The summer days were warm and freeing, filled with the mourning of a season of life that had passed, and the excitement of a promising future.
Rose Weasley had officially graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry exactly one week ago. She had a job lined up as an assistant at a small wizarding publishing house in London, and a flat that she'd be moving into with her best friend Erin Longbottom in only a few weeks time. They'd found one in Muggle London that was witch and wizard friendly and also happened to be in the same building where a few of Rose's cousins lived on the floor below. The excitement that both girls felt at the prospect of living together could only be rivaled by the excitement that Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy felt about beginning their careers as Aurors.
Amidst all the levity and fun that had been the first week post-Hogwarts, Rose and Erin had been just as anxious as their boyfriends were for their Auror evaluations. No matter how well they did on their N.E.W.T.s or what type of letters of recommendation they received, none of it would matter if they couldn't pass the initial evaluation, which took place the last week of June.
It had been an interesting year leading up to this moment. Rose's cousin and her best friend had fallen for each other, though it had taken awhile for them to get to the point where they could actually accept that it was happening. Rose could hardly believe at times that the anxious girl sitting across from her in the Leaky Cauldron was the same one who'd acted like she didn't care for Albus Potter as anything more than a friend, being frustrated with him more often than not. Now she kept shooting glances towards the fireplace as she anxiously waited for her boyfriend to show up and tell them how his evaluation had gone.
Along with becoming much more than friends with Scorpius Malfoy, Rose had fulfilled her dream of being Head Girl during her final year at Hogwarts. She had loved having Scorpius by her side as Head Boy, despite the ups and downs that had occurred throughout the year. He'd truly grown through the whole experience. Both of them had. In the years to come, Rose would look back on her last year at Hogwarts and see it for what it was; a season of life where she'd grown and changed and began to become the person she was going to be. She would also see how much it prepared her for the years to follow.
"They should be done by now, right?" asked Erin as she checked her watch for the fifth time in the last two minutes. Rose looked at her own to see that it read only a couple of minutes past three.
"Should be any minute," said Rose, trying hard to stay calm herself as her knee bounced in agitation under the table. Erin groaned and rested her head on the table, nearly dragging her hair in the plate of chips that had remained mostly untouched as both had been too nervous to eat.
"This has been the longest three hours of my life," Erin groaned into the table. She lifted her head and rested her chin in her hand, her eyes trained on the fireplace. "It's mad to think that something he's worked so hard for and for so long could all of the sudden just be taken away."
Rose nodded and hummed in agreement. She'd be devastated for Al if that happened to him, but she highly doubted it would. Like Erin had said, he'd been preparing for this for a long time. He was as ready as he could be. She was much more nervous for Scorpius. He was probably just as capable as Al, but he hadn't been preparing for nearly as long. What if that made a difference?
"I'm sure he'll pass," said Rose. "They both will."
Erin spared a glance Rose's way and gave her a grateful smile before her eyes snapped back to the fireplace. There was a flash of green flames as someone flooed into the grate, causing both girls to sit up straighter in anticipation, only to slouch back in their seats when it wasn't either of their boyfriends.
Their anxious vigil was interrupted a few minutes later when one of Rose's many cousins approached their table, setting a fresh butterbeer in front of each of them.
"Shouldn't they be here by now?" asked Dominique as she checked her watch. The middle of Bill and Fleur Weasley's three children had been working at the pub since she'd left school, much to the frustration of her mother, who thought she was wasting her potential. Rose knew that Dominique was frustrated by her situation as well, as it was common knowledge that she felt a bit stuck. But Rose could understand feeling like you had no clue what you wanted to do with your life, and at least Dom got to spend a great deal of time baking, the thing she loved to do most.
"Yes, they should be," said Erin, her frustration beginning to overshadow her nerves. "They do know they're supposed to meet us here after, right?"
"Erin, we talked about it just last night," Rose reminded her. "I'm sure they wouldn't have forgotten."
"I don't know," said Dominique thoughtfully. "Boys in general can be rather absent minded at times."
There was a glimmer of mirth in Dom's eyes, giving away how much she was enjoying watching them squirm.
"Oh, do shut up," Erin said with a sigh. "I'm literally two seconds away from storming into the Ministry and making sure he didn't do something to get himself killed."
