Rose's Wedding
Scorpius
The wedding venue just outside West-London was perfect, just like she wanted it to be. The Isleworth Castle was the only castle of Isleworth, a village near the Richmond where Rose and Mark lived together.
The wedding venue was in a private part of Redlees Park, owned by Mr. Redlee and his wife. Mr. Redlee and Mrs. Redlee had made some alterations to the old castle, placing large windows and small light brown framework and so making the castle was light and open.
The Isleworth Castle's name was far overselling it, since it was more of a large manor than an actual castle, but it was cosy and open at the same time, giving the guests a wonderful view of the nature surrounding it. I had gratefully inhaled the fresh forest air when arriving here.
Now, I stood at the entrance of the Altar Room and looked inside. The high white ceilings were supported by firm wooden beams that went well with the brick background and the same-coloured window frames. At first I was surprised about the bricks, but because of the beige and light brown colours of the brick, it actually seemed really warm.
The chairs were white and were decorated with many lights, contrasting sharply to the brown-wooden floor. Above the aisle to the altar hung a chandelier, the size of a quidditch goal in a quidditch field, lighting up the whole room. There were only 12 rows of 6 chairs, 3 on the left of the aisle and 3 on the right. I knew that she wanted to keep the wedding small, with not too many people, to save her father some money.
I had counted all the chairs out of occupational distraction and decided to sit in the back, so that I could hide behind the other people and so not be able to see all of it happening. Because I couldn't be here and watch it actually happening, without leaving. If I was going to give her away (figuratively speaking) to that Mark, I didn't want to see it happening. I really couldn't see that happening but I promised Rose I'd come. I felt like I'd reached an impasse.
I walked passed al the relatives and a few unfamiliar people and was glad that Albus, the best man, wasn't here yet, because he'd probably be trying to talk me into sitting in the front. While straightening my black robes and black tie, I walked to the last row of chairs on the left side and sat down so that all the people who were still standing, wouldn't look at me. I took another shot of firewhiskey, straight out the flask and sat back in my chair, making sure to hide.
When the reverend, the one Mark insisted on using instead of Rose's grandfather, walked to the altar, to gesture everyone to sit down and Mark to stand up, I suddenly noticed. I could see it only now that she's got it all planned out with Mark. Seeing her future with him in every picture. And realization suddenly struck me; I couldn't watch this. I couldn't be here. I wasn't able to be here, seeing her been given away to another man, forever. A huge wave of nausea struck me and I actually felt my stomach turned around. I had vaguely seen a few people hurrying to sit down at the last moment and looked from the aisle, where Mark was standing, to the back at the entrance.
And before I could realize, I had stood up while trying to keep the tears that had suddenly formed in my eyes from falling down. I knew only one thing. I had to go.
I needed to go.
Now.
The first bridesmaid walked forward, arm-in-arm with a friend of Mark, and with tears in my eyes I got the hell out of there. On my way out I passed Albus, with Genevieve on his arm, whose face said it all in that millisecond he saw me.
But I couldn't stop anymore. It was like I couldn't even control my legs' movement, like they weren't mine.
~~~~~~Marry Me~~~~~~
When I was finally calm enough to apparate, I didn't feel good enough to go to Albus' and my apartment, because I wasn't able to speak about my own actions. And I certainly didn't want to go to my parents. Mum would hug me and cry for me, and dad would be awkward and give me one of his advices that didn't help at all. So instead I went to the Green Irishman, an Irish pub in London where Rose and I'd often met up. As soon as I entered, or stormed in, I walked up to our usual table in the far back, saw that it was empty and let myself fall onto our couch. While I brushed my tears off my cheeks, I took the flask out of my inner pocket, opened it and downed the rest of the strong firewhiskey in one gulp.
My throat felt like it was literally on fire, and I was sort of glad, to be able to feel anything at all beside the nausea and immense pain in my heart. Slowly, the feeling in my legs returned and I put the empty flask back in my inner pocket.
After calming my breathing for a few minutes, I was able to take in my surroundings. The whole pub was empty except for the first few tables in the front, the ones I'd stormed passed.
I looked down at the watch my father had given me when I graduated from Hogwarts, and it said Friday which meant that Chad, one of the younger bartenders, and Wylie, the owner of the pub were both on bar duty.
Knowing Chad, it would probably take him three and a half minutes before getting to my table. And right on cue, Chad walked up the table I was sitting at and smiled his toothy smile at me.
"Scorpius, welcome back. You sure look fancy today, ey mate? Are you meeting Rose again?" Chad asked winking once.
