Ch. 1- Space, Please
I stand at the foot of the train, not daring to look back at my parents because if I do, the angry tears that are on the verge of crashing down definitely would. I can barely think straight, but I jolt back into reality when I'm shoved from behind.
"Watch it!" I say rather rudely, I am Rose Weasley after all. I don't do nice. Also, it is a very good tactic to prevent whoever the offender is from seeing my puffy eyes.
"Well aren't you just being an exceptionally cheeky person today!" A very amused, sickeningly cheerful, yet sarcastic voice says from behind me.
I sigh, not bothering to turn around since I know who it is now. Why me? I think remorsefully. Usually I can deal with him, but not today, of all days. I continue up the stairs and manage not to look back, instead just finding the nearest compartment and sitting down in a seat away from the window to avoid looking out at my parents.
That boy, I fume, is just like his father! They're both just so rude, arrogant, and just downright mean! Of course, that was what Dad always said about their family. I can't really judge the entire family, seeing as I only know the son, but I've always assumed he was right since the boy had tormented me since I first met him.
Busy in my pissed off state, I didn't notice when he sat right down in the same carriage as me.
"All right there, Rose?" Scorpius Malfoy grins, obviously knowing I'm not. He loves to torment me; it has been a favourite hobby of his from the start of first year. Before returning the eye contact I mutter a quick, inaudible spell that shrinks my puffy eyes back to normal. That is seriously the best spell ever invented, at least for me, as the only thing I hate more than prats like Scorpius is crying in public. Afterwards, I make quick eye contact with him but then look elsewhere after seeing his eyes dancing mischievously at the thought of an interesting challenge. I will not give him that satisfaction.
"I'm bloody fine, no thanks to you, Malfoy," I seethe while looking anywhere but at him. I settle my gaze upon the décor of the train. The compartment is pretty nice, for an ancient train like the Hogwarts Express, though I suppose it really helps that the Express is kept up by magic. Glancing up and around me, still deliberately avoiding his teasing eyes, I see the new decorations that have been put up. I assume they're new because in the Hogwarts: A History, they never were mentioned in the section focused on the Hogwarts Express. And let me tell you, that book is pretty detailed. The paint is fresh, sort of like a dark coffee colour, though maybe everything looks that colour to me since I'm so bloody addicted to that drink. They have a lighter shade of brown, quite possibly a tan colour as a border, and then just black, wavy designs that I try to find supremely interesting. My other option is to look at him. I don't really know why he gets me to so much, or so easily for that matter. He just has an attitude that can unnerve me to no end.
"Whoa now, is it me, or is someone a little brassed off today?" Malfoy snorts.
That does it. I stare back at him with an angry glare that I know most people would run screaming from. I hate it when he takes my moods to be so hilarious, really. It's not like the half-wit knows anything about my life at all. But, all in all, what happened a couple nights ago is still too fresh on my mind to even keep this conversation going. I might just burst into tears right here and now, and unfortunately James never got around to lending me the invisibility cloak that he received from Uncle Harry. So now Malfoy's the only one stopping me from crying; it's not as if the first time I'm emotional in public I'd want him to be the one to see it. I decide the best way to play this off is ignoring him and defusing the situation. Maybe he will get the hint and forget about it…probably not, but it sure is worth a shot. So I sigh, letting him know I am through allowing him to get a laugh from me. He stops grinning, and in about two seconds he goes from having a sarcastic face to one of complete sombreness.
"Seriously? Rose, you never give up that easily. What's wrong? I know it's more than the fact that you're tired from having to be at the train station at six in the morning." Scorpius asks, as we now take the Express at a different time than my parents' day so that the first years don't have to wander around in the dark. At his concern I heat up. Obviously I was completely off base with the 'leaving it be' if I ignored him. Ha, he's just like me. Now that is a scary thought. Yet all this doesn't deter me from the anger that begins to boil in me. I just want him to leave me alone.
"Nothing's wrong, ya git! I just need some space, alright?" I yell, and he backs off immediately. Nobody wants to cross Rose Weasley; something I know I shouldn't take pride in, but I do. I say it's always a learning experience for those around me really; they need to learn that they can't just butt into other people's lives.
Malfoy's torment stops and for the next thirty minutes we ride in the Hogwarts train in blissful silence.
I see him glance up at me, and I know instinctively that my precious peace and quiet is over. Trying to avoid rolling my eyes at him prematurely, I settle for glancing up with a single eyebrow arched up to show him that there is a fifty-fifty chance I will not bite his head off this time, but that I am still quite peeved. I don't really understand why I decided to give him another chance, but I do.
"Rose, I…I didn't mean to upset you—" Scorpius starts heavily, his tone careful but he's cut off by three boys and one girl entering our compartment. As the case always seems to be, the majority of them are my cousins.
