Summary: The Malfoy family only had to act as a normal, loving, and caring family for a week while Rose visited. Easier said than done. Scorose
Disclaimer: All belongs to the wondrous JKR!
A Malfoy 'Family' Christmas
Prologue
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
~Meredith Wilson
Snow drifted by the window outside. Rose knew she should be focusing on her potions essay, her final assignment before the break. However, her mind was a million miles away from potions' ingredients and procedures. She was staring out the window, musing about the fact that, even though it was Christmas holidays, for the first time ever, she wouldn't be leaving the castle.
That year, her parents had been sent throughout Asia to help settle various disputes that had arisen between the magical races. They had originally thought they would be home for Christmas, but complications in Thailand had forced them to extend their trip, leaving Rose and Hugo parentless for Christmas.
Rose did have other options; that was the benefit of having a large family. Hugo had jumped at the chance to spend the holidays with their Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny. Rose had been a little more apprehensive. Christmas to her meant being home in Chudley with her parents and brother and visiting her grandparents for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. She loved her extended family to death, but those two days were all she could handle around Christmas. Emotions were always heightened at that time of year, and her family's emotions were already pretty high on an average day.
As a result, she decided to forgo her family that year and spend Christmas at Hogwarts. Her Uncle Harry had often described the solitude and quite that permeated the castle at Christmas time and Rose was looking forward to be able to use it to get some work done.
As her wandering mind returned to the notion of work, Rose turned away from the window and began on her potions essay. She didn't get very far before a large ruckus around her alerted her to the arrival of a large group of people. She carefully put down her quill and looked up, seeing her cousin Albus, her boyfriend Scorpius, and the rest of their group of friends all crowding around her.
"Hello, Rosie!" the dark skinned girl exclaimed, much too loudly for the library.
"We're in the library, Char," the other girl of the group, a slender red haired witch, ribbed her friend, "You need to use your inside voice."
"Oh shut it, Mia!" the dark skinned girl, Charlotte Zabini, turned away from her red haired friend, Mia Pritchard, and focused once again on Rose. "We missed you at dinner and figured you'd be up here working away." Charlotte then pulled out the chair in front of her and took a seat. Soon after, the rest of the group followed suit. Rose carefully tucked away her parchment with the essay on it, knowing she would get no more done on it that night.
Rose was right as Charlotte quickly took control of the conversation and began talking about holidays, the egregious amount of work they had to do before the break, and the shopping she hadn't had time to complete because of said work. Rose and the other members of the group dutifully listened, interjecting at the appropriate times. Rose had found Charlotte's take-charge attitude and enjoyment of the limelight a little off-putting when she'd first met her. Now, however, Rose was used to it and didn't even pay it much attention. She'd just come to accept that, no matter what the setting, Charlotte would be the person doing the most talking.
Luckily for Rose, Charlotte and the other Slytherins had arrived only moments before the library was to close and the librarian was soon telling them they had to head back to their dorms for the night. Inwardly, Rose breathed a sigh of relief and began collecting her stuff as the rest of the group stood and left. By the time Rose had put away all her papers and books, the only person left standing near her was Scorpius.
He had a concerned look on his face and Rose was instantly worried. She tried to think back to when he had entered the library and if he had a similar look or if it was something Charlotte had said that had upset him. However, Rose came up empty.
"Everything ok?" she asked, hesitantly. Scorpius was always so hard to read that Rose was never sure if what she was seeing was what he was really feeling. His concern could be genuine concern or a façade to conceal some other emotion he didn't want to discuss but couldn't burry down deep.
"Al told me you were staying at the castle for Christmas," he responded. Real concern, Rose thought.
"Yeah, my parents are in Asia and my family is, well, intense, at Christmas. I thought staying at the castle would provide me the most peaceful option." Rose hitched her bag over her shoulder and began exiting the library, Scorpius by her side.
"But the castle is so empty at Christmas. There's hardly anyone here and the celebration is kind of lame and lonely." Rose wasn't sure where Scorpius was taking the conversation. He was obviously trying to talk her out of staying, but she knew he knew that any of her relatives was not a real option for her at that point.
"It's the best I've got," she responded, slightly more tentatively than she had before.
"What if it wasn't?" he commented, his voice barely a whisper. Rose leaned in a little closer to him.
"What do you mean?" she asked, still unsure of where Scorpius was going.
"Well, I was thinking, my house would be better than Hogwarts for Christmas. And you could even see your family for a few days or something." As he spoke, Scorpius, one of the most confident people Rose knew, stared at the ground, rushed through his words, and spoke so softly she almost didn't catch what he said.
"You want me to spend Christmas at your house?" Rose asked, slightly shocked. They had been dating for over a year, and she had met his parents before, but an entire week at her boyfriend's house was still a huge deal and Rose hadn't thought they were at that stage. However, now that it was before her, she felt like it was only natural.
"Only if you want to," Scorpius quickly spoke, obviously worried about how she felt about the idea.
Rose smiled.
"I'd love too."
Dearest Mother and Father,
I am writing to you with good news. As you know, you have been requesting to meet my girlfriend Rose in an official girlfriend capacity since I informed you of our courtship. Well, in a few weeks time, you will get the opportunity. I have asked Rose to spend Christmas holidays with us and she has agreed.
I hope I have not over-stepped my boundaries, and that you will welcome her warmly and treat her as if she were your daughter.
Sincerely,
Scorpius
Astoria Malfoy put down the letter and looked over at her husband.
"Well, Christmas should be interesting this year."
To be continued