldn't anymore, I walked. There were scraps, and yeah I was hungry, but nothing happened to me- because I got myself a job at the Leaky Couldron, as a maid. So, you see, I took care of it. Although I am small in size and possess no measurable talents as well as no respectable relatives, I _can_ take care of myself, believe it or not."

Scorpius met her irate gaze evenly. "That's not how I think of you, Vivienne."

She felt the anger seep from her pores. "I- I know. I know you don't. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry."

Vivienne shook her head. "No, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that… I'm just so fed up with people looking at me with pity."

"Whoever looks at you with pity is a right foul git."

She looked at him, a small smile curving her mouth. "Rose looks at me with pity sometimes."

Scorpius felt his face flush. "Right…."

Vivienne laughed. "I'm sorry, that was underhanded."

He opened his mouth to speak. She cut him off. "And you hate me, I know."

Scorpius chuckled and leaned back, so that the grass tickled the naked spot between his head and his shoulder blades. "I don't hate you."

"Whatever."

They reclined in comfortable silence.

"So…" Scorpius ventured. "The Leaky Couldron, eh?"

Vivienne chuckled. "Yeah…."

"I should have helped you out."

"You couldn't," she protested automatically. "You had problems of your own."

"Yeah." He felt his eyes close, and the words he said were more of a mumble beneath his breath. "I guess you could say that."

The image was returning- his father's eyes. Not angry, not mad… that would have been easier. Instead, they're filled with disappointment. That image is chased away by another; his father, a younger version of him, his bleeding finger pressed to Scorpius's own.

Somehow, the memory- _where did that come from, anyway?_- made him feel worse than ever. Not caring that he was on the Quidditch pitch, not caring that he was surrounded by butterbeer, Scorpius let his eyes slip closed. Sleep would claim him, and maybe even cleanse him.

* * *

It happened outside the library. Landon couldn't find a way to avoid that.

To be perfectly frank, he could have waited until she was on her way to the dungeons. That way, at least, the nosy librarian wouldn't have heard the scream. That way, there would've been witnesses to testify that he hadn't actually _hurt_ her or anything. Most of the students- especially her Gryffindor friends- were annoying as all hell, but even he had to admit that they were honest.

Well. Some of them, anyway.

It began that morning. When Flitwick told him- hell, before he was even done telling him- he'd made up his mind to ignore his condition. But he'd been angry, despite his resolve. He'd set a discarded textbook on fire. Evelyn Davis, The Slytherin Saint, had saved it with some quick spell work and then gave him the sort of lecture only mothers were entitled to.

They'd fought. Naturally.

In retrospect, he shouldn't have caved. He should have stuck to his resolve; never have done the deed. He should have stuck it to Flitwick that very morning. He should have flatly refused. Who was he to say Landon was in danger of being expelled? Who was he to say that he was failing the school's core curriculum? Landon wasn't clueless; he knew he wasn't the brightest wizard of their age. But he wasn't dumb. Not like others were… certainly not like Ackley Crabbe. _There! Ha! I've thought of someone even dumber than I am. Let _him _be expelled._

Regardless- Landon Zabini was the school's Quidditch star. It was true. Sure, James Potter posed a potential threat. He was good, insanely passionate, and the fact that he was Harry Potter's son sure didn't hurt. But Potter wasn't too much of a problem. They weren't in the same year, and they played different positions, so it wouldn't really matter in the end.

It was the thought of this- of losing his shot at making it as Beater for any of his dream teams- that convinced him to swallow his pride and do it. But he shouldn't have- he realized that now. He should have told Flitwick that his father would hear about this. That his father would interfere. But in the depths of his consciousness, Landon knew that wasn't going to happen.

And so, he'd done it.

He'd waited for Evelyn Davis outside the library, and the second she came out, her back to him, he'd placed a hand on her shoulder.

She screamed.

"Fuck!" Landon winced. "Merlin, what the hell… could you keep it down?"

"What- _Zabini_?"

"Good to know your eyes work."

"_Get your hand off me_." Her upper lip was curled in disgust. Landon rolled his eyes and did as she said.

That was when the librarian- Landon could never quite remember her name- rushed out and asked what the commotion was. As soon as she saw Landon, her beady eyes turned to hot pieces of coal. Without waiting to hear an explanation, she launched into a lecture regarding library etiquette and keeping quiet in the halls, especially when curfew was so near.

How many lectures was that today- three? It was getting hard to keep count. Nonetheless, Landon kept quiet throughout it, for Evelyn's sake. She wouldn't agree to help him if he started mouthing off now.

When they were alone, Landon moved to stand beside Evelyn. He heard her sigh. "What do you want, Zabini? More books to burn?"

"Ha," he said dryly. "You remember. Good, good. Having a memory like that means you're smart, which I've heard you are."

Evelyn stopped walking. She turned slowly, very slowly, to look at Landon. Her eyes were narrowed. "Did you just… give me a _compliment_?"

"That depends, did it work?"

She laughed hollowly and resumed walking. "Merlin. Whatever you've done must be really horrible if you're trying to be nice to me… is there a dementors' kiss on the way, I wonder? Trying to atone for past sins?"

"No death penalty," he said. "Though it's pretty close."

This time, she didn't quite stop walking, though he saw the pause in her step. "What is it, then?"

"I need you to tutor me."

Evelyn laughed. Landon tried to keep a straight face, though he wanted to repetitively pound his head against the wall for ever stooping so low.

Eventually, she caught his expression; her laugher stopped. Her eyes grew huge. "You're- you're serious?"

"I wish I wasn't."

"_Wait_. How in the world could you be serious?"

"It's Flitwick," he started, and some internal part of him found it both amusing and ironic that Evelyn was the first person he was relating this news to. "He talked to me this morning… before the book-on-fire thing. He said that I was failing all my classes, and that my O.W.L.s were nowhere near acceptable, and that if I didn't get someone to tutor me, I'd… be expelled." He mumbled the last.

"What?"

"_Expelled_," he repeated; louder, clearer, angrier. "You know, get kicked out of school? Forced to leave Hogwarts?"

"I know what 'expelled' means." It was a few moments before Evelyn spoke again. "Why do you care, anyway? Wouldn't getting expelled be a relief for you?"

He was incredulous. "How does that make any sense?"

"Well, if you're failing, you can't possibly be enjoying school…"

Landon smirked. "Doing well in school isn't all there is to school, Prefect."

"Right… I should've guessed. Not so many birds in Zabini Manor, are there?"

He flushed, though he didn't know why. It was her audacity; that goddamned audacity. It always got under his skin. "That's not what we call it."

"Zabini Place? Zabini Hall? Zabini-"

"Shut up."

Her hazel eyes cut through to him with a glare. "For someone who needs help, you're not being very nice."

"I'm not going to be nice. Don't get your hopes up."

She scoffed. "You have a lot of nerve. How could you possibly expect me to help you?"

Landon sighed, exasperated. "Because you _have_ to, okay? Because if you don't, I lose my shot. I lose my life. I can't be expelled from Hogwarts."

"I don't see why it has to be me, though." She wasn't looking at him. "Why can't you get someone else? _Anyone_ else?"

"I tried. He said it had to be a Slytherin from my year. So it was either Scorpius or you. Then he looked over our schedules and Scorpius was out, because he doesn't take History of Magic."

"I see now that was a smart decision," Evelyn mumbled.

Landon sighed. "Listen. I don't like it any more than you do-"

"Oh, brilliant, _thanks_."

"- _but_ I'm willing to sacrifice my pleasure time and possibly my sanity to stay in school. So… what do you say?"

They were at Gryffindor Tower; Landon hadn't noticed that she was leading them there. Albus Potter was probably inside. He should have figured. He should have figured what her answer would be, too.

"Sorry," she said softly. "But I'm tired of putting out your fires."

She left, then, leaving him gaping at the foot of the portrait hole.

He shouldn't have asked her. He never should have asked her.

Landon sulked his way into the Slytherin dungeons, then into his bed, repetitively cursing himself for being the most hopeless bastard there ever was.

* * *

_A/N: _Thank you all so much for the reviews! I hope you liked the update, and don't forget to leave some feedback!