Scorpius is no longer able to finish what he was going to tell me, and for that I'm glad. I don't want to be a bitch to him more than I have to, and I can see where that conversation would have led; straight to an argument that I would have won considering he actually apologised first. Also, despite what I feel about him when he's being infuriating, he can be quite nice sometimes... Hell, once upon a time I used to have a crush on the twerp! I'd never be caught dead saying that in front of the ever-vengeful Ronald Weasley however. Don't worry; I've grown up since then. Scorpius Malfoy and I can never be together, not that I would want it anyway; I have a boyfriend already.
I feel the tension in the compartment as my eldest cousin spots Malfoy. I know he will feel the need to have a go at him. I swear he's more my dad's kid than I am, as he is the only one in the Weasley-Potter family to carry a grudge against Malfoy. Though, there is a good chance that it's because they were both captains of their respective houses' Quidditch teams last year. Consequently, they were pitted against each other nearly every day. I'm hoping that this year that'll change as Scorpius stepped down after fifth year. The thing that annoys me the most is that James and Scorpius get along just fine when they're united with a common cause, such as the trio, Al, Scorpius, and James's infamous pranking, but when it comes to everyday life, they seem to hate each other. Also, Scorpius has spent a lot of time in the summer holidays with the Potter family, and has even made it to a few Weasley celebrations at the Burrow, and practically every other member in my family accepts him, that is, besides James when it comes to rivalry in Quidditch and my father. It really doesn't matter though; the two of them arguing is so something I do not need today.
"Malfoy," James Potter spits dangerously.
"All right there, James?" Malfoy says tiredly. He doesn't seem to be up for a fight after whatever exchange just went on between him and I, which surprises me.
"I would be if you weren't here," James scoffs.
I quickly become tired of this pseudo macho behaviour so I stand up.
"Leave off it, James. I'm not in the mood to watch you two squabble like children," I say, though I don't really expect him to shut up. Miraculously, he too is not in the mood to cross the red-hot-tempered Rose Weasley and shuts it. Score two for me!
To ease the obvious tension in the room, Albus Potter, Uncle Harry's other son, comes over to me with a happy grin on his face.
"Rosita! How are you?" Al asks as he sits down next to me. Rosita, which means 'little Rose' is what Al and James have called me ever since their growth spurt gave them a good six inches to tower over me. I hate it, but it's a lot better than some of the other nicknames they could come up with, I'm sure. For instance, my middle name is Holly, and before Rosita they used that against me to now end. 'Good Golly Miss Holly', 'Hi Holly Dolly' or 'Holly wanna a cracker?' were their favourite sayings, and the first time I had my first bit of Firewhiskey and got completely shit-faced, they wouldn't give up calling me 'Alcoholly' for weeks. Horrible, I know.
"Oh, you know, Al, pretty well," I say with a fake happy attitude. Malfoy rolls his eyes, but doesn't say anything. It still surprises me that he was able to tell I was in a mood while my cousins who are supposed to be closer to me couldn't.
"That's good," Al says apparently satisfied. "Oi! Malfoy! Why don't you come over here and sit?"
"Alright," Scorpius says, and moves to get up. He looks at me, and I meet his questioning grey eyes reluctantly; I know he's waiting for permission. These are the eyes that usually hold contempt for any person not in Slytherin, though according to Uncle Harry, his eyes aren't nearly as cold as his father's, but today they come as close to what I would define as warm. What's more incredible is that his eyes are warm to me. I incline my head just slightly, just to let him know he can sit by us as long as he doesn't reveal any of what previously went on. Al moves over, leaving room in between me and him, so Scorpius can sit down, which he does after our little exchange.
Albus and Scorpius have been mates since second year. They are basically best mates now, I guess. At first, he and Scorpius hated each other but that changed after they figured out they had quite a bit in common, such as being Sorted in Slytherin. Al had needed a friend; after all, he was the only one of the Weasley-Potter family to be put there. Al and Scorpius' initial bout of fighting got so bad one day that Auntie Ginny and Uncle Harry were sent for by the Floo system, same as Scorpius' parents, Draco and Astoria. After a stern talk with Uncle Harry, Al had no trouble befriending Scorpius, even if Draco didn't extend the same courtesy to Scorpius. I'm pretty sure that Draco just yelled at Scorpius and was on his way. I guess Uncle Harry has let bygones be bygones but Draco Malfoy hasn't quite come to that point yet. Much like my father, I might add. Even though he didn't encourage Scorpius to befriend Al like Uncle Harry did, I guess Al's an exceptional convincer when he wants to be.
My boyfriend, Andrew Belby, sits in the other seat next to me and takes my hand. It brightens my day a little to have him near again, but nothing really can fix what happened last night. So far, nobody knows about what has happened, and I'm not the type of person to want to talk about my problems, so it's going to stay that way.
Soon, but quickly enough for me to become sick of James and his none too subtle glares at Scorpius, we all arrive at Hogwarts. I get up and nearly topple everyone else over in my rush to get off the Express. Everyone stares at me in wonder as I exit the Express in a mad rush, but eventually they all get off too. Andrew tries to catch up with me, along with Scorpius. I really honestly don't think I can deceive either of them anymore so I turn around and let them have it.
