CHAPTER 2

It's been a week since Rose last spoke to Malfoy and she's started to miss him.

It shouldn't be too hard to approach him- he's in two of her classes, after all. But he's always with Zabini in Herbology, and he always seems so hyper-focused in potions, she doesn't want to break his trance. She's spoken to him a few times here and there in periodic bouts of small talk, but she'd like a conversation with him to last longer than two or so minutes.

Her days are spent with Kelsey or Albus, hanging around corridors and talking about god knows what. She passes by Malfoy in the halls sometimes, and he's always got that one strand of hair in his face that drives her mad. She wants to twirl it around her thumb and see the way the blonde mixes with her red to make strawberry. She wants to hold his hands and kiss his palms all at once.

She knows she's ought to break up with Scamander but she doesn't want to be alone. She doesn't know if Malfoy likes her back, and if she breaks up with Scamander but Malfoy is unavailable it'll just be her and her stupid self. She's so dependent on other people it disgusts her. She doesn't want to want a boyfriend all the time. She doesn't want to need a boyfriend all the time. But she does, and so she keeps Scamander on her arm because she doesn't want all those abandonment issues rushing back to her.

It's not that Rose was ever legitimately abandoned. She's always had a surplus of family members, and the general public were typically at her beck and call, being a Weasley and all that. But she's always felt estranged from her family, and her mother's political pursuit along with her father's work habits have left her somewhat lonely. Somewhat alone.

Scamander is a constant presence, just like her last boyfriends were until she dumped them, and she'd like to keep her life that way- with a boy hanging onto the crook of her arm at all times, their heads buried in her hair and fingers tangled in her robes.

"Rose? Are you alright?" Albus asks, tugging at Rose's sleeve.

It's become a typical question, as of late. Expected, almost.

"Hn?" says Rose. She wipes the drool from the corner of her mouth. It appears that she has slept her way through the History of Magic. What a nice surprise.

"Come on, Rose," urges Albus. "Get up. You've been here ten minutes after class, and Binns is getting annoyed."

She stumbles out of her seat, and shoves her chair so it makes an awful squeaking sound against the floor. It's dead quiet besides the squeak of the chair.

"Goodbye, . Mr. Potter, please tell your dear cousin not to sleep in my class. I can only let it slide so many times." Professor Binns raises an irritated ghostly eyebrow. Out, his expression reads. Get her out.

Albus nods. Rose is dragged out of the classroom by her ear and out into the corridor.

"Get ahold of yourself, Rose. I know this whole ministry thing with your dad has been rough on you, but you need to get yourself together. You're not the only one that finds this unfair."

"You don't know the dynamics of my family household, no matter how often you might step in it, Al."

Al snorts before letting out an exasperated sigh. He places his hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Not me, Rose. Hugo. He's obviously angry too and you won't even give him the time of day. Can't you see he needs someone to talk to? He's your brother."

Rose shrugs off his hand. "I've tried, and he doesn't want to talk. And don't act high and mighty, telling me about Hugo. Lily has been in all sorts of shit lately. Where have you been? She's your sister."

Albus's knuckles go white. "I've been busy. I can't track her all the time like that."

"Then at least respect the fact that my classes are three times more advanced than yours, and I don't have time to babysit my little brother when he finds something unfair."

Albus takes a deep breath, but it doesn't calm him much. " You aren't even paying attention in class, Rose. You couldn't tell me what happened in Charms yesterday if I cast a memory charm on you, because your memory is blank. You slept through that whole lesson."

"So?"

"So your studies aren't why you've been ignoring your brother. Look, I didn't come here to fight."

"Always the diplomat, Mr. Potter. James would've put up a little more, well, something. It looks like the boring Potter has come to lecture me now." Rose sneers and leans back against the wall. She can feel the old brick digging into the small of her back.

"Don't call me that."

"Call you what? The boring brother?"

