Disclaimer: Not JK…
A/n: My first time writing a non-romance Rose/Scorpius/Albus friendship fic! I was dared to write it by Pearl!
"Why do you think we met?" Rose asked as the three of them lounged on the lawn in the park. It was a routine, their little time for normalcy, for friendship and over the years, the three had come to depend on this one afternoon every week when they'd meet here and just...talk, or be.
"Happenstance." Scorpius muttered from his place to her right. Albus chuckled at Scorpius' obsession with big words. It had been his best mate's habit ever since Albus had dared him to use words longer than five letters for one whole day. It had been too much fun watching Scorpius struggle with his prepositions and verbs. But the habit had got stuck in Scorpius' mind, and he often used words most people didn't understand. It gave off the impression that he was boastful and haughty, but Rose and Albus, they just laughed at his 'poncy' words, as Albus had named it.
"A chance happening, though I wouldn't say our meeting was a happenstance, Rose." Albus retorted, imitating Scorpius' heavy English accent. Scorpius leaned over Rose to smack him on the arm.
"Surely not. We were two years old when our parents put us in the same crib. Or was it three?"
"One and a half, and it was my crib that we broke, thank you." Albus stated, only half serious, but Scorpius looked like he was left out, not for the first time in his life.
"But our first year was by far the best, as far as funny incidents go. I think Albus actually squealed when he was put in Gryffindor. Didn't he Scor?"
"Of course, rather like a little mouse, I should say. Though you, Rose, I was almost sure you'd burst out into tears when the Hat screamed Ravenclaw." The two of them chuckled, and Albus added.
"Yeah, what with Rose being the 'believer' that she is." Rose looked at them from behind affronted eyes, trying to stare them down.
"Okay, Scor. I think Miss Motherhen is back in action." Albus said, moving a step away from Rose at the exact moment Scorpius did.
"I thought we left her back at school with the yucky assignments?" Scorpius knew he was in for a beating for that comment and, without waiting for Rose, he began running. Not that she was far behind, either.
They ran around the park a few times before Rose got exhausted and flopped down beside Albus once again. Scorpius approached her carefully, sitting down gingerly beside her.
"I'm not forgiving you." She stated resolutely, folding her hands much like she had when she had been mad at him in their First Years at school.
"Even if I ask very nicely?" Scorpius fluttered his eyelashes for effect, and Rose couldn't help but laugh at that; honestly, he was such a Drama Queen.
"Depends. Do you plan on falling on your hands and knees?" Rose laughed, spoiling the effect.
"As you wish your highness." Scorpius' eyes are filled with a mischievous twinkle as he looks behind her at Albus who nods before screaming along with him.
"BEAR HUG!" They trap Rose between their hugs, making her laugh even as she struggled to push them aside.
"Move away, you morons!" They let her go finally, sitting back with identical grins on their faces.
Rose smiled brightly as she lay back on the grass, reminiscing. It wasn't always like this. She wasn't always this sensible, Albus wasn't as confident as he was now; Scorpius wasn't as cheerful as he appears today; in fact they were a morose, weird, unmatched trio of friends back at Hogwarts.
Albus Severus Potter, shadowed by his family, overwhelmed by all the glory that people associated with his surname (surname, not given name, okay?). What hope did he have, really? Leave alone his parents; his own brother was a star in Quidditch. And what was he but a normal Gryffindor who got average grades, played Quidditch without falling off his broom and managed to spend the rest of his time sulking about his bad luck; for what else could it be when he had to live up to shadows that were mountain high? So Albus had learnt to hide behind those very shadows, preferring to hide behind the curtains to watch the play.
Scorpius Hyperion, wait for it, Malfoy, scarred as he was from his bitter experiences with the society, hadn't been any different, really. He honestly couldn't understand why people stared at him (Scorpius, not Draco, not Lucius) maliciously, when all he had done was try his best at being a good person. Was it any surprise that he had landed himself in an endless bout of misery? The dry sarcasm was just the bonus, he'd swear.
Rose Nymphadora Weasley, the dreamer; Rose, the Weasley who was just too…different to be accepted as a Weasley; the black sheep, if it comes down to it. Why else would she be tame? How else could she have come to daydream? It really must have been the Granger genes that made her so soft and affectionate and ugly looking. For, her bushy brown hair and mud brown eyes were anything but eye catching. The only trait that made her her parents' daughter was her intelligence; but even that was the Granger influence, wasn't it? She was no Weasley.
