A/N: Hello all! This is the completed first chapter of what I intend to be a full blown fanfic, so stay tuned. I would immensely appreciate any reviews and comments. Thanks!

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So here I was at Malfoy Manor. The place where my mother was tortured, my father and my uncle were held in a dungeon and a former hideout for the followers of a certain Dark Lord. Incidentally, it is also the humble abode of my long time best friend, Scorpius Malfoy. Funny how things like this happen.

The glaring sun slowly descended down, partially obscured by the massive flat roof of the mansion. I dragged my trunk toward the gate. In place of a padlock, the gate's center had a forboding looking eye that looked surprisingly like Scorpius'. Perhaps his father had spooned it clean out for having a half-blood friend over for the summer. That would be tragic, as I had went through quite a lot of paperwork and black coffee to set up a Portkey from my house to a field near his. I stepped closer to the eye and jabbed it with my wand. Whatever it was, it looked quite reproachfully at me and watered slightly after I removed my wand. Sighing, I removed a folded piece of parchment from my back pocket. My jeans felt slightly sticky, and I was suddenly aware I was sweating. Graceful, I noted, and swerved as I drove my attention back on track. I scanned the words quickly.

Rose,

Hello. I hope you're doing well. I'm glad to know that you've talked with your mother about a possible Portkey. Of course, it will have to be away from anywhere a muggle could see you and call their pumice? No. It was something like "police"? Porridge? I don't know. I can never get those words right.

Anyways, you have my address. Have fun with the Ministry people explaining why you need a Portkey.

Politely and cordially your friend,

Scorpius Malfoy

NEVER. Not once! Not even a single time did Scorpius mention how to get past his godforsaken eye! I was caramelizing quite nicely from both anger and the intense heat when I saw a door open and close beyond the hedges inside the gate.

"Hello?" I called out. "This is Rose. Rose Weasley? I'm here to see Scorpius Malfoy."

The figure approached quickly and I peered into the sunlight to see who was coming. After a few seconds, the dour face of Draco Malfoy, Scorpius' father came into view. My blood-pressure shot up some 20 points.

My parents weren't really friends with Mr. Malfoy when they were in school. In fact, I believe my mother punched him once.

This may be along few weeks, I'm afraid.

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"Wait here, I'll call Scorpius," Mr. Malfoy said, looking emotionless. He turned his back swiftly and I was left to stare at his retreating, almost bald head.

Honestly, he could at least pretend that he was fine with me staying! I was going to help his son plan one of the biggest magical events of the year, the Daily Prophet's Prestige Ball! The Prophet Ball is a large gathering of everyone who is anyone in the wizarding world. The Daily Prophet holds it biannually, so it isn't something that happens every year. No, no! It happens every two. So every two years, powerful wizarding families gather and ballroom dance their asses of and cram their faces with pumpkin infused lobster patties and champagne. The Prophet chooses a family, a rich one with a mansion to spare, to hold the Ball. This year, the Malfoys got the "highest and most greatest honor". Scorpius' parents are always awfully busy, and they told him to invite a friend to him plan the Ball. And lo and behold, here I was, a week after they were chosen, watching my closest friend approach me.

Scorpius smiled as he saw me.

"Hi Rose. Did my father behave?" he asked wryly.

"He was fine," I began, picking up my trunk. "I'm just glad that you still have two eyes."

I laughed at my own joke as Scorpius fiddled around with something behind the gate.

"What? Why?" he looked at me, confused. The eye began to budge, twisting back and forth.

"Er. Nothing." I said weakly, glancing at the blue eye rolling out of its hole and sliding towards the ground.

Why couldn't they just get a lock?

Scorpius creaked open the gate and gestured for me to follow him.

"Shall we?" he said grandly.

"Oh, save it for the Ball," I mumbled contemptuously, half to myself, half hoping he would hear.

I dragged my heavy trunk on the paved path leading to the front door. I tried to signal to Scorpius to help me carry it, making a bit more grunts and panting than I normally would. He didn't notice, and continued to stride confidently towards the door with his hands folded behind his back. Gallant, I noted scathingly. Sometimes, I couldn't stand him and his conceited ways. He and my cousin, Albus, were the closest of friends, but I couldn't think of two people more different from each other than them. Except for maybe me and Molly, my other cousin (she's just so quiet and fragile).

As I laboured under the sun, I began to notice my surroundings. The hedges around the Manor were arranged in a labyrinth-like manner.

"Very practical," I remarked, nodding towards the bushes.

As a Weasley, I was used to having nothing more than what was necessary. Seeing such extravagance almost made me laugh.

"My grandfather used to keep albino peacocks in there." Scorpius gestured towards the shrubbery, smiling. "We didn't replace them after they died, of eating poisonous mushrooms, my dad says, but I swear it was my mother who did them in."

An image of prim, proper, Asteria Malfoy strangling a white peacock suddenly came to mind. I chuckled slightly. Well, actually, it was more of a snort/guffawing/retching sound, but that's one of the setback of being slightly socially inept.

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