Rose is merely goading Albus, now. She isn't this kind of person, at least usually she's not. She's generally just passive. Unargumentative. Diplomatic. Albus in female form. Yet, she can't help but goad him into this… spat. Disagreement. Debate.

Fight. She can't help but goad him into a fight.

"Stop it, Rose. I don't want this. I want you to act like yourself again, okay? Stop being so unnecessarily… cruel."

"Those aren't words I'd expect to hear from a Slytherin."

"Are you honestly going to bring up the houses again?"

"What's wrong with bringing them up? Are you ashamed of your house? Ashamed of not being a brave little Potter? You're so boring, I don't see how you aren't in Hufflepuff-"

"Screw the fuck off, Rose. Snap out of it. I'm sorry you're having daddy issues, but don't you fucking take them out on me, do you hear? Do you hear me?"

And just like that, he's shut her down.

She shuts her mouth. A small crowd had gathered without her realizing. Anika Thomas watches with a slack jaw. Scorpius is near the back of the crowd. She recognizes his hair.

"I-"

"I said do you hear me."

"Yes."

"Good," says Albus. He grabs her hand. "Let's go. Nothing to see here, all of you. We're done."

Albus drags her through the crowd to the other side, and she catches Scorpius's eye as they walk away. She wonders how much of the fight he saw.


Scorpius never saw enough of Rose to really see her as a fighter. She tended to tuck her hands in her pockets, or her nervously thread her hair behind her ears. When he would speak to her, her voice would come out softly, like a whisper, not because she was scared, but because her voice was naturally just that gentle.

When she was angry, she would turn red before going calm again. Her wrists would wring together for the slightest of moments, as if unsure of themselves and their right to get angry. She never yelled, or raised her voice to show anything more than slight irritation. Even when scolding him, she wasn't cruel about it. So when he saw her snapping at Albus, he couldn't help but be surprised.

He'd never thought the house barrier had bothered her before. Yes, it deeply divided many of the students- many children whose grandparents or family that had been lost in the war tended to hate those within the Slytherin house. But Rose hadn't seemed to have minded. She'd treated him like anyone else, not caring who his father was. It had hurt when she told Albus cruelty was a Slytherin trait. Did she think he, Scorpius, was cruel?

As Rose is dragged away, past the crowd of interested students, Scorpius's eyes meet with hers. His brows are furrowed in confusion, misunderstanding. Rose would never say those things. Rose would never start an argument in public. But then again, who is to say he really knows Rose?

Rose's lips part in a soft "O" shape, like she wants to tell him something, but it doesn't have time to escape her lips. As soon as she is gone, Fabian appears by his side, a sneer on his face. He places his hand on Scorpius's shoulder.

"Looks like Weasley is going to be in tomorrow's paper. It's quite unlike her, to talk shite like that.I would have expected it from the older Potter boy, maybe, but not her. You pick them well, don't you, Scorpius?"

"Shove off, Fabian. Where's Addy?"

It's Fabian's turn to look a bit disgruntled. Scorpius shrugs Fabian's arm off his shoulder.

"Adeline hasn't been seen around too much lately, that's all," Fabian shrugs.

"I haven't seen her around much this week. She looks tired and she's never up to chat. Did something happen with you two again?" says Scorpius, looking over at the dispersing crowd.

"I wouldn't say anything of importance happened, no," says Fabian. He picks at a thin piece of dirt beneath his fingernails. "Herbology has left my hands disgustingly grimy. I don't understand how you like that class, honestly."

Scorpius rolls his eyes. "I'm heading up to the room. I've got a massive headache."

"Don't forget, they changed the password," says Fabian. "It's 'prejudice' now."

Scorpius snorts. "How fitting."

About now, Scorpius is supposed to invite Fabian upstairs with him, but he doesn't. He doesn't really want to. So he gives Fabian a little wave goodbye and heads off, Fabian looking a little hurt that he wasn't invited to go along but too prideful to say otherwise, and the two boys split paths.