	4. The Warmth of Whiskey

**Chapter 4**

**The Warmth of Whiskey**

_A/N: _My apologies for this chapter being so delayed. It took me so long to write it- some parts were really difficult to get through, and it felt like I only got really inspired for half an hour per week. In addition, school's been hectic, and I just finished watching Merlin, and that show makes me incredibly obsessive. And so that's my extended apology for why I took so long, and I hope you'll accept it. :)

That said, this chapter is more than 11,000 words long! Enjoy it! And for those of you who haven't checked my profile, I wanted to alert you to my tumblr url change- it is now _siriuslykili_. Check it out for updates and more, or to ask me questions.

On with the story!

* * *

On the morning of the third day of term, James Potter and Hunter Kent decided that they were a bit bored. And so, they started off their day by turning all the furniture in the library green.

Lucas was the first to find the damage. He walked into the library early that morning- though apparently, not early enough- and stood stupefied for a few moments, in awe of the spectacular damage. The couches were now dyed a glaring, neon green. The straightbacked chairs and tables were now a forest green, as though fungus had grown over the wood. He did not have to spare two seconds of thought to figure out who the perpetrators were.

"Potter and Kent."

He was still standing in this position- unmoving- when two girls followed in his wake. Their jaws fell. "Blimey!"

Lucas turned. Rose and Vivienne stood behind him. Vivienne looked as though she'd been Stunned; Rose looked livid.

Lucas shrugged, the offered an explanation. "Kent and-"

"_James_!" Rose hissed. "Oh, Merlin- bloody hell, I'm going to kill him!"

She stormed off in a huff. Lucas turned wide, alarmed eyes in Vivienne's direction. "Should I tell my dad to start planning their funerals?"

Vivienne adopted a somber expression, as though she was considering his question. It made Lucas laugh. She cracked a smile. "No. Honestly, if Rose wasn't already peeved at James, I bet she'd think this was pretty neat."

Lucas nodded. "At the very least, she'd appreciate the skill it must have taken to pull this kind of prank."

"Yeah. That's James Potter, alright- _skill_."

Throwing his bag onto one of the neon green couches, Lucas sighed. "Well. There go my morning plans."

"Morning plans?"

"Oh, yeah. Nothing too exciting. Getting a head start on an essay Baddock assigned."

"Due tomorrow?"

"Next week."

Vivienne bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. She figured Lucas might get offended. "Huh."

Lucas's eyes narrowed. "What're you smiling about?"

"_Smiling_? I don't smile."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Sure you are. Out with it."

Vivienne shook her head. "Don't pay attention to anything I do right now. I'm hung over."

Lucas winced. "Ouch."

"Yeah."

"_Probably _shouldn't tell me that, though." As Vivienne's brow furrowed, Lucas shifted to the right, then pointed to something that gleamed on his chest.

Vivienne smiled as she distinguished what was pinned to his chest. "_Head Boy_?"

"Indeed."

"Wow, congratulations! I know you wanted it..."

"Yeah, it was between me and Louis... and Flitwick picked me."

"Wow. Good job."

Lucas shrugged dismissively, though his wide smile betrayed his pride. "Thank you."

"_Wait_. You're not going to tell your dad, right?"

"Nope." Lucas shook his head. "Nope, my lips are sealed. Professor Longbottom need not know."

Vivienne gave him a gratutious nod. "Thanks."

Lucas returned it, then pulled his wand from the folds of his robes. "So, we going to get to work on this?"

Vivienne nodded. "Let's do it."

* * *

"We were just about to cut the cake. Everyone was there- my aunts, my uncles, my cousins. Hunter. I should have noticed someone was missing..." James Potter paused significantly. "But I didn't. The knife was _in my hand _when we all heard screaming."

"_Oh_ my! Then what?"

Albus rolled his eyes at the group of girls who continued to listen attentively to his brother's ludicrous story, batting their eyelashes all the while. Alice stifled her giggles by pressing her face into his shoulder.

"Then what, you say?" James's eyes were sparkling. "Then I rushed upstairs, of course. I know, I know- it was my birthday- but there was clearly a damsel in distress. I had to help."

"Any damsel who attended your birthday party must be in distress, by default," Arielle stated, to the laughter of a few.

James was nonplussed. He leaned over the table so that he was level with Arielle's face. "_You_ were there."

Arielle's eyes were trained on the slice of toast in her hand, which she was coating in jam. "And I can rightly testify that your entire story is false."

"Believe what you will, love." James returned his attention to the listening girls, who had been glaring daggers at Arielle seconds before. "So I climb the stairs, and you won't believe what I found when I reached the top. My cousin, Dominique, struggling with a werewolf!"

The girls gasped. Arielle took a bite of her toast. "It was a boggart," she told the rest of the table.

A few of those in James's audience frowned, apparently not pleased by this turn in the story's events. James stood and tipped an invisible hat. "This round goes to you, Reeves."

Arielle turned up her nose. "As they _all_ do."

James winked at her before moving down the table, calling Hunter's name.

"Why do you tease him all the time?" It was Amber Finnigan, nursing a goblet of pumpkin juice. Beside her sat Hazel Farley, who kept murmuring under her breath and pointing her wand at her nails.

"Oh, I don't know..." Arielle took another bite of her toast. "He takes it so well. I just can't help it."

"You tease everyone, though," Evelyn pointed out. "Even those who _can't_ take it."

"True," Arielle admitted. "But there is a certain _joy_ in doing so with-"

"_James Sirius Potter!_"

At the sound of his full name, James stopped shovelling eggs into his mouth and turned around. Rose was walking towards him, her fists clenched. James looked at Hunter, who shrugged. He then slid out of his seat, swallowed, and held up his hands just as Rose opened her mouth again.

"_Before_ you say what you are about to say," James began. "Consider our present setting and the possible consequences."

Rose's eyes narrowed, but when she spoke it was in a whisper. "I can't believe you turned all the furniture in the library _green_."

James frowned. "Why not?"

"It's- it's-"

"Aw, Red, you're speechless."

"It's an incredibly delinquent thing to do!"

James shrugged. "Your expectations of me are too high."

Rose smacked his chest. "_Clearly_."

"_Ow_. What are you so worked up about, anyway? You never get angry over one of my pranks."

Rose folded her arms over her chest. "Are you going to fix it?"

"It's because of the train, isn't it?"

"James-"

"I didn't mean to get you so peeved, Rosie-"

"_Are you going to fix it?"_

James looked at her as though she'd grown two heads. "No."

"Fine. Then _I _will."

"Aw, Red, come on!"

But Rose chose to ignore him, moving through the tables with a speed that matched her anger. Arielle and the others, who were sitting too far away to hear what was said, watched on with curiosity.

"Rose looks peeved," Alice commented.

"She's been angry with James since yesterday," Evelyn told her.

"I hope they fix it soon," said Albus. "Tonight's the-"

"Oh yes, the annual family meeting." Arielle leaned over the table, narrowing her eyes and smiling in a way that was best described as predatory. "Tell me, Albus, _when_ will I get an invite to one of those?"

"Um, never... it's family only, Ari."

"Even I don't get to go," Alice said. "And I've been dating Albus for ages."

"Hmmmm..."

"Who's fault do you think it was?" Amber asked. "The fight?"

There was a pause, then a unanimous: "James."

"I'm going to shag him this year." It was Hazel, who had finally looked up from her nails. "Definitely."

"You can't _shag _James, you tart."

Hazel glared at Arielle. "And why not?"

Arielle rolled her eyes, as though the answer was obvious. "Because he's Rose's cousin."

"So? Half the school is related to Rose... I can't really let that stop me."

"And since you've already shagged the half that _isn't_ related to her, maybe you can leave her relatives alone."

It was Hazel's turn to roll her eyes. "As _if_ that's why you don't want me to shag him."

Arielle's eyebrows rose. "What?"

Hazel merely shrugged and looked away, though her small smile was certainly suggestive. "Nothing."

"Uh, _no_. What did you mean by that?"

As the elusive statements and snide comments escalated, Albus and Alice exchanged a look. "Wanna get out of here?"

Alice nodded, eyes wide. "You don't have to ask me twice."

* * *

As soon as Rose left the Great Hall, she wished she hadn't.

"_Oof_! I'm sorry... oh, erm... Rose?"