Dominique laughed. "Oh, buck up, Longbottom. Al's not that much of an idiot. And there's no way anyone would let that happen."
Erin grumbled and popped a slightly cold chip into her mouth, scrunching her face up in distaste. Dom gave another chuckle before waving her wand and warming up their food.
"I'll grab drinks for the boys, because I'm sure they'll be here any moment," said Dom, giving Erin a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder before heading back to the kitchen.
A second later, the Floo had sprung to life again, and Erin and Rose sat perfectly still, trying their best not to get their hopes out. Matching sighs of relief fell out of them as a very familiar young wizard with dark hair and green eyes stepped out of the flames, but the relief was short lived. His face was somber and almost angry as he spotted their hopeful faces and slowly strode towards their table.
As nervous as his demeanor made Rose, he only held her attention for a moment. The flames had turned green again and then another wizard appeared in the Leaky Cauldron, this one with bright blond hair and steal blue eyes. Rose smiled in relief when she saw the amused look on his face and the brightness in his eyes as he caught sight of her.
"What happened?" asked Erin as Al grew closer to their booth. She was standing and watching him anxiously as Scorpius followed behind him. Al let out a despondent sigh and grabbed the hand Erin had reached out to him, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek before they both sat in the booth. Rose was barely paying attention to this, her gaze focused on Scorpius as he beamed at her and pulled her into a tight hug as she stood to greet him.
"I did it, Rose," he whispered into her ear. "I passed."
Rose felt like she could cry in relief, and her eyes welled up as she gripped him tighter, pride and joy filling her. She pulled back enough to place a chaste kiss on his lips, smiling brilliantly at him as they sat down across from Al and Erin, who was still gripping Al's hand and watching him anxiously.
"Al, you need to get over it," said Scorpius, more amused than Rose would expect if Al hadn't passed, which had been her fear from the moment she saw him. "You've been waiting for this for years and you're going to let this ruin it?"
Al let out a sigh. "I suppose you're right. I just didn't expect it. Now I'll look even more like him than I already do."
Rose and Erin both gave Al curious looks as Scorpius laughed. Al scowled at him for a moment before he noticed how his girlfriend and cousin were looking at him. "They told me I need glasses."
The statement came out almost like a whine, a petulant look on Al's face at what he seemed to think was devastating news.
"What?" Erin asked in confusion, obviously flustered by the unpredictable way things were going.
"Because of my physical," Al explained. "They check things like your blood pressure and your weight and overall health, and one of the things they do is test your eyes. Mine aren't horrible and I won't have to wear them all the time, but since I need them for reading and writing and I'll have a lot of paperwork to do, they said I need to get them."
Erin watched him with a disbelieving look on her face as Scorpius shook with silent chuckles. Rose let out an amused snort of her own.
"So, you passed?" Erin asked cautiously, obviously trying to tread carefully.
"Oh, yeah," said Al, finally smiling at her. "I passed."
A look of joy and relief flashed across Erin's face, but it was quickly replaced with a scowl as she started smacking Albus on the arm repeatedly.
"Don't do that!" she nearly shrieked at a shocked Al, who held up his hands defensively. "You come in here all mopey and depressed. I thought you'd failed, you prat!"
Al smiled guiltily at Erin, but grabbed her hands to stop her from continuing to hit him. "I'm sorry I scared you. They just told me, so I hadn't had time to adjust to the news yet."
"Oh, who cares that you have to get glasses," Erin said with a huff, pulling her hands from Al and crossing her arms. "You're going to be an Auror, Al. Shouldn't that be what you're preoccupied with?"
"Oh, trust me, he was beside himself when they told us," Scorpius assured her. "We got our housing assignments and our schedules for orientation and he was as giddy as a school girl, but then they said they needed him to make an appointment to get glasses. I've never seen such a quick change in mood."
It was obvious that Scorpius was getting quite a kick out of Al's predicament, and Rose couldn't deny that she was too. Erin even allowed an amused smirk to form on her face at Scorpius' words.
"Just don't let it ruin a day that you've waited years for, all right?" she said, looking at Al pointedly before a mischievous smirk appeared on her face. "Besides, glasses might make you look sexy."