Along the way to the Slytherin commons, Anika Thomas comes to approach Scorpius. She's got a beaming smile on her face, and she pauses in the middle of the corridor, students bustling around her.

"Hiya there, Malfoy."

"Hey, Anika. How are you?"

"Good! Great, now that you're here." She pushes a piece of hair behind her ears. She grabs Scorpius's hands and holds them, and he looks a bit taken aback. Uneasy, almost.

"Er, glad to hear that."

"I was wondering if you'd like to be my plus one to Slughorn's Slug Club Holiday Bash this year. I heard the food will be brilliant."

The Slug Club was an elite club arranged by the Potions Master, Professor Slughorn. Scorpius had been invited a few times, due to his fondness for potions, but his quiet nature had been unappealing to Slughorn, who slowly began sending him less invitations until they stopped coming at all (Scorpius declined most of them anyway). It wasn't something he had ever felt comfortable in going to. All the Potters and Weasleys would be there, and James Potter in particular would always give him this fairly annoyed glare, like he couldn't believe a Malfoy was in his presence. It irritated Scorpius enough to make him stop showing up in the first place.

Anika holds up a gleaming golden invitation reading You've Been Invited to the Annual Slug Club Holiday Bash! in beautifully inked letters. When he opens the invitation, green and red streamers explode out of the paper, which have been charmed to perform miniature firework displays, each firework the size of a peppermint candy. Please Come Celebrate the Holiday Cheer!

"It'll be fun, I swear."

"I don't know, Anika…"

"Well if you won't do it for the food then do it for my sake. I know we aren't close or anything, but all the girls have got dates, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd come with me. After all, Kelsey is taking Albus and even Molly's gotten herself a fling with Pierson McLaggen. Be my guest for one party?"

"I'm not-"

"Oh come on, Malfoy!" Anika gives him a small pout. "Don't abandon me to be third wheeling with Kelsey and Rose. I'll be the only one without a date, it'll be dreadfully awkward-"

"Rose has a date?"

Anika stops pouting and regains her composure, seemingly thrown off by the question. "Yes, she's going with Scamander of course. It is their one year anniversary, They met at the Christmas party last year, didn't you know?"

Scorpius furrows his eyebrows. "No, actually, I didn't."

"I can tell you all about it at the party. If you come with me, that is."

Anika places her hand on Scorpius's shoulder. She smiles, and it's genuine. Had Scorpius been looking, he would have been able to see the adoration in her eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Anika asks. "You seem awfully distracted."

Scorpius snaps out of it. Anika removes her hand from his shoulder, blushing.

"No, no I'm fine. I'd love to go with you, Anika. I'm sure it'd be a fun night in your company."

Scorpius forces a laugh, but Anika bites her lip, looking like she's doing all she can to keep from screaming with joy. Impulsively, she kisses him on the cheek, just a quick peck. He freezes, startled, but Anika doesn't seem to notice.

"See you then, Scorpius! You'll be a brilliant plus one," she says, skipping off to her dormitory. Scorpius rubs the lip gloss off his cheek with the corner of his hand. The hallways have cleared by now, and Scorpius leans against the stone wall, lipgloss on his palms, alone.


James finds it hilarious to mess with his brother. He finds it hilarious to mess with his sister, too. Mostly his brother, though, because, well- it's Albus.

Particularly, James finds it hilarious to mess with Albus during Christmas, when everyone is all cheery and the lot. He loves using his uncle's gag gifts to mess with him in some way, whether it be giving him an actual partridge in a pear tree or causing him to hear Celestina Warbeck's Christmas hit single on repeat every time he says the word "merry." In fact, it's become a sort of yearly tradition, to bother Albus in some way.

This year, James is absolutely elated to be doing it again.

He's gotten his team assembled and everything, really. Fred Jr. and Roxanne are always willing to mess with Albus for a little while. James thinks of them as a trio of sorts, walking down the halls in fits of laughter, enjoying all the little things that come their way.

