Disclaimer: Joanne Katherine Rowling is the queen responsible for the world's childhood, not me. :) I am just a lowly servant using her magnificent characters to entertain myself.
Amore e Odio
Ch. 1
"Rose, I am sincerely sorry that I made you ditch your date with Anderson to do what I should have done weeks ago. I promise to make it up to you." Albus Potter, my Auror partner and cousin, leaned over my desk and pulled his 'pleading face'. That face had gotten him out of trouble for years. McGonagall had relented under that pout. Even I wasn't immune to it, unfortunately. I sigh and begin blotting the parchment.
Al and I were Aurors. We had gone on many missions even though we had just graduated Hogwarts. However, all missions now required each Auror to write a report over the experience and the facts. And the reports were soul-sucking demons that were ruining my social life.
Lately, I've been writing Al's reports too. The stupid prat waits until the last night to begin, conveniently forgets about it and ditches the report in favor for the new bar by our flat, and comes back intoxicated at least once a week. So I'm stuck writing his and my reports.
And I had to ditch my boyfriend, Kale Anderson, to finish his.
I'm done, you prat. And damn right you owe me. Go turn this in." Al leaned over for a quick hug.
"Thank you Rosie. You're my favorite, did you know that?" And before I could reprimand him for calling me Rosie, he rushed off to turn in the report. I sigh and smile softly.
As he returns, Al finds me slaving away on a to-do list. Al knows (and constantly ridicules) my obsession with lists. He grins softly and puts his feet up on my desk.
"Ah, Rosie. You're too young for this soul sucking work. Another list? Really?" I slam my quill down and glare at him playfully.
"Shut your abnormally large mouth, Albus. I will not deign to engage in conversation over this." And with that, I snobbily picked up my quill and continued to write, ignoring my git of a cousin. Who, coincidentally, hates being ignored.
"What's on the list Rose?" Albus tries to peek at my parchment, but I quickly swatted him away.
"You know I don't like you breathing on my shoulder, okay? I'm doing a to-do list! I have so much to do..." I present what I have to Al. The list read:
_ Child Kidnapper Case Report
_ Muggle attack Report
_ Reply to Hagrid's letter
_Grocery List
_ James and the Proposal
_ Reply to Hugo- send the NEWT's books
_Reply to Victoire
Al furrows his eyebrows as he reads the list. When he comes down to the part about Victoire, he frowns.
"Why would she write to you? I thought she learned after seventh year not to talk to you anymore?" I shrug.
"She wants me to be her bridesmaid. I guess this is her way of fixing things up? I have to say yes though. Mum and Fleur would kill me." Al groans sympathetically. I shrug and turn back to my reports.
"Now shoo, and try to make yourself useful. I have reports to write and you won't help." Al grinned slightly and tore through the door. At least he listened to some of what I said.
I was halfway through my first report when Al burst in, carrying a paper bag with a fragrance that drew me in.
"I brought you lunch, Rose! And I went and bought the groceries. The list was on the fridge right? So I summoned the list and went to the suppermarket. You're welcome," Al said quickly, looking smug. Nevertheless, I smiled happily at him.
"Thank you so much, Al. I really needed that. And thanks for the lunch, I was starving. He shrugs and leaves me to complete my work. Yay. Blissful silence. I loved Al, but he was just so loud. It was hard to think around him.
By the time Al finally dragged me out of the office, I had finished the first report and was halfway through the second one. I threw him his briefcase.
Al carried this briefcase around in order to look official. However, I ended up using the briefcase for notes on cases, old reports, letters that I had yet to reply to, e.t.c. But Al was stuck with the burden of lugging it around.
Al apparated us back to the flat and I stumbled away, thankfully landing on the white couch. Al and I shared a flat. It was cozy yet decent, being a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom with a living room and a kitchen. The flat was decorated by me and Aunt Ginny (Mum offered to help, but she kind of lacks in the decorating department, sadly). We made it a contemporary-yet cozy place, being white on white with teal and red accents everywhere. Al's room had more red accents while mine had teal.
As Al got ready for a night out, I prepared myself for a night in. I dressed in an old yet slightly tight tank top that I could have never fit into during Hogwarts (Auror training, however brutal it may be, was a wonderful way to slim down) and slightly too short yet comfortable yoga pants. I piled my hair into a bun secured by a pencil (It's like a quill except it's exceptionally muggle) and prepared a mug of tea. I knew I was going to need it. As I carefully poured the tea and set it on the coffee table, I flopped onto the armchair closest to the fire.
I pulled out my notes from the briefcase and began working. I wanted to finish as much of my to-do list as possible before my designated bedtime.
Yes, I had a designated bed-time. But can you blame me? I hadn't slept truly well in months. Sleep was a luxury that I was constantly deprived of during my final (horrible) year at Hogwarts and Auror training. I finally had a chance to sleep more than 5 hours; why wouldn't I take that opportunity?
I began working furiously and muttered incoherently to Al when he announced he would be at the bar. I was getting in my groove and there was nothing he could say to pull me out of that.
I glanced at my watch. 10.30 pm. My designated bedtime (haha, so NOT funny) was at 11, so I figured I should just conclude my letter to James. I had already finished Hagrid's letter, as it was a short one. He basically just kept me updated on Hogwarts gossip and my remaining cousins left in the school (Hugo, Lucy, and Lily. Not that I considered her family).
James had owled me a few days ago, desperately asking how he should propose to his girlfriend, Layla Downey. He was a hopeless romantic (thanks to her) and insisted that it had to be perfect. I ended it with a quick good luck (not that he would need it. She was just as head over heels in love with him as he was her) and a warning to not screw this up.
I sighed and began the letter to Victoire. I knew it would be short and to the point anyway. After 10 minutes, I had come up with a pathetic reply.
Victoire,
I would be honored to be your bridesmaid. Let me know what I can do to help and when I'm needed. Good luck with your wedding planning. Say hi to Teddy for me please.
Rose
I knew it was short and it sounded rather frank, but that was the best I could come up with. I wasn't going to make an effort with her after what happened Seventh Year. I was rather surprised though, that she wanted me to be a bridesmaid. Victoire and I were never really close even before Seventh Year.
I practically jumped into bed, welcoming the comforting sensation of my bedsheets. I immediately drifted off, thinking of weddings and proposals and briefcases...
I was woken by a loud pounding on my door. I grumbled, knowing it was probably a drunken Al or his friend when I checked the time. 2.30 a.m.
I wrenched open the door and almost shrieked. Al was on the doorstep, unconscious and bleeding. And he was being held up by someone who I never wanted to see again. I pulled myself up to my full height (which wasn't very high compared to him) and tried to arrange my shocked expression into one of disdain. I probably just succeeded in making myself look constipated and pained.
"Do my eyes deceive me? Or is it really the painfully big-headed Scorpius Malfoy?"
Well, that's Chapter 1! What do you guys think? Review Please! :)