He grinned at her, looking very much how Rose had been expecting him to when he told them he'd passed his evaluation. Erin smiled back, obviously pleased that she'd managed to cheer him up.
"I suppose it'll be worth it if that's the case," he teased, and Erin laughed before leaning forward to wind her arms around his neck and pull him into a tight hug.
"Congratulations," Rose heard her mumble into his ear, and Al's arms tightened around her waist at the word. Erin's eyes shifted to Scorpius as she continued to embrace Al. "You too, Scorp."
"Thanks," he said, a pleased smile on his face.
"I take it congratulations are in order?" asked Dom as she approached the table once again, placing butterbeers in front of the two new Auror trainees
"They most certainly are," said Erin, pulling away from Al but keeping one of her arms around his shoulder so her hand rested at the base of his neck. "You're looking at the Ministry's newest Auror recruits."
"That's brilliant," said Dom with a bright smile. "Do Ethan and Teddy know?"
"Teddy was there," said Al after taking a sip of his drink. "He helps out with the trainees so they let him sit in. I don't know if anyone's told Ethan yet."
"Is that going to be awkward?" asked Dom, leaning against the back of Al and Erin's booth with a contemplative look. "Working with your girlfriend's brother?"
This thought, it would appear, hadn't fully occurred to Al before. His eyes widened at the question as he tried to come up with a response. Erin, however, rolled her eyes. "It'll be fine. Ethan likes Al well enough, and if he gives him any trouble, he'll have to deal with me."
Al snorted in amusement and looked at his girlfriend. "That's not exactly the most intimidating thing, love."
Erin scowled at him and tugged at the hair at the base of his neck.
"I guess this means a celebratory dinner at your parents' is a go, then?" said Rose with a chuckle as Al rubbed the back of his head after wincing in pain.
"Yep," said Al. "Dad said he'd let Mum know. We can head back there whenever."
"Is there anything else you lot want?" asked Dom. "On the house."
"Got any of those raspberry tarts?" asked Al hopefully. Dom smiled and nodded, promising to bring them out a box full before heading back to the kitchen.
"I swear this place has gotten better since she started working here," said Erin. "Even Mum says so. People love Dom's baking."
"I'm glad she's doing something she loves," said Rose, "even if she feels stuck."
They enjoyed their drinks and the plate of chips as Al and Scorpius filled the girls in on what they'd had to do for their evaluation. It consisted of what sounded like paired down versions of the type of training they'd be doing in the future. Things that involved defense, stealth, physical strength, quick thinking, and strategy. Scorpius admitted that he thought he almost failed the stealth part, and Al had been better at his quick thinking than strategy, preferring to rush into things before fully formulating a plan.
"And if that was the minimum as far as physical strength goes, it's going to be a rough first few months," said Scorpius while Al nodded in agreement. "I can already tell I'm going to be sore tomorrow."
Overall, they were both thoroughly pleased with how it went, neither feeling like they hadn't earned their spots. It was something Al hadn't fully expressed being concerned about, but Rose could tell by the way he talked about feeling like he'd earned it on his own merit that he'd been fearful they'd let him in just because of his dad.
When they headed to the Potters' an hour later with a box of raspberry tarts in hand, it was to find an ecstatic Ginny, beaming with pride as she went back and forth between hugging both Scorpius and Albus tightly, jabbering on about how proud she was and how she knew they were going to pass.
"James and Violet are coming for dinner," Ginny informed them. "I didn't tell them why, though. I thought I'd let you do that."
Al rolled his eyes, but Rose could tell he was pleased to be able to relay the good news to his brother. "Where's Lily?" he asked.
"She was at Percy and Audrey's, and then she was going over to Caleb's, I think," said Ginny. "I told her to be back for dinner."
Harry was home an hour later, beaming with pride as he embraced his son firmly before shaking his hand. Rose was in the kitchen helping Ginny and saw this happen through the doorway, but was too far away to hear what Harry was saying to his son. Even from a distance, though, she could tell he was proud.
"Has Scorpius told his parents?" Ginny asked Rose as she plated some of the tarts.
