Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The funny thing about my best friend is that everybody thought she was crap at magic until recently. She wasn't terrible, admittedly, but people had their expectations about the daughter of Hermione Granger. Someone who either can't levitate her feather the required few inches or overshoots and the feather ends up almost hitting the very high ceiling in the Charms classroom just didn't meet those expectations. That should have been a clue, to be honest, the fact that her magic could never really be ordinary. Of course, nothing about Rose Weasley has ever been ordinary. Anyway, now that we're in Fourth Year and the magic we're doing seems to be the sort of stuff that requires true power and can only be strengthened by intensity it seems that Rose is excelling. She's terrifying, really. And weird. Like she cannot summon the cushions from across the classroom but when she half jokingly decided to try and summon a toffee from a box in my dormitory all the way up in Gryffindor tower, it appeared in seconds. Rose's explanation is just that her magic is like her mother and is telling her off for being lazy and so refuses to help her do things she could do easily without magic. She's probably right as well, Rose is usually right.

As well as usually being right, Rose is also usually late and I'm waiting for her right now. It's time for us to go down to the Great Hall for dinner and she said she'd meet me here, on our favourite sofa by the fire, so we could go down together like usual. Al would normally be waiting with me, rolling his eyes at how good his cousin is at being late and complaining about being hungry but he just had Quidditch practice and so will have gone straight from the showers to the hall. While I'm here waiting for Rose, he's sitting at the Gryffindor table eating shitloads of whatever the wonderful lovely House Elves have made for us tonight. Lucky Al. I am completely ravenous right now so I envy him. Except that now Rose is walking down the girl's stairs and she looks all dreamy and thoughtful and obviously her mind is on something else and because she is scary Rose Weasley I'll probably never know what so I may as well just take in her beauty as she walks towards me.

Yeah, Rose is beautiful. Devastatingly so. I know it's such a cliche, falling for your best friend, but there's not a lot I think I can do about it now. She's just so beautiful and funny and kind and silly and intelligent and she has this fascinating way of talking and I could just listen to her laugh and giggle and complain and argue and go into her at least daily rants forever. She means so much to me and I just can't stop thinking about her. I've had this silly inescapable crush on her for over a year now and it just won't go away. I don't know, I'm thinking it's probably more than just a crush now but it's not exactly like I know what to call it. She means a lot to me and she is my best friend, for now I will leave it there. She's nearly beside me now and she's finally noticed me and waves so I wave back and very conspicuously tap my watch and she anxiously bites her lip and then giggles when I try to look serious and annoyed.

"Pissed off just doesn't suit you, Scor!" she laughs, dragging my arm and leading me out of the portrait hole.

"What, like being on time just doesn't suit you either, Rose?" I tease, raising an eyebrow. She links her arm in mine and sticks her tongue out at me.

"Fashionably late, man. I'm cool." Rose replies, sounding deadly serious as she releases my arm and strides forwards as we go towards the staircase, walking like one of those Muggle catwalk models we saw when we watched TV in Muggle Studies last year. Rose took up a bunch of those odd phrases they said on there for each walk. I know right now that she is walking like she 'means business'. I try not to look at how incredible her bum looks in her skinny jeans. She stops when she reaches the stairs and we walk down together, discussing the upcoming Hogwarts weekend and our plans for it. We (our tiny group consisting of me, Rose, Al and my cousin Mel) decided it was time for us to experience alcohol for the first time tomorrow night, so the plan is to make a Muggle ID for me saying I'm 18 so I can get us some drinks at the Muggle off-licence we noticed around the corner from all the Hogsmeade shops. I got nominated for that task because apparently I look older than the others so it might be more believable.

"What took you both so long?" Al asks when we finally join him at the end of the table closest to the door where we usually sit. Mel's sitting with him looking equally amused at how we're nearly twenty minutes later than we said we'd be. Mel is in Ravenclaw but they dropped all the rules about always eating at house tables last year to remove some of the separation between houses. I think it's sort of working, actually, there are definitely more inter-house friendships than there seemed to have been in first and second year now.

"Rose was being fashionable." I reply, rolling my eyes. Rose nods solemnly and regally picks up the serving plate of mashed potato, offering to serve me some first. I nod and smile as she puts some on my plate and when she starts to serve herself I reach for the sausages and put a few on her plate and she grins at me and it's so nice and I don't know, it sounds stupid but it's like there's only us here.

"Rose, fashionably late is like five minutes you know. More than fifteen is just rude." Mel tells her bluntly.

"Miss Melody Greengrass I am so sorry." Rose apologises and it's really hard to tell if she's being sarcastic or not because you just never know with Rose. Mel just shakes her head and takes a sip of pumpkin juice and then she and Rose launch into a discussion about some book series they're both currently obsessed with.

"So Al, how was Quidditch?" I ask Albus after I've finished my first beautiful mouthful of sausage, mash and tomato ketchup.

"Bit shit really. I just cannot get on with this new beater and that's crap, you know? Like we're supposed to be a team but we just can't and that's so frustrating!" he complains, running a hand through his hair.

"Is this the fit third year?" I ask. Al is one of two males on his quidditch team and his fellow beater is apparently the hottest and scariest girl of them all.

"Yup. Erin Wood. Her dad's Oliver Wood, who was Puddlemere's insanely great keeper for like twenty years so you'd think she'd do fine on a team, but no. She can lead but she can't take direction and she can't work in a team and those are not admirable qualities in a beater." he sighs.

"Why is she a beater, then?" I ask, baffled, "Surely she'd suit seeker better?"

"Unfortunately, no. She's incredible at beating, way better at that than at the other positions. Hopefully this is just a phase and she's just settling into this team and getting used to it. Maybe she'll get more okay soon." he replies and I nod.

Our end of the table goes quiet when pudding arrives. Wow. On fridays, we get more of a choice of pudding than usual and it's great. I opt for apple pie with custard, a slice of toffee cheesecake and a fruit salad and all are excellent. My friends, who are now ever so used to my pudding addiction, just laugh. Rose is just as bad as me and tonight she is going down the chocolate route in a serious way- she has chocolate ice cream and a slice of chocolate cake and a mug of hot chocolate.

"Seriously Scor, is the secret to your growth and manly manliness the horrendous amount of sugar you consume daily?" Albus asks, half seriously. He's got this hang up about how he's a lot shorter than a lot of the boys in our year and how his voice isn't all that deep yet either. He also can't really grow a beard yet but decided last month to not shave at all until he had a beard of some kind. Right now he looks pretty odd because he has this weird and really thin moustache of sorts and it isn't great.

"Doubt it, Al. I went on Rose's sugar diet hoping it would help me grow boobs like hers and all it did was make me spotty." Mel sighs. Mel looks younger than me and Rose, too. We all looked about the same until the start of Third Year last year, I grew a load over the summer and my voice changed and I started needing to shave regularly and stuff and Rose just suddenly had the most beautiful curves and she was a bit taller and also her face matured and she just looked heartbreakingly gorgeous. I think that was when my crush on her really started, before that I just always thought she was very pretty.

She looks very pretty now as she laughs at Mel's comment about her boobs. Rose's boobs are, um, big and she's gorgeous and she doesn't quite understand the effect she has on me and probably never will.

"Thing is, Mel, my boobs don't look so nice not in a bra." she sighs. It's probably weird how comfortable we all feel talking about our bodies in front of each other but we do. Unfortunately Rose's words mean that now I'm thinking about what her boobs must look like in and out of a bra. I'm sure they're just as gorgeous when they're bare, but it's not like I can say that without sounding like a perv but it's true. Fuck, picturing a topless Rose in front of clothed Rose and other people isn't a good idea, though. Must take my mind elsewhere.

* * *

As usual, I wake up early on Saturday morning. Al usually sleeps about ten minutes longer than me, so after a very quick shower I decide it's time to wake him up because I'm such a helpful best mate. This morning I'm feeling a bit of Celestina Warbeck as an alarm clock, so I jump on top of him singing 'A Cauldron Full of Hot Strong Love' which is one of my Grandmother's favourite songs.

"I hate you, Scorpius Malfoy." are Albus's first words, but I pull him up out of bed and into a waltz around the room and before too long he's humming along with me.

"It's way too early for this," comments Stephen Yorke, one of our roommates, grumpily as he yawns and sits up in bed to watch the show. Tom Taylor just nods and laughs before shaking his head at the weirdness of two fourteen year old boys in various states of undress (I was just wearing my jeans and Al was just wearing the boxers he sleeps in) dancing around a room singing a middle-aged witch song. In all honesty, they're both probably used to our odd behaviour by now but I can see how this might be an odd way to wake up. I laugh and lead Albus to the bathroom because he smells a bit and then I let him go and tell him to shower and he tells me to fuck off and then gets in the shower.

When we get down to the common room, I am pleased to see that Rose is wonderfully on time for a change. She looks horribly beautiful today as well, her hair is tied back but it's beautifully messy and a lot of her scarlet curls have fallen away and are framing her gorgeous heart shaped face so beautifully. She is wearing a tight and short denim skirt with thick stripy tights and a thick red jumper that can only be a Weasley one. She's just so pretty and I wish I could tell her that without it being weird. I decide I will tell her she looks nice but phrase it like a joke.

"Looking good, Rosie. Hot date?" I smirk and she laughs.

