- Nevermore Alone -
It was a very warm, summer day at the Burrow. Barn owls frequently passed through the area, due to the fact that Molly Weasley enjoyed giving them small treats while on their venture to deliver letters. Her husband, Arthur, always the lighthearted in the family, would bring in garden gnomes to try and spook his wife while she was reading or setting the table. This action made their children and grandchildren laugh, much to Molly's annoyance, but no one could simply bypass the look of love and admiration that Molly would give him. The inside of the Burrow had a cozy and comfortable aura to it, but nothing compared to the kitchen. The kitchen of the Burrow was the social centre of the Weasley family. Because of the large number of guests that the Weasley's often had, the kitchen could not seat everyone, therefore most brunches and dinners had to take place outside.
Today however, was a unique day at the Burrow. Usually, there was always some sort of loud commotion caused by Molly and Arthur's grandchildren; Quidditch fights, messing with floo powder, and careless jinxes fired left and right. Today, Molly and Arthur spent their time cleaning and fixing their cluttered home with the help of their enthusiastic and magically talented granddaughter, Rose.
Rose's parents, aunts, and uncles went to work early that morning at the Ministry, with the exception of her Uncle Charlie, who gladly took all of Rose's cousins and her brother Hugo on a trip to Romania to spend the night in his massive summer house. Although Rose would normally have gone, Molly convinced her to stay at the Burrow, for reasons unknown. She gave in, choosing not to question it. About a week ago, Rose finally confided to her entire family at dinner that she made up her mind. Rose Weasley made the decision to take a treacherous path towards possibly the worst and best choice in her life that she would ever make; falling in love with Scorpius Malfoy. Her family was shocked and torn by the news, but no one's reaction was worse than that of her father's.
There was absolutely no denying that Rose Weasley was in love. She knew it, she could feel it with every fiber of her being. She felt it in the way he would intertwine his fingers with hers and spin her around in circles when they were together at Hogwarts. They were the same in so many ways and yet so different. He was a cunning and ambitious Slytherin, whereas she was a brave and spirited Gryffindor. Rose and Scorpius were on constant watch by their friends and family while they were at school. Only Rose's cousin Albus, who was friends with Scorpius, was the only one who seemed to accept them. It wasn't until their seventh year, that they both realized their love was something worth fighting for, despite the bitterness and contempt they received from both sides of their families.
Now that they were out of Hogwarts, Rose saw less of the blond-haired boy. She missed him more than anything else. The ache in her heart was causing her much despair and longing for the presence of the one her father so hastily condemned.
Molly noticed her unmoving, melancholy posture.
"Is it time for a spot of tea, Rose?" Molly asked. She smiled at her, despite knowing her current struggle. They had taken a break from cleaning the Burrow, deciding it was the cleanest it had been since Teddy and Victoire's wedding.
Perched by the window in the small parlor, Rose looked up at her grandmother, offered a small grin and nodded.
"Also, could you fetch the Daily Prophet on the way to the kitchen? I'm sure your grandfather wants to read it." Rose nodded once more as Molly shuffled out of the parlor.
It was nice, really. Rose enjoyed only having her grandparent's presence in the Burrow and the silence that came with it. She was more relieved however, that her father wasn't there. She didn't know what hurt most; her father's undeniably cold and disappointed stare, or her mother's look of pity. Molly and Arthur, much to Rose's relief, didn't seem to have an opinion on her and Scorpius's love affair. Curiosity sure, but not scorn like her father had demonstrated.
As if it pained her, Rose hoisted herself up from the small seat by the window and grabbed the Daily Prophet on her way to the kitchen.
Arthur Weasley sat at the very end of the table and smiled brightly as Rose entered. "I love a productive day, don't you Rose?"
Rose nodded in agreement and gave her grandfather the paper, which he took willingly.
When the three of them were all seated at the table, Molly and Arthur shared a quick look with one another. "Rose..." Arthur began, although not sure how to finish. Molly offered him a slight smile before setting her hand atop his. She observed her granddaughter's sad expression, "This cannot go on for much longer. Your grandfather and I can understand your father's point of view about you and..Draco's son, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's right."