"They're visiting Astoria's sister and her family for the week, so he didn't want to pull them away," said Rose, who'd suggested to Scorpius that he see if his parents wanted to come for dinner as well. As much as she could tell he wanted them to be there, he'd merely sent them an owl to tell them the good news, seeming to think it was even more important that his mother and father spend time with his aunt and uncle. He was vague as to why, but Rose had caught on to the fact over the past few days that something wasn't quite right. He'd been acting strange whenever his parents were brought up since a few days after they'd left Hogwarts. She also got the feeling that he intended to explain it to her later based on the looks he gave her.
James and Violet were there by half past five, and Al's older brother responded with just as much pride and a bit more excited enthusiasm than his father had. He seemed just as pleased for Scorpius as well.
Rose joined the young people back in the sitting room after Ginny had assured her that there was nothing left to do but wait for dinner to come out of the oven. She left her aunt and uncle to tell each other about their days and most likely snog in the kitchen. Rose hid a smile as she recalled Al's complaint after only a few days back home that his parents had become teenagers again since their kids were never around. He was very eager to move out of the house in August. And based on the actions of her own parents in recent days, Rose could sympathize.
As Rose entered the sitting room, Erin was talking to Violet about her upcoming placement at St. Mungo's while Al, James, and Scorpius continued to talk about their evaluations.
"When do you start your work with Mr. Malfoy?" Violet was asking as Rose joined her and Erin on the couch.
"He's giving me till August to settle in," said Erin, excitement alight in her eyes at the prospect of her new job. "I'm meeting with him and his other partners towards the end of July. Just so we can get to know each other and they can show me around."
"What about you, Rose?" asked Violet.
"Same. I start in August, so we all get July to adjust."
"You're lucky," said Violet. "James started only a week after school ended, and I started the week after that."
"Was it weird?" asked Erin. "Transitioning into the world outside of Hogwarts? I'm having a hard time imagining what September will be like."
"It was strange, that's for sure," Violet allowed. "I think the most difficult part to sort out was the social stuff. The boys wanted the run of the flat Rox and I shared, and everyone expected everyone to be able to do everything together. Stuff like that. Not to mention James and I were a bit of a mess that whole first year."
"You worked it out, though," Rose said with a smile. Violet grinned back at her before glancing at her boyfriend.
"Took us quite a few mistakes, but, yeah, we got it sorted."
Rose was about to ask Violet how things were going as far as the older girl's relationship with James went, but stopped short as the fireplace erupted in green flames and Lily stumbled through.
Rose hadn't seen her cousin since the night they'd gotten back from Hogwarts. Most of this was due to the fact that Lily was normally over at her house all the time during the summer, but had kept her distance since she and Rose's brother still weren't talking. The fiasco that had been the party after the Quidditch final was still causing a rift between people that Rose had never expected to be at such drastic odds with each other. Out of everyone involved, the only people still not speaking to each other were Lily and Hugo, who also wasn't talking to Caleb by extension.
Rose had been hoping to have an opportunity to talk to her cousin, and was hopeful that with all the good spirits of the evening, she'd get a chance to after dinner. But one look at Lily's face completely derailed any plans she might have had.
The boys had continued talking during Lily's arrival, but Rose, Erin, and Violet all stared at the youngest Potter with fear and concern. She'd stumbled briefly on her entrance, but righted herself with a huff, her body tense and rigid as she surveyed the room. Her eyes were slightly red as they finally landed on where her brothers and Scorpius stood, narrowing as her jaw clenched and her hands curled into fists. She looked ready to do some serious physical harm, and Rose would have been fearful for the life of whomever was on the receiving end of her glare had she been allowed to use magic.
Lily took a few shaky deep breaths before she finally snapped. "This is all your ruddy fault, you meddling arsehole!"
All three boys stopped talking and looked at Lily in shock. Rose couldn't tell which one she was scowling at, but it became obvious when James and Scorpius turned to look at Al, who pointed at himself in question.
"Yes, you, you wanker!" Lily snapped. "I can't believe you told him to do that!"
"Told who to do what?" Al asked in confusion, sounding a bit annoyed that his sister was yelling at him.
"Caleb! You told him to break up with me, didn't you?"
A hush fell over the room as all eyes turned to Al, whose jaw dropped open in shock. "What?" he said in astonishment. "No I didn't."
Lily crossed her arms and hardened her glare "Then why the hell did he just tell me that you telling him to fix things was part of the reason he decided to break up with me?"