"Only with you, Scor, only with you." she grins and I want to laugh at how badly I wish that were true. Rose leads me and Al out of the common room and down to breakfast. As we walk downstairs, Albus tells Rose about his rude awakening and Rose laughs more than usual. I suppose it does sound quite comic, actually.

"You know that half of Hogwarts already think you two are a couple, right?" she asks us once she's stopped laughing.

"What?" Albus asks, confused. I laugh and shake my head because I can completely see how what Rose calls our 'bromance' could easily be seen that way and at how weird it is that no one has noticed how badly I want Rose, not her cousin.

When we reach our spot at the table, Mel is already sitting there eating toast and delicately sipping her very black coffee. Sometimes I worry that she spends so much time with us because maybe it's because she isn't close to anyone in her house. Hopefully it's more about our superiority as human beings or something, but I do worry about Mel sometimes. I hope she's happy. I'm usually good at reading people, but somehow I've recently got very shit at understanding girls, particularly Rose and Mel, who also happen to be the only girls I wish I could understand.

I decide to go for Marmite on toast for breakfast this morning and so does Rose. We both end up sipping coffee and then laugh at each other for being so similar. Al makes a comment about how weird it is that we are obsessed with sweet things but have such horrible, bitter breakfasts. I guess it is a bit weird, but I don't like pudding first thing in the morning. I do, however, make an exception for pancakes now and then. It's never too early for pancakes. We discuss our plans for the day as we finish breakfast. The plan is to start at Honeydukes and then work it out from the coffee shop they recently put in the cellar there.

* * *

We're about to leave a few minutes after breakfast but suddenly Rose realises she's forgotten her bag so we have to wait in the entrance hall for her to rush upstairs to get it. I suggest she just summons it but she tells me she's put a spell on it so that she can't do that in case at some point someone tries to steal from her. Apparently most of her possessions are unsummonable. That's probably a bit odd, actually. Like what does she think will happen? I don't know, it just seems like a lot of effort to go to and in the end she's only really making things a bit harder for herself. She's a bit longer getting her bag than she said she would be but appears just as we all start to wonder where she's got to. When she comes downstairs and we all begin to make our way outside and on our way out of school I hear her tell Melody something about her period suddenly arriving and I try to tune out partly to give her privacy and partly because I still can't seem to mature to the point where girl stuff just doesn't seem foreign and odd to me.

Al starts to moan again about Erin Wood as we make our way into Hogsmeade and I begin to mostly stop listening. I have this suspicion that Al fancies her and that's why he's finding it so difficult having her as his fellow beater, but it's highly unlikely that he's realised this and even more unlikely that he'd admit to it. Half listening to Albus, I look around at our surroundings as we continue to walk. It's a really pretty day today and the weather is completely perfect, it's mid-October now so the air has a lovely fresh sort of coldness to it and it's so sunny but so cold at the same time. The leaves on the trees are now all mostly golds and reds and browns and lots are beginning to fall. It's just one of those very perfect autumn days and something about it just makes me ever so happy.

"Scorpius, are you even listening to me?" Albus asks after a while. As usual, I answer honestly.

"No, sorry mate. Thinking about how pretty today is, it's such a nice autumn day don't you think? The trees are such nice colours and the nip in the air is just perfect. Wow, look at how that tree has leaves the exact colour of Rose's hair!" I say animatedly and he rolls his eyes slightly. I am more into nature and scenery and writing haikus about the weather than most people would expect, but my closest friends get to enjoy my full on love of it more often than they'd probably like.

"You do know you sound like you're ninety or something!" he comments.

"Ooh are we teasing Grandad Scor again?" Mel asks, laughing as she and Rose join our conversation.

"I bet he's just made a comment about the wonderful autumn day!" Rose comments, grinning at me affectionately. They all like to act as though I'm an old man because I have a sweet tooth, I like nature, I do lots of crosswords, I whistle a lot and I'm good at turning things into lectures about life.

"Yeah, apparently that tree over there is the same colour as your hair!" Al replies, pointing at the tree. Rose squeals gleefully and rushes over to pick up one of the fallen leaves from the ground and puts it on her head, where it's completely camouflaged. Her gorgeous blue eyes shine as she skips back towards us and I don't think anyone else notices, but I see her quickly place the leaf in her bag and I wonder why.

* * *

Once we get into Hogsmeade, our first stop is Honeydukes. Albus and I are very excited to see that they've now invented jelly sweets with a Listerine centre. Listerine is this mouthwash Muggles use that I swear is a million and one times better than any of the rinsing potions we have even in the Healing books. Al's interested because he's an aspiring dentist, unfortunately there's no real call for dentistry in our world so he's considering going into the Muggle world somehow to get his qualifications and practice standard dentistry. I think his interest comes from Rose's Muggle grandparents, who have a little surgery somewhere near London- apparently they quite frequently looked after Rose and Al when they were little and sometimes talked to them about their work and something about it just enchanted Albus. I am interested in these Listerine sweets because I have my insatiable sweet tooth and as a result I must practice good oral hygiene so as not to damage my still very white teeth.

As well as the new Listerine sweets, they've also brought out a range of new chewing gums that last longer than the standard five hours and come in even more flavours. I am especially excited to try the pineapple and coconut flavour, but Rose doesn't think anything will ever beat strawberry or vanilla. She has a thing for strawberry or vanilla flavoured or scented items and products and stuff, she always smells of vanilla perfume and her hair always smells of strawberry shampoo and she is obsessed with vanilla candles and the red ones of those skittle sweets you can get in the Muggle world. Mel, on the other hand can't stand anything sweet and is very loudly complaining about being in a sweetshop for more than ten minutes;

"Seriously what is so exciting about a few new combinations of sugar and weird chemically magic?!" she loudly complains as Rose excitedly drags the rest of us to inspect this new type of popcorn that only becomes popcorn once it's in the mouth.

"It's okay Melly, coffee as black as your soul awaits!" laughs Rose, grabbing Mel's arm and dragging her towards the new cafe in the shop. Mel tries to look pissed off at Rose's silly nickname for her but softens at the prospect of more coffee and at Rose's affectionate tone. Al and I trail behind after buying more sweets than I am prepared to admit, we get a table by the window while Mel and Rose get the drinks.

"So Al, any news on whether you're going to be able to get to dental school or whatever it is or not?" I ask him, remembering the Listerine jellies.

"Yeah, I got a letter back from Rose's grandparents explaining the whole system. Basically I'll need GCSEs and A Levels if I want to get in, they're muggle versions of OWLs and NEWTs."

"And will you be able to get those?"

"I should be able to, I've spoken to Neville and the head, just need to clear it with a couple more of the teachers here and talk to Professor Clarke about extra time with the Muggle professor who runs the additional courses in Muggle subjects and qualifications. It will be a lot of time and effort as basically I will be doing double the amount of work I would be were I just doing OWLs or GCSEs, but I am allowed to drop an OWL subject or two and I only need to do six GCSEs. After that, I will probably just do one or two NEWTs because A Levels are equally if not more evil, but yeah. It will be so much work and stuff, but hopefully it will get me there!" he tells me, grinning and looking tired already at the prospect of all this schoolwork.

"Wow Al, take care of yourself though, mate. Isn't it daunting to know you'll be sitting exams in subjects you've never really known about until now."

"It is a bit, yeah. But English is two GCSEs and it will be okay as it's reading and writing and I've always been good with essays and books and stuff. Maths and Physics are both a lot like Arithmancy and Runes, Chemistry is similar to Potions in theory and in practice too, same with Magical Creatures and Biology." he says, sounding really enthusiastic before sighing, "I'm going to have to quit Quidditch, though which sucks. There's just absolutely no way I'll have the time for that too."

"It's amazing that you're so dedicated to all of this, Al." I tell him, shaking my head in awe. It is incredible how driven he is by all of this and a part of me is so envious that he's found something that matters so much to him. I don't have a clue what I'm going to do with my future and I just can't imagine myself ever really knowing. Oh dear. Before I get too worried about my lack of plans for the future, Rose and Mel join us with all our drinks.

"Pot of tea for Al, Cappucino for Scor, Mocha for Rose and Americano for me." Melody announces as if we don't already know the order we have been making in cafes for the last year or so. I thank them both and take my cappucino from the tray, immediately taking a sip and grinning at everyone with what I know is a very frothy moustache.

Most people our age who come in here for drinks and stuff are all super careful to make sure they're paying for their own and are paying each other back and stuff but it just isn't like that with the four of us. At risk of sounding like an absurdly spoiled group of teenagers, we all have rich parents who give us all very healthy allowances so really we all just take it in turns to buy shit and we know it all somehow equals out. Money just isn't something we think about, Rose said that once she spoke really casually about money in front of her dad and his parents and he got all annoyed at her but her grandparents looked close to tears at it all and said they were so pleased and proud that the Weasleys no longer had money worries. It all sounded a bit odd and uncomfortable to me and Rose assured me that it was before Al gave her a look for speaking about the family in a way that was ever so slightly negative. Albus is oddly protective of everyone and hates to hear his family dishonoured even a little bit, even by members of said family. Because of that, Rose has never felt comfortable telling him about how shit things often are at home for her and Hugo. She tells me instead, and unfortunately I can understand completely. Parents who should not have been parents are another thing that Rose and I have in common.