I nearly choked on my own tongue and coughed immediately after. Of course Chad wouldn't have remembered about Rose's wedding, so I plainly shook my head and offered him an apologizing smile. Wylie on the other hand, was more likely to remember it, and I was glad that Chad had come up to me so I didn't have to explain anything.
"No, I'm afraid not."
"Too bad then, ey? So, can I get ya anything?" Chad asked, taking out his notepad with attached pen.
"Yes, I'll have a…"
I thought about all my options, but I felt so incredibly weak on the inside, that there was only one solution, hot chocolate.
"It's easy, when someone feels down or weak, you give them hot chocolate with a lot of whipped cream! Chocolate makes people happy and warmth is comforting," Rose explained with twinkling in her bright blue eyes while pushing a hot chocolate with whipped cream towards me.
"Okay, but why the whipped cream?" I asked while taking a bit of the whipped cream with my spoon.
"Because whipped cream is sweet and tastes nice, silly," she replied laughing, dropping all the whipped cream on top of my whipped cream on top of my hot chocolate so that it overflowed. My whole cup was covered in whipped cream and I couldn't keep the smile off my face.
"Hey! You are making a mess, Miss Red!" I said stern, giving her an amused look.
"See? You're already smiling. Whipped cream helps!"
I gave her a small push on her shoulder and shook my head at her laughing.
"You're crazy," I said to her, now smiling broadly.
"That's why you love me," she said, looking defiant followed by taking a sip of her hot chocolate.
In lack of a better response, I said the first thing that came to mind.
"That, I do!" I said jokingly, but deep down that couldn't be more true, I felt my neck get hot.
Suddenly, Rose was rendered speechless, hiding behind her enormous bush of red frizzy curls and mumbled something.
"What?" I asked softly.
She didn't respond and stared at her hot chocolate, now frozen in one place.
I bumped her shoulder with mine and asked, "Rose?"
"N-nothing," she hastily replied.
"Scorpius, have you made a decision, or should I come back in a few minutes?" Chad said, pulling me out of my memory, tapping with his pen on the notepad in his hands.
"Uh, no, uh I mean yes. Yes, I have. I would like a hot chocolate with a lot of whipped cream and a grilled cheese sandwich," I said to Chad while my stomach startled to rumble.
"You got it. Say, are you sure you're okay? You kinda rushed in 'ere, your eyes are red and you're way too fancy dressed to be sittin' here alone, right?" Chad said more than he asked.
"I'm fine, thanks for asking though," I answered quickly, not wanting to explain.
"No problem, I'll be right back."
Chad turned around and tore the paper off to bring to the kitchen.
Now I had finally time to calm down I could actually see my surroundings. I let my eyes move tirelessly over the Irish Pub, exhaled loudly and relaxed my shoulders.
How far would the wedding be now? Would they already be married? Did Rose miss me already? I shook my head at myself, like trying to shake the questions out of my head and think of something else.
Suddenly my mind flies to the first memory I have of meeting her.
The door of the train compartment opened and I looked up, trying to hide my nervousness.
In the door opening stood a really pretty girl and I guessed she was a Weasley. Dad had told me to be myself and see by myself who would become my friends, though I wasn't sure if he liked the Weasleys and Potters much.
"Hi, I'm Rose Weasley and you are Scorpius Malfoy," she stated, her bright blue eyes moving over me.
"Yes," I said, swallowing once.
"Let me start with what I want to say. My parents think we are going to hate each other and continue the family feud. But I don't have time for that. I want to get good grades and I'm not going to let anything get in the way of that. So I won't continue our family's feud."
Her frizzy red curls, the no-nonsense tone of her voice… I was impressed, from the first second.
"Oh, well I'm glad. Would you like to join me in the compartment?" I suggested, pointing to the empty space next and in front of me.
"Thanks. So which house are you going to be in?" she asked while sitting down opposite of me.
I decided to be honest, since she'd been that from the first second and gave her a shrug.
"Slytherin, I guess."
She nodded, thinking. I would have expected the Weasley and Potter kids to dislike Slytherin, but instead she took me completely by surprise.
"Slytherin is good. I hope to be in Slytherin or Ravenclaw. I admire ambition, something Slytherins have but with that I admire intelligence, which is obviously Ravenclaw."
"Well it would already be nice to know someone in Slytherin," I said, offering her a small smile.
"I agree! And my cousin Albus is probably going to be in Slytherin too. We could maybe sit next to each other?" she suggested.
"Cool-"
"So, what is your favourite animal?" she asked before I could say more.
