Rose was sitting on her couch in the living room leafing through a folder in front of her.
Inside of it she had multiple articles that were cut out of magazines and pictures that were cut from newspapers. It was a large mélange of papers and sadly the folder was growing thicker the longer time went by. All of the articles and pictures weren't even from the same source. There were pieces from the Daily Prophet, the Windy Galaxy, Witch Weekly, Wizards Wonders, The Magic and The Famous, etc.
The one thing in common with the various articles was that they all contained the The Golden Trio in some form or another. They all contained secrets and lies of the extended Weasley family. Sometimes it was just a casual sentence thrown in, sometimes a whole article, and sometimes a picture that the press somehow got ahold of. There were headlines, small articles, you name it. It certainly wasn't all the secrets of the family for lots of it had been fabricated to entertain the readers. However, some of the stuff these reporters found out shocked the family. For how could someone possibly know?
Rose leafed through the large articles and the ones that had made headlines. She frowned the longer she stared at them, begging them to give up their secrets for her, but they didn't. The paper stared silently back.
June 15 2040 – DOES DIVORCE BEFALL THE GOLDEN COUPLE? `
August 30 2018 – THE TRUE REASON MOLLY WEASLEY LOST HER ARM
January 2 2033 – POTTER BOYS GONE WILD
December 27 2039 – DOMINIQUE WEASLEY PREGNANT? WHO IS THE FATHER, FIND OUT HERE
May 31 2026 – WHAT DRACO MALFOY AND RON WEASLEY REALLY SAID ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN'S PROMNISCUISITY
December 9 2044 – TERROR IN THE HOUSEHOLD: WHAT REALLY GOES ON
Different reporters, different years, and different papers; yet it had been going on for a long time, longer than anyone wanted. She sensed footsteps to the left of her and looked up at her husband, Scorpius Malfoy.
He bent forward to give her a kiss but she put a hand up to stop him. "Nuh-uh! I don't want your germs."
He sighed with a smile and insisted, "I am getting better! I've decreased the amount of Kleenex boxes today."
Rose gave him an astonished look, "until the e and the s get dropped from the 'boxes,' perhaps. But I don't want to be sick. Numerous boxes? Yikes."
"Well that's with all five of us sick, probably not numerous with just me. Sooo. . . ?" He cocked his eyebrow at her and gave her a goofy grin.
"Hun, no way! I don't want your guys' illness!"
He exhaled, finally defeated, "well I'll tell the boys no kisses. You're going to break some hearts I tell you." She was about to protest but he stopped her, "just kidding. Still looking at the newspapers?"
She gave a yawn and stretched her arms out above her head, "yes, and still no solution. Unless it's from an inside source– one of us- but I know for sure it isn't. . . Gah! Stupid reporters!"
He sat down beside her and then reached forward and pulled her into him. She gave a feeble protest but he whispered to her "calm love, you shall not get sick" and so she leaned into him, resting on his chest.
They stayed relaxed for a few moments before he spoke again, "you should really get some sleep. You've been working non-stop, and taking care of all of us. You need to take it easy."
She smiled, "I will, eventually. There is so much that needs to be done though. And I have my parents 40th tonight."
"Oh. . . right. . . goodness. . . well give me five minutes and I can get me and the boys changed."
"No. Stay home and sleep. I want all my boys healthy soon. I'll just go for a few hours and see everyone. Liam, Will, Tristan, and Dawson all just got to sleep. Let them rest, and you need to rest too, to get better."
"Well, tell everyone I'm sorry."
"I will."
She closed her eyes. Just for a few seconds, she told herself. However, in no time at all Scorpius was nudging her. "You better get going."
She groaned and curled up into him more, just wanting to sleep. He brushed the hair back from her face and shook her.
"Rose. . . You just slept for half an hour, you better get going now. The sooner you go, the sooner you can get back."
She inhaled loudly and got up, her tired face looking at her husband. "Okay, I'm going. I'll be home in a few hours."
"I'll be expecting you."
