Summary: Once a year, they were able to escape the reality and just be. Scorose.
A/N: Happy New Year! Hope you didn't party too hard or set unreasonable resolutions!
Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable content.
Once a Year
Say everything you've always wanted
Be not afraid of who you really are
'Cause in the end we have each other
And that's at least one thing worth living for.
~This is the New Year, A Great Big World
A lot had changed since Harry Potter had defeated Lord Voldemort. The world had become more accepting. Previously persecuted peoples were welcomed back into society. Purebloods were on the path to less exclusivity and a reduced focus on blood purity. But as must as society was changing, there were still some areas that were lagging behind.
For Rose and Scorpius, the one lagging area that mattered to them was the lack of acceptance of 'cross-side' relationships. Those on the Death Eater side, or those related to someone who was, did not date those who sided with Harry Potter. Society and those on the two sides were not ready for such things. But Rose and Scorpius were.
They hid their relationship fairly well at school. They pretended to be begrudging friends in public. 'For Al's sake,' they'd claim when asked about it. Then, whenever they got a private moment together, they dropped the charade and made the most of those fleeting moments. But as graduation approached and the reality that it would be a lot more difficult to find private moments, they made a pact. No matter what else they had going on in their lives, no matter how busy their lives were, they would spend the last few minutes of every year together.
And since graduation, they had met the terms of their pact. Except for one year, five years after graduation, that it almost all fell apart…
December 31, 2029
10:49 pm
Malfoy Manor
Scorpius Malfoy sat in a large, plush chair in his grandparents' ornate sitting room, a glass of expensive whiskey in one hand. His friends from school who were deep in conversation occupied the other three plushy chairs. Scorpius was not focused on what was being said; it was always the same insipid topics about work and relationships. Scorpius chimed in every now and then, but most of his focus was on the clock above the fireplace. He was impatiently waiting for 11:45 when he had agreed to meet up with Rose Weasley.
They had been meeting up at midnight every New Year's Eve since they'd graduated. Nothing had kept them apart. Scorpius always attended the large, extravagant Malfoy party at his paternal grandparents' house. There was always over a hundred people in attendance, a number large enough that, even though he was technically a host, he could slip away unnoticed. His friends would always comment on where he'd disappeared to when they met up afterwards, but they were never totally interested in his answer; he was able to come up with a flimsy excuse and they would accept it without too many questions.
"Margret McNair is here tonight. Apparently a special invitee by the Malfoys themselves. What do you think of that Scorpius?" Zain Zabini inquired, drawing the aloof blond into the conversation.
"Hmm?" the Malfoy questioned.
"Your grandparents extended a special invitation to Margret McNair. Rumour has it they're worried about your bachelorhood status and are planning to change it. Tonight. Charlotte says they're expecting you to propose to her at midnight tonight, in front of all of society," Zain explained, a smug expression on his face. Zain had been dating Chastity Warrington since fourth year; he didn't have to worry about society and rumour mill. Single Scorpius did.
"You're full of it, Zabini," Scorpius responded, but he still wanted to make sure that it wasn't true. He stood, left the study, and joined the throngs of partygoers. He scanned the crowds, looking for the one person who had always been truthful with him, no matter what. His mother.
December 31, 2029
10:56 pm
The Burrow
Rose Weasley sat on the floor in front of the warm, glowing fireplace. Her brother, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, parents, and family friends surrounded her in a comforting, homely environment. Of all the places she had ever been. Her grandparents' home during the holidays was her third favourite. It followed Hogwarts in second, and in Scorpius' arms in first. She had always hated sneaking away from such merriment, but Scorpius was much more important to her than her family. Especially since they were so cold towards him.
When she had first developed romantic feelings for Scorpius, she had considered confiding in her family. However, when Albus had brought him for a visit that summer, they had been frigid and only barely welcoming. She knew they would never accept her feelings for him. So she had kept them to herself and snuck out on News Years, among other occasions, to be with Scorpius.