Now, a true smile appeared on my lips. I liked this crazy girl. Then the compartment door opened again and I saw a raven-haired boy with green eyes.
"Oh, hey, Albus!"
And I suddenly remembered the night when I almost kissed her.
"Hahaha! You are crazy! Now we can never go back there!" she exclaimed while bursting with laughter.
She dropped her head against my chest, both still laughing, and I suddenly get very aware of the proximity between us. I leaned back on her couch in her apartment with her against me. We went to dinner this evening and that turned into a night out in London. When I accidentally threw my drink in the bartender's face, she'd asked me to leave in a polite and furious manner at the same time.
My laughing stopped and I felt her head and frizzy red curls moving away from me only a little bit. She looked up to me, her eyes stopping for a second at my lips before staring into my eyes. With intention to…
Her blue eyes were beautiful, breath-taking and so overwhelming. I could see her soul, her intention, her passion, her joy, her life. My heart raced while time seemed to have stopped.
I felt anxious, happy, nervous, butterflies and hesitant. I slowly moved forward, looking at her lips unconsciously.
Then she moved her head back in an abrupt manner and stammered: "Mark and I are going to move in together."
And I knew I was too late.
"Scorpius?" now the low voice of Wylie took my out of my memory.
Wylie had apparently sat down at the only chair that stood at this table and looked at me incisively. I hoped that he wouldn't remember Rose's wedding today and so I quickly asked him how he was doing. "Wylie! How are you?"
This caused the old man to frown and furrow his thick grey eyebrows, as if he was confused about me asking.
"I'm doing fine, son. I heard from Chad that you were a little odd today."
"A little odd?" I asked. In my mind I cursed Chad for telling Wylie but instead I smiled at Wylie.
"Yes. And I can see he is right. I was saying your name for four times before you heard me."
"Oh, that odd. Yes, well I have a lot on my mind today. Nothing big though," I explained quickly, not looking him in the eye.
"Right."
His tone had called bullshit but he didn't mention it and silence followed.
It was awkward, Wylie sitting with me at the table, looking at me with only a few blinks.
"Soo, was there anything else?" I wondered, not trying to be unfriendly, but this was so... so weird.
"I don't know Scorpius. You tell me," Wylie's voice sounded offended now and his face darkened.
I swallowed and tried not to think about the thing I was running away from.
"Nothing else, I just got here to grab a bite for lun-" Wylie's jaws shut closed and he ignored my words completely when he interrupted me, "-why aren't you at Rosie's wedding, Scorpius?"
I felt an immediate stab in my lungs and inhaled abruptly. The heartache I'd forgotten about for a second, was back now, in full strength.
So Wylie had remembered.
"Well?"
I didn't reply and looked at the wooden table in front of me, tracing the lines of the wood from one side to the other. My hands were suddenly felt very cold, but my eyes were burning.
She was going to marry Mark, or she already had. She was going to marry stupid perfect Mark, just like she wanted to, on her perfect wedding. So I'd lose her forever.
I had told myself that if I truly loved her, I'd let her marry him, being there by her side as her best friend, wanting her to be as happy as she could be with him.
But I couldn't. I was too much in love with her and I couldn't bear the thought of her being with another man. Not with Mark.
"Scorpius, you reek of some sort of whiskey, you are almost unable to get contact with, yet still you are dressed for her wedding; why are you here?" Wylie's voice still sounded judgmental.
The back of my throat started to get airy and I had to lock my jaws hard to prevent my lip from trembling. I tried to make it through today without crying, but I couldn't. Tears streamed down my face and I hid my face in my hands.
"Scorpius, talk to me," the old voice commanded.
I looked up at the blurry, because of the tears, face of Wylie.
"I want to be him. I want her to talk about me like she talks about him. I want to be in the story of her life. When she cries, I want to dry her tears, I want to make her smile, kiss her lips, laugh with her, live with her and live my life with her. But- but I want her to be happy. And I'm torn between being selfish and happy for her because I love her. And if she's happy with Mark" I spit out his name before continuing, "then I shouldn't be in her way, right?" I asked so frustrated and confused that Wylie leaned back.
Silence.
Wylie looked like he was debating whether or not to say something, but then he furrowed his eyebrows again and sighed.
"Look, Scorpius. When you two first arrived here, I thought for sure that you two were together, or almost together. It was not after a few months of your regular visits I found out that you weren't together, that she already had a boyfriend."
My mouth stood agape. Wait. What?! I sent Wylie a shocked look.