After a second round of hot drinks, we have a final browse of Honeydukes and make a few more purchases before the four of us split up to do different bits of shopping. Rose and Mel say they need new clothes and things so they go to their favourite shop which is almost all the way up at the end of Hogsmeade where the shack is located. This leaves me with Al, who frantically announces that he needs to make a proper start with his Christmas shopping. I want to laugh when he tells me this, but then he reminds me that he has to be thinking way ahead because he knows he will be so busy for the rest of the term with his extra work. I am once again struck with this huge admiration for him because up until recently Al has been the kind to do just what is expected of him but not much else.

We stay in Honeydukes a bit while he buys a selection of people's favourite sweets. It takes a while because he goes through his entire collection of cousins and siblings, stating that sweets were the one thing the Potter-Weasley contingent could never have too much of. He spends longer on Rose, knowing that she obviously requires more than the standard cousin gift because she's his favourite cousin and all that. I suggest he just goes around the shop finding everything with strawberry in it to give her.

"I thought that was what you always got for her?" he comments, frowning. I grin in response.

"Not this year, though. This year I think I'm going to get her a kitten, it's time Rose has her own cat so she can stop trying to steal mine!" I laugh, referring to Millicent, my very disloyal but very beautiful fluffy white cat.

"You know that cats do what they want, right? Lissie just prefers Rose, I think. Don't blame her, actually!" Al jokes.

"Fine, I won't get you what I planned on getting you, then. It will be a selection box of cockroach clusters from me for you now, Al, and that's if you're lucky!" I say, pretending to sulk.

"What were you going to get me?" Al asks, sounding very curious.

"Not telling you now, it doesn't matter." I reply, shaking my head and leading him to the tills.

"Scooooor…" he moans, Al is not good with surprises and things. I just laugh and shake my head.

We leave the shop and Al continues with his shopping, picking out quite a pretty necklace for his mum and a self warming mug for his dad. He has a minor crisis as he stresses over what to get for all his aunts and uncles before I point out to him that when you're unemployed and under the age of twentysomething, adults just have to accept and excuse the gift, no matter how shit it is because at least you've got them something. Al takes this to mean he may as well buy them all a box of chocolates each but I convince him not to keep going down the chocolate route and just to buy socks for everyone instead.

"Fuck, I haven't got anything for you yet, Scor. It's your birthday just before Christmas too aargh!" Al realises, frowning in frustration at himself and looking oddly hopeless.

"Al, there will be at least two more Hogsmeade trips before the holidays and we have over an hour still until we have to meet Rose and Mel for lunch. You have time, it's okay!" I reassure him. If Al isn't careful he's going to start worrying and stressing himself into and early grave.

"True, yeah. Merlin, Scor, what is wrong with me now?! Anyway, what do you want?"

"You're getting prematurely stressed about everything is what's wrong with you, Albus. Just know that all your upcoming work will be hard but it is possible and you can always give it up at any time and nobody will think any the less of you, okay? And as for me, you know I am a simple man who will be happy with sweets and/or socks." I reassure him, I'm not lying about the socks and sweets, though. In my opinion, socks and sweets are what Christmases and birthdays should be all about.

"Thanks Scor, you're right. Anyway, I'm nearly halfway through the shopping now so where would you like to go next?" he asks me.

"I think I want a woolly hat, so I wouldn't mind hunting that down." I reply as we walk down the street and into the shop I think I'm most likely to find what I'm looking for in.

* * *

We meet Rose and Melody for lunch in The Three Broomsticks an hour later. They actually beat us there because as I was paying for my hat I saw a whole stand of Christmas jumpers and I had to get one because it's nearly time to be getting fully in the festive mood even if you aren't doing an Al and getting all your shopping done in October. They have chosen a table in the corner near a fire and are surrounded by a lot of shopping bags.

"Wow, you've bought a lot!" comments Al, like he isn't currently collapsing under his bags of chocolate, sweets and socks. Mel raises an eyebrow and points wordlessly to his shopping while Rose giggles as she takes a sip of her Butterbeer, emerging from her mug with the standard frothy moustache which makes me laugh so I point to her lip and she giggles again and licks it off her upper lip and I am suddenly so desperate to kiss her that I just have to look down at the table and mutter something about going up to the bar to get Butterbeer for Al and I and to order our food.

When I get back to the table with our drinks, Al and Mel are bickering about something to do with Potions homework because they are partners who just cannot get along when it comes to making potions and that makes it harder for them both. I feel ever so slightly guilty because it could all have been prevented if I'd paired up with Al or Mel instead of Rose. But I didn't because the moment Slughorn told us the first lesson back in September that we were to pick our partners for the year my eyes immediately went to Rose and I was delighted to find she was looking at me like that too. Rose and I work really well together because she is so unbelievably crap at the potions but is amazing at the theory and I am fine with the potions and not too amazing at the theory so we can help each other to do well and get good marks.

The food arrives soon after and as we eat, we discuss the logistics of the plan for tonight and stuff.

"Okay, so here's the ID." Al tells me, handing it over to me before turning to Rose, "Now you and Scor are going to go and buy the drinks from that shop which isn't quite in the village, right?" Albus clarifies with Rose and we both nod.

"Yeah, do you have any Muggle change, though by the way Scor? I stupidly left mine in the dorm for some reason, completely forgot it was different currency!" Rose says.

"Yeah, I have a nice wad of cash in my wallet. Don't you think there's something really satisyfing about exchanging money? Like it's so cool how it goes from being lumps of gold to pieces of paper, you know?" I comment, thinking more about the thrill I get when the money of my Muggle-hating ancestors becomes Muggle.

"You do study Transfiguration, yeah, Scor? You know, that subject which is all about turning things into different things!" Mel laughs.

"Point." I reply, laughing at myself.

* * *

An hour later, me and Rose are walking down the street and along to the Muggle area.

"I haven't accidentally worn a cloak rather than a coat or anything like that, right?" I check with Rose. Although I love visiting the Muggle world, I rarely actually get the chance to and so when it does happen I am constantly scared of breaking the Statute Of Secrecy or something.

"No, you're fine. Wearing your fancy grey duffle coat, see?" Rose points out, pulling at my sleeve.

"Oh yeah. Wow, how did I not look down at my own clothes to check?! I think really I was just worried that this is a cloak it just wasn't registering and all that, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's a nice coat by the way, when did you get it?" asks Rose.

"Over the summer, got the Knight Bus into Diagon Alley but then after all the school shopping was done I decided to explore actual London." I reply.

"Nice time?"

"Yeah, really nice. Got pretty lost a lot of the time, though! Would probably have been more fun if I'd brought like a friend or someone like you…" I say, trailing off because I have just made what could be a huge mistake in not referring to Rose as one of my friends. Now she'll either be pissed off or suspicious and I just don't know what to do. I can't tell her how I feel because she probably doesn't feel the same and I don't want to ruin what we have already and-

"You should definitely bring someone like me next time," she eventually replies, her face is unreadable and her tone is odd. Shit, what does she mean? Does she want to go with me next time? Well yeah, I mean we're friends and stuff so yeah, but what does she mean because I don't think she feels the same and aaaaargh I just don't know, why am I so stupid and what do I say now? I settle for something that could be considered either flirty or friendly and hope for the best.

"I don't think there are many people like you. Probably no one." I say, biting my lip anxiously and walking fast and reaching the outside of the shop, knowing she's right behind me.

"You'd better just take me, then." she says softly and then enters the shop without waiting for me to go in too. For a second I just stand there, trying to process what's just happened between us because something feels different and now I'm just more confused than ever. All I know as I enter is that I have it so bad for Rose Weasley and I don't know what in Merlin's name I am going to do about it.

* * *

**_A/N:_****_ Okay so I didn't plan on posting this until I had more of it written because it's taking me such a long time to write at the moment because of school things and the fact that I'm trying to make sure my writing is actually something I can be proud of and enjoy both reading and writing and things. Anyway, if you are reading this, I would love it so much if you reviewed to let me know what you think of this chapter and story and stuff. If you have read my 'Implications Of Forever', this is sort of the story of that Rose and Scorpius while at Hogwarts and also if you are reading it, I most likely will not be updating it in a long long time because I want to get this story written and I am making this a priority. Afterwards, Implications will be a sequel to this one but I will change and edit it quite a bit because it's got to a stage where I'm embarrassed by the poor quality of it and I want to do better, so I will go back to it but not until this is finished. If you have not read Implications, I don't recommend it at all but I'm not going to take it down so yeah, whatever! Sorry for the length of this note, just know that this is a story I really want to and intend to finish, even if it takes ages, and that I would love it so much if you reviewed because I really need feedback! I will update as soon as possible, but it could be some time. Thank you!_**


	2. Chapter 2

I wake up what feels like a lot later than usual on Sunday morning. My head aches and my body feels stiff and all I can hear is Albus's very loud snoring in the bed beside mine. Stephen and Tom aren't around so I suppose it's late enough that they've already gone down for breakfast. I stretch and turn on my side as I try to remember exactly what happened last night. I can't. I am about to get out of bed and into the shower when Rose comes into the room carrying three mugs and looking beautiful in jeans and a black woolly jumper which I think might be mine. I try not to get too weird and hopeful and embarrassing at the sight of her in my clothes.