Aiden Prewett stood before her. His hair was slightly tousled, his tie awry. Her first instinct was to look away; but that was stupid, and so she held her ground. Rose straightened out her robes and pulled her hair back from her face, praying her expression was perfectly composed. "Aiden. Hello."

He seemed to be studying her for a moment; his eyes were searching, as though he was trying to figure out if she would hex him to the other end of the hall. She didn't, of course- and a moment later, his features relaxed into an easy smile.

"Hello. Yeah, hi. How've you been?"

"Splendid. I've been great." Up close, she could see the strands of gold that glinted in his wheat-colored hair.

"Oh, well, good," Aiden said. If he was at all affronted, he didn't let it show. "You, uh.. you look great."

Rose wasn't at all sure how to react to that, and so she said whatever came first to her mind. "You look tan."

Aiden laughed. "Yeah. Got lots of sun."

Rose nodded. "Well, um.. it was nice seeing-"

"Yeah, nice seeing you too." He nodded a few times, as though agreeing with himself, and his smile was gone when he spoke again. "I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to talk earlier, before now, I've sort of wanted to... but... I've been really busy."

Inwardly, Rose sighed. She had hoped to get away with a casual interaction, but it seemed that Aiden wouldn't allow that. She fixed a look of polite detachment on her face. "What is there to talk about?"

Aiden looked hurt, but he nodded once more, signalling his understanding. "Well. I'll see you around, I guess."

"Yeah." She turned her gaze downward and took a step forward; Aiden walked past her. Rose closed her eyes and felt something dislodge in her chest. "Bye."

* * *

Scorpius Malfoy did not sleep well, his flask was empty, he'd received a letter from his mother, and he'd run into Rose Weasley when he wasn't at all ready for her. Altogether, it was not a pleasant morning.

He hadn't slept well due to one reason- or, rather, one person- Landon Zabini. When Scorpius walked into his dorm room the night before, head slightly fuzzy due to drinking on the Quidditch pitch with Vivienne, he found Landon already asleep. Or so Landon appeared- he was lying face down on his bed, fully clothed. About an hour after Scorpius crawled into bed, Landon crawled out of his. Moments later, he could tell that Landon had lit a cigarette and was smoking it. Scorpius was about to tell Landon to put it out when he caught a glimpse of his expression, illuminated by a shaft of moonlight; he immediately decided against it. Scorpius then spent most of the night staring enviously at Albus Potter's serenely sleeping face.

As soon as light began to slip in shafts through the curtains, Scorpius slowly pulled himself out of bed. Running was the only thing that might revive him. When he left the lavatory, changed and ready to go, he found Albus sitting upright.

Albus glanced up at him, pausing in his attempt to rub the sleep from his eyes. "Running?"

Scorpius nodded in confirmation. "What about you?"

"I'm meeting Alice," Albus said, standing and stretching. "I won't be seeing her much today, so we figured we'd meet up before breakfast."

"Hm." Scorpius wasn't quite sure what to say; his head was pounding. "It's nice- that's nice."

Albus smiled widely, though Scorpius could tell that it was not at all for his benefit. "Yeah," he said. "It is. It definitely is."

Somewhat uncomfortable with how personal that smile felt, Scorpius excused himself from the room. Minutes later he was outside, in the brisk September air, feeling the blood in his veins begin to stir.

As he ran, a gaggle of girls in shorts crossed his path. They smiled, giggled, and waved simultaneously. Scorpius didn't recognize them, and so he supposed they must have been younger; fifth or fourth years, perhaps, and Ravenclaws, judging by the identical navy blue of their headbands. But then again, their tiny shorts were a dull yellow. Perhaps they were Hufflepuffs. As Scorpius half-attempted to sort them into house and year, they passed him. As he continued to jog, he heard one of them snort loudly, another sigh, and a third proclaim: "He was never going to wave back at you, Sherry." And although Scorpius himself was not at all sure whether he was indeed going to wave or not- if he was honest with himself, he knew he was inclined towards _not_- he was affronted.

"Getting used to that sort of greeting, are you?"

Scorpius turned around. It was Hazel Farley. At first, he made a mistake of thinking she had departed from the gaggle of girls. But he quickly made a reassessment. She wasn't wearing the matching shirts and shorts, and besides- Hazel Farley was either with a bloke or alone.

"What are you implying?" he said.

"You know what." Hazel smiled then, a Hazel's Smile; and this was very different from the generic smile, and make no mistake. It seemed to accomplish several things at once. It was adorable with its touch of innocent dimples, but seductive because of the way her eyes suggested that the dimples were a ploy.

Scorpius did not respond to the smile, but Hazel was not deterred. "Just let me know if you want me to have the Sorting Hat serenade you."

"I will."

He was silent after that. Hazel ran astride him. He tried to pick up the pace, but she matched it. Finally, she spoke: "I don't blame you, though."

"Pardon?"

"I don't blame you for brushing them off," she elaborated. "They're so... _false_, the lot of them."

Only his well-practiced apathy kept a scoff in check. "I wasn't brushing them off."

Hazel didn't bother to hold back a scoff of disbelief. "No need to lie. You're among your own kind."

Scorpius raised a brow, and when he spoke his voice was full of sarcasm. "Am I?"

"Oh, _absolutely_," Hazel stressed. She pulled ahead then, picking up her pace, her heels kicking up dirt. Scorpius caught up with her easily. "We're exactly alike, you and I. But _I'm_ not confused."

She shot him a bright grin. Scorpius couldn't help but return it, then shook his head. "What are you doing here, anyway? It's early."

"Besides messing with you?" Hazel grinned again before returning her gaze to the path ahead of them. "I run every morning."

Scorpius shook his head. "No, you don't."

"Yes, I do!" When she saw he was still shaking his head in disbelief (albeit grinning), she continued. "I do! If I don't run every morning, I go insane... besides, how else do you think I'm so fit?"

She bit her lip; Scorpius focused on the path ahead. "I've never seen you."

"You mean, I've never _let_ you see me."

Scorpius shook his head, slowing down his pace. Hazel took note of this and frowned. "Aw, are you quitting already?"

He nodded. "That's enough for one morning."

Hazel planted her hands on her hips and nodded, even as Scorpius continued to walk backwards. "Only practice can build endurance, you know."

Scorpius frowned. "Are we talking about running?"

Hazel didn't answer, shooting him a parting grin and a wink before turning her back to him and resuming her morning run. In seconds, she turned a corner and was out of sight, her dark hair streaking behind her.

Scorpius sighed as he began walking towards the castle. Without the proper defense of more than a couple hours of sleep, Hazel Farley's insanity was a little too much to handle.

He made a quick stop at his dormitory to change into his robes- due to the short duration of his run, he hadn't worked up a sweat. It was then that he discovered the unfortunate empty state of his flask. Groaning internally, Scorpius tried to convince himself that this was for the best; he was constantly trying to wean himself off his flask, and finding it empty corresponded with that goal.

"Bullshit," he muttered under his breath, as he made his way to the Great Hall. The Slytherin table was half-occupied as he approached. Landon Zabini was sitting on the very edge of the table, uncharacteristically alone. Near the center was a group of faces he was more familiar with.

Alice Longbottom was the first to greet him. "Morning, Scorpius."

"Morning," he replied, reaching for a goblet of pumpkin juice.

"Good run?" Albus, who was sitting beside her, barely managed the two words as he chewed on his breakfast. His hand rested on Alice's shoulder.

"Not really," he answered.

"And why is _that_, Blonde Rochester?"

The corner of Scorpius's lip quirked as Arielle took a seat beside him, boldly pressing a kiss to his cheek. Scorpius felt his face heat up. Only when she was turned away from him, serving herself breakfast, did he feel comfortable enough to speak. "Hey there, Arielle."

"Hello." She returned the greeting with a cheeky grin. "And good morning, Alice and Al. Evie."

Alice returned the greeting brightly. Albus said nothing. Arielle studied him for a moment, shrugged, and turned to her breakfast.

What happened in the next few moments was quite loud, violent, and unexpected. A couple of boys, running and subsequently not seeing or ignoring everything in their path, crashed into the backs of another couple of boys who were simply enjoying their breakfast. Lorcan and Lysander Scamander angrily turned to face the perpetrators, James and Hunter.

"Sorry, mates, sorry," Hunter stumbled over his apologies, holding up his hands and grinning, his face red.

