"When the mind is in a state of uncertainty, the smallest impulse direct it to either side." ~Author Unknown
State of Uncertainty
17-year old Rose looked around the Great Hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The hall held only 7th years and their family and friends. It was their graduation party! Rose and her cousin, Albus Potter, looked around at the crowd of family and friends they had with them. There was her Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, her parents, her younger brother, Hugo, Grandma Molly, Grandpa Arthur, Uncle Bill, Aunt Fleur, Uncle Charlie, Uncle Percy, Aunt Audrey, Uncle George, Aunt Angelina, and all nine of her cousins; James, Lily, Victoire, Dominique, Louis, Molly, Lucy, Fred, and Roxanne. She also had some friends with her-Luna and Rufus Scamander with their twin boys Lorcan and Lysander, and then Andromeda Tonks and her grandson Teddy Lupin, who was married to her cousin, Victoire, for three years. Victoire was pregnant with their second child. Their first, Remus John Lupin II, was doing what most two-years old do...running around. There was another person who caught her attention, on the other end of the hall.
Scorpious Malfoy.
She saw her year-mate and (unknown to anyone in her family or his) crush sitting with his company. It wasn't much, just his father, Draco, his mother, Astoria, and his grandmother, Narcissa. His grandfather, the well-known Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy, was serving a life sentence in Azkaban Prison. He seemed to sense her eyes on him, and looked up. When their eyes met, he smiled. She blushed and turned away. Scorpious had come up to her when she was alone in the library yesterday, and had asked if he could date her. She had been shocked, and told him she needed time to think about it. She didn't need time to think about if she loved him, she knew she did. She needed time to think about the one major barrier that stopped her from saying yes on the spot.
Their families.
Her father, mother, Uncle Harry, and even Aunt Ginny had been rivals to his father. They had spent years cursing and hexing each other in the halls and on the grounds. Her mother had punched him! For Merlin's sake, her Uncle Harry had nearly killed him in their sixth year (granted that was only because he used a spell that he knew nothing about). Surely all of that couldn't possibly be overlooked one generation later.
She remembered their conversation yesterday when she told him she needed time to think.
"Let me guess, our families?" he had asked. She had nodded
He had stood their quietly, and then sat down in the chair next to hers in the library before scooting it very close "Rose-"
He had been silenced by the ancient Madame Pince. He scooted away, and Rose thought for sure he was leaving. Part of her wanted him to leave her alone.
Most of her wanted him right next to her again.
Scorpious stayed in the seat he had taken, pulled out a scrap of parchment and his ink and quill and scribbled something down. He folded it up, wrote something, and gently pushed it to her. She looked at the folded paper. He had put her name on top of it. She took it, and opened it
I understand if you don't want me because of our families' history. Your family is important to you. What your family thinks of you is important to you. The approval of your family is important to you. It's your choice if I date you or not. Just know your happiness is important to me.
She had looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock at his words. He smiled and nodded to her, then got up and left.
She had the note with her now. She slipped her hand into her school robes, and felt her fingers brush the parchment.
She had to tell him. She had to convince him. If she got him on her side, then everything would work itself out. She had to tell him. Now, before she lost her courage.
"Dad?" Rose said softly, hoping only he would hear her "Can I talk to you? Privately?"
She had no such luck. Her cousin, James, overheard her "Hey you guys, quiet!" he said "Rose has something she wants to say". All her friends and family got quiet and looked at her
"Actually, I just wanted to talk to dad for a second" Rose said "Can we...step out into the hall?"
"Rosie, what is it?" her mother, Hermione, asked
"Nothing mum" Rose said, trying to smile "I just need a moment alone with dad"
"Whatever it is, you can say right here" her father, Ron, said "This is your and Al's day"
"Alright then" Rose said, swallowing hard "Dad-" she took a deep breath, she was sure that was the only way she'd be able to tell him "YesterdayScorpiousMalfoyaskedmetobehisgirlfriendandIreallylikehimandsoIamthinkingofsayingyes" the entire explanation came out so fast that it sounded like one long word. Afraid of what her father would do or say if he managed to translate what she said, she shut her eyes tightly and looked down at the floor.
A few moments went by, and she heard nothing. She cracked an eye open and looked up at her dad. He was just staring at her, she saw him blink, and for a second, she was afraid he'd ask her to repeat herself. She wasn't sure she could do that. She barely managed to say it the first time.
But that is exactly what he asked her to do
"Repeat that" He said "slowly"
Rose took a second deep breath "Scorpious Malfoy asked me to be his girlfriend yesterday" she said "And I am considering saying yes"
Her dad was frowning at her "No" he finally said
"What?"
"No" Ron said, much more firmly "Absolutely not"
"Ron, maybe we should just consider-"
"No, Hermione!" he said "No daughter of mine will be in a relationship with any Malfoy!"