The three eleven years had boarded the train with only one thought running through their minds: Freedom…
But of course, since when had people stopped dictating their lives?
Make sure you beat him in every test Rosie!
What if you got sorted into Slytherin, Albus?
You are a Malfoy, and the name comes with obligations you must rise up to, Scorpius.
What wonderful advices to start their schooling with! The three had immediately made up their minds to completely disregard the words of wisdom imparted to them, except Albus, who was, as per norms, diffident.
"Come on, Al. Let's go meet that miserable guy Dad pointed out to us. He seems fun." Rose dragged Albus by the hand to the last compartment on the train, much to Albus' amusement.
"Is he morose, Rose or is he fun?" Rose laughed sarcastically at his question, intent on side stepping the crowd that had formed around an impromptu duel; must be one of her cousins.
She pushed open the door to the almost empty compartment; in fact, the only occupant was sleeping. Undeterred, Rose moved to the slumped form and tried to wake him up by shaking him, no use. He just waved his hand impatiently, like he was swatting away a persistent fly. The gesture annoying her, Rose looked around for some object and finding an empty owl cage, lifted it from the stand above.
"Rose, don't…" Albus voice coincided with the screeching of the train as it suddenly slowed down making Rose let go of the cage, trying to hold her balance. The cage ended up on a startled Scorpius' head, owl droppings and all.
"Wha…?"
"Hello! I'm Rose Weasley, pleased to meet you Malfoy." Scorpius looked at the other intruder who only shook his head as if saying, "Don't even ask me."
"Well, hello? Could you remove your shoes from my foot? You're trampling them…"
"And that, is what I call crashing into a person." Scorpius remarked fondly, messing Rose's hair up. She tried to wave his hand away, but he persisted.
"You still have that problem with early mornings, don't you?" Rose accused, making Scorpius cringe.
"Don't remind me, I had to wake up at eight in the frigging morning today. Eight! Who in their right mind wakes up at eight?"
"Every person in the country except you?" Rose remarked dryly.
"So was that why you were late to class on your first day at school?" Albus piped up, earning a glower from Scorpius.
"Excuse me Professor." Professor Chang leveled him with an evaluating look, before her eyes widened with recognition, or was it revulsion?
"Mr Malfoy. Did you have trouble finding the classroom?" She adjusted her spectacles, making it even more lopsided.
"No, Professor I…I got lost."
"That is what is generally considered having trouble with finding your way, Mr Malfoy. Take your seat." Relieved that the remaining seat was beside his Co-Ravenclaw, though slightly nutty Rose Weasley, he rushed to his chair, settling his books on it with a huff.
"We were discussing the effects of the Dark Arts on Charms before you arrived, Mr Malfoy. Do you have any insights to give us?"
Scorpius knew, from that moment, that Professor Chang and him would never get along.
"I think she secretly harbored a crush on your father, Scor. Maybe she took her frustration out on you." Rose wiggled her eyebrows, but Scorpius only shuddered at the mere thought.
"My father is happily married to my mother, thank you very much." Scorpius snapped, forgetting that it wasn't Professor Chang he was talking to.
"Calm down, Scor. Rose never meant anything by it, you know that." Al, ever the peace maker, interjected.
"Yeah, yeah, I guess I knew that. I'm sorry Rose. Rose?" Rose's eyes were far away, remembering a time when her parents hadn't been happy in their marriage.
"Rose, Rose what's the matter?" Scorpius asked as he took his normal seat beside her. Albus was already seated on her other side, stuffing his mouth with as much food as he could humanly manage.
"Hu…..faw" Albus tried to explain through his food filled mouth, bringing Rose out of her reverie.
"Ew, Al! Do you know the concept of swallowing? It's nothing Scor. It's been happening for a while now. My parents…are having a disagreement. They keep sending me letters complaining about the other, as if I could do something to make it better. I shudder to think what Hugh's facing." Rose looked down at her plate to avoid the sudden tears, taking deep breaths to draw them back.
"Rose…" Albus, who had by now swallowed his food, placed a hand on her arm, Scorpius' already resting on her other hand.
