Written for OTP AU Competition – Round 4: Black Sheep of the family AU

Written for If You Dare Challenge – Prompt14: This Is Your Time

Boot Camps: OTP – Prompt26 – Playful; Fav-Era – Prompt17: Options; Book Quotes – Prompt27: It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. – Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.; Character Trait – Prompt4: Rebellious!Rose

Girl Gone Wild

Good grades, good manners, exemplary behavior, the need to make her parents feel proud, and doing what was expected of her was all Rose Weasley had been. Everything about her had set her apart from the rest of her family, and all along, Rose had never been lonelier. The only person who seemed to have understood her, even if it was just a bit, was Albus, her cousin brother. It hadn't been enough though. She screamed for someone to notice that something was wrong with her, but she was so layered as a person that they couldn't reach her.

It all began with the want to prove herself turning into hatred. She resented all the things which had once given her pleasure. Rose needed a change. She needed to be someone. Not just the girl who would achieve all the honours, and yet feel no real happiness. She needed to discover who she was, and maybe love that person.

All along Rose had been so caught up in doing what was right that she had forgotten to live.

The summer before her final year at Hogwarts, Rose snapped. She told her parents that she wanted to drop out of school. They had received her news in shock, and then had tried to convince her to tell them what made her decide that so that they could change it.

"I need to live!" She had ended up yelling, with tears in her eyes.

After her outburst, Ron had informed his family about her decision, who then – all her aunts and uncles – tried to speak to her and change her mind, and she became the gossip among her cousins.

"Do what you really want to," Albus had told her during their next get-together at The Burrow.

And she did. That was the last her entire family saw of Rose Weasley. That night, she reached a decision – she was going to leave home and find who she was.

8 years later.

Dear Rose,

How have you been? It's been a long time since we wrote. I hope everything's fine on your end. Things are good at mine, pretty decent actually. And I have something important to tell you – I'm getting married! I asked Masie and she yes.

I want you to be there. Please, please do attend. I really want to see you, and meet Masie as well. You'll find the invitation attached to this with the details of the venue and date. Anyway, it will make me really happy to see you there. And I know everyone else will be excited too.

Please do try.

Love,

Albus Potter.

Everyone else will be excited too. Will they? Her exit from her family had been a hasty affair. Lots of drama and accuses and tears. Nobody except her mother and Albus wrote to her, her father had taken the blow hard. He never wrote to her separately, but was always mentioned in her mother's letters.

Rose was sure that she would be considered as an outsider if she did attend the wedding – what would she even talk to her family about? Her new life as an almost muggle? She did love it though. It was all hers. She had made the decisions. But she was sure that they wouldn't see it that way. She would always be the girl who had it all and threw it all because she went crazy.

But Albus writing to her and asking to be a part of his wedding did touch her heart. If she was being honest with herself, she did want to see him – see them all, in fact.

"It's going to be fine," Rose told herself as she looked into the mirror and cracked her knuckles. Her bright-red hair which had remained curly and wild over the years was trapped in a braided bun, an emerald green sleeveless number flared down her body elegantly and fell just above her knees. She settled her feet in a pair of comfortable flats – she didn't want to fall over or something and make a scene of herself.

"You can just meet Albus and walk off if it gets too much, okay?" she told herself nervously.

Grabbing her purse and the gift parcel, after a last minute check, Rose took a deep breath and apparated to Albus' wedding.

As soon as Rose opened her eyes, she felt like everyone one was staring at her. But after some deep breaths, she realized that no one was paying her any attention. Once she was over her paranoia, Rose felt a pang in her chest as the familiarity of the grounds surrounding The Burrow came to her. It was almost a tradition – getting married at The Burrow. She wondered if she would – No, she wasn't going there. This was something she had willingly given up. And she was going to live with it.

Rose walked towards the marquee that had been set up, her heart beating faster with every step she took. All around her was happy chatter and laughter, it made her feel nervous and extremely nauseated. She still hadn't met anyone who knew her – maybe she could go back and not actually go through with this. No one would know. She would send Albus and his wife her wishes through a letter. Yes, yes – that did seem like a better idea. All she had to do was turn. Everyone important, her family that is, they would all be inside the tent, hovering over Albus, she wouldn't see anyone.