"Rose, Rose! You're here! I didn't think you'd make it." Lily Potter shouted, waving her arms as she ran towards her cousin. Rose gave a big grin and braced herself for the oncoming hug.
Ignoring the fact that they were both in their late twenties and (seemingly) mature adults, Lily leaped into Rose and gave her a bear hug, wrapping her legs around her waist. The drink she was holding fell all over the ground but Lily didn't pay any attention to it.
She stayed glued to her for about twenty seconds before Rose muttered, "Lily. . . can't breathe. . . "
Lily gave an evil laugh and jumped off. "You lasted longer than Albus."
Rose gave a snort, imagining the fireball stuck to Al. Having grown up with her he had a lower tolerance her for. "And James?" she said with a grin.
Lily rolled her eyes, "he just ran when he saw me coming. He's a chicken." She saw Rose struggling to control her laugh and pointed her finger at Rose's face, "just you wait! I'll get him yet, we'll be here long into the night if I know my parents!"
Rose sighed and ran a hand through her hair, disrupting the curls. "This will certainly be a long evening. It's not every day that parents have a 40th anniversary."
"And it's not every family that has both sets of parents with their anniversary days within two days of each other."
"At least they celebrate together, if they held it separate it would be a fiasco!"
They started walking towards their grandparent's house, the central location for their large family. The sun was lowering below the horizon, giving off brilliant colours and creating depth in the countryside. Rose lifted her hand to shade the sun from her eyes as her and Lily looked at it in awe.
Lily murmured to Rose, "one of the greatest sights ever. I wish I had my camera with me, but it never does seem to capture the brilliance of a simple sunset."
"'Tis beautiful, yes. I'm surprised you don't have your camera, it's usually attached to you at all times."
"Mom told me to take a break. But, it is in my bag at the back."
"How's work going then? Happy with photography?"
"Lovin' it! Me and Rob were just in Tanzania, he was busy writin' away while I was snappin' away. It certainly gives perspective to life. Stop by sometime and I'll show you photo's.
"I certainly shall. I'll bring everyone. So be prepared."
"Ahh Rob has just grown all his hair back from the last time your little tykes came. But his hair grows fast, so no worries! I'll be sure to bake lots of cookies."
They had just reached the back when the full Weasley family was seen in force. A few people saw them and waved; everyone else was talking and drinking. A few, her cousin Al, her mom, and her cousin Lucy, came up to them.
"Rose! See you managed to get away! At least you came, unlike Freddy, who claims he broke his nose playing football," Al said cheerfully.
"Did he now? We'll just have to stop by later to express our sorrow then," she replied with a grin.
"We sure will!"
They slapped each other on the backs, before he was pushed away by Lucy.
She gave her a fleeting hug, "Rosie my tea cozy! Let's go mozie!"
Lily snorted and then whispered in Rose's ear, "I think it's the pumpkin rum Dom brought."
Lucy cocked an eyebrow at her, unable to hear what was just whispered. "Hey Lily, you look frilly and rather silly."
Lily rolled her eyes, "Oh Merlin, I'm already sick of you! Come Lucy, we are going to find a cure for you! I shall hex it out of Dominique!" She grabbed Lucy's hand and dragged her away.
It was just her mom that stood in front of Rose now. She grasped Rose by the shoulders and looked at her deeply.
"You look tired. Everything okay?"
Rose gave her mom a hug, squeezing her shoulders tight.
"Yes, it's just been a long week. But I'm here, that's what matters!"
"It is, it is. Where is the rest of the family tonight?"
"Well, everyone has a flu, so I quarantined them at home. We don't want an epidemic here. The press would have a field day."
"Well I suppose so," she looked at Rose to make sure she wasn't lying, but then sighed and said, "come, let's go join the revelry! Harry and Ron have indulged a little too much already but I'm sure they will be overly ecstatic to see you."
Her father's greeting was big enough, along with her uncles. They were singing Christmas carols, even though it was the middle of the summer. They grabbed her a drink; she checked to make sure it wasn't the pumpkin rum, and she took a toast with them.
