Ah, my first HP fanfic :) is it weird that I cried during the battle? Anyway, a Rose/Scorpius fanfic with a kind of dark twist.
Review and tell me what you think :)
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the HP characters :(
The willows were swaying. They always did this in the wind. The grass was wildly unkempt; she could just raise her hand and brush the thick, rough meadow on her fingertips.
Rose Weasley stood in the midst of such a meadow, watching the sun set over the hills. The Burrow was a half a mile walk behind her, and the willow trees held a cool shelter from the crowded and overwhelming presence of her many, many cousins.
But Rose Weasley was lost in her own thoughts; haunted by her own nightmares of death, but wary to tell a soul. But here, in this field full of bull frogs and rabbits, nothing could ever happen like such horror. She had tried to tell her mother once, but it merely made her more frustrated than ever before:
"Oh sweetheart, are these recent dreams?" Her mother stroked her unruly hair.
"Yes. I keep dreaming of death in a different way. Every night." She sighed and bit her lip.
"Well, I know what the problem is. I used to have the same trouble; it's just change, dear."
"Change?"
"Yes. You're going into sixth year now. That was when everything changed for me, anyway."
Rose raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand…"
"Well, that was when I fell in love with your father. Would've been sooner if he hadn't been such a prat." She said the last part louder, and a distant chuckle echoed from the kitchen.
"Look," She put her hands on my shoulders. "Don't worry about these dreams. They'll go away the second you get to Hogwarts."
"Alright." Rose muttered grudgingly. She left the table and trudged up to her room where Dominique was flitting around, packing her bag already.
Now it was the day before she boarded the handsome red steam train, and the dreams had not yet subsided. If anything, they just became weirder; she now saw the ghost of a girl with long brown hair, screaming her name.
She would wake with a shudder, and stumble downstairs for a glass of Butterbeer. She knew where her Gran kept her secret stash.
Rose watched the dying light, and thought wistfully of Hogwarts and its towering stone mass in the darkness; the way it always looked before the students finally returned.
"Rose." She heard a soft voice come from behind her, and a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Hi Albus." She didn't turn her head to him until he was standing next to her.
"Having fun?"
"A great laugh."
"Hm. Well dinner's ready. You should probably come, instead of trying to connect with your inner demon." He shrugged, hiding a grin.
Rose cracked a smile and hit her cousin over the head. They trundled back to The Burrow, where loud arguments and laughter wafted into the night air.
"What's for dinner?" Rose asked Albus, who was now sniffing through the windows.
"Smells like Shepherd's Pie."
"Mmm… Merlin, I hope it is." She rubbed her grumbling tummy. Sure enough, when they entered the crowded kitchen, big portions of tasty Shepherd's Pie was being given out. Rose took a generous portion and sat next to James who was having an animated conversation with Victoire.
"Is everyone packed?" Shouted a worried Grandmother Weasley.
"Relax, Mum, I'll sort this out." Her father patted her back reassuringly. "If anybody isn't packed by half eight tonight, they can spend the whole year cleaning old Aunt Muriel's bloomers…" Ron shouted above the chit chat. The children looked at him in utmost horror, and dropping their plates, ran to their unpacked trunks.
James and Teddy roared with laughter. "Ron!" Hermione smacked his shoulder. "That's no way to talk about you dead aunt."
"It got them packing, did it not?" He smiled down at his scowling wife. She pursed her lips and went to help Ginny clear the table.
Rose had just gulped down her portion when her mother swept up her plate and cutlery, and with a fond pat on the head, rushed back to the kitchen. Albus and she had received their OWL results that summer; Rose had gotten eight Outstanding's and one Exceeds Expectations. Albus, three Outstanding's, one Exceeds Expectations, two Average, and only one Poor. Her father had given her a hearty grin and a tickly kiss on the cheek. Her mother had shed an embarrassing tear, before she dissolved into confusing sobs. Ron had to drag her into the garden to calm her down. Her Uncle Harry had also given her a peck, and Ginny gave her a hug, whispering in her ear as she did so, "I think your mother is remembering when she had gotten her OWL results. Don't worry about it."
Rose and her mother had laughed it off, but every time she mentioned the past, in any shape or form, a flicker of pain would cross her mother's face. But her father would always be there, covering up her mother's sadness.
When she felt someone nudge her back, she literally jumped off the chair. Her mind had been completely occupied with her mother's departing figure.
"Sorry Rosie-poo. Didn't mean to frighten you." Teddy's cheeky face winked at her. If possible, he had gotten taller over the summer.
"No, no, you didn't." Rose smiled. "But don't call me Rosie-poo." She frowned. Teddy laughed and threw an arm around her shoulder. His hair was currently in his favourite wind blown spikes, and an eye-wincing blue.
"But you're my little Rosie," He said pinching a cheek. She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Well, me and Victoire must be off. We're heading to Italia tomorrow." He sighed, glancing at his elegant girlfriend.
"Oh, well excuse me." Rose said sarcastically, laughing.
"Yes, yes. A hard life, you know?" He smiled. "But seriously, I want you to write to me every week. Tell me the latest goss at Hoggywarts, eh?"
Rose nodded, still laughing.
"And if I hear you have a boyfriend…" He shook his head. "Poor lad better watch out."
Rose aimed a punch at his stomach, but he dodged and unslung his hand. With an immature giggle, he hid behind a scolding Victoire.
"Teddy? What are you doing?" She said crossly.
"Oh, nothing." He said, glancing at a sniggering Rose. Victoire rolled her eyes and took his hand, but not before he stuck his tongue out at Rose.
She made her way up to her bedroom, still smiling, and found Lily packing frantically.
"Help!" She cried. "I don't want to clean out Aunt Muriel's bloomers! There's probably a nest of flobberworms living in them."
"Alright, relax, I'm helping." Rose folded her Muggle clothes, and placed them in her trunk. She then neatly placed her Hogwarts robes on top of them. Lily threw her schoolbooks in unceremoniously. She sighed with relief.
"Thanks Rose." She slumped onto the ground by her trunk. Rose joined her. They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Can't wait to go back." Rose spoke quietly.
"I know, same. I hope I get onto the Quiddtich team." She said wistfully.
"Ah yeah, I'd say you will. Al is fair when it comes to that sort of stuff."
Lily snorted. "We'll see about that."
"Isn't Lorcan and Lysander in your year?"
Lily tried to suppress a giggle. "Yeah. Lorcan isn't so bad, bit of a dreamer. Lysander is all out loony." The girls laughed.
"But they're awfully handsome." Rose said, watching Lily's face carefully. She blushed faintly.
"I suppose…"
Rose nudged Lily suggestively. They broke down into giggles again. When they had calmed down to snorting, Rose stood up and looked out the window, only to see her and Lily reflected back. The night was a velvety blanket so quiet, the subdued noise in the house sounding like screaming.
Rose's face was a serious mask as she stared at her standing frame.
"I'm going to bed." Lily said. She could see the worry on her cousin's face through the window. It isn't me she needs to be worry about, Rose thought. It's the dreams.