"We're truly sorry, mate," James added. "Make it up to you another time, eh?" He clapped Lorcan on the back and took a seat beside Albus.

There was a round of greetings as the group said their "good morning"s to the newcomers. "I'm famished," James proclaimed, piling his plate with an unsavory amount of food.

"When are you not?" Arielle's nose wrinkled in distaste as she watched him.

"That's as good a question as any, Reeves," James said, with mock seriousness.

Albus shook his head at his brother. "Do you ever think about anything you say?"

James sat back, picking up his fork and examining his plate with a glint in his eye that suggested he was planning method of attack. "I really try not to," he answered Albus.

"It takes quite a bit of effort," Hunter stated, mouth full.

"Please excuse my friend's lack of manners," James cut in, mouth full as well. "We've had a busy and productive morning."

"I find it hard to believe that," Arielle scoffed.

James shrugged. "Think what you will, Reeves."

"Thanks for your permission, Potter."

Finished with his pumpkin juice, Scorpius poured himself some coffee. He observed that James was half finished with his plate.

"I see that we've chosen the Slytherin table this morning," James said. "Any particular reason why?"

"Is your brother a good enough reason?" said Albus.

"_No_," James stated, tone frank, earning himself a punch on the shoulder.

"Not used to having eggs with Malfoy, though," Hunter said. Scorpius blinked.

"How incredibly rude, Hunter," said Arielle.

"You specialize in being rude, Arielle," he retorted.

Arielle stuck her tongue out at him, then directed her attention elsewhere. "Can you pass the butter, Evelyn?"

"Sure." It was a mumble beneath her breath that Scorpius barely heard; he hadn't even noticed her presence until then. She hadn't spoken a word. She pushed the butter in Arielle's direction, then rested her cheek in her hand, her gaze downwards gaze continually drifting to the end of the table.

Socrpius decided to ignore this odd behavior. Arielle did not. "What's got your knickers in a knot?"

Evelyn rolled her eyes, not bothering to dignify the statement with a response. James _tut-tutt_ed in disapproval. "_Language_, Reeves."

A high, loud flutter interrupted their conversation. Owls burst in through the great double doors and soared overhead, occasionally dropping to deliver their charges to the intended recipients.

Scorpius paused in the sipping of his coffee as his great black owl, Xavier, descended briefly, leaving a letter in his wake.

"I've got a great story to tell you," James was saying to a couple of girls who'd taken seats beside him. Scorpius tuned him and the rest of the group out as he picked up the letter. He didn't need to check the sender- the slight fluttering in his stomach told him who it was- but he checked anyway. The name printed in slight, feminine handwriting confirmed his thoughts: _Astoria G. Malfoy._

Slightly shaken, Scorpius rose from his spot, the letter in his hand. Nobody noticed him, excepting Alice; her smile faltered when she noticed his expression. "Scorpius? Everything okay?"

"Yes." He nodded, as though this would make it more convincing.

She didn't look convinced, but she nodded too. Scorpius quickly walked down the Slytherin table, then towards and through the doors of the Great Hall.

The letter had to be read somewhere where he'd be absolutely alone. He knew that much. Scorpius quickly racked his brain for such a place- he considered and dismissed the Slytherin common room and his dormitory. He settled on the library as quickly as it occured to him, eager to open and read the letter. Later, he'd realize that there were other, better places he could have gone to, places where it was a sure thing that he wouldn't be interrupted- but at the time, the letter burned in his palm, and so he quickly walked to the library.

As he approached the doors, he realized the futility of that particular location. Through the thick, stately library doors, he could hear the clear laughter of a girl. A low male voice followed: "What were you drinking, anyway?"

The girl responded. "Um, butterbeer..."

Now the boy laughed. "You got drunk off of butterbeer?"

"_What_? I'm a lightweight!"

Scorpius stepped away from the door, realizing that he was eavesdropping. Dejected, he looked down at the letter- and, both unbearably curious and fed up, he decided to "sod this" and open the letter. He took a seat on the floor, his back leaning against the wall, and began to read.

_Dear Scorpius,_

_I'm not sure if you'd like to hear from me, but I've held off for two days and that's honestly all I can manage. As a mother, I-_

Footsteps around the corner. Scorpius shook his head, inwardly cursing his luck, but decided to push through.

_- I can't help but worry. I know that what happened between you and your father seems like it has no solution, but-_

No longer footsteps, but a person, who had been making their way down the corridor but paused- probably at the sight of him. Somehow, this was a more irritating interruption, and Scorpius reluctantly looked up.

It was Rose. As soon as she saw that he'd noticed her, she cleared her throat and continued walking, stopping again only when she was standing near his extended feet.

"Um, morning, Malfoy." At this new proximity, Scorpius saw that she was quite flushed. "I, uh, wanted to get into the library."

"Someone's in there," he blurted out. He then closed his eyes for a second, marvelling at his incredible ability to be embarrasingly awkward.

Rose smiled slightly. "Uh, yeah- I know. It's Viv and Lucas. That's why I'm going in."

"Oh, um, right..."

"Yeah, I've got to help them out with something, and class is starting soon..."

"Uhuh." Scorpius pulled up his legs so that his knees were bent, tapped his hands against them. He grinned crookedly. "Well. Good luck in there, Rubylocks."

"Yeah." Rose stuck her hands in her pockets. "Is that a letter you've got there?"

"Yes- yes." Suddenly, Scorpius was not so comfortable. His grin fell; the weight of the letter pressed down upon him in its full force.

It seemed that Rose picked up on his discomfort, for her expression changed then; she lowered her gaze and coughed into her fist. She shuffled her feet.

Scorpius grinned. He didn't know why, but he suddenly found everything ridiculous.

Rose caught his expression and scoffed. Scorpius could see that she was holding back a grin of her own. "Just get out of my way, Malfoy."

Scorpius pushed himself to his feet. "Certainly."

He was in the process of doing so- he'd reached the end of the corridor, without once glancing back or pausing in his steps, which was a feat for him, especially considering that the library door was open and he could hear stands of Rose's voice- when he heard quick footsteps behind him. "Scorpius!"

He turned and found a smiling Vivienne. "Morning, Viv."

"Morning. How'd you... oh wait, hold up. Let's go to Defense together, you, me, and Rose."

Scorpius swallowed a protest. "Alright."

"Alright." She smiled. "How'd you sleep?"

"Not so great. You?"

"Eh. Merlin, it's been a crazy morning," she laughed breathlessly.

Scorpius chuckled, again overwhelmed by the ludicracy he seemed to be surrounded with. Rose left the library then, Lucas Longbottom behind her, and they quickly parted ways, Rose making her way to where he and Vivienne stood.

"Tell me about it."

* * *

Albus Potter walked to his Defense class with a spring in his step.

He'd just bid Alice farewell, though to say so was a tad dramatic. He would see her again at lunch, then again at dinner, then probably a third time tonight before he and his family departed to Hogsmeade for their annual meeting. But somehow, he missed her already. He shook his head. He was being dramatic.

Being back at Hogwarts reminded him of how much he _liked _Alice. How much he liked everything about her; her honest attitude, her genuine kindness, her smile, her hair, how compatible they were. Not that he'd forgotten over the summer; it was just different. They'd seen each other quite often, their meetings facilitated by the fact that his parents were quite close with Neville.

But being back at Hogwarts was different. Eating breakfast with her every morning... Alice was beautiful in the morning. Her lashes were always slightly thicker, slightly matted, forming a dark halo around her dark eyes. He loved that. He'd missed that. She always chewed gum in the morning; she complained that even though she brushed her teeth quite thoroughly, she was always sure she still had morning breath. She was very self-conscious of it. He'd forgotten that.

But here, in Hogwarts, he didn't have to forget anything. Or miss anything. He smiled at the thought.

"Al."

He turned at Evelyn's voice. She quickly caught up with him, and they exchanged a brief hug. "Evie. Hey... what was wrong at breakfast?"

"What was wrong with _you_?" she retorted. "You looked annoyed."

Albus shrugged. "I don't know. I _was_ annoyed. A little. With Arielle."

Evelyn nodded, as though she understood exactly what he was talking about. "I'm always annoyed with her."

Albus didn't comment. "So, what was wrong with you?"

Evelyn didn't answer immediately. She spent a moment shuffling her feet, and it was only when Albus stared at her pointedly that she spoke. "Something weird happened last night."