Arthur sighed before setting the paper down, "The world is changing Rose, even your father knows this. He witnessed firsthand how dark and cruel the Malfoy family can be, I don't particularly like them either, even if they aren't practicing dark magic anymore as of today - "
"They aren't." Rose assured him, speaking for the first time that morning. "And I don't care. Scorpius is the kindest, most wonderful person you'll ever meet! If you only met him, if you could only see how he makes me feel, how he brings out the best in me..how.." Rose was nearly sobbing. Arthur shared a concerned look with his wife, who clearly dismissed it. "Then there you have it!" Molly threw her hands up wildly. Arthur and Rose looked at her with wide eyes.
"What?" Rose asked incredulously, barely above a whisper.
"I full-heartedly agree. He does have some spunk," she surmised.
"I-I don't understand," Rose's voice trembled as she turned to her grandfather in question.
Molly ignored her, a smirk was plastered on her face. Arthur was too surprised to bring his attention back to the Daily Prophet, he could feel his wife was on to something. Then it clicked. "Molly dear," Arthur looked at her in horror, "I didn't think you actually meant that you would..." his voice trailed off, too stunned to complete his sentence.
"What's going on?!" Rose stood up from her seat in the kitchen, her fist lie on the table as her gaze lingered on her grandmother. Molly had not lessened her smirk, she glanced towards the fireplace across the room, "Any minute now."
It was official, the Burrow was the quietest it ever was as Rose followed Molly's glance towards the fireplace with bated breath. Seconds later, a green fiery light flashed illuminating none other than Scorpius Malfoy himself.
Rose's first reaction was a sharp, high-pitched gasp as she locked eyes with him for the first time since they said goodbye at King's Cross. With a shaking hand, she covered her mouth in disbelief and grasped her stomach with the other. Molly grinned at the scene like it was the best accomplishment she ever achieved, whilst Arthur looked from his wife to Scorpius in utter astonishment.
"Rose," Scorpius breathed, his voice making her heart lift. Having met each other half way, they willingly embraced one another in no time, barely leaving any room between them. The connection between the two had not faded, nor would it ever. Rose's arms were tightly fastened around his waist as she buried her face into his neck, elating a sweet sensation within her that was greatly calming. Scorpius grasped her to him just as enthusiastically, placing gentle kisses on her face and running his fingers through her long, curly red hair.
"I don't understand.." Rose said again, reluctantly pulling away from him. She watched him chuckle at her as she cupped his face, hardly believing that any of this was truly happening. A million questions flooded Rose's head. This was dangerous, so dangerous...
Luckily Scorpius seemed to sense her bewilderment and gently took her hand in his. "Rose - "
"It was all me," Molly interrupted, looking smug.
"What?" Rose and Arthur asked her in unison. "I. Invited. Him." Molly enunciated each word, like it was more than obvious. "Rose dear, why do you think I wanted you to stay here?" She winked at her granddaughter who looked back in utter shock. Arthur muttered something unintelligible before shaking his head at his wife and returning his attention back to the Daily Prophet.
"You invited him?" Rose still couldn't believe it, "You really invited him?!" Rose turned her attention back on the breathtaking boy standing in front of her, still grasping her hand, "You're really here.."
"Arthur," Molly turned to her grumbling husband and motioned for him to come over. His expression was of astonishment and disbelief, not of contempt and bitterness like Ron's would have been. This alone made Rose relax a bit more. Scorpius Malfoy holding her hand inside the Burrow with her grandparents only a few feet away was intensely overwhelming as it was. Scorpius stood still, not daring to move, but kept his composure with a confident grace.
After seconds of hesitation, Arthur finally stood from his chair in the kitchen and made his way over to where his wife, granddaughter, and Scorpius were standing. Surprising all, Scorpius made the first move towards Arthur and held out his hand, his voice never faltering. "Scorpius Malfoy, sir." He held out his hand for Arthur to shake.
