A/N: A Rose/Scorpius fanfic with a bit of twist...It's abound with lies and deceit, but will the truth rise from the ashes? Hope you like it! Please leave a review, even if it's saying it's awful! Rated because these wizard swears are a bit more than cauldron bum (PPP anyone?)

"Rose, have you packed?"

"Yes, dad, for the hundredth time, I've packed!" Letting out a grunt of frustration, she shoved the final book into her trunk with a little too much force – the spine gave a feeble sob and ripped down the middle. Rose made a strange, strangled noise and hurled herself onto her bed, her face buried in her pillow.

Ron Weasley poked his head round her bedroom door. "Go away." She said, her voice muffled.

He walked over to her slowly and hesitantly, reaching out a tentative hand to her. Rose slowly turned her head to him, and he saw her eyes were bloodshot, her eyelashes spiked. Glistening trails streaked her face, black from her eyeliner smudged across her skin. As he looked at his daughter, he saw a tear drop down onto her pillow. "It's going to be fine."

"What part of this is fine?" Her voice was shaking as her shoulders heaved.

"You're going to have a nice time at Beauxbatons." He gripped her hand between his and squeezed it tightly.

"Dad, I'm not going on holiday, I've been expelled!" She wrenched herself free from him and pulled her covers over her head, trying to drown herself in darkness.

"Rose, let's not talk about this right now." His tone was suddenly dark and she heard the bedsprings groan as he stood. "I'll take your trunk down to the car."

As the bedroom door slammed shut, a tidal wave of emotions crashed over her and she could do nothing to suppress the wail that came from her mouth. What would her friends think when they looked up and down the Gryffindor table at the feast and her bright red head was gone from the sea of students? Sooner or later (she preferred the latter), they would find out what really happened – or at least, what the Headmaster Professor Kopf said happened (no one was really sure why his surname was 'Head' in German, although it ironically fitted very well with his position!)

They'd wonder where it all went wrong. Rose Weasley was the epitome of her mother – a Prefect, always abided by the rules, top of the year (yet not in Ravenclaw) – but she also had the joking streak of her father and his brothers. She played Quidditch and was actually very good, much to everyone's surprise (her father was rather infamous for his skills as a Keeper). Add on the fact that she was carelessly beautiful, it was almost a given that almost every guy wanted to date her and every girl wanted to be her! But now...her name would be wiped from the Quidditch team, her badge given to someone else; every trace of her would be removed, as though Obliviate had been cast on Hogwarts.

Part of her hoped her friends wouldn't forget her...but if they found out why she had been expelled, they'd make sure they did. It wasn't fair. They would never know the truth.

The deafening yells of her parents and brother jolted her back to reality. As she heard the thunder of footsteps coming up the stairs, she leapt to her feet, trying to tame her wild mane of hair. Hugo pushed open her door, his little face peeping around it. "Rosie, are you ready?"

She took a deep breath. Only Hugo had still looked at her the same way since that day. She couldn't imagine not seeing her little brother every day in the Gryffindor Common Room – who would make sure he'd done his homework? He would be starting his O. this year...and she had a feeling his friends would see to it he did no revision. Hopefully their cousin, Albus, would keep him on track. Her eyes strayed to his letter, crumpled into a ball on her desk. He'd been made Head Boy. Professor Kopf had told her she was a cert for Head Girl this year...but then it had happened.

"Yeah, I'm ready." She tried to keep her voice calm and level, but it was a struggle. Her brother gave a small smile and led her out the room.

The car felt like it was blocked by a brick wall. Rose stared into the mirror, trying desperately to catch her mother or her father's eyes, but they were both resolutely avoiding her. Hugo was huddled in his seat, looking out the window. Rose knew how hard it was for him, and she wished there were some way he didn't have to go through this with her.

She couldn't bear to go on to Platform 9¾ and watch the scarlet steam engine trundle off into the distance without her. Even as she made to get out the car, she saw familiar faces swarm past and she hid behind the metal barrier that shielded her from them. Her parting words to Hugo were to never make the same mistake she did.

Soon enough, her parents returned, and she gripped her mother's arm tightly, squeezing her eyes shut, before they Apparated to Beauxbatons, and to Hell.

Scorpius Malfoy flicked his food across his plate lazily, the only hunger he felt in his eyes as he scanned the Gryffindor table for a hint of red. His heart raced as he saw a crimson mane of hair, but then he realised it was only that twerp Hugo Weasley. He was looking for someone much better.

After a highly boring start-of-term feast, where all that happened was Professor Kopf droned on about how eating diarrhoea can cause liquorice wands...or was it the other way around? Not that he cared either way.

"Mr Malfoy, would you like me to cut your steak?"

Scorpius jumped, turning to confront whoever it was for so rudely pulling him from his daydream, but stopped when he saw who it was. Little Timmy had forced his way beside Scorpius now staring at him intently.

"Erm...no, it's fine." Scorpius tried to shuffle away from him, rather disconcerted by his puppy-dog gaze, but Timmy just slid after him along the bench. Malfoy realised he couldn't move any further away without shoving into the Slytherin beside him, so he tried to muster all his dignity and, flicking his hair off his face, said "Actually, Timmy, there is something you can do for me. Go over to the Gryffindor table and ask Hugo Weasley where his sister is."

"But..." Timmy cast a nervous glance around. "I thought we didn't talk to Gryffindors."

"I can't. You can." Scorpius refrained from saying why. The second-year Slytherin practically jumped off the bench and scampered over to the Gryffindor table. Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"Why do you put up with him?"

He turned to the source of the voice. It was a girl who he thought was in his year, or just someone stupid enough to address him. Her name was Rhea or something. "He's useful."

"He obviously wants to bum you." She snorted and turned back to her pie.

Timmy returned soon, and Malfoy did his best to get the thoughts of bumming out his mind. "Mr Malfoy, sir...she's not here."

"What do you mean, not here?" He snapped, spinning round so quickly that he forgot to drop his knife. Timmy went almost cross eyed as he tried to keep watch on the blade almost decapitating him.

"I mean...she's been expelled."

The knife plummeted from Scorpius' grip. Timmy leapt away before it could sever off his toe as it crashed to the floor. Malfoy's jaw was slack. She couldn't have been expelled because of...that?