"Oh good, you're already awake," she says with a grin, sipping from her mug and handing me another before placing the third on Al's bedside table. She then moves to sit on my bed, tucking her legs beneath her and half lying back so that her head almost rests on my bare chest. I resist the impulse to run a hand through her beautifully dishevelled curls before speaking.

"Thanks for the coffee, Rosie. Care to tell me how you managed to get hot drinks in the tower and while you're at it would you mind please filling me in on what happened last night because I remember next to nothing?!" I ask, drinking my coffee and settling on touching her arm in what I hope looks like an affectionate thank-you gesture.

"Excuse me no, you must first ask me about my morning, dear." she scolds jokingly.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, how was your morning?" I ask mockingly, rolling my eyes.

"Eventful, actually. I woke up pretty early because I was a good girl last night and Mel was sleeping next to me looking slightly dead because I brought her back with me in a complete state last night so I was like fuck, the boys will be just as bad and obviously hot drinks are the answer to every situation so I just yelled for Tull, the house elf I befriended last year, remember?" I nod and she takes a deep breath and goes on talking ridiculously fast, "I just asked her if she'd mind bringing up three coffees and some tea so she did and I put them in these really cool heat-retaining mugs I bought yesterday and then I woke Mel up and that was a challenge and she like sprinted to the loo to vom and then once she'd finished puking I threw her in the shower and when she got out I gave her coffee and clothes and sent her back to her dorm to sleep it off a bit more. And now I'm here to do the same for you and Al except you obviously don't need it because you got all your sick out of you last night so you can just help me with Al, who didn't. Anyway, before we deal with what might be mountains of Al vomit, what do you want to know about last night?" she grins and I groan. I puked last night in front of Rose. Oh dear. What else did I do?

"I vommed?" I ask, a bit horrified.

"More than once, actually. First time we were still in the Room and it was quite ick and Al and Mel were completely wasted and just got all childish about it. Then you puked again as we walked back to the common room but luckily it was just in the corner of the corridor so we just sorta walked away as quickly as poss. And then when we got into the common room you like just ran up here to be sick some more but luckily that all made it into the toilet. Then, once I'd put Mel to bed and Al had fallen asleep, I went to rub your back as you got the last of it out and then helped clean you up a bit and by then you weren't all that drunk any more, just pretty embarrassed and emotional which was kind of cute so then we just cuddled a bit and I put you to bed." she tells me, before moving a bit closer to me so I wrap my arms around her and pull her under the covers with me, hoping this isn't too much. It isn't, she moves so that she's facing me and she's smiling. She looks pretty tired, actually, I guess it must have been pretty exhausting looking after us all.

"Oh dear, Rose. I am very sorry." I say, feeling pretty guilty about the fact that she had to do all that for me.

"Don't be, it's fine. I don't really know why I ended up not drinking as much as the rest of you, to be honest. Anyway, do you want to know anything else about the night?" she asks, moving a bit closer to me again. I pull her even closer so we're really cuddled up now and I accidentally brush my hand against her slightly exposed stomach as her jumper rides up and I am suddenly all too aware of the fact that Rose is actually fully in my bed with me and it's lovely and I fancy her so much and this could be so risky like I might say something accidentally or something.

"Not really, no. I'm guessing we all just engaged in archetypal drunk behaviours and stupid conversations. No kissing or anything regrettable, I hope?" I ask, suddenly worried I might have said something to Rose about how I feel and stuff.

"Nope, it was pretty standard, I'm afraid! Fun, but nothing dramatic." she replies.

"Ahh, good." I say and I want to say more but I don't know what.

"So shall we get Al?" Rose asks with a sigh, obviously not wanting to have to deal with what will most likely be the third lot of puke of the weekend for her.

"Naah, I will. You deserve a break from all the looking after." I say.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Let's just stay here a sec to finish our drinks and then you're free."

"Cool. Ohh also, I recommend showering before you get Al- Mel vommed again in the shower and even though it had all washed away, there was something gross about knowing I was showering on top of what was her sick just a few minutes earlier."

"Ew, poor you. Thanks for the tip, though!"

"No problem." she grins, before finishing her coffee and climbing out of my bed. I really want to wrap my arms around her again and tell her not to go away ever but now just isn't the time for stuff like that and it's all just too risky.

When she's gone, I take Rose's advice and get into the shower, planning on waking Al after. I notice as I get in the shower and start cleaning myself that my horrible headache and general achiness sort of vanished once Rose entered the room, as though I had more important things to concern myself with. Like Rose. Rose and her beautiful giggle and kind heart and sense of humour and beautiful face and beautiful eyes and beautiful hair and her beautiful shape and the way she looked in my jumper and the way she felt when I held her and the feel of her bare skin and the way she looks when she smiles and how she looks when she laughs and how she looks so pretty and so alive all the time and how I am scared by how I am so infatuated with her and how actually it's been ages now and it's probably so much more than infatuation because she is Rose Weasley and she is unbearably kind and funny and intelligent and beautiful and sexy and fun and lovely and I just can't stop thinking about her and I need to stop thinking about her because the more I think about her the more attracted to her I get and it's dangerous to get this way when you're in the shower and it's all warm and nice and you can't stop thinking about what it would be like if your beautiful best friend was in here with you and oh fuck it's too late and I'm almost at the stage where I'm going to have to make this shower cold-

And Al has just come bursting into the bathroom and he is vomiting very loudly in the toilet and suddenly my level of arousal has (probably thankfully) dropped down to minus figures. I poke my head around the shower curtain:

"You do know I'm in here, right Albus?" I shout over the sound of the water. Al nods blearily and mutters some kind of apology before shoving his head down the toilet again. I sigh and turn off the shower, reaching for my towel. I wrap my towel around my waist and leave Al to finish puking while I get dressed.

Al emerges from the bathroom about seven minutes later looking like shit. His hair is sticking out more than usual but in a lank and sweaty way. I feel like telling him he looks like shit is unnecessary so I just give him a mildly disgusted but partly sympathetic look. After what Rose told me about my own antics with vomit last night it isn't exactly like I can judge him.

"Hey Scor, sorry for interrupting your shower." he says, flopping down on his bed.

"It's cool. Better that than having to clean it off the bed or floor, huh? Besides, from what Rose said it's not like I can be annoyed at anyone else's sick." I tell him as I put my socks on.

"Ha, true. You were pretty gross last night from what I can remember. When was Rose here?" he half mumbles, I can't hear him very well because his face is buried in his pillow.

"She left about fifteen minutes ago, she came bearing gifts of hot drinks and news of last night and with the intention of cleaning us up. Luckily I was awake and pukeless. I offered to look after you, but you woke up before I could. Had you woken up just a few minutes later you'd have got the full Scorpius Malfoy care package." I tell him, before pointing out the tea Rose had brought him on his bedside table.

"My cousin is an angel sometimes," he says, sitting up and taking the mug. "So she was okay this morning?"

"Yeah she seemed fine, said she had just ended up not drinking as much as the rest of us and had just fallen into the caretaking role. Said Mel was a state and had been pretty ill this morning and I was apparently pretty vommy last night. I feel pretty bad for putting her through all that,"

"Well just promise to be the caretaker if we do this again sometime, I'm sure you'll be even once you've cleaned up her sick too, I bet that's usually the protocol thingy." Al replies, shrugging before going into the bathroom again, muttering something about showering and seeing me at breakfast. I take this to mean he's cool with me just going down to eat now and meeting him there so that's what I do because I am really stupidly hungry.

Rose is sitting on the sofa when I get down to the common room and she hops up when she spots me.

"How's Al?" she asks.

"Fragile," I tell her, "he ran into the bathroom to puke while I was still in the shower which was pretty gross!"

"You didn't see yourself last night, Scor. You're not allowed to call anything else gross for a while I am afraid," she grins.

"I really am so sorry for all that," I say again.

"Forget about it, Scor. I'm sure you'd have done the same for me!"

"I would have and I promise to do it next time!" I tell her with a smile.

"I may have to take you up on that," she says and it sounds like she might say something else but she doesn't and I am suddenly reminded of the weirdness of yesterday afternoon in Hogsmeade with her. Shaking it off, I put a smile on and turn to face her:

"Breakfast?" I ask and she nods and we leave the common room to go down to the hall to eat.

* * *

About two weeks later, I'm sitting in Transfiguration with an exhausted Al and a frustrated Rose. Albus is exhausted because apparently Maths is a bitch and he was up until pretty late last night working on something called algebra which involves letters in the place of numbers that you work out in some confusing and silly way. Rose is frustrated because none of the Professors will listen to her when she says she can't do unnecessary magic very well, they think she's just being cheeky and lazy.

"Try again, Miss Weasley. And actually try. Concentrate. Remember the correct wand movement and-"

"With all due respect, Professor, do you really not think I am trying my absolute hardest? You've seen my written material and you know I get it and I understand it and spend hours getting my essays perfect. I'm putting all the time in, everything! I promise you, I just honestly can't-"

"There is absolutely no reason for the strength of your magic to be dependent on context! Your wand has been tested, you have been tested and the spells you are attempting have hundreds of years of successful use to back them up. So I want to see you do it properly right now!" Professor Smith starts to sound angry. Unfortunately, pissing off Rose about things that aren't her fault is a really bad idea.

