(( A/N: Hey guys! I know I have two other stories that are unfinished, and a lot of people want to read new chapters, but I'm having a brain block. D :
But, this is my solution! This story will hopefully get the creative juices flowing and I'll be able to write for Swansong and Bella of Kentworthy.
Please read and review, tell me what you think! Always makes me happy! ))
In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Chapter 1 -
"Oi, Potter, quit drooling over the cauldron and do something. Professor Terrycloth is going to think I'm just as much of a numb-nut as you if we fail this. And, you know I can't have her thinking I'm stupid. How do you expect me to cultivate a fan club that way?"
The crooked grin of Scorpius Malfoy shined down on Albus Potter's much shorter frame, as the two boys stood peering over a bubbling cauldron whose contents were circling the colors of the rainbow, now turning from a bright pink to a rather repulsive green. Albus had shoved his friend back for his snarky comment, although he was quite used to it after six years of friendship with the only son of Draco Malfoy, and he moved his hands over a slew of ingredients scattered across the table, hovering over a jar of beetle dust.
"Did we add this already? I can't remember," he said distractedly.
Scorpius, however, was not listening. His gaze had gone to the two laughing silhouettes a few rows ahead, and his sharp gray eyes narrowed, scowling to no one in particular and stirring the cauldron without Al's permission.
"Look at those two, do you think she could laugh any louder? I mean, we get it, Wood's funny. I, for one, find him rather annoy—,"
"Shut up."
Albus tried to be as kind as possible, but Professor Terrycloth had been fast approaching.
The Professor looked down at the two boys through her rectangular glasses, using a wrinkled hand to pull them down to the bridge of her nose for better observation of the cauldron's contents. After a moment, she tutted, patting an ancient hand on Scorpius' shoulders, much to his horror, as she said, "You've got it all wrong. Start over. And, Potter, perhaps this time you should do the stirring."
Professor Terrycloth moved on to the next table, and Scorpius rounded on Al with an accusatory look.
"See! I told you. Now she thinks I'm lacking. Thanks, for that, Potter."
Albus smirked, nudging his friend's shoulder roughly and grabbing the wooden spoon from the cauldron. "What were you saying about Wood, anyway?" His bright green eyes went from Scorpius to the two people standing up ahead, one with curly wild dark red hair and the other with a tall frame that almost rivaled Scorpius', with messy brown hair and an unsettling eye on Al's cousin.
"I don't like the way he looks at Rose," Al observed, absently picking up an onion and nearly crushing it against his palm.
"Now you sound reasonable." Scorpius said smugly. "I say we pummel him in the broom shed. No one goes out there after hours but us. We could tempt him with false hope – leave a note signed from Rose or something. It's possible. I've got a mean right hook."
Albus gave his friend a mocking look, raising a brow. "You wouldn't punch him."
"I would," Scorpius said defensively. "Remember the one time I socked Lorcan Scamander in the jaw our fourth year?"
Albus paused thoughtfully, and then gave a noncommittal shrug. "Suppose you did. And, if I remember correctly, that was because of Rose, too."
"Well if you kept a better eye on her," the blond muttered, turning his head away and sifting through the ingredients rather determinedly. Albus sighed, skimming the page of his open Potions book for what they'd missed the time before. "Aha!" He suddenly announced, tugging on Scorpius' sleeve. "It's eye of newt, we forgot eye of newt."
Scorpius rolled his eyes, examining the now yellow liquid in the cauldron with a bored expression. "If Wood hadn't stolen Rose from us we'd have known that before Professor Terrycloth verbally assaulted my sensitive ego."
"Do you ever get sick of hearing yourself talk?" Albus asked, smirking.
"Don't be silly," Scorpius grinned boyishly.
The two boys dedicated the rest of their full hour block of class to trying to reconstruct a more accurate potion, and in the end they emerged successful, much to the delayed praise of Professor Terrycloth. Grabbing their bags, both boys headed for the door, Scorpius a little faster, and caught up to the visage of their other best mate and Jeremy Wood.
"Rosie! Rosie – wait up," Al called out, but Scorpius was already next to her, cleverly fitting right between Jeremy and Rose.
"Class was unbearable without you." He said semi-sweetly, and Rose swatted his arm. "You mean without my praise-worthy potions skills," she laughed.
Al was now in stride with them, a little out of breath, and he snorted. "Do you two share one central ego, or something? I swear, it's ridiculous," he looked to Wood for support, but the boy was too awestruck staring at Rose, and he answered airily, "I think it's endearing."
Scorpius' eyes widened, looking to Rose and mouthing, 'endearing'?
She shoved him, pursing her lips to keep from laughing, and whispered, "play nicely Malfoy, or I'll stick lemon snaps down your trousers."
Pretending to be offended, Scorpius fake gasped and put a hand on Rose's shoulder. "You wouldn't."
But before Rose could spit back a clever response, Jeremy Wood had cut in front of them, all but forcing Scorpius to take his hand off her shoulder, and he gave Rose Weasley what could only be described as a very awkward hug. "I've got to get to the Library, but I'll see you later yeah?"
Rose nodded, "Yeah, sure Jeremy. See you."
As soon as he was out of ear shot Scorpius groaned, propping an elbow up on Al's shoulder, as the other Slytherin boy was considerably shorter than him, and reached out to pull down a stray curl of Rose's hair, watching it bounce back up. "How can you stand that boy's company? He's like a giant train wreck of teenage awkwardness."
"Oh," she mirrored his action and reached a hand up to seemingly run it through his hair, but at the last minute detoured and gently slapped him across the face, "he's not that bad, you're just being dramatic. It's a bit cute, actually." She smiled briefly. "I swear, you're worse than Al, and he's family. I'm the same age as you, Scorp, I'm not a little sister." She raised a brow, betraying just a small smirk, and then threw her arm around Al's free shoulder.
The poor black haired boy winced under the weight of his two best mates, "It's cause I'm short, isn't it?"
"You're taller than me," Rose observed, laughing.
"We're the same height." He said dryly.
"Never satisfied, are you Potter?" Scorpius grinned as the three came to a staircase, forced to separate in order to walk down.
Adjusting the strap of her knapsack from one shoulder to the other, Rose looked between her two favorite boys and smiled, "I've got some homework to do before Quidditch practice tonight, so I'll see you two at dinner, yeah? And—," she paused to take a step towards Scorpius, looking up at his innocent expression, "don't torture Wood. You don't even like the Library, why bother going there just to light the ends of his robes on fire?"
Scorpius looked appalled, holding a hand up to his chest as if to say, 'me?!'
"Don't act like you weren't already plotting it." Rose said in response, chuckling lightly as she shoved his chest.
"It's true," Al said, grinning. "You go on, Rose, we'll see you at dinner. It's your turn to sit at our table, don't forget. I'm not sitting through another dinner with Lorcan Scamander's chatty mouth killing the taste of food in my mouth."
Scorpius clapped Al on the shoulder, smirking satisfyingly. "There's that sarcasm I look for."
"You two are completely ridiculous, did you know?" Rose shook her head, taking a few steps backwards while waiting for Al and Scorp to start walking down the stairs. They both offered a wave, and disappeared down the stone staircase. Once she was sure they'd vanished from view, Rose turned around and broke into a brisk stride, determined not to glance over her shoulder even once before she reached the Gryffindor Tower.
There would be an owl waiting for her when she arrived in the Common Room, and it would determine whether or not she made it to dinner that night.