"I'm fine guys, really. It's just a fight, right?" She tried to laugh it off, but Scor simply said.
"It's isn't weak if you want to cry, Rose." She looked at him gratefully, letting the drops splash onto her plate. Albus and Scorpius hugged her on both sides consolingly.
"Thanks for staying beside me. I never thought things would get better between them, I was so emotional those days, nothing to rival your mood swings, Scor. But it was a good thing I had Al's stupidity to keep me entertained." Scor and Rose laughed at Al's insulted look.
"Remember when Samantha Rogers asked him why he sat with us?" Scorpius asked with a twinkle in his eyes, and Rose just shook her head, a wide smile playing on her lips.
"Albus Potter, isn't it?" Samantha Rogers, a fourth year Ravenclaw, stood before the trio, twirling her hair. Her sight was completely concentrated on Albus, though it kept shifting to Scorpius' face occasionally. Twelve year old Rose knew exactly what was running through Roger's mind.
"Y..yeah." Albus spluttered, apparently surprised that someone other than his family was speaking to him.
"You're a Gryffindor, aren't you? Why are you seated here then?" She asked, with a look that barely concealed her contempt; as if sitting with Rose and Scorpius was an insurmountable sin. Rose stood up to give the older girl a piece of her mind, but Scorpius stopped her, his eyes twinkling in amusement.
"Can't I sit with the Ravenclaws now? Is there some rule like that?" Albus asked rather naively, in Rose's opinion. He honestly had no idea that Roger's was trying to hit on him.
"No, there's nothing like that, Al. If you like sitting with Ravenclaws, maybe you could sit with us for today?" Her eyes glimmered with hope but Rose could sense something sinister behind her eyes.
"Um…thanks, but no. I'd like to sit with my friends here." Albus indicated to the two beside him, and Rose could see the other girl's face drop. Albus, unaware of the scrutiny he had subjected his friends to, resumed his eating.
"See you around, Al." She had barely walked a few feet before Rose and Scorpius broke into laughter, much to the bewilderment of Albus who thought they had gone nuts. You never know with these nerdy types.
"That was the stupidest Al ever acted, Scor, I reckon." Rose replied as she wiped the tears of mirth away, but Scorpius nods in denial.
"No way. I vote for the time he asked Selena Rogers out. Honestly, Al, you really pick your dates, don't you?"
"Selena…I was wondering…Is that your new Firebolt?" Albus asked, completely blanching when said girl turned to face him. He actually had wanted to ask her to Hogsmeade with him, but hey, he was a thirteen year old, he was allowed to be nervous, wasn't he?
"Yeah, my sister and I own it. Isn't it great?" Albus flinched at the mention of her sister, remembering his naïve actions. How could he not have noticed the flirting?
"Actually, what I wanted to ask was…?" He finished in a hurry, but Selena didn't seem to have got the point.
"Pardon?"
"I was wondering if…if…you'd let me ride it?" He indicated the broom and Selena nodded, handing it over.
Fifteen minutes later, Albus gave her the broom back, recommending a few changes in the maintenance. You could not be a Quidditch fanatic's brother without learning a few things.
"Oh, thanks Al. Was there anything else you wanted to ask me?" Albus could see that she was preparing to leave the pitch and took his only choice.
"Could you…tutor me in Transfiguration?" Albus mentally slapped himself. He was worthless, brainless and spineless.
"Sure, Al. Meet you in the library at seven?" Albus nodded mutely, watching her go. Hearing two derisive chuckles behind him, Albus turned to the sight of the heads of two of his friends.
"Honestly, Al, tutoring?" Rose fell on the floor in laughter, the cloak slipping completely off her. Scorpius barely managed to stand as it was.
"Hey, I did ask her out!" Albus retorted indignantly.
"Yeah, three years later. And how long did you last? Half a date?"
"They weren't even half way to the village when she jumped off the coach, Scor."
"You really shouldn't have kept talking to her about us, mate. She was bound to think you were either in love with your cousin or gay."
"I was nervous! What else was I to speak about anyway?"
"Transfiguration?" The two of them burst out laughing, again.
"Speaking of Transfiguration, I remember one time at school when someone transfigured someone into a ferret. Or was that a Weasel?"