"Can't you two just leave me alone? I need space, not a bloody body guard team. I just want to be by myself." I shouldn't have looked up at them. That was god awful. The stunned expression on Scorpius and Andrew's faces say it all. Rose Weasley is a total and complete bitch.
I run then, into the school and up to my Gryffindor common room. I'm panting after running the distance in a straight shot. Wow, I really need to get in shape, thinking remorsefully of Quidditch tryouts coming up.As I stop to catch my breath and try to summon a glass of water it hits me. Merlin, I forgot my handbag in the train compartment I was sitting in and if I wanted to go and get it, it would probably mean running into either of the boys I had been a complete jerk to, and more exercise. Damn. Neither of those sounds particularly appealing at the moment, so I decide to forgo the water and get it later. I know that one of my dear cousins would have seen it and brought it to a prefect at least, so I'm in no danger of it being on its way to London. It's not as if there is anything terribly important in it besides my wand. In any other place besides Hogwarts, I would be freaking out without my wand, but I've always felt protected in Hogwarts and unlike my Uncle Harry, never really have made enemies that would actually want to harm me, like Draco Malfoy. And besides, I think I can entertain myself without it for now. Maybe I'll even have a third victory today and someone will have even brought my handbag inside. It usually takes a couple of hours for everything to be sorted out anyway, and dinner in the Great Hall doesn't start for three more hours. Comfortable with this decision, I pull from my robes' pocket the book I meant to continue reading on the Express, but never got a chance with all the interruptions that kept happening.
For some reason, Muggle books about wizards and witches interest me, even if they are quite a laugh in some respect. Telekinesis and superpowers? As if. Though we do have some things they write about, such as teleportation (Apparition) and transformation (Animagi). The book is interestingly enough about a girl caught between two lovers; both equally as dangerous as the other to her because she's a human, but one capturing her heart and the other is her best friend. One of them comes from a dangerous family, and her best friend comes from the family that has been protecting the land from the other's family for centuries. Of course, the heroine has to choose between them. The reason I love these books is because I find the plot so unreal, and in a world where I live with magic all around me, it's nice to read about something that I can find so ridiculous.
An hour passes, and I really don't even notice the time fly so engrossed am I in my book. But suddenly, a faint voice arguing with who I know is the Fat Lady catches my attention. I open the portal a ways and see Scorpius Malfoy standing there. When he sees me, he turns a bright shade of red and chews on his bottom lip. It quite amuses me, but that thought is really far away from me because I'm really more confused than anything else.
"Rose! Er, uh, um, I was just trying to get the Fat Lady to let me in. I, um, I have your handbag. Don't worry! I didn't, er, look in it or anything," he stutters the whole time, his bright red face becoming even redder if possible and then stares at his apparently interesting feet.
"Pshaw, if I let just anybody in, I wouldn't be a good guardian, now would I?" The Fat Lady scoffs at the poor Slytherin.
At first I'm too shocked to say anything back to her, but then I regain my wits and I realise it would be incredibly rude not to help Malfoy out. "Well I'm here now, so please just let him in for goodness sakes!" I say impatiently.
"You know it would be absolute hysteria if I just let him in without it! And he didn't have anyone until now to help him out. Humph, everyone thinks now that the darkest wizard ever known has been dead for awhile they're all so safe," she rants, but swings forward to let Malfoy in regardless.
I stare at him as he comes inside and hands me my handbag. When he hands it to me, I realise I probably should take it, but I'm in too much shock to even do that. Why would he come up here, bringing to me something as trivial as my handbag, even if it does have my wand in it, after the horrible way I'd treated him? Andrew hadn't even made any effort to confront me after my explosion, and he certainly didn't come up here to talk to me. He knows it's generally better if I really am left alone after specifically saying I need space, so I can forgive him. Still… Malfoy? Really?
"Rose, I'm sorry if I was, well, too nosy earlier. Your life isn't any of my business. I was just worried. Can we just forget anything happened?" Malfoy asks cautiously.
"Um, Scorp, nothing did happen," I say, sarcastically. Wow, even after this, I'm STILL a complete bitch to him! What is wrong with me?
Though I didn't apologise, Scorpius takes the shortening of his name as a sign that all's well. He shoves my handbag into my hands, and turns around to leave but I stop him.
"Scorpius, I, um, thanks, I guess. You didn't have to go to all this trouble," I say, awkwardly.
"This may sound cheesy, Rose, but it was no trouble at all. Don't sweat it; I'll see you around, alright?" he says easily, apparently noticing that he was not the only one here who didn't quite know what to make of this situation. I guess that relaxes him or something.
I'm dumbfounded. People like Scorpius Malfoy don't just give in. He's just like me! Why is he being so easy going and so damned polite? Confused, but not wanting to linger on the exchange any longer, I head up to my room to unpack and get ready for dinner.