"Look, son. I don't know what to tell you here. But I can tell you, that if you think she is truly happy with him, that you should let it go. Be happy for her because it is very unhealthy if you cannot let her be with another man. But if you doubt if she's happy with him, you should think about whether you are going to risk your, uhm, friendship, to tell her how you feel about it."
"I left her wedding just before it started. I'm doubting she'll want to be friends with me after the stunt I pulled."
Wylie patted my back.
Then Chad walked up to the table, his hands filled with a hot chocolate with whipped cream and a grilled cheese sandwich.
"Here's your hot chocolate with whipped cream and grilled cheese sandwich. Oh, and Wylie? The rain's really coming down now," Chad said conversationally.
I saw Wylie roll his eyes at his bartender, who clearly didn't know what he was walking in on, but before Wylie could respond, a voice sounded, panting, "Make that two, Chad. And yes, it is really coming down now."
My heart burst. I looked at her. Rose. Her wedding dress was soaking wet, her eyes twinkling and her smile as broad as I'd ever seen on her. Utter happiness poured out of my eyes. I jumped up from the couch and stormed around the table, hugging her tight in my arms. Tears streamed down both our faces, but we weren't crying, we were laughing because we both couldn't believe her being here.
"You are really here?!" I exclaimed, astonished.
"I am. I couldn't… I couldn't marry him. I- I- think his sad eyebrows and spoiled it for me," she said between laughs.
"He does have sad eyebrows; you really didn't notice before? Crazy girl," I said smiling lovingly, feeling my clothing get wet from her soaking dress, but I didn't care.
I wasn't going to let her go. Not anymore.
"That's why you love me."
"That, I do."
"And it's why I love you," she said, looking in my eyes with her glistening bright blue eyes.
"Me? Crazy?" I joked.
"Well, no sane person puts Armadillo bile with Jewelweed in a hot cauldron and not expect it to blow up. I still remember Professor Lawrence's look of horror when you said that you were brewing it for five minutes already," her voice was filled with so much joy and happiness that I couldn't imagine not loving her.
"And I still remember the second before it blew up in his face," I said smiling broad.
"Thank Godric, that that was first year. Though I'm not sure if I'm able to live with the fact that you got a higher grade on Potions in our NEWTs than I did."
"Hmm, we'll have to compromise then. You outsmarted me in Ancient Runes, Transfiguration, and oh, wait, all the other subjects," I said sarcastically.
The sound of her stomach grumbling disrupted our hugging and I let go, walking over to the couch, where Chad and Wylie were looking at us with big, flabbergasted eyes.
I'd forgotten they were muggles.
But Wylie cleared his throat and motioned Chad to move back to the bar.
"So, hot chocolate with whipped cream, huh?" she asked, while grabbing my spoon to take some whipped cream.
"Yes, I heard it helps when people are feeling down."
"Must be a wise person you heard that from," she teased.
"Brilliant," I grinned while taking a bite from my grilled cheese sandwich. Her eyes looked hungrily at my sandwich and I extended it to her. "Do you want to share my… sandwich?"
Both of us heard the silent life instead of sandwich, but it didn't matter because she said "Yes."
Her bright blue eyes twinkled once again and in my heart I couldn't feel happier.
I was finally where I belonged. With her.
"So, what did Mark say?" I asked her after a few bites and sips.
"Ha! I don't know actually. I ran away."
"Tell me," I said, leaning in and bumping my shoulder to hers.
"Well..."
Rose
As soon as dad and I entered the Aisle Room, I looked around, smiling at my dad and then everyone else in the room. I smiled at all my cousins, grandma, grandpa, mum, the bride maids on the left and the guys on the right. Just when I wanted to look at the reverend and Mark at the altar, I heard whispering and people were looking at the entrance where I just got from. Was something the matter?
"-he just left-" "-who stormed out?" "-Scorpius, Scorpius Malfoy!-"
My heart beat in my throat and my eyes widened. I looked over the heads of others and searched for Scorpius. Not in the right row of chairs.
I moved my eyes over the left row and I didn't see my favourite blondie anywhere. I made eye contact with Albus, who gulped now.
Then we arrived at the altar and I let go of Dad's hand and stepped closer to Albus. Asking him with my eyes where Scorpius was.
Albus looked down quickly and then shook his head shortly.
Panic rushed through my veins and I had forgotten my wedding completely. Did Scorpius leave my wedding?
"Al, where is he?" I whispered, tears forming in my eyes now.
I felt all the eyes on me and in the background I heard Mark say something but I kept my eyes on Albus when I replied. "Just a second, Mark!" I hissed a little too loud.
"Al?" I asked him.
