..and so The Dark Lord fell, and all has been peaceful in the wizarding community since that fateful night at Hogwarts.
Rose Weasley sighed, glanced at her watch, and slammed her History of Magic book shut. What a pointless chapter for me to read, she thought to herself. She had the story of the Battle of Hogwarts memorized so well, it was like she'd actually been there. Her entire family fought in it and only one member didn't make it out alive to tell the tale. She'd grown up wishing she could have met her Uncle Fred, seen her mother and father when they were young, heard her paternal grandmother shout, "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" (she still thought they'd all made that one up), and watched her Uncle Harry defeat both death and the villainous Lord Voldemort. No school book could even come close to entailing the aspects of the story she'd forced numerous friends and relatives to recount hundreds, maybe thousands, of times since she was a child.
Forcing herself out of her thoughts to the past, she placed her book onto her bedside table and sat up. No one else in her Gryffindor dormitory was awake - at least not that she could see - and she decided to take advantage of the deserted bathrooms. Grabbing her wand, she flicked open her trunk and summoned everything she'd need before dashing into the showers. Once inside, she allowed the hot water and steam to relax her tired body. Despite the fact that she was only five weeks into her last year at Hogwarts, she was already studying hard for her N.E.W.T.s. Staying up late and rising early to give herself extra time with her books was starting to take its toll on her body.
She ran her fingers through her long, red hair one last time to make sure she'd rinsed it well, then turned the water off. Stepping out of the shower, she grabbed the still-warm, maroon towel that had just appeared on the rack in front of her and began rubbing herself down with it. I love those house elves, she mused as she wrapped it around her body. Hearing a noise in the dormitory, she walked out and supressed a giggle at the sight of her best friend and roommate, Gwyneth, stumbling out of bed. Her normally pristine, black hair was sticking up in odd places and it seemed as though she couldn't open her eyes all the way. "Alright there, Gwyn?" she asked, releasing her laughter a little. Gwyneth mumbled something unintelligable and groped her way through the dormitory until she found the steamy bathrooms.
As her best friend showered, Rose started getting ready. "Goustaro tempestas," she said, waving her wand at the dormitory window. A crisp chill enveloped her body and she knew the weather would be cool that day. Dressing accordingly, she added a grey school sweater and black tights to her regular uniform. On her feet she wore solid black boots that stopped mid-calve. She didn't feel like doing much with her hair so she pulled it into a pony-tail and accessorized with a maroon and gold ribbon. Then she put on her school robes over her outfit, found a piece of parchment and a quill and scribbled a note to Gwyneth.
Gone to meet S. See you in the Hall.
-Rose
She pointed her wand at the parchment and watched as it folded itself into a bird and began fluttering around her best friend's bed. Satisfied, she picked up her school bag and started towards the entrance hall. As she made her way through the Hogwarts corridors, she thought about her relationship with the young man she was walking to meet. It had all started when he'd invited her to accompany him on the first Hogsmeade Saturday early in the previous year.
"Malfoy? Scorpius Malfoy??" her cousin, Dominique -who was then in her 5th year - had asked incredulously, nearly dropping her books in the corridor. "Do James and Albus know?" the pretty Ravenclaw questioned further when Rose confirmed that yes, she was indeed talking about the Scorpius Malfoy. "I don't think so but it won't be long; I let it slip to Hugo. He'll definitely tell Lily -you know how close they are - and she'll probably write and tell Teddy, who will then tell my parents, who will tell Uncle Harry, who will owl James and tell him that as the eldest of the male cousins it's his responsibility to talk some sense into little old Rose," she'd answered dryly.
Something to that effect must have taken place because within a few days, she was confronted by her older cousins, James and Albus Potter. "Oi! Rose!" they'd shouted, sprinting to catch up with her as she walked towards her Arithmancy classroom. Rolling her eyes, she'd turned to face them and said, "What's up guys?"
"Don't act innocent, Rosie-Posie," James had said, bringing a scowl to her face, "we all know that you know that we know about you-know-who." Rose recalled the way she'd bittten her lip and stared at the two young men, thinking of how best to respond to that paltry attempt at dexterity. Clearing her throat, she answered, "If you're talking about my upcoming trip to Hogsmeade, and I'm assuming you are, you may as well just lay off. We're going despite what anyone says. Al, I'm really sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. I know the two of you share a dormitory but - it's just Hogsmeade!"
Of course, it turned out to be much more than 'just Hogsmeade.' After that trip, there were invites to House parties and quidditch matches. There were random snogging sessions in various corners of the school and late nights where one, or both, snuck out of their dormitory to see the other. They'd owled each other over Christmas break and upon returning to Hogwarts, spent the remainder of the school year together, nearly inseparable. Over the summer, she'd actually convinced her parents to allow him to stay for four days. They'd had to sleep in separate bedrooms and her father was breathing down their necks the entire time but it was still an enjoyable holiday. And although her parents did an excellent job of keeping tabs on where they were, Rose and Scorpius were cunning young adults and managed to sneak off a couple of times on their own. It was during that time alone together that she had decided to give herself to him completely.
Now, each of them in their last year at Hogwarts, their relationship was at a level neither had predicted. Rose had yet to meet the Malfoy's but Scorpius had been accepted by her family - he and Albus had actually become fairly good friends - and no one in school doubted their feelings towards each other.
She broke out of her reverie when a tall, blonde haired young man walked into the entrance hall. Rose started to glance down at her watch as he approached. When he reached her, he covered the watch with his hand, kissed her on the cheek and said, "I'm not late. You're just always early," causing her to smile.