"What?"

"Zabini..."

"_Zabini_?" Immediately, he looked incensed. "What did he do?"

"Nothing! I mean, it's not what you expect. He... he wanted me to _help_ him."

Albus stopped walking. His expression was incredulous. "He wanted you to _help _him?"

"Yeah." Suddenly, Evelyn just started laughing. "Isn't- isn't that mad?"

Albus watched her for a few seconds, concern written over his face. Then he chuckled. "Barking mad... what did he want?"

Evelyn stopped laughing. "He wanted me to tutor him. He's getting expelled."

Just then, Landon Zabini himself passed them. Albus and Evelyn immediately quieted. Zabini seemed not to notice. He simply walked past them with his head lowered.

As soon as he was a reasonable distance away from them, Evelyn spoke. "Doesn't he look..." She couldn't find the word. Zabini simply looked different. More subdued.

Arielle walked up behind them, in the company of Lorcan Scamander. "Oi!"

They greeted the newcomers with subdued mutterings, to which Arielle rolled her eyes and walked ahead of them. "Cheer up, you lot. We've got the horrid Professor Daniel Dorrid to look forward to."

She walked ahead, Lorcan trailing after her. Rose, Scorpius, and Vivienne passed them a second later. Rose shot him a grin.

"Come on." Albus took Evelyn's arm. "Let's get to class."

Sure enough, Professor Dorrid was standing at the head of his classroom as the group walked in. He gave the group a half-smile which looked sort of pinched as they took their seats.

"Welcome, students." His voice was low and gravelly; it didn't quite match his face. The class sat in rapture, gauging him as they did every new professor, ready to classify him into a category and behave with him accordingly.

"I'm Professor Dorrid, your new Defense teacher." He smiled again, that pinched twist of the mouth. "We won't be using books. You'll only need your wands today."

Students murmured approvingly, gratefully tucking their books away. A class with their wands out could only be fun, and they waited with uninhibited eagerness for what Professor Dorrid would bring them.

* * *

"Defense! Goodness, that was… _fantastic_." Vivienne took a swig of butterbeer. She was sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room at the end of the long day, Scorpius by her side. The two were a bit removed from the rest of their friends and house-mates, who were sitting on the floor playing Exploding Snap.

"Definitely." Scorpius echoed the carefree smile on Vivienne's face, though it was only that- an echo. He hadn't had a chance to finish reading his mother's letter yet, and it seemed to be burning a hole in his pocket. He couldn't wait to be alone, and somehow he was dreading it.

"Positively brilliant," Vivienne went on. "Way better than that textbook hag, Partula… I mean, when those dementors were coming at me, I could _feel_ the happiness drain out of me..."

"I only got some nifflers," said Scorpius. "They seemed convinced that my shoes were going to turn a profit."

At that, Vivienne burst into laughter, which was so infectious that Scorpius couldn't help but grin himself. The group playing in the middle of the floor turned around, wearing ghosts of smiles despite not knowing what they were talking about.

Minutes later, Vivienne had her sketchpad open and was doodling, her tiny nose scrunched up in concentration. Her curly hair fell over the side of her face, hiding it from view. Scorpius studied her for a moment. She'd once told him that she was grateful her hair was so vuluptuous, because she could never control her expression while drawing- and there was nothing Vivienne was more afraid of than vulnerability. She was often told that she was wearing either an incredibly ridiculous or somewhat tragic expression, and so she was grateful for the veil her hair provided.

A moment later, having somewhat tired of studying Vivienne, Scorpius turned to other subjects. Albus was staring down at his cards, his eyebrows knit together in concentration. Alice was sitting directly behind him, reading. James and Hunter sat across from each other in the circle, alternately winking and nodding when they thought the others weren't looking. Arielle set down her cards and shoved James, accusing him of cheating. James couldn't look more delighted.

And then there was Rose. Her hair was tied up in a loose knot at the back of her neck. A few stray strands framed her face. Scorpius watched her watch her cousin and best friend mouth off to each other as they always did, and presently she stood. She moved to the corner of the room where Evelyn sat, scribbling quickly on a long piece of parchment. They talked for a moment, and suddenly Rose looked up- straight at him. Scorpius dropped his gaze, embarrassed at being caught out.

A moment later: "Hullo, Viv."

Scorpius listened to Vivienne return the greeting, and then it was inevitable for him to look up. Both Rose and Vivienne were pointedly staring at him by that point.

"Hullo, Malfoy," said Rose, the glint in her eye telling him that she was waiting for him to look up before greeting him. They both knew it.

Scorpius's slight smile was tinged with sarcasm. "Hello."

Vivienne patted the spot beside her, and Rose bent her knees and settled into it. "You look happy," observed Vivienne. She closed her sketchbook and smiled.

Rose shrugged. "I am happy."

Arielle suddenly crashed into Rose's side. She grinned. "Happy? Rose? Did you snog someone?"

Rose hit her. "Molly's coming tonight."

Arielle rubbed her forearm, her wince exaggerated. "Why are you so excited?"

"What do you mean? I've always loved Molly," said Rose. "She's so fun, and she's always been the peacemaker between us. And we bonded over the summer. She'd just broken up with Edmund, you remember, and-"

Rose suddenly turned bright red and stopped talking. Vivienne and Arielle looked down, sharing in her embarrasment. Scorpius frowned, not understanding at first- but when he did, he too suddenly wanted to make a break for it.

Thankfully, the awkward moment was interrupted by Albus, who patted Rose on the shoulder as he was walking past. "Hey. We're going back to Slytherin to change... we'll meet in front of the passage in fifteen minutes, alright?"

Rose nodded her understanding and stood, smiling down at the rest of them. "Well. I'll see you around."

"Hold up, Rose." Arielle, too, stood. "I'll come with you."

"Me too- I'll be right back," said Vivienne, shooting Scorpius an apologetic glance before following her friends.

In their dorm room, Rose quickly exchanged her school robes for something more street-casual, and was surprised when Arielle started to do the same. Rose lifted her eyebrows pointedly, and when Arielle noticed, she turned up her nose smugly and smiled.

"I have a date."

Of course; she should have known. Rose returned to getting ready, running her hairbrush through her hair. "Who's the lucky bloke?"

"Lorcan," Arielle answering, snagging the brush from Rose's hand and putting it to use.

"_Hey_- that's mine! Use your own hairbrush, you prig." Rose wrestled the brush from Arielle's hand, much to Arielle's dissatisfaction. "And Lorcan? Why?"

"Why not?" Arielle said simply, as though no further explanation was needed.

"Well... I don't know, because it's Lorcan. He's got history, with... you know, _some_ of us..." And here, her gaze shifted pointedly to Vivienne, who was sitting at the edge of her bed.

Vivienne rolled her eyes. "Don't start. Lorcan's dated, or shagged, practically _every_one- it's nothing special that we went out once, and only because you two practically _forced_ me."

"You guard your heart too strongly, Viv," Arielle tut-tutted in disappointment. "How could we _not_ interfere?"

"You're changing the subject." Rose glared at Arielle. "I don't think going out with Lorcan is a good idea. He's... he's sort of our friend, you know? A part of our extended circle. I mean, don't you feel uncomfortable?"

"Nope," Arielle said unabashedly, and deeming herself sufficiently dressed and her hair brushed to gleaming, began to apply makeup.

"Stupid question, Rosie," Vivienne pretended to sigh. "Arielle never feels uncomfortable with anything."

"Right," Rose muttered. "How could I forget?"

Arielle looked away from the mirror to examine her best mate. "You're not seriously upset, are you, Rose?"

"No," Rose said, loudly. She couldn't explain why it was she felt bothered by this; maybe because it was as Vivienne said, and Lorcan had been very familiarily acquainted with a good number of girls. Maybe she was afraid Arielle would get hurt.

But _that_ wasn't it, and Rose knew it well. Arielle was tough as nails, and a damn seductress to boot. She held an aloofness in regards to matter of the heart that was _not_ an act- Rose had known her long enough to be confident in this- and no boy had ever gotten near to her heart, let alone broken it. And so it wasn't that at all.

Maybe it was because James's face was hovering in the back of her mind, and maybe it was that she thought she was somehow failing him.

"Rose?"