Arthur was standing an inch behind his wife, gazing with a look of uncertainty at the boy, but with more concern for his granddaughter who was obviously dreading his next move. Molly began to reach for her wand in the front pocket of her apron...
"Oh Merlin! Alright. Arthur Weasley. It's a pleasure to meet you," Arthur forced the last sentence out before swiftly grasping Scorpius's hand. Molly's smug expression returned as she winked at a gaping Rose.
The aura in the room suddenly felt more light-hearted and mutual as Scorpius beamed, "Likewise," he exhaled at the relief of finally making somewhat of a connection with the man. Arthur nodded curtly at him before making his way back into the kitchen. In an instant, Rose was by Scorpius's side again, a look of amazement and love gleaming her face.
"I couldn't be away from you," Scorpius began. "Mother forbade me to send out any letters before they were checked by house elves. And now that we're not at Hogwarts anymore, I didn't know when I'd be able to do this again," he paused before brushing his lips against her cheek. Rose sighed as he intertwined his fingers with hers, all the warmth and protection she felt when around him came seeping back like it never left. But Rose, ever the curious girl she was, needed an explanation. How on earth did he make it past his suspicious family members in order to floo to the Burrow? Why did her grandmother look like she knew something Rose didn't?
Scorpius noticed her confusion immediately, he looked almost guilty. "I'm sorry Rose, I shouldn't have come on such a short notice. It was rude of me -"
"No!" Rose almost screamed, clinging to him. "Don't you see? This is the happiest I've been all summer! You can't leave now! Not now, not ever.." Rose felt the tears well up as her voice trailed off. Grinning, Scorpius held her in a passionate embrace, "I'm not going anywhere."
The duo were so caught up in their reunion, they had completely forgotten the ginger-haired woman watching them intently. Scorpius was the first to pull away as he exchanged a knowing grin with Molly, which only seemed to heighten Rose's curiosity.
"Rose," Scorpius began. "Do you remember when we met up at King's Cross last month?"
Rose nodded, she remembered that day vividly. It was about a week after they had finished their last year at Hogwarts - all was well between them. During their seventh year, Rose and Scorpius had become closer than ever. Their fifth and sixth year had been filled with beautiful memories of them going to Hogsmeade, their first kiss, the first ball they attended together. And yet, there were many not so beautiful memories as well. Their friends and family at Hogwarts, both Slytherin and Gryffindor, had a hard time accepting the pair. Their friends convinced them to see other people and stay within their own houses, which led to many arguments between the forbidden couple, more than they would like to admit to. But Rose, being the Gryffindor she was, wasn't going down without a fight.
She was brave, she would fight for him because he was worth it to her; he was the one. Scorpius on the other hand wasn't brave like Rose, but he was fiercely passionate and ambitious. As far as he was concerned, he would fight for her too. He just simply could not live without her. Which is why the two met up in secret at King's Cross, hoping to share any quick tender moments together before they got caught. Sneaking around in the Wizarding World was not always the easiest, but neither one of them regretted it when they stood on either side of a tall brick wall. Scorpius had placed his hand halfway on the wall, to which Rose closed the distance. A bolt of electricity shot through them as their fingertips touched, each gasping at the innocent, yet so intimate reaction they'd caused. It wasn't until Scorpius's Aunt Daphne came out of nowhere and almost fainted upon seeing them together. She immediately told her sister and Scorpius's mother, Astoria, the next day, and the rest was history.
"After your dad came to take you away, I apparated to the Ministry hoping to find my father and convince him to stop my aunt before the news of us got to my mum. I didn't find my father, I looked everywhere and I was tired. I figured his shift was over by the time I gave up, and no one knew of his whereabouts. My dad was always a private person, even at work. No one really talked to him. So instead, I found your grandmother." Scorpius gestured towards Molly, who nodded at him in encouragement. "Well it was technically your grandfather first," Scorpius bowed his head. "He found me in the Department of Mysteries, lying face down in the dark."
Rose gulped, "What happened?"
