I apparate into a familiar front yard. It looks so different covered with snow. The tire swing has been taken down, and the old tree it usually hangs from looks reborn, coated in tiny diamonds, glittering in the fading light of sunset.
I feel someone apparate next to me.
Scorpius stands next to me, staring at my tiny front yard and the tiny cottage my family and I live in.
"What do you think?" I ask nervously. "I know it's not as big as Malfoy Manor, but-"
"It's amazing!" He grins down at me. "I always thought the manor was a bit overdone anyways. But don't tell my father I said that."
I laugh. "Come on. Let's go inside." I take his hand and lead him up the walkway, slippery with ice.
I open the door, painted bright red. My mother likes bright colors; my father's well… ginger. The red door is a bit of a joke.
Uncle George often jokes that the doors a warning: enter at your own risk. Gingers galore inside.
I flick back my own bushy, ginger hair out of my face and call out, "Hello! We're home!"
"Rose!" My younger brother runs to hug me, but pauses when he sees Scorpius. "So that's why you didn't come home on the train with me," he whispers as I wrap him in a hug. Hugo is a fourth year; Scorpius and I are sixth years.
"Rose!" my mother rushes into the entryway. "Hugo, for goodness sakes, let your sister into the house!" She gives me a hug, then gives Scorpius a warm hug as well. She was actually the one the one who had given me permission to bring Scorpius home to meet my family for Christmas. My father doesn't know anything about it… yet.
"It's so nice to meet you, Scorpius," she says. "And you've got the same hair as your father! My, don't you look like him!"
Scorpius self-consciously brushes aside his shaggy, bleach blonde hair. "Yeah. I get that a lot. Thank you very much for having me, Mrs. Weasley."
"Oh, not at all! Come in!" Mum closes the door and ushers us into the sitting room.
"Is that my Rosie I hear?" my father walks in, arms outstretched.
"Hi, daddy!" I run to hug him, but he pauses when he sees Scorpius.
"Rosie, who's this?"
"Ron, this is Rose's friend from school, Scorpius." Mum introduces Scorpius as she stands next to dad. She and I share a guarded look. I know she moved closer so she can grab him and calm him down if need be. I hope it doesn't come to that.
My father looks stunned. "Scorpius…"
"Malfoy, sir." Scorpius outstretches his hand to shake my father's hand. "It's nice to meet you."
Dad's gaze hardens. "Malfoy, eh?"
Scorpius nods. I hold my breath, stomach churning with anxiety. Even after all these years, mum says he still harbors bitterness for the Malfoys. But Scorpius is not his father; he is warm and outgoing, down to earth and friendly.
I hope dad doesn't get angry. He's such an easygoing guy, but he can get angry easily. I suspect it's the ginger hair.
Dad looks at Scorpius's outstretched hand with a look of utter disgust. "Get this filthy pureblood out of my house!" He cries. "My daughter, bringing home a pureblood, let alone a Malfoy?"
"Dad, stop!" I snap.
"Ronald!" Mum exclaims. "Don't be rude! Rose can bring home bloody whomever she likes! I gave her permission!"
My father turns on my mother. "You? Hermione? How dare you! A pureblood-" His face is now red.
"Ronald Billius Weasley." She shrills. "Stop this right now!"
"Hermione! A pureblood! Bloody hell!"
"Since when do you care about blood status?" Her eyes narrow.
My father stops shouting. "Hermione, I…"
Mum glares and points into the other room. "Go sit down. I'll make you some tea."
My father shoots Scorpius one last glare before trudging into the living room.
"Maybe I should go," Scorpius says. I grab his hand.
"No! Don't go!"
Mum takes his arm and walks him to the couch. "I'm sorry, Scorpius. Ron means well, but old feelings die hard. He'll come around to you; stay. Don't worry about it. Now, who's hungry?" She walks to the kitchen.
"Thank you!" I mouth to her. She winks.
"Scorpius, how about you? Would you like some tea?"
"Yes, please," he says.
I sigh and sit next to him on the couch and take his hand.
"I'm sorry about my dad. He can get angry sometimes. But he'll warm up to you."
Scorpius nods, but I can see that he's still unsure and uncomfortable.
He squeezes my hand. "It's alright, Rose. Don't worry about it." He half-grins.
My mother brings over some tea and sits down in her favorite chair to read in. It's my favorite, too. "So… how did you two meet?"
"Mum!" I protest. "Stop! He just got here! He doesn't need to be interrogated."
Scorpius just laughs. "Well, we were in Charms class in our first year. I just couldn't get the incantation right, so Rose interrupted me and corrected me."
I smile to myself. Sure, we had met that way, but we hated each other up until our fourth year. He thought I was a stuck up know-it-all and I thought he was arrogant, fake, and shallow. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Mum grins. "Ron and I met the same way. That's how I was when I saw your father in Charms class. Of course, we became fast friends."
"Mum?" Hugo asks as he walks into the kitchen, "aren't we supposed to be going to Grandmum and Granddad's for Christmas Eve?"
Mum gasps. "You're right, Hugo! We'll be late! Ron-" she runs into the other room. "We're going to be late for the party! Come on!" I hear her whispering angrily at dad.