Rose started. "Yeah, sorry."

"You don't _fancy_ him, do you?" Arielle asked. "If you do, I won't go out with him, of course, though I'll be sorely disappointed that you chose to hide this from me."

"No! I don't fancy him," Rose said, laughing a little breathlessly at the thought. "I don't, Ari, I assure you. It just won't sit right with me, for some reason."

"Hmm." Arielle returned her attention to her makeup, and Rose and Vivienne's eyes met in the mirror she was using. Rose thought she caught a sort of understanding there, in Vivienne's gaze, and she was grateful for it.

"Do _you_ fancy him?" Vivienne asked.

"Yes, I do," Arielle answered, and yet it wasn't an answer to Vivienne's question; Rose and Viv both understood that. Arielle fancied him the way she fancied anyone and everyone, the way she fancied the entire world; with a total lack of judgment and a surprisingly fierce tenderness, which those who knew her felt lucky to receive.

"Right," Vivienne said, uncertainly.

"What? You don't believe me?" Arielle looked almost offended. "Just because the rest of you don't want boyfriends, doesn't me that _I_ don't."

"A shag isn't a boyfriend," Rose felt compelled to point out.

Anyone else might have taken offense to the statement, but not Arielle. The two were too familiar with each other to take offense so easily. Instead, Arielle turned her head and regarded Rose with a slight surprise. "Since when are you so prude?"

Rose didn't answer. She felt that she'd gone on too long, and that she should probably meet Albus and the rest of her family members before she made them late, but she didn't want to leave just yet.

"What are you going to do, anyway?" Rose asked, when the silence had gone on too long.

"Drinks- in the Room of Requirement." Arielle's grey eyes went silver. "So, yes, Rosie, it _is_ a shag."

"Enjoy it," Rose said, tired with the issue. She couldn't change Arielle's mind, no matter how hard she tried. "What about you, Viv?"

"Oh, nothing major, just draw all night, probably- shoot, I told Scorpius I'd get back to him." Vivienne rose and left the dormitory with a parting smile.

"I think Albus is angry with me," Arielle stated casually as she applied eyeliner to her lids.

"Really? It can't be, Al isn't ever angry with anyone," Rose said, dismissing the issue.

"I don't know. He seems angry- all day, he hasn't responded to any of my jokes or little platonic flirtations, and he always, _always_ caves."

Rose shrugged. "Maybe you finally went over the line," she said, half-jokingly.

"I doubt it." Arielle was now applying mascara to her lashes, focused entirely on her reflection. "I only kissed Scorpius."

Rose froze. "You _kissed_ Scorpius?"

At the incredulity in Rose's tone, Arielle's eyebrows rose. "What? It was only on the cheek."

"You- you... _why_ would you kiss Scorpius?"

Arielle shrugged and turned back to the mirror. "I don't know. It was the morning, I was bored, you weren't there, and he was being all... awkward and adorable."

Rose's head was spinning, and again she felt angry with herself- _why_ was she reacting so violently to everything? She knew Arielle, she knew what she was like... and besides, this wasn't the first time she'd shown such affection towards Scorpius. The memory of Arielle's birthday celebration, months before, was clear in her mind.

"I should go," Rose said, feeling that the room was suddenly too small for the both of them. She felt slightly guilty at the thought, but she couldn't help it. "I've probably kept them too long."

"Right. Enjoy the family reunion! Say hi to Molly for me, and don't drink too much." Arielle laughed.

"You're one to talk," Rose retorted. "Goodnight."

She left before Arielle could respond, rushing into the corridor, and it was only when she was at the top of the stairs that she felt she could take a huge gulp of air.

* * *

"I don't care _what _you say, you will never lose at wizard's chess if you use my Cheating Golden Rule. _Never_."

Molly Weasley laughed, pausing only to chug down her glass of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey, then promptly resumed laughing. She was flanked by Rose and Albus on either side. Lily, Lucy, and Roxanne sat across from them, sipping at their butterbeer. The rest of the group had moved to the bar to fetch more drinks, and Molly was trying to convince Albus that it was, in fact, morally permissible to cheat while playing wizard's chess with your girlfriend if she kept beating you.

"It's a matter of preserving your masculinity, really," Molly said. "Or is there any of it left?"

Albus pulled a face. "Must you talk like that, Molly? In front of my sister?"

"Oh, Lily's a dear," Molly waved a hand dismissively. "Incredibly mature, this one. Aren't you?" She winked at Lily, who smiled.

"In all seriousness," Albus said. "It's not like that, with me and Alice. There's no... games, or keeping score, or maintaining some sort of typical roles we're supposed to, in relationships. You get me?"

Molly made a sound in her throat. "Oh, _Merlin_, I missed you," she declared, abandoning her firewhiskey and pressing a kiss to Albus's cheek. Albus pushed her away and pretended to be disgusted, but he was smiling, and so were the rest of the girls. In fact, they were giggling with delight.

"I'm serious, though," Molly went on. "I've missed you all more than I can explain. Even though it's been only, oh, a month since I've left. I've always known that this is what I wanted to do, but... yeah. I missed you." She looked tenderly at Albus, then Rose, then Lucy, all of whom felt the emotion in her words.

"It must be fun, though," Rose said, lightening the mood. "_Spain_. Tell us about it."

"Maybe later," Molly dismissed. "Right now, I want Al to go right back to talking about _his_ Al. Alice. Oh, aren't they cute?"

"Molly, please stop." Albus flushed red.

"Oh, no, don't get all uncomfortable now!" Molly looked aghast. "I'm sorry, I'm being too mushy, but I just haven't heard you talk about her in a while. You know, you're the only male I know who talks like that, who _loves_ someone and isn't afraid or ashamed to admit it." She paused. "Well, the only straight male, anyway."

Rose's mouth formed an O, and everyone burst into laughter, and now Albus was truly red. Molly pulled at his hand and begged his forgiveness, yet again, laughing all the while.

"Come on, Al," Lily begged, when the laughter had subsided. "I've been looking forward to this for days. You never talk to _me_ about Alice, and I love hearing you talk about her."

Molly looked with exaggerated pride at Lily. "That's my girl. A true 'shipper, you."

Lily beamed at the attention, and Rose felt something in her chest melt. It was all so perfect, right then and there, with Molly to restore the balance. She didn't know how she got through the first few days of Hogwarts without her- she'd never had to do so before, and yet she never really noticed Molly's worth.

"Just tell us," Molly was saying. "Is Corliss still destroying her stuff?"

Albus shifted in his seat, and if he didn't look uncomfortable before, he certainly did now. "Well, it's-"

"We're back," James announced, his timing poor as usual. Molly frowned as he laid the glass bottles in his arms on the table, Fred and Hugo doing the same. Louis slid into his seat, shooting them all a smile.

"_James_! You bugger, you interrupted Al while he was about to answer a question about Alice," Molly whined.

"You're not up to this shit again, are you?" Fred winced, pulling a more grotesque face than was needed. The boys laughed, and Molly stuck out her tongue.

"Indeed I am," Molly said, pride in her voice. "If you don't want to listen, you can _politely_ maintain your own conversation- although I doubt you'll be able to, seeing as there's so little brainpower among the lot of you."

The boys hooted and whistled at that. Molly rolled her eyes and returned her attention to Alice, while the boys took their seats. "So. Al. Corliss?"

"Yeah, she's not doing that anymore," Albus said, eyes low. Despite what Molly seemed to think, some topics of conversation _did_, indeed, make him uncomfortable.

"Wait. Why would Corliss try to ruin Alice's things?" Lucy asked.

"I always thought she was mean," Lily said, sportingly.

Rose swept in to answer, sensing that Albus didn't want to field the question. "Corliss and Al used to date- you know that, Lucy. So-"

"It only happened because Albus is a sweetheart, and he isn't superficial, and he couldn't stand to say no to her no matter how badly he wanted to," Molly interrupted.

"That's not true," Albus protested, and Rose began to talk again before Molly could answer.

"Anyway, eventually Al and Corliss broke up-"

"Because she was never right for him, anyway-"

"_And_," Rose cut off Molly with a glare. "She started to do some things that weren't right, like messing with Alice's stuff, as soon as she and Albus got together."

"In raging fits of jealousy," Molly felt fit to say.