"Today, we will be trying out human transfigurations. As learnt earlier, Professor Slughorn recommends transforming a human into inanimate objects to escape enemies. This however, has certain defects. Can anyone tell me what they are? Someone other than Mr Malfoy or Miss Weasley?" Noticing that no-one else was bobbing up and down in excitement, the Professor sighed.
"Yes, Miss Weasley?"
"The spell-caster may not be able to transfigure himself back."
"Very good. Ten points to Gryffindor."
"But Professor I belong to Ravenclaw!"
"Oh, sorry dear. Ten point from Gryffindor and ten to Ravenclaw. Now today, we are going to try transfiguring humans into animate objects, like animals. Take your normal pairs." Rose moved to Scorpius' side reluctantly. They had had a fight just yesterday and both were still not speaking to each other. They faced each other warily, eyeing for a chance to best the other.
"Begin!" Two flashes of light followed by a combined yell of "Muutudaloomade!" Later...
"I must admit that they have both excelled in the spell. Would you mind taking them to the Infirmary, Mr Potter?" Albus nodded hurriedly, picking up the two fallen wands and the two glaring animals with him as he walked out the class.
"Honestly, guys..."
"What were we fighting about, Rose?"
"I'm sure it was someting important but I can't remember right now."
"Must have been another of those grade fights you used to have." Albus replied sardonically.
"Hey! Grades are important!" Rose cried out.
"Not when it caused you two to fight and me to get stuck in the middle!"
"It was nothing more than a healthy competition and don't you dare speak like you were affected. You got to copy from both of us."
"I guess that was an advantage." Albus mused as he thought of the As and Es he had gotten because of them.
"Admit it, Al. You'd have failed your OWLs without us."
"Remember the lady who conducted your practical test?" Scorpius asked, smirking.
"Don't. remind. me. of. that" Albus replied through clenched teeth.
"Mr Potter?" Albus nodded and the woman smiled at him patronizingly.
"You don't have to nod, dear. Of course I know you are a Potter. You look so like your father! Did you know that I was the one who conducted the exams for your father too?" Albus nodded woodenly, wondering if this was a part of the test.
"Well then, off to the tests…"
"Can you perform the Petrifying spell?"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
"Very well, Mr Potter. That swish was quite like your father's I must admit. Now, the next spell…how about a Ridikulus. Accio boggart!" a box containing the boggart flew to their side and Albus positioned his wand.
"Ridikulus!"
"Not a dementor, huh?" The lady scribbled something on the sheet and snapped it closed when he tried to peek.
"Would you like to show me some other spell, Mr Potter?" Albus stared at her in surprise.
"Pardon?"
"The Patronus spell Mr Potter. Can you do it?"
"No, Ma'am. But that isn't in the syllabus."
"Yes, I know, but…alright, boy. You may leave."
Albus left the hall, feeling like he had watched a bad rerun of his father's life.
"Really, what was she thinking? 'The patronus spell Mr Potter!'" Albus bit back sarcastically.
"But she did give you an O, so you should be pleased." Rose replied admonishingly. She did not like bashing examiners.
"Yeah, because I was a Potter!" Albus screeched in a shrill voice, sounding uncannily like a scratched cat.
"Atleast your examiner didn't refuse to test you because he was afraid you'd curse him!" Scorpius muttered darkly. It was a well known fact that Scorpius hated the reputation his name tagged along.
"Well, he did conduct the test in the end. Mine refused to even let me perform even the most basic spell, because he was convinced I'd do extremely well because I was and I quite "The daughter of the brightest with of all ages!"" Rose made a sweeping motion, throwing dirt on all three of them.
"I was afraid you'd make the examiner disappear in your rage, actually." Scorpius added.
"Well I could have, if I had tried to side long apparate him!"
"Hey that was an accident!" Scorpius objected even as a smile bloomed on Albus' face remembering their Apparition lessons.
"Demolition Destruction Devastation." Rose giggled as she heard Scorpius' variant of the three basic steps to apparition.
"Stop making fun of it, Scor. Apparition is a very easy and quick mode of transport."
"I know, I know, but it's just too easy to make fun of it. Reckon we should ask your parents what they did and do the same? Just to see if this guy remembers their glorified pasts too?"