"I can't!" she shouts, "I promise you, Sir, I am giving it everything I have but something inside of me will not allow the magic within me to channel itself into my wand and thus into doing the spell effectively! I get the theory, I know exactly what should be happening, what I want to be happening and how it would look were it happening but it isn't! I can't. And I have honestly no idea why, but for whatever reason my magic and my wand disagrees with turning this guinea fowl into a guinea pig further than switching the beak and talons! And I am so sorry because if I could do this I would and I can't and it's making me angrier than it's making you, I can promise you that!" she finishes angrily. Rose looks close to tears and it's really hard to watch her crumble like this.

"Keep trying regardless, okay? I heard about your success with long distance summoning charms last month, so there's no way I'll accept this claim that you simply can't. You will have to do something similar to this spell in the exam next year, so you really need to master it. Theory alone is not eno-" Rose stops him angrily and I want to shout at her to stop right now because Smith hates being interrupted or corrected or spoken back to in any way and this will not end well. At the same time, though, I completely get Rose's frustration and fully support her justified annoyance.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but if I get full marks on the theory and only twenty five percent on the practical, that's seventy five percent overall and so gets me an E. So it sort of is enough, actually." she says ever so slightly smugly and I both want to hug her and groan at what is about to happen at the same time.

"Detention for your cheek, Weasley. I will not be corrected in my own classroom and your suggestion that you will achieve full marks on the theory is downright ridiculous." he says, sounding seriously pissed off. It's probably more about the fact that Rose is completely right and just vague ability in either the practical or the theory is sufficient provided the other side is at least at ninety eight percent. Most of our exams will be fifty percent practical and fifty percent theory and you need sixty five percent for an A, seventy five percent overall for an E and ninety percent for an O.

"Really? Would you like to read some of my essays, Sir? Might change your mind." she replies, giving him a challenging look. Rose has been pushing herself to get her essays completely perfect to compensate for her issues with the actual casting of the spells.

"No, the essay I set last week will be sufficient. Do not speak to me like that again, I will be in touch regarding your detention." he says grumpily and I want to laugh because there is no way Rose hasn't won this argument.

Once he's walked away and started helping someone nearer to the front of the room, I turn to Rose, planning on congratulating her. I'm expecting her to look somewhat triumphant but she has her head in her hands and won't look up even when I tap her on the shoulder gently. I want to pull her up and into my arms and ask her what's wrong but we're in the middle of a lesson and she's obviously not in the mood to talk. I exchange a glance with Al who also looks worried and he shrugs to show me he doesn't know what to do either. Rose rarely gets upset, or at least rarely gets upset in front of people, so neither of us know for sure what to do to help her. Mel might know, but Mel's in Herbology with the other Ravenclaws.

Rose continues to be very withdrawn and not herself for the rest of the day. She isn't up to exchanging glances with me during Divination or even up to showing any interest in the film we're shown in Muggle Studies. It's hard to see Rose like this and I do what I can to make her laugh but even my absurd predictions in the crystal ball aren't enough to get more than a small smile when usually she'd be laughing her lovely head off.

At dinner, Rose remains quiet and seems sad still but we're all quite distracted by the meltdown of Albus Potter. Albus really really really hates maths and somehow manages to rant about triangles and equations or something for a full half hour. When I ask if he can actually do the maths he says that yes he can but that doesn't mean he likes it and that it's stupid and irritating and so frustrating and just time consuming. Apparently that's the real problem with it, that he finds it pretty easy but horribly time consuming. I still find myself in awe of how he's sticking with it all regardless, though. He got up early this morning to read a few chapters of a book he'll have an exam on and he's just working ever so hard and he seems to be enjoying most of it, just not Maths. Or Physics. He says Physics is almost as bad but it's ever so slightly more tangible than Maths because it's more like actual stuff that exists. Rose finally speaks up then, informing us that actually, unfortunately Maths is sort of the foundation of all the sciences as Maths is what Physics eventually becomes and Physics is what Chemistry becomes and Chemistry is what Biology becomes and stuff like that. When I asked how she knew all this she said that it was because in her last year of Muggle School, they had presentations from various Secondary Schools about the subjects they all were to start learning in more detail than they had previously when they started there the next year.

"Sounded pretty interesting actually, I've always had a thing for Maths you see," she says, shrugging.

"I thought you were more into like English and writing and reading and stuff," Mel comments.

"I am and I was. I was into it all though, you see. Muggle school suited me and I loved it and was good at it." Rose says simply, before shaking her head as though her words have reminded her of something and looking down again. I start to wonder if maybe she's unhappy now because of her problems with practical magic in a classroom environment.

A school owl flutters towards us as the puddings come out and a note drops into Rose's lap. Probably her detention, usually dinner time notes are detentions and notices from teachers.

"Wow, he wasn't lying when he said he'd be in touch shortly- detention tonight at seven until half eight." Rose comments, sighing.

"At least it'll be out of the way," Al comments brightly, digging into his apple crumble. Rose just sighs in response and I pass her a mug of hot chocolate, hoping it might cheer her up just a little. She smiles in thanks but it's sad because it seems quite forced. Sad Rose makes me sad and I just want to make it all better.

* * *

After dinner we all go to the library to get some of our homework completed. It's quite funny seeing Al's pile of textbooks and once again I feel a combination of awe and sympathy as well as a touch of 'my friend is mental'. Mel and Al run through and test each other on ingredients lists for certain potions whilst Rose and I get started on our dream diaries. I manage to make her laugh a bit when I tell her about the dream I had last night;

"There is no way you really dreamt you had become a string of fairy lights and were then shipped off to America and put on the President's christmas tree, Scor. No way. I do not believe you!" she says giggling.

"It's true, Rose, I promise! Anyway, I'm pretty sure the textbook translates such a dream as one of an uncomfortable journey I may go on which will end with me in a position of grandeur which is most likely fictional so make of that what you will in terms of actual prediction!" I reply. I'm lying actually. Last night's dream was not that I was a string of fairylights which were shipped to America and put on the President's christmas tree, I actually dreamed about that time Rose and Al took me to a Muggle fair last summer and we had a nice time and stuff. That dream, however, had faded out and into a sex dream and um. Yeah. So I didn't really want to even slightly risk getting onto that. I seriously don't get why my body is being so sex-obsessed at the moment, though- I really am trying not to think about it but it just doesn't seem to be helping.

"Well I don't believe you, but whatever. I think this means basically what you said- that you will travel in an uncomfortable position, behave uncharacteristically and you will be displayed in a fancy place or something. No idea what the specifics might be, but yeah, this should be enough for one dream. Wanna hear one of mine?" she asks and I nod so she continues, switching her tone from relatively bright to very flat and emotionless, "I dreamt I was really strong and powerful and could do just about anything. I dreamt that my magic came from my body somehow and I didn't need a wand but I could do just about anything without even thinking too hard about it. I dreamt I could instinctively know when magic was required and that it just happened and I was magnificent. Nice dream, actually."

"Maybe it was prophetic, maybe that is the thing? Perhaps that's why you can only do necessary magic. Maybe this is you, or will become you?" I suggest, I actually sort of believe this too. I don't know, just something about seeing Rose in action in Defence and the few times we went to duelling club just makes me think there's something so fluid about her magic and it has nothing to do with incantations or wand motion or even the fact that I'm basically in love with her. Other people have noticed it too, I remember in Second Year, Smith was especially perplexed by Rose's aptitude for duelling in contrast with her apparent disdain for Transfiguration and even commented that the magic came from within her in an uncommon way. Of course, he ended up just putting her issues with structured lesson spellwork down to laziness and lack of engagement in actual lessons which is essentially why Rose has this detention in half an hour.

"I highly doubt that, Scor. I think this is just a desire for greatness and foretelling most likely of delusional greatness or metaphorical power. Maybe I will be powerful, but not in a magical context or something."

"We'll see, I guess."

"Yes we will." she says ominously, looking down and then quietly suggesting to the four of us that maybe we should just read through and mark each other's first drafts of our History of Magic essay on parallels between Grindelwald and Riddle, or Voldemort. He's usually known as Riddle these days, though, it's like the Wizarding world all just collectively decided he had no right to a chosen name and ought to be given the name he was born with during our discussions and lessons and articles.

I get Mel's essay and there's something really special about it. Some of the facts are ever so slightly jumbled up but I'm just enchanted by her style of writing. She somehow manages to write in both the formal essay style required and yet so freely and creatively. There's something almost artistic about her wording throughout and it's all so clear and fluid and readable. I underline her minor errors and write the corrections in the margins before measuring it for parchment limit and realising she's a little over so I skim through it again looking for anything that isn't directly answering the question. Once we've handed our essays back to each other Rose realises it's time for her to go to her detention and sighs as she gets up to leave. I offer her a sad face and she pouts back at me, I poke my tongue out and cross my eyes and she does the same and then we both laugh while Al and Mel roll their eyes and tell Rose to just go to her detention now and flirt with me later… Flirt with me?! That would imply that my thing for her isn't entirely one-sided, maybe I should- No. Too risky for now and I can't risk asking either for advice either because there's a small chance they'll tell her which would be awful and a bigger chance that they'll be all smug and go on about how they knew it before I knew it and all that shit and that would be almost as bad.

