Rose Weasley hummed to herself cheerfully as she packed her trunk. Having turned seventeen a few months back, she was relishing the fact she could use magic in the holidays, gathering her belongings with an easy flick of her wand.

"You're out of tune." Rose turned to see her little brother Hugo leaning on the doorframe.

"What do you want?" She was in too good a mood to respond to his bait.

"Why are you so happy?"

"No reason," she tried to hide a smile. "Just pleased to be going back to Hogwarts tomorrow."

Hugo raised his eyebrows "To see Matt."

She blushed and tucked a red curl behind her ear. "No, to see everyone. I'm ready go back now, last year and all."

"Whatever Rose."

She narrowed her eyes, "Look, what are you here for?"

He grinned, "Mum says we're leaving now."

"Excellent, race you downstairs." Rose smirked, then apparated on the spot, leaving her brother to grumble as he stamped down the stairs alone.

Hugo arrived in the kitchen to see Hermione sponging a stain off Ron's shirt, while Rose sat on a counter top swinging her legs.

"Took your time Hugo." She smiled.

Ron caught his son's eye over Hermione's head. "Women," he mouthed.

"Ron, go and change your shirt," said Hermione in exasperation. "We'll go on ahead."

"Hermione no one is going to care what I look like. We're only going to the Burrow."

"Ron!" Hermione was sounding dangerous now.

"Fine! You three go, Hugo can do side-along apparition with one of you."

"I'll wait and go with you Dad." Hugo interjected, causing Rose to laugh as she left.

###

"Hi Nana," Rose grinned as Molly engulfed her in a hug, ushering her and Hermione through the door of the burrow.

"Hello Rose dear, hi Hermione, come in, come in. But where're the boys?"

"Hugo was going to come by side-along apparition with Ron," Hermione explained. "I don't know why they're not here already."

"Dad's probably splinched them both," said Rose cheerfully, ignoring Hermione's pointed look, "Is Al here yet?"

"Oh yes, you lot are last to arrive," Molly smiled. "You can join in on de-gnoming the garden, Rosie. We don't want those things round our feet at the barbeque. Stay away from Granddad though, he's insisting on lighting that thing without magic. In fact Hermione, if you could possibly lend a hand…"

Rose walked away from the two of them and headed through the house to the back garden.

"Watch out!"

She ducked quickly, just avoiding a gnome streaking dangerously close to her head.

"Al you idiot! Are you trying to kill me?"

Albus grinned weakly, "Well how was I supposed to know you'd walk out right then."

"You obviously planned it."

"Yeh I was saving that gnome for you, really Rose-

"It was coming right at-"

"Ok you two, enough already." Lily stepped in between them, always the voice of reason. "Hi Rose, you're a bit late aren't you? Help us with the de-gnoming. James and Fred are mucking around and trying to herd the damn things, and Molly's scared of them."

Rose raised her eyebrows at her Uncle Percy's daughter Molly, sitting on the wall reading. At the end of the garden, Fred and James hadn't even noticed her arrival, though they seemed to have succeeded in arranging a group of gnomes into height order.

"You know I can't believe Hogwarts let them graduate." Rose said shaking her head.

"Me neither," Al grinned. "Come help me over here."

Rose followed him. "Hey Al, have you heard from Matt yet, like, do you know if he's back from Australia?"

"No idea. I dunno why you think he would contact me before you anyway. I'm only his best mate after all. It's not like you've totally taken me over in his affections or anything," Al joked.

Rose smiled and bent to pick up a gnome, "I was just asking, it's only he promised he'd owl me as soon as he was back, and I thought I'd get one this morning."

"Jeez, high maintenance or what? I feel sorry for the guy, I mean- OW!"

"Sorry, it jumped right out of my hands. Crafty little bugger." Rose smirked.

"Right you're for it now!"

Rose squealed and started running, as Al grabbed some ammunition.

###

Forty minutes later, Rose watched her whole family sitting and eating in little groups around the (mostly) gnome-free lawn. The women were lounging on deckchairs in the last patch of light before evening. Her Nana Molly was there, talking to her Aunties, Fleur, Audrey, Angelina and Ginny, along with her mother. Her older cousin Dominique sat with them, happily ignoring her Nana's nagging on wearing "too much makeup!" Victoire and Teddy were leaning on the trunk of the birch tree in the corner. The men stood over by the barbeque. Arthur was talking to Percy, while George, Harry and Ron discussed a new Wheeze's product just behind them. Rose sat with the rest of her cousins; Al, James and Lily, Fred and Roxanne, Molly, Lucy, Louis and Hugo (who had arrived in one piece). It was surprisingly warm for the last day of summer and she loved being surrounded by her family. But she found herself longing for Hogwarts. She missed her friends and Matt, whom she'd been dating for a month before summer. Plus she was going into her final year, which she decided was bound to be her best.

"Hogwarts'll be no fun next year without Fred and I there." James voice broke her chain of thought.

"Nah," Al said. "It'll be better. Especially as I'm Gryffindor Quidditch Captain this year."

"Yeh well just make sure you guys win." James folded his arms and smirked, "Maybe I can get you a place on the Arrows as well when you finish."

"Let's see if you can make it to the starting line up first, yeh James?"

"Oi! I'll have you know that-"

Rose's attention was taken away from the boys bickering as she watched her Dad waving his arms around. Overexcited at something George had said, he accidentally sent her Uncle Percy's hotdog flying into his face. She grinned as Percy started shouting, and leaned against Lily as everyone looked up to enjoy the show.

###

The next morning passed in a flash, with Rose and Hugo dashing around trying to uncover lost books and Ron sitting in the car, impatiently tooting the horn. Finally the four of them set off to Kings Cross, arriving with just five minutes to spare before the train left. Rose strained to see Matt, but couldn't find him anywhere. She let her Dad and Uncle Harry fight over who was carrying her trunk onto the train and went to hug her mother goodbye.

"Be good Rose, darling. Look after your brother. And remember to do all your prefect duties."

"Well I'm hardly likely to forget Mum. They basically force us you know."

Hermione smiled fondly at her daughter. "Remember to owl, we got you Artemis for a reason."

Ron had jumped off the train by now, and grabbed Rose in a tight hug. "Bye Rosie. Keep up the good grades. Don't spend too much time with that boy."

"Dad," she grumbled. "People can see you know." But she smiled.

Hugo said a quick goodbye, and the pair of them jumped quickly onto the train as the whistle blew. Rose stood next to Al and Lily, as they leaned out and waved to their parents while the trained pulled away.

"Coming to the prefect's compartment first Rose?" Al asked.

"Yeh let's go." Rose swung around quickly, and careered into someone so hard that she was knocked off her feet.

"Real smooth Weasley," said a sneering voice above her, and Rose found herself looking up into the cold grey eyes of Scorpius Malfoy, her least favourite person in Hogwarts.