Author's Note: Written for...

Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. Team/Position: Montrose Magpies, Chaser 1. Task: Write about tragedy within the next generation. Prompts: (opening line) It had happened again, control, "When Love and Hate Collide" by Def Leppard

Breaking Point

It had happened again.

Scorpius knew something was wrong the moment he came home from work. Rose always had music playing so loud you could hear it down the street, but today the house was silent. He ignored the uneasy feeling in his stomach as he unlocked the door. He anxiously rushed through the downstairs, heart beating fast, until he reached the living room to find his mother-in-law sitting by the fire with his daughter sleeping in her arms.

He let out a heavy sigh as he fell into a chair opposite hers. They locked eyes and Hermione shot him an apologetic smile.

"I should have sent an owl to warn you."

"It's fine. How long has she been gone?"

"A couple of hours."

Scorpius didn't bother to ask what excuse Rose had used to get her mother to babysit, nor when she'd intended to return. His patience was wearing thin.

"Thank you for watching Tori." He was already up and reaching for the toddler. She didn't even stir as he lifted her.

"I'm always happy to help. I could stay a while longer if you need, or I could go out looking...?"

Scorpius immediately shook his head, taking the sleeping girl into his arms. "No, no. Rose will come home when she's ready."

He tried not to let his annoyance show. Hermione had enough on her plate without being brought into her daughter's marital problems. Though he suspected she knew more than she'd let on, he still hadn't told her that he'd found Rose asleep at a table at the Hog's Head three weeks before, the first night she'd gone missing after asking Hermione to babysit. He had no intention of bringing up the times in the weeks since when he'd come home to find Hugo or Lucy watching his baby, or about all the half-drunk bottles of alcohol he'd found hidden in the house. For the time being, no one needed to know how out of control Rose was becoming.

"It's late. I'm sure Ron's wondering where you are."

Hermione smiled. "Ron can look after himself for the most part." She squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "Take care, Scorpius."

He saw her to the door, then locked up and made his way to the nursery.

Tori was a sound sleeper, so much like her mother. There wasn't much that could disturb her once she finally dozed off, and yet Scorpius always found himself tiptoeing around her. Tonight was different. The silence stretched on around him, only serving to remind him of what was missing. Against his better judgment, he turned on the antique music box his father had contributed to the nursery. The lullaby it played had been one of Scorpius' favorites when he was a child; the one his mother always sung to him.

He sat in the rocking chair, watching his daughter sleep in her cot, until the lullaby worked its magic on him as well.

:-:

He woke hours later, disoriented from a dream in which his mother bred pegasi and was trying to teach him to ride one. The music box had switched off at some point while he slept, but he was happy to see Tori still soundly asleep.

Then he heard a door slam elsewhere in the house and he realized what had woken him. Scorpius was nearly as sound a sleeper as his wife and child, and the slightest noise disturbed him. He heaved a sigh as he got up from the rocker and slowly made his way downstairs, dreading the long-overdue discussion he had to have with Rose.

He found her rummaging through the refrigerator with a licorice wand hanging from her mouth. He waited until she finished pouring herself a glass of orange juice before he made his presence known and took a seat at the breakfast bar.

"Are you okay?" It was a stupid question. He could smell the alcohol coming off her, and she usually hated orange juice.

"'M fine," she slurred. She was gripping the counter tightly as she finished off the licorice. "Where's Mum?"

"I sent her home around eight. She'd been here quite a while..." Scorpius discreetly checked the time, unsurprised to find it after midnight now.

"I needed some air."

He bit his tongue to keep from retorting harshly. He hated the comments his mind had conjured, but he was tired and fed up now. This was so unlike his wife. He traced circles on the countertop with his finger while he figured out something safe to say. Arguing with Rose was a no-win scenario, but it was even less appealing while she was drunk.

"Can I make you dinner?" That was safe, and normal enough. Of the two of them, Scorpius was the better cook. He often cooked their meals if he was home in time, otherwise Rose would resort to ordering take out or snacking on her horde of candy.

"I'm not really hungry." He glanced up to find her staring at him in such an unfamiliar way that it genuinely startled him. There was no love in her eyes, nor the usual dazed look she donned when she'd been drinking. "If there's something you want to say, just say it."

Scorpius looked away quickly, hoping to deter the worsening situation. "I don't want to talk about it tonight."

Rose let out a hollow laugh. "Please, there's no better time."