Both Albus and Rose sighed. Molly shrugged, unapologetic. "What? I like you and Alice together. You're both perfect, and you've liked her for years, but were too timid to do anything about it."

"Must you riddle every compliment with an insult?" Louis cut in, breaking off from his conversation with the other blokes regarding Quidditch.

"Shut up." Molly didn't shift from the topic at hand: namely, Albus. "And Alice is good, then?"

"Great." Albus smiled, the first true smile of the sitting. Molly promptly deflated it by asking her next typically inquinsitive and potentially destructive question:

"And are things still uncomfortable with you two and Lorcan?"

Rose groaned. "Must you dig up all these old skeletons and make everything uncomfortable, Molly?"

Molly looked affronted. "What? I'm just curious. I'm not around to see what's going on anymore." And she looked so truly miserable in that moment that Albus took pity on her and answered.

"No. Things are fine with Lorcan," Albus said. "I mean, they always were with _me_- I'm not the jealous type, and I know that what we have is much more than what they had. So... yeah."

"That's my boy," Molly said, beaming. "I love you lot, do you know that?"

"Seems all you can talk about is _love_," James called from several seats away.

Molly gaped. "Not true! I just get overwhelmed when it comes to Al." She tries to pinch his cheek, but Albus doesn't let her.

"Me too," Lily admitted, and Albus groaned, glaring accusingly at Molly.

"Look! You've taken in my sister," James cried, saying the words on Albus's mind. "You've ruined her!"

"Hey, I'm not ruined!" Lily sat straighter in her chair. "I simply appreciate a fantastic love story."

"Oh!" Molly actually started to tear. "That sounded just like something I'd say."

"They're love story is rather adorable," Rose admitted, which caused Molly and Lily to cheer, the boys to laugh at Albus's humiliation, and Albus to bemoan: "Not you too, Rosie."

Rose grinned. "You are. She isn't properly appreciated by her boyfriend, and you appreciate her _too_ much, but she doesn't know... then Alice falls apart and you're there to pick up the pieces."

James covered his face with his hands, as though hiding his humiliation. "My brother's a sissy."

"He is _not_." Molly leaps to Albus's defense. "And you're not what you act like, either. You pretend to be a complete neanderthal who's above feelings, but we all know that's not the truth."

The boys hiss and whistle, and Arielle's name is mentioned a few times in the din. James's ears turn red. "We're not talking about this."

"But it's so-"

"_Molly_." James's voice is low, frighteningly serious. "Don't go there."

There is a pregnant pause, which Molly breaks with a light laugh. "Alright, then. And for the record, love isn't the only thing I'm interested in. For example, dear James, how is Quidditch?"

James's stern expression gives way to his typical crooked smile, for this is a subject he feels more than comfortable with. He waves his arms and shouts, animated in his speech, in his passion. The entire table joins in the conversation, talking about their respective Quidditch teams. The younger girls exchange disappointed glances and stare into their butterbeer suddenly, not too happy with the change of subject.

Hugo claims that Gryffindor will win the cup, just as it had the past two years. Louis tells him to "kindly shut up", since he wasn't even on the team. Albus agrees, then turns on Louis, saying that Slytherin was sure to win the cup this year; their captain, Zabini, never seemed so determined, and it looked like he was tired of losing. Fred quickly disputed this, loyally reiterating Gryffindor's imminent victory, but is forced to admit that Scorpius Malfoy is a damn good Keeper. Rose feels unsettled at the mention of Malfoy, and immediately takes a sip of her elderflower wine.

"I heard Heather is going to try out," James said at one point. "That true, Louis?"

"Yeah," Louis confirmed. "Prewett got Burke and Floyd to team up against her, the bugger. They came up to me and said it wouldn't be fair if I judged her during tryouts." He grinned suddenly, slow and suggestive. "We all know I'm nothing if not fair."

The group laughed; Loius was known for being unscrupulous, especially when it came to Heather. On her last birthday, he'd bewitched all the chalk to wish her a happy birthday every time she entered a classroom, not caring how irritated the professors grew. Louis was not as notorious as others- such as his cousin, James- but his mischievous streak would gleam every now and then, and it always involved Heather.

"It's a good thing Heather is actually good," Fred said. "She kept beating Louis in the summer, remember?"

"Hey- I let her win!" Louis protested weakly, grinning. "But yeah, you're right. She is good. Prewett and the others are probably afraid she'll take one of their spots."

The conversation continued to flow, and Rose was glad that both mentions of Aiden were not commented on. Molly attempted, more than once, to get Louis to talk about Heather "in more detail", as she put it, to which Louis always promptly refused. The eighth time, however, Louis sighed and gave in. Slightly.

"She's _good_, if you must know. We're good."

"You getting any, Louis?" Fred laughed, joined by the boys, who were all growing more drunk and more likely to be amused by anything as the minutes passed.

"I'm appalled at you, Fred," Molly said. "You shouldn't invade people's privacy like that. It's not polite."

The cousins all stared at Molly incredulously, and when she finally caught on they all burst into laughter. In the end of it, Louis addressed Fred with his usual effortless suave manner.

"The real question is, Freddy, are _you_ getting any?"

Fred puffed out his chest and proclaimed that his eternal unattached state would never fail him. Lily frowned and said she disapproved, then told Louis that she thought Heather was really pretty. Louis thanked her. From that stemmed the topic of beauty; and suddenly girls and boys alike were presenting their opinion of what beauty was.

"Well, there's definitely a beauty in humbleness," Rose said at some point. "You know what I mean? A boy or a girl could look like a Greek god, but they act like they _know_ they look that good, and suddenly they're not so beautiful anymore."

"That's just confidence," James dismissed. "There's nothing wrong with it."

"It's arrogance," Rose snapped- she was still upset with him, and now more so for attempting to address her in their gathering, for she knew that he knew full well that their cousins wouldn't let the matter be.

"_I'm_ confident," James prodded.

"You're _arrogant_, and a prat too." Rose glared at him from over several people. "I can't believe you. I didn't want to do this, and now you're _making_ me."

"Oi! I didn't want you to be upset with me. You're the one who insisted."

Rose scoffed, the sound exasperated. "Oh, Merlin."

"What's going on?" Molly asked, shamelessly interrupting when nobody else would.

James pointed. "Rose is upset with me, when all I did was defend her honor."

"You attacked Aiden's _brother_, when he's entirely blameless, when the whole thing happened _months_ ago. You refused to apologize, you were a git, and on top of it all you ruined the library- and again, no apology, no offer to make up for your mistake. _Me_ and _my friends_, who didn't _do _anything, had to fix up all the furniture."

Molly looked at James. "Is that true?"

James grumbled and looked away. "It's one way of looking at it."

Molly seemed to regard them both for a moment, and then she chuckled. "Oh, James. Rosie. You two are so silly."

Both James and Rose, who were expecting a wide spectrum of reactions from Molly, were surprised at this one. And slightly offended.

"It's not _silly_, Molly."

"It's not. _You_ are. Don't you see what's going on here?" Molly looked at their clueless faces, waiting for the light of realization, as though the entire matter was clear as crystal. After a moment, when no faces lighted and everyone still looked confused or angry, she groaned and stated what should have been obvious.

"He gets back at the guy who hurts you- although it was indirect, and should have been better thought out, James- and she cleans up the library after your prank, even though it's the last thing she wants. Don't you see?" Molly's smile was suddenly brilliant. "You both do for each other what the other can't."

James and Rose stared at her for a beat. Molly went on, still smiling. "You can't help it."

Rose and James exchanged a glance and held it, suddenly guilty. When put so simply, so endearingly, when Molly was beaming at them like that- it seemed ridiculous that they were ever angry with each other.

"So..." Both Rose and James looked up at Molly. "Don't you see what you need to do now?"

"Apologize?" mumbled James.

"Not quite," Molly said, and the corner of her mouth twitched. "Thank each other."

James nodded, his expression uncharacteristically sober. "Thank you, Rose. For cleaning up my mess."

Rose smiled at the way he said it- uncertain and deathly serious- and her smile reached her eyes. "Thank you, James. I understand why you did it, really. I do. Thanks for looking out for me."

"Molly, are you actually _crying_?"

"No!" All eyes focused on Molly, who was swiping at her face, and when her hands came away her eyes were definitely sparkling. "I just- well- you prats, I told you I miss you."