Rose cringed at Lily's words. She remembered perfectly well the conversation Caleb had referred to. Lily had stormed out of the Great Hall on the last day of exams, refusing to talk about the rift between her and Hugo. Al had then turned to Caleb, instructing him to find a way to fix things. Breaking up with Lily was not what Rose had been expecting Caleb to do in response.
"Wait, he actually broke up with you?" Al asked, obviously surprised by this turn of events.
"Yes, damn it! Aren't you listening? What the hell did you say to him!?"
Everyone stood in stunned silence while Lily glared at her brother, breathing heavily as she attempted to control her anger and heartbreak.
"Lily," said Al, taking a small step towards her with a sympathetic look on his face. "I'm so-"
"Don't tell me you're sorry!" she yelled, pointing accusingly at her brother. "Tell me why you thought it was your place to butt into my relationship! Tell me how you're going to fix this! Because you have to, Al! You have to fix this!"
Lily's voice was beginning to quaver, her lower lip trembling as she tried to hold her ground. She'd drawn the attention of her parents, who were standing in the doorway of the kitchen and looking tempted to intervene, but nobody seemed to have any desire to get involved.
"I swear, Lily," said Al, taking another daring step towards his sister. "I only told him that he had to fix things. I never said anything about breaking up with you."
"Yeah, well, he did it anyway," said Lily, her voice cracking with emotion. "And whether you meant it or not, that's how he took your advice. So this is still your fault and it's still your job to fix it."
"Lily, I-"
"No!" she yelled as Al reached out as if to pull her into a comforting hug. Rose's eyes widened a bit in surprise as Lily took a swing at her brother, hitting him squarely in the chest and continuing to do so as words flew from her mouth. "This can't - be - happening! We're supposed to be together!"
Al didn't back down, his expression pained as Lily continued to hit him before he managed to grab onto her wrists. She struggled for a moment, a few choice words grumbled at her brother as her eyes began to well with tears. Finally, she gave up, standing still and breathing heavily for a moment before her whole body went limp as she fell forward and rested her forehead against her brother's chest. A gut-wrenching sob escaped her as he let go of her wrists so he could wrap his arms around her.
Rose's heart broke for her cousin. No matter how poorly everything had been handled, it was obvious how much Lily cared for Caleb. It was quite possible that she was even falling in love with him. And just like that, it was over. And her accusations towards Al were just evidence of the fact that Lily was in denial and trying to find someone else to take out her frustration on. Rose assumed it was only a matter of time before she started blaming Hugo too.
Al continued to hold his sister, stroking her back comfortingly and whispering consoling words, even though he knew they were a bit empty. Everything would be all right in time, but Rose knew Lily wouldn't be able to see that at the present moment.
"I think he's got this," James said softly, jerking his head towards the dining room. Everyone moved to follow as Lily continued to cry into her brother's chest, her hands gripping his back tightly.
"I didn't see that coming," said Erin as the door closed behind them and deadened the sound of Lily's sobs.
"Which part?" asked James. "The part where Caleb broke up with Lily? Or the part where Al actually handled that whole thing rather well?"
James was rewarded for his comment by no less than three slaps to the back of the head.
A/N: It's sequel time! And this will have chapters from the POV of Rose, Scorpius, Al, and Erin. I was contemplating waiting until I had all this written out before beginning to post, but seeing as I want some input, I decided against it. I do have eight chapters written so I can hopefully keep ahead even while posting weekly!
So, here's where I want your opinion/advice. If you count the chapters I've written for the accompanying sequel focusing on Lily/Hugo/Louis and the rest, as well as a couple snapshots, I have a total of thirteen chapters written. I will be posting the snapshots in the same story that I have been so far, but I wanted to know your thoughts on whether or not I should publish the other sequel alongside this story as the chapters fit in, or wait until this story is over? I've also thought about just putting those chapters in the snapshots, but they feel like their own actual story. Sort of like the James and Violet one (which I'm actually thinking of revisiting). If you want it all coming at you at once, it might take me longer to update each story, but I will still plan on doing it at least weekly. I would totally be down with doing this, if it wouldn't be too confusing to try to keep up with.
Let me know! Hope you're excited to continue the journey these characters have already begun.
P.S. Not to change in rating from the previous story. Nothing crazy, but just to be safe!