"Someone must have stunned me. I'm not sure who, probably a ministry worker who doesn't like my family very much," Scorpius chuckled which earned him a glare from the redhead. Rose shook her head, "You could have been seriously hurt."
"But luckily, he wasn't," Molly piped up, still observing the couple with fondness. "Rose, I accompanied your grandfather to work that day. And you know him, he always likes to check up on things in all the departments. So when we found this young man, we immediately took him to St. Mungo's. In a few hours he was awake..and," Molly sighed.
"And what?" Rose questioned, almost irritably.
"And," Molly continued, smiling. "Much to your grandfather's dismay, I decided that once things settled down, I would graciously invite him to our picnic scheduled for today," she finished with her hands clasped together.
"You scheduled a picnic?" Rose asked. She was still not fully aware what her grandmother was plotting.
"Indeed," Molly concluded.
Rose's heart skipped a beat. She looked from her grandmother to Scorpius with wide eyes, still not quite believing he was with her. All traces of tears were gone from her cheeks as Scorpius raked a hand gently through her curls, "Yeah. That story sums it up," he chuckled at her marveled expression.
Clearly although faint, Rose, Scorpius, and Molly could hear Arthur's drained voice from the kitchen as he spat darkly into his paper, "Merlin's beard."
Several miles from the Burrow, the port key lie on the edge of the foothills. It was a quick and easy way to get to their desired destination; a place Rose had been more times than she could remember. This time however, she was sitting next to Scorpius. With his back against a tree, Rose curled up next to him and smiled in delight. The day had gone from sorrow-filled to perfect. She would never take her grandmother for granted again, never.
The sun shined brightly on the lake nearby causing a grand sparkle. Birds chirped as they flew into the majestical trees that swayed slightly with the wind.
"My family and I come here every summer," Rose said. A look of awe was formed on Scorpius's face, "I can see why, this place is beautiful."
"And it's quite romantic, if you ask me," Molly concluded, winking at the two of them. The couple blushed as Molly finished setting the blanket and unpacking the enormous amount of food. Everyone was calm for the most part, except for Arthur.
He walked a few feet away from them, raising his wand in the air, "Salvio hexia," he murmured.
Molly turned to glare at her husband, "Now Arthur, is it really necessary to cast a protective enchantment?"
"You tell me," he replied, eyeing Scorpius.
"Oh good grief! I highly doubt he's going to do anything, nor summon anyone here. In case you couldn't see for yourself, he's clearly busy," Molly didn't hesitate to point at the cuddling couple.
Arthur grimaced before sauntering over to his wife, who was making herself comfortable on the newly laid out blanket. The four of them sat facing each other in silence. All that could be heard was the whistling of the light wind and the faint sound of owls screeching nearby. Scorpius and Rose snuggled even closer to each other, enjoying each others company each passing minute. Molly was eyeing them with fondness as Arthur absentmindedly munched on some grapes, choosing to ignore the sparks of love in front of him.
"You two have grown up beautifully," Molly gushed at them before turning to her husband, "Arthur, who exactly do they remind you of?"
"Hmm?" Arthur murmured, glancing at the couple before shrugging. Unfortunately, he knew exactly what his wife was getting at.
"Us," Molly whispered, tenderly nudging Arthur's cheek. Rose and Scorpius looked forward at the couple in front of them, wonderment and awe evident in their expressions.
"What do you mean, grandmother?" Rose asked. Molly all but chuckled.
"Times were not always easy between your grandfather and I," Molly paused, "Our families, the Weasleys and Prewetts, despised the idea of us being together. Absolutely despised it," Molly emphasized.
When there was no answer, Molly went on, "You see, even though your grandfather's family and my family came from a long line of pureblood witches and wizards, the fact still remained that the Prewetts were very wealthy. They had been for centuries, you see. My mother and father loved money and used it to create the best possible life for I and my two brothers, Gideon and Fabian. On the other hand, the Weasleys were not interested in money, but more of the quality of life one could achieve with love and happiness."