Five minutes later, Al announces that he's going to go to the dorm to do his Muggle studying because he says he finds it easier to get into a magicless context when you aren't surrounded by spellbooks. This leaves just myself and Mel. We modify our essays together quietly, commenting now and then to check certain facts with each other and share notes. After an hour we've finished our essays and all our other homework so we get up to leave, going up to Gryffindor tower.

* * *

"When our parents were here, I don't think people were allowed in the common rooms of houses they weren't in. Weird that, isn't it?" Mel comments once we're sitting on our usual sofa.

"Yeah, it's like I don't get why they were surprised there was such house rivalry and conflict when they separated everyone so much. It basically discouraged friendship from people in other houses and that was stupid." I agree.

"So glad it's all different now, like I don't know what I'd do if I was forced to always eat with and spend most of my free time with just people from my house. I'd probably be pretty lonely, I guess." she comments, sighing slightly. I decide now is probably finally the fight time to ask her why she hasn't got friends in Ravenclaw:

"Mel, why is it that you don't really talk to other Ravenclaws?" I ask.

"They hate me," she says with a sad look, "I committed three crimes in just my first month and since then they have very successfully managed to isolate me."

"Crimes? What do you mean?"

"The first thing I did wrong was get sorted into Ravenclaw rather than Slytherin, where I apparently belong. Then I failed to truly excel academically or creatively, further proof that I didn't belong with them. My third and most heinous crime was answering a riddle that none of the sixth or seventh year prefects got, that proved that I'd obviously cheated and so definitely belonged with the snakes. Ironically, had I not committed the first two crimes, that third would have actually been celebrated and may have led to acceptance and stuff." she says, looking annoyed and miserable.

"I am so sorry, Mel. Why didn't you say more to me at the time?" I ask, thinking about how lonely the first term must have been for her as she didn't start hanging around with me, Rose and Al until after Christmas that year.

"Because I was ashamed and also because there was literally nothing you could do. In all honesty I was actually stupidly jealous of you- somehow you'd made friends with your dad's once-upon-a-time sworn enemies and you were accepted by the house who really ought to have taken against you for the same reasons."

"That wouldn't have happened had I not been friends with Al and Rose, I don't think. It's such a shame you didn't sit with us on the train, might have ended up making your first term here less miserable."

"Probably, yeah. Oh well, it doesn't really matter anymore, things are pretty okay now." she says with a smile that I really hope is genuine and not just put on.

"Please talk to me if things are ever shit though, Mel. Don't deal with it all on you own." I hate the thought of people hiding painful things and keeping all the sad stuff inside. Personally, I can't be dealing with secrets and that's why I only have one- that I adore Rose Weasley as more than just a best friend- and I'm struggling to hide that one enough as it is.

"Don't you worry about me, Scor." she says, shaking her head and looking away. This worries me because she hasn't agreed to talk to me if things are bad and that makes me think maybe it's worse than she's letting on.

"You will tell me though, right?" I ask gently, looking at her carefully. She avoids my gaze.

"Mmm yeah." she says. I'm not sure whether or not I should push it but I decide not to because she obviously doesn't feel like talking about it. Instead, I resolve to keep more of an eye on her to make sure she doesn't seem to get any more unhappy.

We both go very quiet after that, it's sort of uncomfortable but it's also sort of right. I put an arm around her and she gives me a weak smile. Again, her smile is so obviously forced and all I want is to somehow put a real smile back onto her face because it really hurts to see one of my closest friends and my favourite family member like this. I turn slightly to look at her again and I see a single tear trickle down her cheek. She sees me looking and hastily wipes it away so I hold her closer and she shakes her head before telling me to stop because she doesn't want to cry on me.

"If you need to cry, you should cry." I say, she shakes her head.

"I shouldn't, I've cried enough. I just need to get on with things!" she says, her voice sounds so weird and strained. Then she leaps up and mutters goodbye before walking very quickly out of the common room, presumably to her own so she can go to bed.

This leaves me alone in the common room feeling more worried about my friends than ever. I am worried that Al will burn himself out with all this extra work of his. I am worried that on top of all my usual worries about Rose, issues with classroom magic are starting to really bring her down as well. And now I am also worried not only about Mel's lack of Ravenclaw support and friendship, but also that there's a lot more wrong than she's revealing. My friends are basically my only important family and the thought of any of them not being happy really does make me sad because all three of them are so lovely and funny and kind and gifted in all these different ways and I just feel so lucky to know them. I don't know, maybe I should tell them stuff like that more often. But then again it's sort of bigheaded to think that my love is enough to make them feel better because I don't think it is, I just don't have a clue what to do to help them all and that makes me feel so hopeless. It's just that the three of them made my life so much better, like before Hogwarts I was just so empty and dull and there really was nothing there but a desire to not be like my family and to do something great, the three of them helped me grow so much as a person and I feel really guilty that I'm the only one not having a difficult time at the moment and I hate feeling so useless while they're all struggling a bit.

* * *

_**A/N: Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed my first chapter, it's so great to get any kind of feedback on things like this so yeah, huge thanks! This chapter's a little shorter than the first, I was going to go on a little more but this just seemed like the perfect place to end it. This story isn't developing in quite the way I expected to but I'm still pretty pleased with how it's going so far haha- I usually have a plan of some kind when writing but, as is the case with this story, a lot of the time I just find myself writing things I hadn't even thought of before. I know roughly where I want this to go, but I'm just as clueless as any reader about how I'll get there! I am committed to getting this story finished, but I really am busy with schoolwork and will be until the summer so updates won't be as frequent as I would like them to be, I am just writing when I have the time and inclination! Reviews are a fantastic motivator, though, so I would love it if you reviewed and let me know what you're thinking of this! Thank you!**_


	3. Chapter 3

In late November, I wake up on a Friday morning to lots and lots of snow. I am the first to wake up and I look out of the dormitory window and all I can see is white everywhere. The sky is white and so is the ground and as Gryffindor tower is so high up, without looking down all I can see is the white sky with the odd snowflake swirling around. It's so white it all seems to sparkle and the icicles on the window ledge glitter in the weak sunlight and it is all just ever so beautiful. I want to wake up Al to look at how pretty it all is, but he'll just say something cheerful about having a snowball fight later and will roll his eyes and call me an old man when I tell him to look at how beautiful it all is, though. But it is beautiful, so beautiful. I don't know what it is about the world and nature and stuff, but I just have a thing for it and it all makes me very happy. I hope that tonight will be clear because it's a full moon and the moon and stars and snow will create such a glow and it will be incredible.

I look at my watch and see I've somehow woken up over an hour earlier than usual and as my usual time is over an hour before we go down to breakfast, I have nearly two hours to waste. I decide to shower and dress quickly and go outside for a walk in the snow. I wrap up extra warm, wearing two jumpers, my coat, gloves, scarf, boots and the hat Rose knitted me for Christmas last year.

I am not disappointed once I get outside, the snow is so soft and powdery underfoot and the trees look so beautiful all covered in frost and ice and snow and the lake looks on the verge of freezing over completely which is really cool. I feel very calm as I walk across the grounds, the cooling air is ever so relaxing and I like that for the moment I am just here and my mind isn't on other things. Unfortunately, this thought leads this to stop happening, so now I'm remembering that in less than a month I'll be going home for Christmas and that will be horrific.

Well, horrific is probably an overstatement, it will actually just be awkward and annoying and dull and there will be some arguing and bitter comments and stuff. I plan on spending as much time out with my friends as possible, so hopefully it won't be all bad. But Christmas day will be shit because my parents are shit. I have been sort of trying not to dislike my parents lately, but it's harder than it sounds because they make it so easy. On the rare occasions when my parents decide to talk to each other, they're usually just criticising or nagging me and that's never fun. It's all sort of embarrassing, to be honest, I don't want to be an angsty teenage boy who doesn't get on with his parents, but that's the way it is and I'm not sure how to stop it.

At least I have a few weeks before that, though, so I may as well enjoy the time I have left here. My goals for the remainder of the year are to continue getting straight Os in all my subjects, to try to be there for all my friends and to wprk on being a good person because I think that's really important. I also intend on changing my mindset and way of thinking and stuff, I need to stop going off into these rambling thoughts and start concentrating more on what's actually going on around me. I nearly walked into a tree just now because I was too busy thinking about the future and that's stupid. I need to get a bit better at living in the moment and not overthinking everything, really.

* * *

I head back to the castle about half an hour later, my head full of resolutions and still a couple of worries and dreads. As I walk up the stairs to the corridor leading to the tower corridors and staircases, I hear a familiar voice shouting at someone to leave her alone. Following the sound, I find myself halfway up the stairs to Ravenclaw tower, where I see Mel balled up on the top step as though she's trying to pretend she isn't there at all whilst shouting at nobody but herself. I crouch beside Mel and put my hands on her shoulders and then I gently ease her out of her very hunched over position so I can look at her properly. Her cheeks are soaked in tears and her eyes are closed and remain shut even when I say her name, she does shift slightly so I know she's listening.

"Mel, please look at me for a second," I ask and she finally opens her eyes. "I'm not going to make you say or do anything you don't want to do, but I am going to suggest that you come with me up to my common room and you can either sit with me until breakfast or go and see Rose or Al. We don't need to talk about what's just happened if you don't want to, we will do whatever you like, okay?" I say and she nods then allows me to help her up. I wrap my arms around her and hold her tightly and I feel her place her head on my chest as she starts to cry again.