"TO MY OLDEST DAUGHTER!" Ron yelled.
"And your only daughter!" Harry replied.
"TO MY FAVOURITE CHILD!"
Hugo Weasley, sitting nearby, gave an indignative yell, so Harry amended Ron's statement.
"Of the moment!"
"TO MY LITTLE GRANDCHILDREN WHO ARE NOT HERE."
"And to the grandchildren who are."
They both looked at eachother and shouted, "CHEERS!"
They all tipped their glasses up and took a drink.
The two tipsy ones then went off somewhere and Rose walked around a bit talking to different relatives, saying hi to her grandparents, apologizing for her families absence to everyone, and eating some food.
She eventually went to her brother and his wife who were sitting at one of the tables and flopped onto the empty chair.
"Rose, how's life?" the red cheeked Adalynn asked with a big smile.
She gave a smile back, "busy, busy, and a little more busy!" She paused, then said "and still a little stressful."
Hugo's voice dropped down lower, "no leads yet?"
"None. No one knows where the stupid reporters are getting all the information from. Of course half of what is in the media is false, but once in a while they throw in something confidential, something secret, something that shouldn't be known to anyone. And we have absolutely no idea who it is. No one is speaking!"
"Sounds frustrating," commented Adalynn.
Roes gave a sigh, "yes, it is. It is even more frustrating that it's our family getting thrown to the dogs. Most of our homes are impenetrable, and yet information is still leaking. It's such a conundrum."
"Well you know what mom says. . . " Hugo started to say but Rose cut him off before he could finish.
"Yes, yes, but we've searched into it. And all registered Animagi are accounted for around the world. Unless they are unregistered but that honestly just poses more legal problems and spellcasting than we would like to get into. And there is no proof that it is some illegal Animagi."
"Who would have ever known that the private investigator business you and Lucy started would actually go somewhere. It's kind of neat hearing about all the cases and what people need help with. Only I suppose doing it for our family is not as fun."
"Yeah, it isn't. And we only started this case three weeks ago. But I do want to get to the bottom of it sooner rather than later. Anyway how's home life- been busy I imagine?"
"Yes it is! Goodness, Ian just discovered he could run last week and he hasn't stopped moving yet!" Hugo exclaimed.
"Ah children," Rose sighed and then laughed, "Dawson and Tristan have learnt some not very appropriate kid's songs from Dad and Charlie and they haven't stopped singing them."
Hugo leaned forward, "that's funny! It's crazy, have you counted recently just how many of us there really are?"
"Vic and Ted just had twins, and I'm sure Molly announced this week. . . or was it last year?. . . that she was prego again," Rose said thoughfully.
"Two years ago," whispered Ginny Potter into Rose's ear, as she passed by Rose and heard the tail end of the conversation. Rose gave her nod in thanks and she walked on.
"So too many too count?" Adalynn said.
"Too many," agreed Hugo.
Just then they heard a whisper from under the table next to them.
"Psssst, you guys, is Lily nearby?"
It was James, and he was peeking out from under the table cloth. They could see his fearful eyes as he looked up at them.
Hugo started laughing.
"SHHHHhhh! You'll give away my position. Hugo, I'm serious! Stop. Laughing," James said sharply.
"James, why are you hiding from Lily?" asked an astonished Adalynn.
They were all used to the antics of James, the one Potter boy who never really seemed to grow up, yet even this was a little surprising for him.
James peered to the sides really quick and then whispered, "Lily got engaged."
Rose flapped her hand at him, "we all knew it was coming eventually. What's the real reason?"
James gave a growl, "that is the real reason. I don't want to get engaged! I'm too young! I don't want to marry Sofia yet! We've only been dating three weeks."
"Ha! Three years," corrected Hugo. James shot him a glare.
"What would her getting engaged have to do with you getting engaged?" Adalynn asked. They all regarded him curiously as his face got red.