Thinking that this was the worst decision she had made, Rose turned back and immediately crashed into someone's chest. She would have landed on her bum if it hadn't been for a pair of hands which reached out to steady her.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, feeling embarrassed at her clumsiness.

"Rose?" She heard a very unfamiliar voice.

Her heart lurched. Someone had recognized her. She looked up to see the man whom she had crashed into – Blonde hair, grey eyes, and some really wide shoulders – Scorpius Malfoy looked at her in surprise.

"I don't believe it, Albus is going to be ecstatic," he whispered, his eyes bored into her pale blue ones.

"I – uh – I," Rose stammered.

She had been ready to leave just few seconds ago, and now what was she supposed to do? Tell Scorpius that she was in fact leaving, and that he shouldn't tell anyone that he saw her? But why would he even listen to her?

"I'm sorry," he mumbled and his arm slipped away from her; only then did Rose realize that they had been standing extremely close.

"I can't believe you're here," he told her.

"Oh well, I'm." Rose shrugged, feeling a little annoyed. Was this how everyone would react? She hated it.

"Come-on, I'll lead the way to Albus, or do you want to meet your parents first?" he asked her, assuming that she was all set to meet everyone.

"Well, I don't know," Rose whispered.

He studied her for a moment, a look which she couldn't exactly pinpoint – was it pity? – And then said, "Let's meet Albus."

"Do you want to go around the back? The ceremony is will start in few minutes."

"Okay," Rose replied, feeling glad that she didn't have to appear in the crowd quite that moment yet.

The rest of the walk was not at all as awkward as Rose would have assumed it to be. Scorpius didn't inquire about what she had been up to the past several years, and for that she was thankful. He instead spoke in a clear friendly tone and informed her about the wedding activities.

It was strange, but Rose felt very comfortable in his presence. He was definitely not the boy she knew back in school. Not that they were ever the best of friends, though. His constant chatter kept her distracted while they walked to meet Albus.

When they reached the front of the marquee, Scorpius slipped in easily, while Rose hesitated.

"Hey, it's okay," he told her with a soft smile and held out his hand.

Rose took it nervously, wishing that her palms weren't so sweaty, Scorpius just squeezed her hand back.

"Albus, there's someone here to meet you," Scorpius said as they approached her cousin, who stood with another man – was it Frank Longbottom from school?

"Rose!" Albus exclaimed and immediately pulled her into his arms. "Thank you, thank you!" he whispered in her ear as he hugged her tightly.

"Can't – bre-breathe," Rose replied.

He let her go and moved back with a faint blush, "Sorry," he mumbled.

Rose shrugged it off with a smile. Albus looked so happy to see her, he even had tears in his eyes, and that made her a little emotional too.

"I knew you wouldn't miss my wedding," he told her, she could hear a bit of pride in his tone.

"Of course I wouldn't have," she told him with a grateful smile. His happiness and beaming smile was contagious, she was a little glad that she didn't actually go back. She supposed that she had Scorpius to thank for that.

They spoke for few minutes, and Rose finally realized that she couldn't go on hiding – she had to meet her parents and the rest of the family. Hugging Albus once again, she walked away, looking for her parents. It didn't take her long to find them, they had been watching her in – not to her surprise – shock.

"Hey mum, dad," she said shyly, when she stood in front of them.

Hermione burst into tears and hugged her daughter, and Ron simply stared at her as if he couldn't believe her presence. Rose felt that maybe he didn't really want her there, maybe he still hated her for what she did when she was seventeen.

"I'm glad you're here," he told her in a choked voice after few moments. All her doubts and fears dissolved. They were still her mum and dad . . . she could try again.

They had to be seated after that, she sat with her parents and Hugo, who looked stiff and angry at her presence. She figured she couldn't expect everyone to be happy. Her cousins mostly stared at her curiously, and she readied herself to have awkward conversations with them after the ceremony.

There weren't really many wizard weddings which Rose had attended and remembered, but this was beautiful. She recognized Scorpius standing next to Albus, when their eyes met, he winked at her playfully. Rose simply rolled her eyes and tried not to smile. Albus looked like he and probably was the happiest man alive, and his bride, Maisie, was beyond beautiful. Both of them looked really sweet together, and Rose couldn't be happier for the couple.