He was much taller than Rose. She stood just four inches above five feet and he towered over her at six feet and one inch. Athletic but not hefty, he had the lean and sculpted build of a football/soccer player. His brilliantly blonde hair was a shaggy mess; a few strands draped across his forehead, drawing attention to his heart-stopping brown eyes. His complexion was porcelain and smooth, save a small mole on the left side of his face. Rose thought it was adorable; Scorpius, however, hated it and was forever searching for a potion or charm that might make it disappear.
"Up studying again?" he asked his girlfriend. "Yes," she replied heavily, "I have a quiz in History of Magic today on the Battle of Hogwarts. I might as well have slept, though, for all the good that chapter did." She made a face and he laughed. Rose knew he understood; his grandparents had been at the battle, albeit on a different side than hers - at least, that's how it was at first. Once it became apparent that their son's life was in jeopardy, they'd had a swift change of heart.
"Rose.." Scorpius hesitantly changed the subject, "My mum's owled me again. She, erm..she's really looking forward to meeting you. Soon. She, uh, wants me to invite you to stay with us; for the holidays, I mean." He looked unsure as he spoke and, although her heart was beating a little faster than before, Rose had to stifle a giggle. Biting her lip - a nervous habit she'd probably never break - she pondered for a moment. Spend the holidays..with the Malfoys?? She instantly felt guilty. After all, her boyfriend was a Malfoy and she loved him deeply. She thought about the disagreement her parent's had while discussing Scorpius's family last Christmas.
***
"Give it a rest, Ron!" her mother said with exasperation, glaring at her husband. Rose put a hand to her forehead and contemplated apparating out of the room - she'd turned 17 a few days before and was now legally allowed to do so. Before she could make a decision, her father responded huffily, "I will not, Hermione! It's Draco's son! And he's a Slytherin!" His words were saturated with disgust. Hermione mirrored Rose's thoughts when she retorted, "Your nephew is a Slytherin, Ronald Weasley, and you'd do well to remember it! I don't suspect Harry and Ginny will appreciate the fact that you're still holding on to the house stigmas that existed when we were in school. Albus is a good boy and I'm sure Scorpius is, as well. Rose is not stupid and she's not a little girl anymore, either." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Besides, you know full well that Draco and his wife are nothing like Lucius and Narcissa. I've heard Astoria is a rather pleasant woman, actually." Ron shook his head, admitting defeat, and delved back into his Christmas dinner.
***
A rather pleasant woman.. Rose mused. Still biting her lip, she nodded her head a few times in consent. "Yes, I think it's time I met them. Tell her I'll come," she said, grinning broadly when her boyfriend's face lit up with excitement. "Yes! She'll be so happy, Rose, and you'll love her! She's a marvelous witch, really. She holds our family together. You two will get along famously. And don't worry about my father, she'll keep him in line. He's nothing like Grandad, just a little more sullen than your dad and Harry, I'd say; but everything will be great. I promise!" he kissed her as she laughed.
The level of noise beyond the double doors that led to the Great Hall was picking up and they agreed it was time to go to breakfast. Once in the middle of the hall, Rose stood on the tip of her toes and kissed Scorpius lightly. "See you in a bit," she said, and headed to the Gryffindor house table. She saw Gwyneth in their usual spot and took a seat next to her. "Are you really awake, Gwyn?" she teased as she began filling up her plate. "Yes, I reckon I am; although not as awake as I'd be if I'd been snogging my gorgeous boyfriend in front of the whole school," Gwyn retorted with a mischievous gleam in her eye. "You lie!" Rose said, blushing, "We weren't snogging. I just gave him a little peck is all." "Whatever you say, dear.." Gwyneth trailed off as she took a swig from her goblet of pumpkin juice.
Just then, a great wooshing noise resounded throughout the hall as the morning mail came in. Two letters and the Daily Prophet landed on top of Rose's plate. She grabbed the first envelope and nearly choked when she saw who it was from. Forcing her fingers steady, she opened the letter and read:
Dear Rose,
I decided to write you myself because I'm not entirely sure as to whether Scorpius has yet extended my invitation. He speaks quite fondly of you and, as his mother, it's only natural that I desire to meet the young woman who has held my son's heart for the past year. Please consider staying with our family during the winter holidays. Both Draco and I would enjoy your company immensely and I daresay Scorpius would be rather charmed having you as a guest, as well. Send an owl whenever you've made your decision.
All my best,
Astoria Malfoy
Rose pressed the letter to her chest and closed her eyes. "Erm..Rose?" Gwyneth said tentatively. "Are you alright?" Laughing, she opened her eyes and was about to respond when she heard a disturbance at one of the other house tables. Turning around, she was surprised to see a very agitated looking Albus pushing Scorpius out of the way before running from the hall. Rose caught her boyfriend's eye and he shrugged, then turned to follow her cousin. She revolved in her seat and was on the verge of saying something to Gwyn when she heard yet another disruption, this time in the form of a shriek at the end of her own house table. Glancing around, she found the source; her cousin Lily had apparently cried out and was now reading the letter in her hands, one palm clasped over her mouth, with tears streaming down her face.
"Something's not right," Rose said anxiously to her best friend. She looked down at her own mail and saw that the unopened envelope was addressed from her parents. She tore it open swiftly and began to read:
Rose -
The family's had a possible tragedy. We expect all of your cousins will be receiving the news today, as well. James has gone missing. We suspect foul play. Rose, you MUST heed this warning: Under NO circumstances are you or any of the other family members to leave school grounds; not even to Hogsmeade! Until we have a better idea as to what's happened, we must proceed with the utmost caution.
All our love,
Mum & Dad
"Rose? Rose!" she heard her best friend's worried voice. Ignoring her, she walked over to where Lily still sat crying, accompanied now by Rose's younger brother Hugo. She wrapped her arms around the young girl's heaving body and, no longer able to hold back sobs of her own, Rose let the tears fall.