"Just. . . because. When Lils got the chicken pox, a few days later I got them. When she broke her finger, a few days later I broke my wrist. She moved into a muggle house with Rob, and I moved into a muggle apartment with Sofia. Last year, when she was in the Philippines, I was in Thailand! Somehow whatever she does affects me! I'm too young!" he wailed.
"Oh Merlin, James, that is barely circumstantial. I wouldn't worry too much about it," Adalynn said.
"Regardless, I am staying clear of her tonight, I don't want her relationship germs on me." He looked up, "Hugo I swear on Dumbledore's grave that if you start laughing. . ."
"Might as well just start moving James, he's going to blow up any minute," Adalynn said, looking at the red face of her husband.
No sooner than James disappeared back under the table that Hugo let loose an uncontrollable stream of snorts, giggles, and laughs. In fact everyone in the family looked at the table and watched Hugo for a moment. Lucy who was nearby came over and plonked herself down.
"Hey partner," she nodded in regards to Rose and then nodded a greeting at Adalynn and Hugo. She set a glass of water down in front of Hugo. "I think you need this more than me."
Soon enough, yes, Hugo managed to control himself and then took some big gulps of water. "Let's find Lily and set her on James!" he exclaimed.
"Can't," Lucy said, "speeches are right away apparently. But afterwards, by all means, let's. I've noticed him sneaking around and someone needs to catch him."
"Okay," Hugo agreed.
Rose asked Lucy, "you're not rhyming anymore?"
Lucy grinned gleefully, "nope! Dominique gave us the antidote right away, as long as we promised to tell no one else."
"You just told us," Rose stated.
"So sue me!" She leaned back on her chair and put her boots on Rose's knee. "But you guys haven't had the drink so no worries. I don't think."
"We shan't say a thing!" Adalynn said.
"Good, good," said Lucy rather distractedly because Bill Weasley started to bang on his wine glass.
"Attention people. All Weasleys. Hellooo!" Some people started to look at him. His brother, George threw a rubber chicken at him.
"Very funny George. Everyone sit down. Yeah you kids can sit on the floor up here," he said motioning to the side, where a big group of young children moved in unison to sit down; the children of the children of the war heroes.
Bill resumed speaking, "Four generations of Weasleys here, and various other last names I suppose, but everyone here is Weasley in some way. By marriage, or by second-"
"Get on with it," shouted one of his brothers.
Bill just ignored him. "Anyway, now today, not only is my baby sister celebrating her 40th anniversary with Harry, but my baby brother is too with Hermione! Now if that is not cause for celebration, I don't know what is."
"'ear, 'ear!" George shouted out. All the kidlets started laughing, having heard the joke numerous times.
"So I believe the table will be open for anybody who wants to say something small. Please no long dry speeches and do try to listen, we do not want a similar rendition of Percy's and Audrey's 35th anniversary."
Rose gave an unladylike snorted, and she heard a few other people give a laugh around the other tables.
Hugo noticed Adalynn's inquisitive stare and leaned towards her, "we started a food fight in the back because some of the speeches was so dry, and eventually everyone joined. It was hilarious."
"My dad tried to ground me and Molls for a month because of it. Even though we were both 21," Lucy said.
"Well that might have been the fact that you shoved his face in their cake."
"Minor details, I'm sure it wasn't that!" she said with a wink.
Dominique Weasley stood up. "I just want to congratulate them on 40 years. And thanks for looking after the kids all the times it was needed. A toast to Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry!"
Rose poured out some wine into the wine cups at their table. She added water to hers because she knew there were going to be a lot of toasts.
Glasses went up.
Molly Weasley, the eldest, stood up. "40 years is a long time. It has been a happy time for our families. Of course there are small ups and down, but everything is a learning experience. Children were welcomed, and still are. My grandkids are getting married and getting jobs. Life is happy for us. My two kids, Ron and Ginny, I am so proud of you two for where you are now in life. Harry and Hermione, I am thankful, always, that you are in our lives. A toast to family, and what it means to be together at important times and always support one another."