Rose and Scorpius listened intently. By now, Arthur's persona completely changed as he gazed at his wife with admiration.
"I took her to the Yule Ball during our fourth year," Arthur reminisced, "I remember when she first walked down the staircase to meet me, and from that moment, I knew I loved her. Everything about her was so beautiful, she took my arm and we walked into the Great Hall. To say I felt like a King would be an understatement," he chucked.
Molly blushed, "It was a magical moment indeed, but for the people observing, not so much."
Once again, their was no answer from the couple, only a look of mild understanding seemed to flow in between the two. To them, it suddenly felt like history may have repeated itself.
"Our closest friends and our own families despised the thought of us even connecting. Being in a relationship made us question several times whether or not we should call it off and move on with our lives. It was alot more easier said than done, of course. In the end, we didn't back down so easily," Arthur went on.
"What made you question your relationship, exactly?" Scorpius asked.
"Like I said, times were not always easy between us," Molly extended a hand to her husband, which he gladly took. "Even though we were both in Gryffindor, shared the same common room, and sat at the same table for meals and such, the people in Gryffindor whom we chose to socialize with were very different in terms of wealth and social standing. Though not emphasized as much, being pureblood was another important factor, but nothing compared to the amount of money one possessed," Molly exhaled shakily, but managed to keep her confident demeanor, "You would not believe what we went through when our relationship went public. Arthur and I experienced a series of howlers from our families, our own friends even tried to break us up!"
"It's true," Arthur agreed, "At one point it became too much for us. Not too many people were on our side, however Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster at the time, offered us plenty of reassuring advice that helped us get through those difficult times."
There was another moment of silence as Rose and Scorpius took in all this information. The story of Molly Prewett and Arthur Weasley's forbidden love sounded all too familiar to them. What with the howlers, friends plotting to tear them apart, and the constant questioning of their relationship...
Rose and Scorpius realized now, as they looked into each other's eyes with a new found sense of hope, that maybe not all was lost. Maybe, just maybe, they could get through this. If they kept holding on despite the contempt and bitterness they faced from their loved ones, it could be possible.
"What happened next?" Scorpius pressed, now fully engrossed in the story.
Molly simply smiled at him, "Well, my brothers Fabian and Gideon decided to join the Order of the Phoenix during the First Wizarding War. I for one, was not going to just stand aside and watch them fight, so I joined too," she smiled fondly at the memory. "Unfortunately, the Death Eaters were quite powerful in the 1970s, and alas, my brothers were ultimately killed. I figured, that if I was going to die with them, I at least wanted to properly bid Arthur goodbye. Then suddenly, the most unexpected event occurred."
Rose's eyes were wide. She had heard a countless amount of stories from her grandparents, but this particular one was something new. Her and Scorpius watched as Arthur slid an arm around his wife's waist, grinning at her reassuringly. Molly returned the gesture before continuing, her voice soft as a feather, "I was dueling a Death Eater on the shore of the Black Lake. It was dark and spells were rapidly being fired at me. The nasty hexes were difficult to bear. I didn't know what hurt more, the spells or the fact that I didn't know if Arthur was dead or alive. Dementors were swarming every which way while this was happening. Finally, I was able to hit the Death Eater with the most powerful spell I could muster, causing him to apparate into another location once he gained composure. But I was still not alone..."
"The dementors," Rose murmured, more to herself than anyone else.
Molly nodded. "It took everything I had to bypass the awful feeling that the Dementors tried to permeate within me, but they were too strong. I could hardly breathe, think, or feel anything. All I remembered was a light as bright as day as it spread throughout the dark sky."
"It took her awhile before she found out it was me who cast the spell," Arthur smiled, "I made her figure it out. Who else has a silver weasel for a patronus?"
Molly smacked his arm playfully, earning an endearing laugh from both Rose and Scorpius.
"Oh you numpty! You saved me; it was always you."