My parents' fight but their fights are like those 'love fights' old couples have. Kind of disgusting actually. They're both over forty.
I rise and Scorpius does too. "Where are we going?" He asks.
I grin. "To my Grandmum and granddad's house! It's gonna be great! My aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry are gonna be there! So are James and Albus and Lily! And Uncle George always has great fireworks at the end of the night."
Scorpius grins. "Sounds great, love!" he leans in to kiss me, but someone clears their throat.
My father stands in the room, arms crossed. Mum bustles in behind him.
"Everyone ready to apparate?"
My father nods. "I'll go with Rose."
I blink. "Oh, no dad. I'm fine."
He shakes his head. "No, no, why don't you come with me? I haven't seen my daughter since the beginning of term!"
"But who will take Scorpius? He doesn't know the way to The Burrow!"
Mum steps in. "I'll take him, Rose."
"So it's settled then!" My father extends his hand and I can't help but take it. "Let's go!"
Instantly, we're sucked through the squeezy tube of air and pressure and I feel like my ears are going to pop and then we're standing out on the front lawn of the Burrow.
I start walking towards the house, lit up against the dark night, but my dad grabs my arm.
"Rose… I want to apologize."
"Dad-"
"No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled."
I sigh. "Will you apologize to Scorpius?"
He hesitates. "Erm…"
"Dad, if you're not going to apologize to Scorpius, then it's redundant apologizing to me."
Mum, Hugo, and Scorpius appear with a loud crack.
I start heading up the walk and into the warm house.
"Grandmum! Granddad! We're here!"
"Rose, dear!" My grandmother warmly wraps me into a tight hug. "How are you? Oh my you've gotten so pretty!"
When my mum and dad enter, she releases me to wrap them both in a hug, and then Hugo. She stops when she sees Scorpius.
He smiles and holds out his hand. "Hello, Mrs. Weasley. I'm Scorpius Malfoy."
"Hello…" she trails off, looking at mum.
"He's a friend of Rose's from school."
She looks at me and mouths 'friend?'
I shrug and smile.
Uncle Harry wanders into the kitchen and when he sees my mom and dad, he embraces both of them. "Ron! Hermione! How've you been?"
"Harry!" Mum cries. She hugs him tight. "We've been fine! How about you and Ginny?"
"We've been fine too," Aunt Ginny says as she walks into the kitchen. "Hi Ronnie," she says as she hugs my dad.
"Stop calling me that," he grumbles.
"Rose!" My cousins Lily, Albus, and James call my name as they hurry to greet us.
They stop when they see Scorpius.
"Malfoy," James says curtly. James is a seventh year; a year ahead of us, but he and Scorpius aren't on the best of terms.
"Potter," Scorpius says coolly.
Lily looks between James and Scorpius, then rolls her eyes and hugs me. "Hi, Rose."
"What's he doing here?" James asks accusingly, glaring at Scorpius.
"She invited me," Scorpius says, wrapping an arm around my waist. He may be unlike his father, but he can act like him so well, it's uncanny.
"I wasn't talking to you." James turned to me. "Rose? Why did you bring him?"
"Why do you care, James?" I retorted. "Can't a girl bring her boyfriend home to meet her family for Christmas?"
"Boyfriend?" Uncle George's head pops around the doorframe. "Who has a boyfriend? Let me see the poor – I mean lucky – guy."
"Dad," a voice scolds, and my cousin Roxanne walks in. "Really? Do you have to torture him now?"
"Of course, dear," Uncle George says. "I have to. It's initiation into the family."
I push past my family and enter the living room, tugging Scorpius behind me.
"Granddad!" I cry when I see my grandfather sitting by the fireplace, playing with a muggle toaster.
"Hello, Rose," he smiles and embraces me. He notices Scorpius for the first time. "And who are you?"
"Granddad, this is Scorpius."
Scorpius extends his hand. "Scorpius Malfoy. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
I hold my breath, hoping Granddad won't go into a tirade like dad did, but Granddad takes his hand with good grace and shakes it firmly. "Malfoy, eh? Well, welcome. It's a pleasure to have you here."
I breathe a sigh of relief and I think Scorpius does too, and we sit on the couch, just watching the hustle and bustle of the Weasley clan on Christmas Eve.
"That didn't go so horribly, did it?" I asked him. "I'm sorry again, for dad. He was out of line."
"Rose," Scorpius takes my hand and kisses my knuckles. "It's okay. He and my dad have some history, I get that. But everyone else has been nice."
"Boo." A voice whispers in my ear.
I jump three feet and leap out of the couch and spin around to see Teddy Lupin, except he doesn't look like his usual, freckled self. Instead, his face is Scorpius's.
Scorpius starts and I rub my eyes. This is going to be a long Christmas.
So I was just listening to the song Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows (you may recognize this song from Shrek 2. Or was it 3…?) ANYWAY, I heard the song and I immediately thought, "This will make and AWESOME ScorRose fan fiction!" So, here it is! I have no other ideas for plot, so I guess this is just a drabble. Enjoy!