Glasses went up.
"My turn, my turn!" shouted Reagan, the second eldest of Victoire and Teddy Lupin.
"Thank you for not spanking me when I ate all the cookies, Auntie Hermione. I'm glad you are married to Uncle Ron. He knows fun games."
"Toast to Hermione and Ron," Rose called out after Reagan sat down.
Glasses went up.
Chloe and Keenan Weasley, Dominique's twins, both stood up. "We made this for you," they both said shyly. They brought two cards out and gave them to the four.
"Toast to Harry and Ginny." Lily called out with a grin at Rose.
Glasses went out.
Lucy commented offhandedly, "if this keeps up, we're going to have some very drunk family members here."
"Some already are, but once in a while I suppose we could let them go crazy," replied Hugo.
Roxanne Lawlor née Weasley stood up. "A toast to everyone here, while we are all still in good cheer. Uncle Harry, you are the best at teaching Quidditch, and always the quickest for finding the snitch. Auntie Ginny, your cooking is simply divine, I wish you would share with me your recipes fine. Aunt Hermione, thanks for all your homework help, without it I would have definitely been in a shelp. And Uncle Ron, always in such good humour, if you knew what I knew about your kids, I'm sure you would have a tumour," she winked at Ron, "and if none of you have gotten the hint, you'd realize I'm in quite a stint. If I don't get the antidote to this godforsaken potion right away, I shall really not delay, with talking all night long and continuing this stupid song."
Lily stood up and yelled: "Oh my god! Dominique Weasley! Give her the goddam potion or I will string you up by your ears!"
The kids started laughing at her.
"Cheers to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes!" yelled out Ron.
Glasses went up.
There were a few more random toasts and then it died down to small conversations between the tables. It was starting to get darker out; a few lanterns were lit around the tables outside. Luckily it still remained a warm summer night.
"I wonder where James is hiding," Adalynn pondered, "I haven't seen him since he was under the table."
"Actually, see that tree over there? I saw him scramble up it about fifteen minutes ago." Rose remarked and Lucy nodded, her having seen him go there too.
They all looked at the tree but from where they sat there was no evidence at all that an adult lay up in the branches and it was almost too dark to see.
Hugo raised an eyebrow at them and Lucy gave another nod.
He called out, "hey, Lily, come here."
Ever the obedient one, she came walking over while her fiancée Rob got towed.
"I don't know if I told you all yet, well, I can't believe I forgot, but we are engaged! He proposed to me on the back of a Wildebeest! Well, truthfully we eloped on the Wildebeest, but don't tell anyone that yet. Dad was already bawling his face off because 'his youngest daughter is all grown up.' Not like I haven't been for how long already."
Everyone looked at her shocked for a second before wishing her congratulations.
"A wildebeest, huh? That is certaintly. . . unique. And very you!" Lucy commented.
Lily gave a big beam. "It was marvelous!"
"Anyway, James actually told us about the engagement. . . not the elopement part. We were wondering though, have you seen him yet?" asked Hugo.
She sighed, "no, I have not unfortunately. I keep catching glimpses of him around but by the time I go to investigate, he isn't there!"
"That's a shame, a real big shame. Say, are you hungry at all, let's go pick some apples with the young'uns," Hugo said not slyly at all.
"I'm not actually that hungry. Me and Rob were just about to go say goodbye to everyone. He ate one of Uncle Georges beaver pies and the effects are lingering."
As if to prove her point, Rob twitched his nose. His two front teeth were still elongated and he pawed at his head with his hand.
Hugo gave a frantic and pointed look to Rose.
"Lily. . ." She stood up, and looked at Lily, "I really think, you should come pick apples with us. Really, really. . . Just for five minutes, tops."
Lily gave a confused look. "Err, okay. I suppose five more minutes wouldn't hurt. Can Rob stay here. I'm afraid he will run for the bushes to try to eat more trees if I let him out of my sight."