"There's a time and a place for this conversation and I-"

"No, I'd love to hear what you have to say."

He was too tired and she knew how to push him. He snapped. "What's the matter with you?" It came out angrier than he'd meant, but he didn't backtrack as he normally would have. "This isn't like you - going out all the time, getting drunk?"

"I just want to have some fun, is that so wrong?" She'd shouted her reply, making him wince. He expertly cast a quieting charm over the kitchen. Tori may have been accustomed to noise, but there was no need for the toddler to hear her parents arguing.

"It's one thing to need a break every once in a while," he said, becoming agitated with her attitude and thoughtlessness. "But it's another entirely to leave your daughter with someone so you can spend the whole day in a bar. Your mother has enough to worry about without being called upon every time you want to pretend you're still a teenager."

"I am so sick about hearing how hard everyone has it-"

"Your mum's the Minister; she's very busy."

"Yes, I know, but at least she got what she always wanted. She didn't settle."

Scorpius was taken aback. "Rose ... you can have whatever you want."

She scoffed. "Oh, yes. I'll just go back to work at the paper, shall I? I'm sure the baby will just look after herself."

"We'll work something out."

"Right. And then she'll never see either of us. Merlin knows she barely recognizes you anymore. You come home after she's gone to bed-"

"We discussed this. The late nights are only for another month or so, then I'll be up for the promotion."

"And then we'll be swept off to whatever country you'll be stationed in."

"You said you wanted to travel the world."

"Yes, Scorpius. Greece, Tahiti, Brazil. Not some useless little town in the middle of America where I can't even see the ocean."

He turned away from her, staring at his reflection in the dark window and running a hand through his hair in frustration. When did they get off track?

"What do you want, Rose? I don't want to fight anymore. Half the time I don't know what we're fighting for. I thought we were happy."

She was running out of steam as well, he could tell. She seated herself on the countertop and slumped against the wall, closing her eyes. "I just need a break."

Scorpius nodded and got up from the stool. "Then you can have one. I'll sleep in the nursery tonight. I'll look after Tori tomorrow - you can have the whole weekend if it'll help." He made for the door but turned back at the last second. He reached for Rose's limp hand and grasped it momentarily. Her eyes snapped open and focused on him. "I'm still crazy about you, Rose. I always have been, since that first day on the train." He smiled fondly at the memory of little Rose. He hoped Tori would look just as cute. "We're going to work through this, baby. I promise, we'll work it out."

She didn't say anything. She let her hand drop onto her lap when Scorpius let go and he felt her eyes on him as he left her alone.

Tori was still sleeping when he returned to the nursery. He allowed himself to feel optimistic as he rocked himself to sleep. He had made it through a potentially disastrous night and lived to tell the tale. He knew things would get better, now that they had worked through the worst of it. He'd cut back on the night work, keep his current position. Maybe he would surprise Rose with a holiday...

:-:

The good mood hadn't left him in the night. Scorpius remained cheery and playful as ever, getting Tori dressed for the day and taking her down to the kitchen for breakfast. He didn't expect Rose to be up yet - she loved to sleep in when given the chance - and yet something was definitely off. He only noticed it when he reached for the cereal ... food missing from cupboards.

He got the toddler settled in her chair, then hurried up to his bedroom. He opened the door as quietly as he could in case Rose was still asleep. But there had been no need to worry; the bed was empty.

He searched the bathroom, then the closet. There were more missing items. Rose's shampoo, a suitcase, countless clothes. A note left on her pillow confirmed his fears.

'I'm too young to feel this trapped,' she wrote in her farewell letter. 'I need to take care of myself for once. I want to see the world. I'll always love you, Scorpius, and our daughter. I'm just not cut out to be a mummy right now. I know you'll understand.'

Scorpius sat on the edge of the bed as he read through the brief note. By the end he was just barely keeping his emotions in check for Tori's sake. He wanted to scream. He wanted to go after his wife, but he knew that wouldn't make a difference. He'd never been able to change Rose's mind on anything else, and this would be no different.

Maybe one day she would change her mind come back to them. She'd be broke, probably tanned from years spent on the beach, and she'd say she was ready.

Scorpius couldn't say, as he returned to his small daughter and plastered a smile on his face, if he'd ever be able to forgive this.

A/N:

Ever since I read The Cursed Child I've had some ... strong feelings towards Rose. I apologize for the extreme Rose-bashing here, but I think it served me well. :)