We stand still in this position for a while and I try to just be calm for her instead of trying to puzzle out who or what it was she thought she was shouting at and why she is so unhappy. I can tell she needs to talk about this but I don't want to push her right now.

After a few more minutes, Mel pulls away and looks at me through her tear filled brown eyes. She shakes her head a couple of times before speaking:

"Please don't say anything, Scor. Please? I can't have anyone else knowing that I'm, that I'm, that I'm um-"

"That you're what?" I ask gently.

"That I'm weak!" she almost shouts before bursting into a fresh set of tears.

"You aren't weak, Mel. You are incredibly strong and we all know it, you just need to sometimes let us be strong for you sometimes, it isn't weak to sometimes not feel as strong as you really are." I tell her sincerely, rubbing her back as she cries.

"I'm sorry, Scor, I really am," she says between sobs.

"For what?" I ask her, still confused.

"For being me and for making you put up with me and like I know I don't deserve it and you're all just so nice and-"

"Stop please, Mel. You have nothing to apologise for, understand? I am here because I love you and you need to not be alone all the time, Rose and Al feel the same. We love you and we are your friends and you need to stop thinking you're alone because you aren't. Now will you let me take you up to Gryffindor tower so we can work on helping you be more okay and able to talk about all this before breakfast, yeah?" I say, making sure she knows that I mean every word I'm saying. She nods and wipes her eyes, then attempts to focus on breathing more normally. I put an arm around her and lead her up to our tower.

"Scor?" she asks just as I'm about to give the password.

"Yeah?"

"Can you not really tell them much, I promise I will talk to you properly about all this at some point before Christmas, but I really just don't want to go over it all right now, okay?" she asks anxiously. I'm not sure about this but I decide that as long as she sticks to this promise it's better than upsetting her by informing everyone of it all.

"Okay, but you will tell me, yeah?" I check and she nods. I give the password and we enter the common room.

* * *

Gryffindor's first Quidditch match of the year takes place on the third of December. Beside me, Al claps and cheers sort of unenthusiastically at first because this is the first Gryffindor match he hasn't been a part of since second year. James Potter is the keeper and Lily Potter is the seeker and his cousin and Rose's brother Hugo is the new beater, Al's replacement. Rose and I look worriedly at Al because we don't want him to get too unhappy about missing out so instead I point to Mel as she flies onto the pitch, her long hair in a plait all the way down her back and a look of happiness on her face that now only seems to surface when she's playing Quidditch. Mel is an exceptional chaser and since she joined the Ravenclaw team last year, watching she and James interact on the pitch has been mesmerising as they are so evenly matched. The other night I asked her why her skill on the pitch wasn't enough to make the other Ravenclaws happy and she said that it was too little too late for her fifth and fourth year tormentors and that whilst she got on with the others on the team, it wasn't enough to lead to friendship or okayness with the rest of her house.

None of that seems to matter to her right now, though, not as she's flying through the air in pursuit of the Quaffle. Nothing else seems to be of any consequence to Mel as she grabs hold of the Quaffle and flies unthinkably quickly towards James' goal hoops. Albus is shouting at James to defend whilst Rose and I are shouting rather ambiguously because we are not especially concerned with who wins and we'll be happy for Mel if she scores or for James if he manages to prevent her from scoring. Mel scores and Rose and I clap politely, albeit subtly because we don't want any of the other Gryffindors to get the hump with us, Al included.

The match is a long one and I begin to get quite tired and bored of cheering whenever things happen and it seems that Rose is feeling the same because eventually she just sits down and stops getting up and cheering so much. I do the same and she grins at me and we both grin at Al because there's absolutely no way you could say he's got bored and tired, he's so wrapped up in the game and it's great to see him so focused on something that isn't schoolwork. Rose offers me a piece of longlast strawberry gum and I take it, as I chew it all I can think about is Rose because she smells of strawberries and she chews this sort of gum a lot and she also uses strawberry lip balm so I really think that if I kissed her I'd taste strawberries too and that's a really distracting thought that I shouldn't be having because it's too soon and I can't do anything just now because she's Rose and she's far too special and I don't want to risk fucking anything up by saying things too early or anything.

After another half hour of half hearted cheering, Rose takes a book from her bag and somehow manages to curl up on the bench in the quidditch stands to read it. I begin to lose track of time as I sit there sort of watching the match, sort of thinking about Rose, sort of thinking about Christmas, sort of worrying about Mel and sort of planning on the homework I need to get through tonight. The stands are quiet for a short while and that is how I am able to hear Rose gasp in shock at her book. I tap her gently on the shoulder and gesture at the book, giving her an inquisitive look. She leans closer to whisper in my ear and all I can smell is a combination of strawberry and vanilla and I smile slightly to myself as she begins to explain.

"I'm reading Wuthering Heights, have you read it?" she asks. I shake my head "Well it's basically about this couple who are soulmates but live in a world where they can't be happy or together for various reasons. One of the reasons is that everyone is an awful person and Heathcliff is arguably the most awful. He just said that if he were to marry this other woman in the book, he would beat her so often that her face would always be bruised. And that's pretty shocking, even from a character like him. I don't know, I just think there's always something ever so forceful and threatening and terrifying about physical violence, you know?" she rambles. I love it when Rose tells me about her books because she gets so animated and thoughtful and she really comes alive and she's so interesting. Mel and I love to read too, but not in the way Rose does. When she reads a book it seems to completely consume her in the most fascinating of ways.

"Yeah, I think I get what you mean. It's that idea of domestic violence too isn't it, a husband beating his wife is something which just feels so wrong. Like you should love her, never hurt her like that." I murmur, unable to stop myself from thinking about my awful awful grandfather and all the awful awful things he did to my grandmother and the way he hit my dad when my dad was young. It's just awful and it makes me shudder.

"Yeah, this is a great book though, would you like to borrow it when I've finished?" she asks and I nod. I love reading Rose's books because not only can I talk about them with her after, but she has great taste in books and also underlines all her favourite bits and it's just really cool, Rose is just really cool to be honest.

She grins at me and turns back to her book and I try not to stare at her too much because I really do just need to stop looking at her like this because it's not doing anyone any good. I turn my attention more to the game again. We're winning right now, and even if Ravenclaw get the Snitch, they'll have to score at least five more times if they're going to even equal. Mel is brilliant but the whole of our side is fantastic and only Mel and Dave Thomas- the seeker- are equal to them. Just as I'm thinking this, Thomas and Lily both dive, presumably in pursuit of the snitch. They really are completely equally matched and it's fascinating to see them both giving it all their speed, all their strength and all their precision. Whoever it is that will eventually catch it isn't any better than the other seeker, this match-ending move is going to be down to luck! It is only when it comes to catching the snitch that I get really into a game of Quidditch and this is fantastic! After another minute of scarily close pursuit of the snitch, which is basically just bouncing up and down in the centre of the pitch at spectator eye level, Thomas catches it. He holds it in the air and Lily visibly slumps even as the rest of her team and all the Gryffindor supporters are cheering. Thomas holds out the snitch-free hand to shake Lily's and she takes it, grinning at him as both appear to be making their way to the ground together. They're still holding hands and I have a feeling there must be something going on between the two.

"Do they have a thing?" Rose asks Al during a break in the cheering, gesturing to Lily and Dave Thomas, who are now embracing on the ground.

"Yeah, she said they've been together for about two months." he replies, shrugging.

"Doesn't bother you that he's older?" Rose asked, the Weasley men are not known for not being too supportive of their sisters and daughters.

"Nah, he's only in the year above her. Also he's an August birthday and she's a September birthday so really there's no age difference at all. James gets the job of overprotective big brother and I'm pretty sure he's already told Dave he's not allowed to hurt Lily and all that bullshit. I don't care all that much to be honest, just as long as Lily's happy. Besides, they're 13 it isn't like they're forever or it will be too heavy for a long time and all that. Dave seems nice and Lily seems happy and that's all I care about." Al says with a shrug and Rose grins at him.

"I approve of you, Albus Potter. The overprotective brother thing can be so fucking creepy and I like that you don't buy into that! You're retaining your long standing position as my favourite family member." she says cheerfully and Al grins and nods and clearly is quite happy to have heard those words from Rose. It's because of Rose's thing. She's both incredibly lovely and incredibly honest so a compliment from her just makes anyone feel so great about themselves, her smile and laugh is pretty infectious too. I know I keep going off on this tangent, but I just can't get over how beautiful Rose is in every way.

"You're lovely, Rosie." I say without thinking and I look at her and I see her smiling in a way she doesn't often smile and I realise that maybe we're not saying enough things to her that are just nice. I mean sure, we joke and cuddle and stuff but I think maybe I've spent too long thinking I need to keep my nice thoughts about Rose to myself, my solar system-sized crush on her does not mean I need to avoid telling her any of the nice things I'm thinking.

"Thank you, Scor, so are you." she replies, smiling again and snuggling into me. I put my arms around her and it's lovely to be holding my lovely best friend. Al looks at us and smiles slightly before shaking his head and then heading down from the stands, telling us he's going to congratulate the team he was once in.

* * *

Al stays in the common room for the victory party to hang out with his friends from the team and celebrate their win and is fine with Rose and I going off to spend the evening with Mel 's not like she's going to want to join the party because she takes Quidditch pretty seriously and will be gutted about the loss, even though it wasn't catastrophic. We go down to the entrance hall to meet her and we're all delighted to remember that tonight they're starting decorating for Christmas and the Advent celebrations are going on in the Great Hall.