"No problem, I passed my beaver watching course in Canada last year so he is in certified hands!" Adalynn joked. "I'll just wait here."
Hugo kissed Adalynn on the forehead and he, Lucy, Rose and Lily rounded up the ten or so younger kids that were playing tag to go pick apples. Reagan said the word and they all raced off to the tree, fearful of being the rotten egg.
They surrounded the tree in the dark laughing, eating, and picking some crab apples. It was perhaps five minutes later, or less, that one of the kids yelled, "look! Look! Uncle Jamie is in the tree! I see him!"
James was frantically waving his arms and trying to stop all the kids from pointing him out, but then Lily saw him.
"James! You are in the tree you big fat chicken? Get down here!"
She put her foot on the first branch and hoisted herself up to the next.
"Can't hide forever!" she sang.
Before Lily could take another step up, James gave a shriek of terror over something. There was rustling and some branches fell to the ground before he did.
Lily hopped down.
"Lily what did you do?" exclaimed Lucy.
"My. . . wand isn't even out! Why did he fall?" she asked, looking at her groaning, twitching brother, and then up at the tree, as if it could answer her question.
James rolled over and even though they had to squint a little, they saw a large beetle on his back.
"Eeeeeeewwwwww! Uncle Jamie you have a bug on your back!" Reagan shrieked.
The kids crowded around James as he started yelling, "get it off! Get it off!"
So Reagan did what any good neice would do, she lifted her foot and then brought it down on James' back, attempting to squish the bug. Soon young Ian Weasley and his sister Madeline joined her in trying to squish the bug.
James' "ouches" were punctuated by the gleeful yelling of the young'uns as they circled around their Uncle.
Eventually Madeline made the killing blow and cheers went up. The big beetle no longer moved.
It was kicked off of James and he sat up, only to be knocked back down again by his sister who tackled him with a hug.
"Gotcha James darling!" she said gleefully.
He just groaned again, unable to escape his fate.
Hugo helped him up after Lily hopped off and then lifted Madeline around his shoulders so she could have the warrior ride back to everyone. They started walking back when Hugo realized Rose and Lucy weren't walking with them yet. He turned around and saw them crouched on the ground. He was about to call out to them and ask what they were looking at when he realized it was the dead beetle. He saw Rose look up at him then.
"We'll meet you up there," she said to him. He just nodded and held onto his daughters' feet, carrying her back.
Rose and Lucy stared at the ground for a few moments. It was Lucy who said it first. "Isn't she supposed to be dead?"
Rose scoffed. "Well, she is now."
"Wow. Well this complicates it?" she asked, raising her voice at the end to form a question.
"Perhaps. I think we've found our snitch though. I would bet two fingers that she has been selling information while everyone thought she was dead."
"Is this something that we can report? I mean, it might not even be Rita Skeeter, it's just a large bug. . . with rings around its eyes. . . but we can't say 100 percent sure yet."
"Not 100 percent, but I'd say it is pretty damn likely."
Lucy then realized something, "Madeline is just 5. Wow, we should hire her to work for us."
Rose gave a laugh, "all would fear her and her stomping abilities."
"So do we just leave her. . . it. . . the bug. . . here?"
Rose pulled out her wand. "Nope we shall take it into the lab. I'll get Scor to look at it tomorrow or something. It's right up his alley. He's been complaining about how we've had no evidence for him to look at for awhile."
She pulled out her wand and tapped it once. The beetle disappeared.
Lucy stood up, pulling Rose with her. She thought for a moment, "so say it is Skeeter, everyone in the wizarding world things she's dead. She was illegally trespassing in her animagus form; she's been living illegally for twentyish years and selling information. No one needs to know. Right?"
Rose thought for a moment, "I was kinda thinking along the same lines. . . we'll have to look into it, but if no one knew who she was, she almost doesn't exist. And this way we don't have to pull Madeline or any Weasley's into the legal complicities, nor does our business have to do all unnecessary and stupid paperwork regarding illegal Animagi."