She had never had a problem leaving her family's celebration before midnight. It was a tradition she had established long before meeting Scorpius. She had always gone off by herself to reflect on the previous year and make her resolutions for the nest. She used this pretense to be with the blond at midnight.
Rose checked her wristwatch for the fourth time that evening. Mentally, she calculated how long it would take her to prepare her flat for the evening and what time would be late enough to disappear without arousing suspicion. She figured she had to stay for at least another half an hour. It would be a long half an hour; she was extremely nervous about pulling it off.
Eleven thirty could not come soon enough.
December 31, 2029
11:04 pm
Malfoy Manor
Scorpius finally found his mother on a quiet balcony just off the large ballroom. She was staring out across the gardens, obviously lost in thought. Scorpius approached with the silence and grace he had honed after years of lessons on how to act as a well-bred pureblood. He knew his mother detested his lessons and what they had taught him, but it had become second nature to him now.
When he had closed the gap between himself and his mother, he gently placed an elegant hand on her shoulder. He felt her tense and reach for her wand before she slowly tuned around.
"You gave me such a fright, Scorpius!" she spoke. Having realized he was no threat to her, she removed her hand from her wand.
"I apologize mother. It was not my intention to frighten you. I came out here because there is a matter of importance I wish to discuss with you," he responded. As he spoke, he and his mother moved to sit on one of the padded benches on the balcony.
"What is troubling you, Scorpius?"
"Zain has informed me that grandfather and grandmother intend for me to propose marriage to Margret McNair tonight at midnight. Is that true?"
His mother dropped her gaze to her lap, her hand nervously intertwined. She was silent for a long moment. When she finally spoke, she did not look Scorpius in the eye.
"It is true that your grandparents intend you to propose tonight. However," she finally locked eyes with him. Hers were filled with rage and determination. "You do not have to do anything you do not wish to. That is how you were raised and I hoped you would remember it. Your grandparents may plan and intend all they want; you do not have to act upon their intentions."
"Try telling that to them," Scorpius muttered under her breath as he looked out over the gardens.
December 31, 2029
11:19 pm
The Burrow
Rose was aware that she had spend most of the evening focusing on the time and not her family. She momentarily felt bad about it, but then remembered why she was focusing on the time and it stopped bothering her as much.
She was about to begin her goodbyes, an activity that would take at least ten minutes, when a familiar, booming voice called out to her.
"Rosie! Long time no see!"
Rose's heart dropped. She couldn't believe someone had invited him of all people. Rose had thought she'd made it perfectly clear how much she couldn't stand him. He was obnoxious, pigheaded, and arrogant, every trait that Rose found off-putting and repugnant. Callum McLaggen was Rose's least favourite person and definitely the last person she'd wanted to see at that moment.
"Callum, I didn't know you would be here," she spoke through gritted teeth. She didn't have the emotional strength to deal with him at the moment. However, she also couldn't some up with a decent reason to escape his presence at the moment.
"Your uncle, Percy, and my new boss, invited me. Apparently I talked his ear off about you and he agreed that, with a connection like ours, we really should be spending more time together. And after I informed him how busy your schedule was, he agreed to help me."
Rose was outwardly smiling. On the inside she was making a mental note to kill her uncle the next chance she got.
"Look, Callum, I really enjoyed running into you, but I was just on my way out-" Rose was halfway through her exit excuse when her currently most despised uncle walked into the room.
"Ah, Rose! I see you've found Callum. You can thank me later. Enjoy yourselves, you two! I'll be back to check on you later!" With that, he left Rose, alone with Callum, and unable to leave him.
Percy was so dead.
December 31, 2029
11:23 pm
Malfoy Manor
Scorpius had quickly decided that telling his grandparents he didn't appreciate their matchmaking –which would be what his rejection of Margret would be interpreted as by them- was not a viable option if he valued his life. Instead, he decided he'd simply hide out until it was time to leave for Rose's. He knew it was cowardly, knew he should probably stand up to his grandparents and tell them he wasn't available for marriage to Margret. He knew all that, but it didn't change his plan. He was a Slytherin after all, not a Gryffindor. Slytherin's hid out when the going got tough; they didn't face it head on.