Christmas music is being played and there are mugs of hot chocolate on the tables. It's half past seven and at present, there are thirty or so students, mainly first, second and third years. A few of the Professors are helping to decorate the tree and hang up holly and tinsel from just about every available area in the hall and everyone seems so happy. Before doing any of the decorating, the three of us sit and drink hot chocolate. The cheerful festive mood is contagious and I'm delighted to see Rose and Mel both smiling spontaneously for the first time in a while. Rose often gets down at Christmas because she hates going home for two whole weeks and now she has the added stress of school work to worry about, she has quite often been pretty withdrawn lately. Mel is unhappy for numerous reasons, some of which I trust she told me the other day, some of which I have a feeling she hasn't told me just yet and maybe doesn't plan on telling me. Mel and Rose are happy now, though, and the two are discussing some controversial muggle book they both read recently and giggling a lot. I take the time to reflect on the things that Mel told me on Thursday…

Her mum's ill again so she's dreading Christmas this year more than she usually does. The girls in her dorm room keep making bitchy comments about her and have taken to occasionally hiding her items, she told me she feels like she just can't get any privacy anywhere in the castle because there's always someone there who wants to taunt her. That someone is often herself, she'd half joked. Mel has got it into her head that since none of the Ravenclaws accept her, she doesn't belong there and doesn't deserve to be there and that she really isn't good enough for anything. She told me that she can't seem to get above an E+ on anything and that's really getting to her because she feels like she should at least excel in something and she doesn't think she excels in anything. A boy in the year above in her house asked her out the other week and she'd said yes to a late night stroll of the castle without realising what he'd meant by it and when she'd said she didn't want to go that far he'd got angry and started calling her awful things. The following morning, which was the snowy morning I'd found her crying in the corridor, somehow everyone in her dorm knew that she'd gone out to meet him and were constantly telling her she was easy and calling her more awful names.

After hearing these things I really wanted to do something about it but Mel begged me not to and told me there was nothing I could do. I think there probably is, I just need some time to think about it and come up with a plan or something. I cannot deal with my favourite family member being treated in such a way, it just isn't fair at all. It's so cruel and awful and wrong and I hate seeing Mel hurting. I stop brooding on this just in time to pick up an odd piece of Mel and Rose's conversation:

"Is the 'inner goddess' like her sex drive do you think?" Mel says with a snigger and then they both dissolve in giggles.

"Can I ask?" I ask after they both seem to have recovered a little.

"We came across a very poorly written erotic novel from about ten years ago and it is possibly the funniest thing ever!" Rose laughs.

"One you won't be recommending to me?" I ask with a grin.

"Nope, won't put you through that! You get only the very best of my books, Scor, and this one def doesn't make that list! Speaking of books, have you finished Wuthering Heights yet?" she asks me.

"Only got a few chapters left to go, loving it so far!" I reply honestly. This is definitely my favourite of Rose's books so far, I don't know exactly why it is that I'm enjoying it so much because it's really very dark and depressing, it's so exciting and fascinating and atmospheric though… I don't know, I just love it!

"Good, I'm really glad! You can have Jane Eyre next, once I'm finished with it. It was written by Emily's sister Charlotte and it's almost as good as Wuthering Heights!" she tells me.

"Can't wait! Do you want Wuthering Heights next, Mel?" I ask Mel.

"Not for a while thanks, I'm busy with To Kill A Mockingbird right now and then I want to read The Great Gatsby. I highly recommend Mockingbird so far, it's so sad and beautiful and fun and lovely but really it's just so so sad." Mel says, smiling and shaking her head. Rose, Mel and I all share our books, it's like a sort of rotating library which is great!

"Isn't Al reading Mockingbird for his English Literature exam?" I ask, remembering seeing a copy of it by Al's bed the other morning. I knew t would be school related because Al doesn't really read for fun.

"Yeah, he wasn't appropriately excited about it when he was telling me about it yesterday so hopefully my appreciation for it will wear off on him somehow!" Mel replies.

"Hey, can I borrow Gatsby when you've read it?" Rose asks Mel.

"Yeah, sure. Fuck, I can't believe we're talking about literary masterpieces like these as a result of that book!"

"Shit, yeah. I'll be honest, though, the story was quite addictive, like I was pretty excited by the plane and the drama, you know?" Rose replies.

"True, I finished it in a matter of hours so yeah!" Mel giggles.

After our discussion of books comes to a close, we make our way to the area where people are making decorations the Muggle way. The few people currently there are doing those really cool things where you cut holes and slits into a piece of folded circular paper and then you get a snowflake.

My first snowflake attempt is a bit shit, unfortunately. I don't make enough cuts and it just looks like a vaguely patterned blob. Mel's and Rose's go a lot better than mine and they both produce some very pretty and intricately detailed ones. We laugh at my crap one a bit and then we get to work on making more. My second attempt goes a little better but it's still pretty bad so Rose decides to help out with my third. She sits closer to me than she had been before and guides my hand ever so slightly as I cut, stopping me by placing her hand on mine when she decides I'm somehow doing it wrong. Her hand on mine is slightly distracting, as is her breath on my neck as she instructs me. I know I shouldn't be so crazy about this and about her but I just can't help it, everything about her makes me want her and even though I'm getting pretty good at not visibly reacting in any way, she still gets me every single time.

Rose and Mel unfold their third snowflakes and both are, once again, superior to mine and I fake annoyance despite the fact that I'm planning on pocketing the snowflake Rose helped me with and it just makes me happy to be spending time with the two of them.

James Potter suddenly appears to materialise before us and joins us at the bench.

"How did you get Al's cloak?" Rose asks curiously and I realise that his apparent appearance from thin air is courtesy of the cloak Al was given for Christmas in first year.

"He lent it to me." replied James.

"Why the hell did he do that?!" Mel asks, confused. Al does not like lending his cloak to other people, especially not James.

"I was surprised too," shrugs James, "I just asked him as a joke yesterday while he was studying and he said it was cool and told me to go up to his dorm to get it for myself. This extra work really is driving him insane!"

"Yeah, it is. Need to make sure he takes a few days off over Christmas. Hey, he is partying properly right now, yeah? He needs to let go a bit." Rose says to James.

"Oh yeah, he's downed several glasses of wonderfully spiked punch and when I left he was making a beautiful fool of himself!" laughs James.

"Why aren't you partying, though? You're on the winning team and you're in your NEWT years, does that not mean you are therefore obligated to be highly intoxicated and making bad decisions rather than joining some lowly fourth years doing Christmas crafts?" asks Rose.

"Well I made the terrible decision to trust that my girlfriend of over a year wouldn't cheat on me in front of everyone at the victory party, so now I'm just not in the mood to get fucked and do more stupid things." he replies, sighing before beginning to very viciously cut his snowflake. It turns out better than mine regardless.

"Shit. You okay James?!" I ask.

"I will be, yeah. We haven't been getting on lately anyway and I always knew there was something about her and Frank, so shockingly enough it wasn't even shocking. Besides, I have a year and a half left of Hogwarts parties so I can be a proper Gryffindor drunk in the future." shrugs James.

"Katie and Frank? Fuck, I always thought they seemed inappropriately flirty but I never really expected that they'd actually act on it!" Rose comments.

"Best friend and the girlfriend!" James says mockingly, doing a sarcastic thumbs up.

"Did you finish with her, then?" asks Mel.

"Yup, pulled her aside once she'd managed to remove her tongue from Frank's mouth. Just said it was over and she nodded, smiled and walked away." James sighs.

"No apologies or anything?" I ask, slightly shocked.

"Nope. Nothing. Neither of them were drunk, either, so it's not like they have even the vague excuse of clouded judgement."

Rose, Mel, and I have nothing really to say in response so we just give him sympathetic looks, then Rose and Mel put their arms around him and I get up to fetch him a hot chocolate. We make a few more snowflakes and then the four of us go to the kitchens for tea and biscuits. We stay in the kitchens until about midnight and it's quite nice to just sit around a table talking and joking about nothing in particular.

* * *

When me, James, and Rose get back to the common room some time after midnight, we find the party mostly over with just a few people sitting around talking or sleeping. I turn to say goodnight to Rose but for some reason we pull each other into a short but very tight and lovely hug. I hold her for a few second until we both pull away and whisper goodnight to each other. The atmosphere should be weird but it isn't. Well, it isn't until I'm walking up the stairs with James and he gives me a sad grin and shakes his head before asking me:

"How long have you been in love with her?" And because it's late and I'm tired and I just spent the whole night talking happily and honestly with him and because there is definitely more to him than the cocky golden boy persona he's been hiding behind for so long, I tell him the truth:

"For a very long time." I say, shrugging.

"Does she know?" he asks.

"Nope." I reply.

"Will you tell her?"

"I don't know."

"I think you should tell her."

"Why?" I ask, puzzled. James has just been severely fucked over by romance so right now I am not sure why he is encouraging something as risky as a declaration of affection.

"Because I think she loves you too." he says, before opening the door to the Sixth Year dorms and leaving me in the corridor looking more confused than ever.


End file.

Harry Potter, Friendship, Romance