"Don't mention this to your mom!" Lucy said with a laugh.
Rose chuckled, "or your dad. I think this will just stay with Lose and Ruce Co. for now. No outside people."
"Dealio, now let's go back and join the merriment. Someone needs to manage all those drunken folks. We can worry about this tomorrow."
They started walking to the crowd. Rose stated, "if Skeeter is a beetle, it makes me wonder if Edwardus Pincledus is still flying around in bumblebee form."
"Rose, he lived about 300 years ago."
She gave a shrug, "never know. Apparently those dead do not like to remain so."
"Well for the sake of our sanities, I sincerely hope there is no more supposedly-dead-animagus around."
"Ha Ha! Mine too! Yikes, why did that table just explode?" Rose asked, startled, as they heard a loud band and then saw fire from the far corner.
"We're only gone ten minutes and they start all the fun stuff without us. What the heck."
"Oh what the heck indeed. Well let's go help some relatives."
And off they went to help.
Rose got home later than she expected. After three tables were blown up in less than twenty minutes, Ron and Harry were cut off from alcohol. Albus and Rose then decided to leave the party and go see and surprise Freddie, only to find out that he had a 'lady caller' over. The situation turned even more awkward when they realized it was an old classmate of theirs. So they left promptly.
Eventually Rose made it back home. She apparated outside the anti-apparation boundary and walked in the front door of their home.
Scorpius was asleep on the couch. He had a Kleenex box on the floor beside him, a tea mug, and a garbage can. He had been asleep on the couch moments before, and slowly awoke with the door closing.
"You were here the whole time? Why did you stay up?" questioned Rose as she came in.
"Not quite. Liam woke up and I got him a glass of water. And then strangely this beetle landed on the table from out of nowhere and scared the bajeebers out of us. So he is in our bed for now, and I thought I would stay up to find out what's up."
"Ahh, sorry! I guess I thought you guys would all be in bed, and no one would notice a beetle there. Did you. . . notice anything about the beetle?" she said as she grabbed the dead beetle from the table and returned to the couch, setting it on the coffee table.
"Do you think I would magic something you sent home without asking your permission first?" Scorpius said mischievously.
"Yes," she replied with a grin, "you are very nosy!"
He put his hand over his heart and exclaimed, "how you wound me!" Then he got serious and said, "but I assume you ask that because you already know what I'm going to tell you."
"Tell me what you know and I'll tell you what I guessed."
"Well it's an animagus. Female, approximately 80 years old, these markings around her eyes are rather distinctive, so I would assume Rita Skeeter after I looked at all your Animagi books, and since she is the only beetle animagi we know of, it should be her. But you can never tell exactly."
Rose grinned, "impressive! Well me and Luce are on the same page as you." She then proceeded to tell him how they found the bug and asked him his opinion.
Scorpius thought for a moment and then replied carefully, "well you found a beetle. I think if you report it everyone will make some story up about how Weasley's are paranoid. People tend to ignore the hard evidence and spread crap. If no one knows she was alive, then it almost is pointless to bring up old ghosts. But if someone did know, well they would have been withholding information and there is no way they could say anything about her since she was supposedly dead. I say do nothing."
"I think so too, but we will look into it a bit more before we decide to do something." Rose yawned and then said, "come, let's go to bed. It's been a long day."
Rose stood up and helped Scorpius get to his feet. He had a blanket wrapped around him and he slung his arm around her shoulder and off they went to their room together, already more at peace now than they had been for the past week. She walked into her boys' room and pulled the blankets up over their shoulders from where they had fallen off, and then despite telling Scorpius she wouldn't, she gave them all a kiss on their foreheads and closed the door.
-2 months later-
Ginerva and Harry Potter
And
Carmelina and Bruno Taboada
Would like to invite you to the marriage of their children,
James Sirius Potter and Sofia Grace Taboada
On July 17 2054 at the Taboada Residence in Lugo, Spain.
Please RSVP by return owl.
Hope to see you there!
La fin