"Molly," sighed Rose, leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek. And suddenly everyone was getting out of their chairs, crowding around Molly, leaning down in turn to press kisses to her forehead, her cheek, arms wrapping around her shoulders and squeezing. Molly laughed, delighted, and told each one of them how much she loved them, and tried her absolute best not to cry when a kiss was too tender or a hug lingered too long. And in the midst of it all, Rose and James exchanged a glance, and they understood each other once more.

* * *

"Everything all right?"

Rose looked up, startled, but relaxed when she saw that it was only Molly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Um, why are you whispering, though?"

Molly jerked her head to the corner of the Common Room, where James was sprawled over a too-small chair, mouth open, eyes closed. "I considered trying to carry him upstairs, but he's too heavy, even for the both of us. And all the blokes are asleep."

"Yeah. We can leave him," Rose said, but her voice was fond. "Serves him right for drinking so much."

"Mm.. where's Al? Wasn't he just here?"

"He left right after you... we were talking about chess. He still doesn't want to cheat."

Molly stared at the wall, the corners of her lips turning upwards, as though smiling at her thoughts. "He's lovely, isn't he?"

Rose nodded. "He's the best of us, I think."

Molly nodded, quite seriously. "You're right. I've always had a soft spot for him."

"With good reason," Rose said, and suddenly she wanted to talk, wanted to talk herself hoarse. "He's always so good to me. He's always protected me and been there for me. He acts like my older brother, and we were born on the _same day_." At that, she laughed, a shrill sound. "He doesn't smoke or drink or cheat or lie. And... I mean, he has a girlfriend who he adores, and a best friend, Evie, who he also adores, and both of them have practically nobody except for him, and I have so many, I have you and Ari and Viv and James and _so many _friends and family, but he's always so good to me because he knows what he's like, he knows he's indispensable, he knows that I _need_ him and that I couldn't possibly go a day without him, not any day and especially not this day, because I'd crack." Rose paused, took a breath, and when she spoke again her voice was significantly smaller. "He understands."

"Rosie." Molly's hand found hers, kneaded her knuckles. "How've you been?"

Rose shook her head and swallowed, smiling tightly. "Where'd you go?"

"I tucked Lucy into bed," Molly answered, easily accepting the change of subject.

For a moment, they both said nothing. Then, Molly: "I'm worried about her."

Rose look at Molly, surprise. "What? About Lucy?"

"Yeah," Molly said. "I mean, she was really quiet tonight."

Rose wracked her brain, but couldn't detect any unusual behavior from Lucy. "Well.. maybe she wasn't as loud as the rest of us, but she wasn't sulking or anything. She was talking with Lily and Roxanne."

"No, not sulking," Molly conceded, her voice thoughtful. "But she's quiet. She's generally quiet. And me, I'm talkative, I'm an open book- I stick my nose in everything, I talk and I laugh. And she doesn't, and so I can't understand her. I can't understand people who aren't like me." Molly paused here, face stricken, her fingers spread as though answers would fall from the sky and she'd be ready to catch them. "So I can't help but worry."

"I don't think you should worry," Rose said, though she definitely understood what Molly was feeling; she, too, was an older sister, and she'd felt the worry coursing through Molly, that small taste of motherhood. "Lucy may not be like you, but that doesn't mean she won't be alright. She.. she likes flowers, and animals, and Muggle things, and Grandma Molly's chicken and ham pies. She may not be like you, but you know her, and she's alright."

The creases in Molly's forehead seemed to melt away at Rose's words. "You think so?"

"Yes." Rose's voice rang with conviction. She thought of the Common Room more than an hour ago, just as they walked in, when Molly and Lucy separated themselves from the group and sat together on the floor, their hands clasped together, their knees touching. And Rose knew she was right.

"Thank you, Rose. She'll be alright." Molly shot Rose a grateful smile, then squeezed her hand. "But will you?"

"Of course," said Rose, trying to sound light. "How could I not, with family like you lot?"

Molly nodded. "And we're here for you, and so are your friends. You... you don't need him."

"Yeah," Rose mumbled. "I know I don't. But.. I don't know how I feel. It doesn't _hurt_. Not exactly. And I don't miss him. It's more like, I miss myself when I was with him."

Molly listened, eyes wide. Rose went on. "Earlier, me and Al were talking about chess, but not really, because we were talking about me and Aiden, through that other conversation, I mean- I can do that, with Albus. Talk about one thing but mean something else entirely. Anyway, we were trying to figure out why I'm feeling like this, but we couldn't."

In that moment, Rose looked so incredibly miserable that Molly couldn't take it. She reached forward and jerked her chin, so that she was looking directly into her eyes. "You'll understand, one day. All the pieces will fit. But until then, you have us- we can try to make sense of it together."

Rose squeezed Molly's hand. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

"_Really_- thank you. Not just for what you just said, but for tonight. You fixed everything... I don't know how I ever made it through without you."

"And I without you," said Molly. "I miss you all, so much..." She swallowed, overcome, then quickly changed the subject. "You said Albus understands, and I'd like to think that I do too."

"You do," Rose was quick to say.

"Then feel free to count on me."

The two grew silent. Rose stared at the flickering fire, consumed by its dance. When she spoke, it almost came as a surprise to Molly. "Why'd you leave?"

Molly had been asked the question before, and she had an answer ready- one that her parents and cousins and friends and Rose herself had heard before. But she knew it wouldn't fit here, not when Rose wanted- no, _needed_- an honest answer out of her. But she couldn't give that yet, and so she said nothing.

Rose tried again. "I mean, you were there tonight. James and I were _furious_ with each other and probably would have been for weeks if you hadn't been there- and you fixed it all, with just two sentences. You kept saying how much you missed us, and after that, we all realized just how much we missed you- all of us! I mean, bloody hell, you were _crying_! I thought I saw Fred crying too. _Fred_."

Molly laughed, but still couldn't answer. Rose's voice grew somewhat pleading. "Don't you see? We need you here. We're all so different, and you're the glue that holds us together."

Molly's smile, then, was lopsided and tearful. "Maybe that's why I left," she said. "So that you could find a way to hold yourself together without me."

Rose quieted. Molly went on. "I won't always be there. And you're all family. You need to find a way to stick together without my help... so maybe that's what I'm doing. To give you a bit of practice, early on."

"Is that really why you left?" Rose asked, and her quiet, tentative tone betrayed the fact that she already knew the answer.

Molly looked at her feet, and smiled in that tremulous way that suggested that she was never more uncertain. "No."

"Do you even have any friends, over there?"

"One," answered Molly. "Sort of. Thomas. He's not really a friend... well, he's the only British wizard in the country, I think, so we're stuck with each other."

"Oh, _Molly_. Why'd you leave?..."

"Hey." Molly reached over and patted Rose's cheek, and it occurred to Rose that it must take remarkable self control to keep her voice so steady when they were discussing how alone she was. "Don't get upset, not for my sake. Remember, I chose this."

Rose tried to smile. "Will you be alright?"

"Yeah!" And Molly said it with such assurance that Rose started to believe it. "And you?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

"And whenever you need me, I'm only an owl away." Molly patted Rose's hand. "We'll have another Weasley-get-together at the Three Broomsticks if you so desire."

Rose smiled, and so did Molly, and they both leaned into each other until Rose's head was resting on Molly's shoulder, and Molly's hand was smoothing Rose's hair.

"Your hair is so lovely," Molly commented.

"So is yours," said Rose, and her voice was undeniably sleepy. "It's thick and curly and wild and _red_."

"I hate it," declared Molly. "Yours is much lovelier. It's like Aunt Ginny's."

"Mmm... you should see it before the Sleekeazy's..."

When Rose would awaken the next morning, that was the last thing she would remember saying. She'd sit up in her bed, surprised, and peel away the blanket that had been carefully tucked around her. She'd try her hardest to remember when Molly had gone, _how_ she'd gone, and deep in her heart she'd know that she had fallen asleep and Molly had somehow brought her into her dormitory and tucked her into her bed. And she would feel a certain and viscious stab of regret, wishing that she had at least had the chance to say a proper goodbye.

* * *

_A/N: _I hope you liked it, and please review! Reviews make me feel all warm inside :3


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Harry Potter, Adventure, Romance