Arthur gave his wife a sloppy kiss on her cheek as she batted him away with her hand. If Arthur was ever uncomfortable or uncertain about being in the presence of Scorpius Malfoy, he hardly let it show anymore. The atmosphere grew serious once more however, when Arthur looked intently at his granddaughter and reached out to place his hand on her shoulder.
"We never told anyone this, not even your parents," Arthur admitted to Rose, "It was the most important memory that Molly and I have kept for all our years of being together. So important, we figured we would only share it if it was absolutely necessary."
Molly nodded in agreement, "Rose dear, we - or I rather, wanted you and Scorpius to know, that despite feeling that the whole world is against the two of you, you're not alone in this. With love, anything is possible," Molly finished.
"Yes, but what about your family? And grandfather's family? Your friends? Did they ever accept you both?" Rose asked, she clutched Scorpius's hand a bit tighter, mostly because she was afraid of the answer.
"Not at first, but eventually, yes," Molly pondered, "My parents saw how happy Arthur made me, despite our differences in wealth and social standing. It made everyone, especially us, realize that love is not always effortless, straight-forward, or comprehensible - but there's one thing for sure, which is that true love never dies."
Rose could feel Scorpius's face contort into a smile at her grandmother's last sentence. Though Rose was dying to hear more, she knew that her grandparents had gotten their main point across, that this random picnic trip was for a reason. A very good reason, indeed. They wanted them to know that they weren't alone in this, that it was possible. Immediately, Rose felt more enlightened than she had in a long time. More than ever, she wanted to spend time alone with Scorpius and talk about what has been on her mind. Molly, ever the great observer, noticed them getting antsy. "Rose, why don't you show Scorpius the lake? I'm sure you'll find nice flowers to take home while you're at it," she winked.
The couple sprung up from their seat on the blanket. Scorpius looked intently at Rose's grandparents, "Thank you," he offered them a smile which Arthur even returned. Delight filled Rose's body as Scorpius took her hand. She smiled at him before leading the way down the grassy hill towards the glimmering lake.
"Your grandparents are great," Scorpius said while taking in the scenery, "I never would have thought that anyone else could have gone through things similar to what we did."
Rose nodded, "Me either. They truly are meant to be, you can just tell. I'm glad they fought for each other."
"So am I. Otherwise I wouldn't have met someone quite like you," Scorpius said flirtatiously. He began to tickle her sides so much that she cried out with laughter. Breaking away, she gave him a sly smile and ran towards the rocky shore, Scorpius in tow. Rose had almost made it to the very edge of the water until Scorpius caught up. He grinned wickedly as he threw her over his shoulder.
"Scorpius!" Rose giggled uncontrollably, feeling like she was back at Hogwarts, "Let me go, silly!"
He ignored her. Instead, he swung her around in circles before finally placing her back onto the ground. They were both breathing erratically, for clearly the company of one another was overdue.
"I missed you, Scorpius." Rose sighed as she ran her fingers through his hair.
"You don't even know," he replied, showcasing his signature smirk. Slowly, he leaned down to capture her lips with his. They savored this moment for a while before breaking apart.
"What are we going to do?" Rose questioned. "I've never seen my dad so angry before, what if he doesn't - " "He will," Scorpius said before kissing her again. "He will accept us, and I'll do anything in my power to make him see that you mean everything to me."
Rose smiled up at him in bliss as he pressed his forehead against hers. "And your mother?"
"She'll come around," Scorpius shrugged, "My dad will talk to her, and she will love you too."
"I wouldn't go that far," Rose teased. Scorpius chuckled, "You never know, people seem to surprise me all the time."
The couple stood by the lake, holding each other, simply gazing lovingly into one another's eyes. They didn't doubt for a moment that Molly wasn't telling the truth; true love didn't die so easily, especially for Rose and Scorpius. They knew for a fact that they were embarking on a treacherous road by defying their families. But for the moment however, all was well and peaceful, just the way they liked it.
"We're not alone," he whispered in her ear. She closed her eyes, marveling over the passion in his words, "Just keep holding on, Rose."
Rose opened her eyes, "I will Scorpius, I will."