A month before I started my first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry I announced my dream of becoming the first witch to become a Quidditch player in the first year at school. 'Come on Rose,' Dad had started. 'You can't seriously think that in your first year you'll become a player for Gryffindor.' You'll notice how there was no doubt in fathers mind about which house I would be in. I had gotten much the same result with everyone I confined my dream with. Apart from mum she just smiled and nodded. The rejection which had stung the most was from Scorpius Malfoy, he was my best friend you see. After the Lords war (that is what they've officially named the battle between Voldemort and Uncle Harry's side) the ministry decided that it would not of accoured if the children who were likely to be from different houses "interacted" (a fancy term for scream at each other if you ask me) from a young age. This caused a law saying that children must attend their closest community centre which had magically (quiet literally) sprung up overnight once a month for interaction before they went to school at the age of eleven. To the surprise of everyone including myself, Scorpius and I had become fast friends over disagreeing with our parent's total lack of faith in us. I must contradict my previse statement by saying that my parents should only distrust me a little I do have the most famous prankster in the land as an uncle.
It is the night before I head off to Hogwarts and tension in the family was running at all high. Hugo had gotten a hold of Uncle George's secret stash of his most hilarious pranks including a special branch of fireworks. He then unceremoniously let them off in the middle of Grandma Molly's family reunion lunch. Causing an upheaval to match the time Uncle Fred and George had left Hogwarts. The Weasley women are verbal creature so I got to enjoy a truly spectacular show of Aunt Fleur, Ginny, Angelina (who had eventually married George after a lot of begging), Mum and Grandma all going at Hugo being egged on by a very unhappy Uncle Charlie, Dad and George who were splattered in the remains of Grandmas enormous chicken pot pie. Mum used words so large that even I, the inheritor of her genius brain, was unable to comprehend what she was yelling. It was gold seeing Hugo scared face though. The only adult Weasley female who didn't join in was Aunt Audrey she has a too delicate disposition for such yelling. This all brings me back to the battered wooden table my family was placed around as we ate our spaghetti in harsh silence. Hugo sulked lower into his chair as mum silently dared him to break the tentative peace and come out with one of his usual lines (when can I go to Hogwarts, life isn't fair, when's desert). 'So mum I was wondering if you could send me my broom in two weeks-'I muttered just above the clanking of the china wear.
'We've talked about this Rose. Look, women just aren't as strong as men are in this type of situations. It's just not possible, Harry only did it out of extremely luck and guts which women don't-' Dad begun.
'What do you mean woman aren't as strong as men Ronald Weasley? Or have you forgotten who saved you and Harry's butt's every time you got into trouble. Who is currently running the department of Care for Magical Creatures the second largest department in the whole Ministry?' Mum's eye blazed with a fire that made lesser men break down. It was also a signal for Hugo and I get out, which we complied with happily running upstairs only to lie on the third floor landing to watch the fight unfold. The climax of the whole fight was when mum caused dad's eyebrow to catch alight. Hugo and I snickered while he ran away shrieking like he had just seen a spider and looking like an orange oragortang. Slowly by eye lids fluttered down as the night grew later and later….
I woke up as dad nudged me with his foot muttering about lateness and we only had an hour. I only really registered what dad was saying when a fully dressed Hugo Weasley came up behind him and grinned with uncommonly glee.
'Rosie determined to be late on your first day. Tut tut Rosie, Tut tut.' I groggily sat up and asked the time.
'5 past 10.' Hugo replied his smile growing wider as he pulled back the curtain to the staircase showing a clear, bright day outside. 'WHAT.' I screamed running to the bathroom and hastily doing things that I would have spent more time on if I had been in my own bed the night before and awoken to the sound of my alarm at the right time. Instead I was awoken by my little evil brother and running late.
Running down the stairs carrying my luggage (which contained an extremely heavy suitcase and my old owl Binny) proved to be no mean feat. I heaved and heaved trying to go faster but it seemed nearly impossible.
When I reached the car and started loading everyone else was already strapped in. As soon as I hopped in off dad drove.