Her father had said this last part very loudly, and with one quick glance over at the table Scorpious was sitting with his family at, she knew he had heard her father's words
"Daddy, please" Rose said "I love-"
"Don't you dare say that word" Ron said "Especially if the next word will be the name of a Malfoy"
Rose's eyes filled with tears "Why not?"
"His grandfather is a Death Eater! A Death Eater your uncle and I arrested ourselves!"
"So?" Rose snapped. The entire hall was listening now "Scorpious isn't his grandfather! And this has nothing to do with who his family is! This is just your stupid pride and jealousy!"
"Jealousy? Of what? Just what do the Malfoys have that I don't, Rose?"
"Oh, I don't know...how about an enormous fortune that can probably only be topped by Uncle Harry? You were always jealous of Draco, because he had all this new stuff and you were stuck buying second-hand! Even if Scorpious was the only one in his family that wasn't in Azkaban, he could live off that fortune his whole life, where as every Knut, Sickle, and Galleon in our account-"
"Was earned!" Ron yelled "Your mother and I worked hard to give you and your brother everything you needed and wanted!"
"Except now you won't give me the one thing I want most! I am in love with Scorpious Malfoy! And it bothers you because you know that I am of age! If I was still sixteen, you wouldn't care, because I would still be dependant on you. But I am an adult now! I can make my own choices, and that bothers you because you know there is nothing you can do about my choices. I could say I am in love with Lord Voldermort and there would be nothing you could do about it!"
"Rose, watch your tone" Hermione warned
Rose ignored her mother "I hope you know that the only reason I even told you was because Scorpious knew how much this family's opinion-yours and mum's in particular- meant to me! But if you are going to be pig-headed, then you are no better than..." Rose stopped
"What?" Ron said, his temper quickly mounting "What am I no better than?"
Rose shook her head. She may be a Gryffindor, but she was not brave enough to tell her father what she wanted to say
"What were you going to say Rose Hermione Weasley?" Ron demanded
"You really want to know what I was about to say?" Rose said, a dark gleam in her eyes.
"Yeah, I do!"
"Fine!" Rose said "If you are going to be pig-headed on the matter of me and Scorpious, then you are no better than the Death Eaters you and Uncle Harry lock up"
SLAP! Ron slapped Rose across the face. Hard.
"Ron!" Hermione, Arthur, Molly (grandmother), Harry, Bill, Charlie, George, Percy, and Ginny said in surprise
Rose's hand flew to her cheek as tears filled her eyes, and before anyone could stop her, she bolted from the Great Hall, and ran outside.
Rose nearly tripped on a tree root, and fell to the ground. She hit her head on a stone bench, and cut her head on the corner. She rested her head on the side of the bench, and cried.
She couldn't go back to the Great Hall. Her father wouldn't hesitate to pull her over his knee like a small girl for her comment, not caring if the room was full of people. She couldn't make herself look at Scorpious ever again either.
She felt a gently hand on her shoulder. She jumped, sure it was her father come to yell at her and make her bottom a nice Gryffindor scarlet.
It was Scorpious.
He was kneeling down in the grass beside her, Without thinking about it, she collapsed into his arms and cried
"Shh....it's alright Rose" Scorpious said "I am so sorry, this is all my fault. The last thing I wanted was for you to end up leaving your own graduation party in tears."
Rose felt Scorpious gently stroking her hair. She opened her eyes and could see his parents and grandmother standing a few steps away, just watching the two of them.
Rose pulled away from Scorpious, and wiped the tears from her eyes. Scorpious pulled out his wand, and tapped the cut on her head, murmuring a healing charm.
"It's not your fault" Rose said "You didn't make me tell my father what I told him"
"He does still love you, you know"
"How could he?" Rose said "I compared him a Death Eater! In the Weasley house, that is unforgivable. People who perform an Unforgivable Curse would be released from Azkaban before someone in our family would be forgiven for a comment like the one I made"
"How could he not love you?" Scorpious said "You're beautiful, and smart, and-"
"Rose, we need to talk"
Rose looked up, and saw her father standing nearby
"Daddy, I-"
Ron held up a hand "In private" he said
Rose nodded, and got up, following her dad away.
"Rose, I cannot believe what you said to me in there" Ron said
"I know daddy, and I am sorry" Rose said "But my heart wants Scorpious, and so do I. Now I know that you might not agree with it, and I know that I have probably deserved any punishment you want to give me, but-
Ron placed a finger on Rose's mouth "It's my turn to talk, and your turn to listen to what I am about to say" he said
"I will listen daddy, but if what you're about to tell me is I have to decide between hurting Scorpious and hurting my family..." Rose paused for a moment while she tried to figure out what to say. Once she knew what she wanted to say, she looked her father in the eyes, to make sure he got her full meaning "You're not going to like my answer"