After Albus and Maisie were pronounced husband and wife, there were cheers and hooting for entire three minutes. Everyone rushed to wish the newly wedded couple. Rose stayed back with her family, knowing that she would get sometime later. She turned to speak with Hugo, but her younger brother gave her a disgusted look and walked off before she could get the first words out.

"Give him some time," Hermione whispered, observing the exchange.

"Yeah," Rose mumbled. Being surrounded by all her family, Rose realized that no matter how different she was from them, she had been alone even away from home.

She spent the next few minutes with a group of her cousins, who seemed nervous and uncomfortable to talk to her. She quickly excused herself from them after some courteous pleasantries and went in search of her grandparents. They admonished her for going missing on them, and Molly began to talk about what a good girl she had been before she had decided to disappear. Rose felt uncomfortable and slightly irritated, but didn't say anything in her defense. Molly then went into reverie about the first wedding that had taken place at The Burrow, and Rose listened to her reminiscing in relief.

Albus and Maisie took their place on the empty floor, and after sometime, more couples joined them. Her grand-dad graciously asked Molly who accepted his hand and they were off leaving Rose standing alone. Rose watched everyone with a smile, feeling lonely once again. Her invitation had said plus one, but Rose hadn't really changed her single status since school.

"Would you like to dance?" She heard a masculine voice ask her. It was Scorpius.

"Um, sure," Rose mumbled, feeling a little surprised. Out of all the people, it was only Scorpius who was treating her normally. Considering how comfortable she had felt with him earlier, she didn't exactly mind.

She observed his features and appreciated them; Scorpius seemed to have turned into an exceedingly handsome man. His blonde hair was slightly tussled, and his brooding grey eyes were shining, he had a very friendly smile on, but her favourite thing about him were his broad shoulders. She also liked that he was almost a foot taller than her.

Scorpius held her close to him, and Rose found the intimate proximity quite agreeable. He seemed to be very interested in talking to her; after a while, Rose found herself telling him about what she was up to. Dancing with him felt infinite . . . which was rather stupid, she thought, because they had only just started talking informally.

Most of her dances were with Scorpius; one was with her father, another with Albus, and another with Lysander, from school.

After the reception, Rose decided that she had stayed long enough, and went to bid her family goodbye. They stared at her with the same questions in their eyes – would she return? Was the wedding an exception? Was she trying to get back after disappearing?

Rose didn't have any answers to them, she herself wasn't sure. But she decided that she would try to fix things between her parents and her at least, if not with anyone else.

"I hope to see you soon, Rose," Hermione whispered as she hugged her.

Ron didn't say anything, Rose assumed that he didn't want to get his hopes up, which was only right after all.

"I'll walk you out," Scorpius said when she was about to leave.

"It's okay, it's not a lot of distance," she told him. She only had to get into the grounds and disapparate from there, after all.

"I insist," Scorpius said with an easy smile.

They walked out of the marquee, Rose shivered slightly at the night's breezy air. "It's a beautiful night," she whispered, more to herself.

"Yeah," Scorpius agreed. He looked a little far away, and for the first time since she had crashed into him, she felt a little awkward in his presence. Maybe it was because they were alone together in the dark, or rather she was a little tipsy.

"All right, I have to leave now," Rose said when they had walked quite some distance away.

"It was nice seeing you, I had a great time," Scorpius said boldly. Rose wasn't sure if she was fancying herself with it, but it almost sounded like how most of the dates ended. And they hadn't been on a date. But they did spend most of the time together though. Did that mean something?

"Rose?" he called her.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I was er – wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me sometime?" he asked.

"Oh," Rose said stupidly, not being able to believe that it did mean something.

"It's completely fine if you don't want to. I just asked. I'm sure you don't –"

"I would love you," Rose answered in a loud voice, cutting him off, and shocking herself completely.

"Okay, we'll decide on a place soon," he said, beaming at her.

They stood staring at each other for few seconds, when Rose's cheeks began to heat up.

"I'll leave?"

"Yeah, of course," he mumbled, and leaned down.

Rose stiffened thinking he was going to land a kiss on her lips, instead he pecked her cheek gently and whispered, "See you soon, Rose."

A/N: Wasn't expecting it to turn out this long – anyway, hope you liked it. Review. :D