He had thought his father's childhood bedroom would be an excellent place to avoid his grandparents; surely they would be too distracted by their guests to try and find him. He was sorely mistaken.
Not ten minutes after he'd hidden himself away, the door opened. Standing in the opening, looking full of anticipation and joy was his grandmother. Scorpius felt his stomach drop.
"Ah, Scorpius! I've finally found you! Come along now, there is someone I would greatly like you to meet." She didn't wait for him to respond or see if he moved. She simply turned on her heel and glided out of the room, expecting him to follow.
Scorpius wasn't sure how he was going to weasel his way out of this situation; he just knew he needed to.
December 31, 2029
11:41 pm
The Burrow
Rose sat in a large plush chair, her teeth gritted, her toes curled, and her hands wrung together. For the past twenty minutes, Callum had on a monologue about his favourite subject: himself. She had spent the time trying to come up with a polite way to excuse herself from his presence. However, as he continued to drone on and on about himself, the need for manners and politeness were slowly ebbing. With each syllable Callum uttered, her politeness became less and less important.
And then she snapped.
"Callum! Shut up! If you say one more thing about your job, your Quidditch game, or what you ate for lunch, I will curse your tongue off! I don't know what I ever did to make you think there was anything between us other than a cordial acquaintanceship –and I apologize if I have led you on- but there is no romantic connection between us whatsoever. In fact, there's someone else. Tell Uncle Percy, and all my uncles for that matter, that I am off the market and do not need their assistance in finding someone!" And then she stormed out of the room.
She was nearly out the front door, having not said any goodbyes to her family, when a strong hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Can I ask just one thing?" Callum's voice was not arrogant. It was the first time Rose had heard it without its ring of 'I am a god.' "Who is it? Who has bested me and won your heart?"
Rose paused. She had kept the secret for so long that revealing it now seemed somehow wrong. But at the same, she wanted to share it with someone.
"Scorpius Malfoy," she said before she apparated away.
December 31, 2029
11:55 pm
Malfoy Manor
He could feel all of the eyes of the assembled guests upon him. Apparently, he had been the only one kept in the dark about his impending proposal. By the way everyone was eyeing him, it was obvious they all knew what was about to transpire. It seemed as if they all couldn't wait for his grandmother to finish her speech –something she did every year to reflect on the past year- and allow Scorpius to speak.
For Scorpius, that moment came much too early.
"Once again, thank you all for being here to celebrate another new and glorious year with us. Now, my grandson Scorpius has an announcement to make. I can personally say I've been anticipating this day for many years!"
Scorpius believed his grandmother when she said that. He was almost certain this day had been in the works for years. His grandparents had most likely put hundreds of man-hours into finding a girl from a respectable family, working everything out with her parents, and then arranging when the 'deed' would be executed. Unfortunately, his grandmother had only seen fit to inform him of their plan twenty minutes ago.
She had ushered him into the vacant second floor sitting room and revealed her plan. She had told him that she had found him the perfect girl and had promised her family that an engagement would occur between the two at midnight on New Year's Eve. She had then said that she hoped he would find her terms agreeable and proceed with their plan. He hadn't responded, believing that, at a moment like that, remaining silent was the choice that would result in the least amount of carnage.
His grandmother had taken his silence as acceptance, and now he was standing in front of all the Malfoy compatriots, excepted to make a declaration or love to a girl he had only a passing knowledge of.
The seconds ticked by, Scorpius remained silent, and all the guests' anticipation grew. Scorpius scanned the crowd, hoping to find the answer to his conundrum in one of their faces. He found his mother, and her face -loving, accepting, and caring- told him exactly what he should do.