Albus eyes didn't want to meet mine, but when they did, I could feel his pity for me.
"N-no. He wouldn't. He promised me he'd be here," I stuttered in disbelief, tears now dropping onto my cheeks and an ache burning in my heart.
"Rose, I'm sorry," Albus whispered, now stepping forward to hug me.
I put my arms around him and pressed him close against me. When I finally released Albus, I nodded and let him dry my tears.
The thought of not searching for Scorpius passed my mind. If I wasn't going to search for him, would our friendship be over? The breakfast date's, lunches and dinners? Would I lose him forever?
"Rose, everyone is waiting," I heard the soft whisper of Mark.
Then he whispered something else but I couldn't quite hear it. With a too heavy heart, I nodded again and turned around to face Mark. I looked at his worried face and was glad that he was at least worried for me. That he could understand.
I sent him a short smile and accepted to hold his hand. The reverend started his speech, the one I heard one too many times and I zoned out for a bit, looking at Mark's face. Mark was handsome and average looking at the same time. His dark hair was tightly combed backwards and while I looked at his hairline, my eyes fell on his eyebrows and I suddenly noticed that they were crooked. He had very downward facing eyebrows, like he was worried or sad all the time. Now that I thought of it, I couldn't really remember a time when I hadn't seen him with very sad eyebrows. I thought of the prettier, normal eyebrows, and I was immediately remembered of Scorpius. The pain of the stab in my heart was muffled by the reverends words that distracted me, sounding loud through the room.
"-to bind themselves together in the wonderful constitution that is marriage for the rest of their lives. Marriage, ideally, is-" the reverend continued.
For the rest of my life? I was really going to lose Scorpius forever? Not see Scorp again while looking at Mark's eyebrows for the rest of my life? But surely I could alter his eyebrows with a bit of my magic? Thinking about it, I knew that it would be a hard battle, Mark didn't like the fact that I was a witch and he didn't like me using magic.
Suddenly realization struck me. That was going to be a big problem. The magic is part of me and he didn't like it? How was that ever going to work? And how was I going to keep living without Scorpius? Then I closed my legs closer together and noticed that I really needed to go to the bathroom but the reverend's words took me out of my zone.
"Do you, Mark Zenati, promise to honour and tenderly care for Rose Jean Weasley, cherish and encourage her, stand with her, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your life?"
"I do," Mark said, sending me a broad smile.
I smiled back painfully because I couldn't stop thinking about his eyebrows. And Scorpius.
I wanted Scorpius to be here with me, to pull me through with his smile. The smile I missed right now.
The smile I loved.
The reverend continued, "Do you, Rose Jean Weasley pledge to share your life openly with Mark and
to speak the truth in love? And do you, Rose Jean Weasley promise to honour and tenderly care for Mark Zenati, cherish and encourage him, stand with him, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your life?"
I felt everyone's eyes on me. I felt the pressure, to agree with being stuck with mister McSadbrows for the rest of my life and more importantly be away from Scorpius.
My heart pounded in my throat and when Mark furrowed his eyebrows he looked so terribly worried, that I didn't know what to say. My heart ached, not because I had to leave Mark, but because it ached for him. For Scorpius.
So I ran. Hard.
I heard gasping and stammering behind me, but I ran as fast as I could in this dress. When I got outside I felt the rain pouring down on me, but I kept on running. I ran far enough to get a cab, because I didn't know where my wand was and when I suddenly heard footsteps behind me. I ran even faster, my lungs and heart now aching.
"Rose! Rose!" I recognized Albus' voice behind me.
I stopped and turned around. My eyes fell on the brick Isleworth Castle, where everyone was now looking at me through the windows.
"You forgot your wand," Albus said panting, while handing me over my wand.
"Aren't you going to stop m-" I started when he interrupted me, "-of course not. Tell Scorp I said hi."
Tears welled up in my eyes and I felt a smile breaking onto my lips.
"Thanks Al. I love you."
"I love you too, Rose. I'll take care of it," he pressed a kiss against my cheek, "go find him."
I needn't be told twice.
Dear Everyone-Who-Reads-This,
I sincerely hope you like this story, since I put in a lot of effort to write it the way I wanted it to come out. The story behind the lovely pairing Scorose is inspired by the following songs:
Marry Me by Thomas Rhett and Can I Be Him by James Arthur.
And please please please, if you are going to read this story again, listen to the songs, they will give the story some deeper feeling, I hope!
To all of you lovely and gorgeous people out there: the best wishes for 2018.
Lots of love,
Aimee
Ps. I'd appreciate a review like… amazeballs ;)