"Ugh! Don't remind me. Look, he is coming this way."
"On the count of three…one, two, three!" Scorpius did not notice that he had been holding Rose's hand while he tried to apparate.
"Yes, I did it! Rose, Al? Oh, you're here! Did you see Al? I apparated! Where's Rose?" They looked around, trying to spot Rose.
"Professor! I think we have a missing student!"
"Oh dear, did you try to side long apparate?"
"I…I was just holding her hand!" Scorpius retorted, but the instructor just shook his head in resignation.
Honestly, kids these days.
"It took them a whole day to bring Rose back." Albus stated, as if Scorpius might have forgotten.
"I remember alright. Who could forget the howler I received from Mr Wealsey?" Scorpius muttered under his breath, but the two heard him all the same, laughing at the memory.
"What did he say? 'Stay away from my daughter?'"
"No. 'Stay the bloody hell away from my bloody daughter'. Atleast I then knew where Rose got her swearing tendencies from."
"I still don't understand why he called me his 'bloody daughter'."
"Maybe he knew you were going to walk into a wall, getting your nose broken; and bloody."
"Hey I was reading a book and the wall…it just appeared out of nowhere!"
"Rose, at Hogwarts, doors appear out of nowhere, not walls." Scorpius patted her shoulder patronizingly, while Al sniggered from the other side.
"As long as I didn't hide away from my girlfriend in the restricted section of the library." It was Scorpius' turn to snort as Albus blushed.
"Rose. Shh…Rose!" Rose looked up from her book to the sight of…thin air.
"Rose? Can you do me a favor?"
"What…what is it Al?" Rose lowered her voice, noticing that Al seemed to be hiding from someone.
"Which section of the library is the least visited?"
"The restricted section of course! Wait…where are you going?"
"I'm going to hide there. If Melinda asks, I went to the Quidditch Pitch. Do you have any objections?"
"None. But…you can't go in there without permission, Al!" Rose's warning was lost as Al had already evaporated.
"It was hilarious when he got caught." Scorpius replied.
"Not so much, since Melinda kept glaring at me for the rest of the week." Rose complained, though the two of them knew she didn't mean it. She hadn't been a fan of the girl back at school.
"Atleast she stayed away from me and I didn't have to break up with her." Al replied, relieved.
"I really don't understand why you needed to date, Al. You never stayed with them for more than a week, anyway!"
"I just can't help thinking that whoever I date won't understand me like you two do. What's the use of dating them if I'm not going to be open with them?"
"And it took you twelve girlfriends to figure that out?" Scorpius snorted, clearly disbelieving.
"Hey I'm trying to tell you that the two of you are the only two people in the world who understand me, and you tease me for that?" Rose looked touched, and even Scorpius couldn't help the softening of his eyes.
"Trust Al to bring in the emo quotient." Rose retorted after a few minutes.
"For the last time! I'm not emotional!"
Albus cried out, but Rose and Scorpius just laughed at him.
"And he claims to be the one who can't relate to his girlfriend" Scorpius remarked to Rose, who sniggered.
"Just because you don't have even one girlfriend…"
"I'm enjoying my single status quite well, thank you." Scorpius retorted, embarrassed. Why did it bother everyone so damn much that he didn't like dating?
"Alright, guys. Enough talk about girls. It's getting late. I have an appointment with the Minister early in the morning." Rose said, knowing it was a sensitive topic for Scorpius.
"An appointment with your Uncle, you mean?" Scorpius asked with a laugh as he too stood up, dusting himself off.
"Not funny, Scor. Now, don't you go around getting into trouble with my Dad, okay? I know he hates you on principle, but that doesn't mean you can moo like a cow in his class, alright?" She hugged Scorpius before turning to Albus.
"And you, you won't egg him on, okay?" Albus nodded with a grin on his face as he hugged his favorite cousin.
"Sure Rose. You know I always discourage him from acting out." Scorpius chuckled wryly behind Rose's back.
"Bye!" Rose turned and apparated with a pop.
"We should get back to the quarters too." The two of them disapparated, already feeling like they were missing a piece of them.
They might not be what their parents expected; a dreamer, a reticent, a blood traitor, but together, they completed the circle; the bond of friendship; the ship that will never sink.
A/n: Do review!