You do not have to do anything you do not wish to.
December 31, 2029
11:57 pm
Rose's Flat, Surrey
She had done it; she wasn't sure how she'd managed it, but she had done it. In only about ten minutes she had managed to clean, decorate, and prepare her flat. If she hadn't been a witch, she was almost positive she wouldn't have been able to accomplish it. Now all she needed was for Scorpius to show and there might be some hope of recovering the evening.
She had thought he would have beaten her home. They had agreed to meet at her flat at 1:45 and Rose hadn't arrived until 11:46. She had been truly surprised when she hadn't found him waiting outside her door. Scorpius was always extremely punctual. Something serious must have kept him. She chose not to dwell on that, only hoping he'd arrive shortly.
Having completed everything she needed to, Rose sank down into one of her plush armchairs. She couldn't believe she had yelled at Callum, had told him off. Rose never yelled, never raised her voice. She prided herself on her levelheadedness. It was one of her best traits in her mind, and essential to survive in her family. She hadn't been levelheaded when she'd lost it earlier.
If she was being honest with herself, she sort of enjoyed letting go and just yelling. It felt good. Before Rose could contemplate it further, a knock sounded at her door.
December 31, 2029
11:58 pm
Malfoy Manor
Scorpius cleared his throat before taking a step forward, out of the slight shadow he'd been cowering in. he felt as if his whole body was shaking with nerves, but he pushed through. Malfoys were taught to not show weakness, so he put on a brave face and began to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good friends and family, thank you for coming tonight! I know many of you have been informed that I have found the girl I wish to marry and settle down with. And you've heard right." Scorpius heard the whispers in the crowd increase. He turned to look at his grandparents, and saw their pride in him. Looking at them, he almost changed his mind and went along with their plan. Then he thought of Rose and knew what he had to do. "However, Margret McNair is not that girl. In fact, the girl I wish to marry is waiting for me at her flat at this very moment and I desperately want to ring in this New Year with her. So, I apologize to Margret, my grandparents and the McNair family, but my heart belongs to Rose Weasley."
He didn't wait for the backlash from his family or the assembled guests. Instead, he stepped back into the shadows and apparated to Rose's flat. As the suffocating pressure of apparition enveloped him, an overwhelming sense of joy bubbled up from inside. He had finally told his family about Rose. He felt like he was on cloud nine. Now all he wanted was to see her and ring in the New Year with her by his side.
December 31, 2029
11:59 pm
Rose's Flat, Surrey
When the knock sounded at the door, Rose's heart skipped a beat. She had been so sure she would be ringing in the New Year alone for the first time since she'd graduated. It would be the expected ending after the evening she'd had. But, just like the rest of this evening, when everything seemed to be falling apart, at the last moment things seemed to magically right themselves.
Rose bolted to the door, flung it open, and smiled so large her cheek muscles ached when she saw who it was that had knocked.
"Sorry, I'm late," he stated, true remorse written all over his face, "my grandparents tried to marry me off to Margret McNair and I told a room full of family and friends that I loved you and wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Do you have any brandy?" Scorpius had said the last bit so quickly that it took Rose a few minutes to process it. By the time she had realized what he'd just told her, Scorpius was already poring himself a large glass of amber liquid.
"I yelled and told Callum McLaggen off and revealed to him that my heart belonged to you. I'm sure he's shared that bit of information with my entire family and their friends by now." The words spilled out of Rose's mouth much the same way they had with Scorpius. She hadn't planned on sharing that with him at that moment, but she didn't know what to say to his comments and her mouth sort of took over.
He slowly lowered his brandy glass as he digested her words. A large, slightly goofy smile crossed his face.
"Rose, this may be the very last year we meet in secret at New Year's."
Rose smiled as well. Next year was going to be fantastic, she could tell.
"Happy New Year, Scorpius."
The end
A/N: Happy New Year! May the upcoming year hold surprises, fantastic experiences, and just a little bit of magic!