Car rides had always made me feel queasy but at the moment I felt positivity dreadful. All I could think of was the sorting and how everyone had such high hopes for me. I kept going over dad's bright happy face every time he talked about seeing me come home in my school robes at the end of the year waving the Gryffindor flag. What if I don't get put into Gryffindor? What if I'm too rubbish at my subjects and I haven't studied enough and they kick me out because of it?
'Rosie relax you look like your about to vomit, Darling.' Mum said happily from the front seat. 'I think I might' I muttered only loud enough for Hugo to hear who was sitting next to me. Or was, when he heard my mutterings he scooted over as far away as he could manage in this small space. We pulled up into a free car parking space far too soon and mum shoved me out of the car and dragged me though the barrier to where my ride to Hogwarts waited gleaming in the sun. We met up with the rest of the clan the parents started chatting and I slid up to Albus who about as sick as I did. I tried to smile but I'm afraid I failed terribly. We started discussing immediately Hogwarts houses and their attributes. Dad broke in and added a little extra pressure. Lily and Hugo laughed but I'm not entirely sure Dad was joking. Dad went off about Scorpius which I found a little odd considering I thought he had given up on his prejudices. He has let me go to the Malfoy's enough times. I paused, frowning, considering this piece of new information. Come to think of it I dad had never actually taken me to the Malfoys manor or been home when the Scorp came over in return. He had never dropped me off to the centre either, that had all been Mum. I shot a questioning glance at her but she merely weakly smiled and shrugged. That was all the confirmation I needed. I gathered up all my nerves ready to confront dad about his stupid utterly biased opinion on the Malfoys when Al and I were shunted on to the train with hugs and kisses. You lucky bastard, dad I thought as the train gathered speed Al and I ran to an empty compartment and waved goodbye until they were just specks.
As we were placing our luggage up the top Scorp meekly stepped in and awkwardly asked if he could sit with us. I looked at Al to ask if he would mind but he had already stuck his hand out to Scorp. As the shook I couldn't help but smile.
5 years later
'You unreliable, diabolical, hypocritical, despicable-'
'Hot, swoon worthy, amazing' Scorpius Malfoy interrupted ruffling his annoyingly blond hair.
'Arse' I finished glaring at Scorp with my hands planted firmly on my hips as we made our way through the train carriages.
'Rosie it was just a joke.' He defended himself.
'The first time maybe, but not the second third and in no way the fourth.' I replied though gritted teeth.
'It deserved to be repeated and I'm standing by that allegation.' He paused and looking back at me with an expression of determination as he swung back a compartment door and walked in kicking out a lonely first year and ordering him to go to a cabin a few rows back, flashing his prefect badge. I let this slip past as I continued to use up every curse in the English language and a few that weren't.
'What were you think hanging my knickers up on a flag pole was going to make my father do part from kick you out. He barely let you stay in the first place and only after I had begged and grovelled so much that my dignity turned into a pathetic pile of ash.'
'It all worked out in the end I went to Al's and he let me stay while the fiasco at home cooled down. I even got a tan playing Quidditch on the field out the back with him, see?' He held out one of his arms for me to inspect. I induced more venom into my gaze forcing him to pull make his arm and mutter about how I was being stuck up.
'Yeah the thing is though I didn't. I didn't get to escape my father's angry gaze for the holidays. I got to watch him fester murmuring about how he always knew you used too much hair gel to be true.' Scorp touched his hair in a look of puzzlement. He sighed resigned.
'I'm sorry Rose, I didn't mean for you to get mixed up in all of this.' He apologized. I collapsed into the cushioned bench all the anger that had been bottled up for weeks inside escaped. Staying angry at your best friend was kind of like fighting the ocean, impossible and ridiculous.
'It's fine. Just make sure to never make public declarations again without a backup plan.' I said muffled between my arms which lay dramatically over my head shielding my eyes from the world. Scorpius was silent. The slow creaking back and forth of the train carried me softly to sleep. Little did I know that two cabins in front of us a sneaky Hugo Weasley, Albus and Lily Potter were plotting down a plan that would define the year.