Tonight, James plans on getting him under the mistletoe with his date, Kelsey Bones. It would be a real great prank, mainly because James is fully aware of the fact that Albus has a full fledged fear of kissing girls. The boy has never done it before- not ever, and James figures it's about time. James is only playing the role of big brother, and he's convinced himself he's Albus's indirect holiday guardian angel.

The Slug Club party isn't going to be great, which James is fully aware of. So besides the brotherly holiday meddling, James has also decided to throw an after party in the Gryffindor Commons. James, Roxanne, and Fred Jr. have come together to smuggle as much of the food and butterbeer from Slughorn's party into their own, and hopefully come up with one of the best parties around since the age of the Marauders.

James ends up in the Herbology greenroom looking for a sprig of mistletoe, digging through the shrubs of greenery and dangerous plantlife. He's got his dress robes on, as the Slug Club Holiday Bash is only an hour away and he doesn't want to have to run back to the Commons to change out again. His robes are a deep shade of amber, personally tailored to fit his form, and he looks rather nice, if he could say so himself.

"You look ridiculous."

Cordelia Vane rolls her eyes at James, a hand placed on the side of her hip. Cordelia is a rather gorgeous girl, with a pixie cut of slick black hair and olive toned skin. Her eyes are narrow, feathered by thick black lashes, her lips pouty and pink.

Unlike James, her robes are normal. She was not invited the the Holiday Bash, although she will surely go to the after party. Everyone in Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor will be attending that.

James stands up, dusting the dirt and weeds from his trousers, and laughs.

"Do I?"

"Yes," Cordelia says, not even bothering to look at him as she speaks. "All that fancy rubbish, getting your robes all prim and proper. You look like a preppy little schoolboy trying to get a Ministry position. It doesn't suit you."

"Aren't I just a preppy little schoolboy trying to get a Ministry position?"

"Perhaps to some extent," Cordelia replies, "but we all know you'd never do that."

"Do what? Work for the Ministry?"

"Precisely."

James snorts. "What are you doing here, Cordelia?"

"I like herbology."

"I call bullshit."

It's Cordelia's turn to snort. "Fine, you got me. Professor Longbottom sent me down here to water his puffapods."

"Doesn't Longbottom detest you?"

"Well, yes. It's my punishment. I got caught with Zabini after hours a while back and now I've got to water the puffapods three times a day, although they already grow like crazy without me."

"How nice. Now, if you'll excuse me-" James begins walking out of the green room.

"Oi, Potter, you can't just leave like that." James stops walking. Cordelia cocks her head to the side. "What were you doing here in the first place? What's that you're holding?"

The mistletoe sticks out from James' closed fist. He sighs, obviously annoyed she saw it.

"Mistletoe."

"Hn," says Cordelia. She walks closer to James, till their faces are only inches apart. "Mistletoe. You have a special someone, Potter?"

"Actually, it's for my brother."

Cordelia wrinkles her nose. "What?"

James takes this as his time to slip away. "Nothing. I'll see you at the after party."

Cordelia sighs as James leaves. She pulls out her wand and summons a jet of water, watering the puffapods one by one.


Rose stares at herself in the mirror. She keeps pushing her hair behind her ears, then untucking it and tucking it again. She straightens her hair, then uses a curling charm. She puts on lipstick, takes it off.

Anika comes over, getting in front of the mirror. She runs a hand through her hair, and reapplies her mascara. Excitement radiates off her body.

"Rosie, do you need some help with that lipstick? I swear, you've taken it off and reapplied it about twenty times."

"I'm fine, really. I just don't feel all too good."

"Why not?"

"I just don't feel…"

Anika stops applying her mascara. She turns to face Rose.

"Feel what?"

"I don't feel my best tonight, Anika."

Anika cups Rose's face in her hands. Rose is obviously uncomfortable.

"Don't say that. You're stunning. Do you hear me?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Don't just say it, you've got to believe it."

Rose flops onto the bed. She closes her eyes, breathing in the cold winter air.

"It's not that I feel ugly or anything, I don't. I'm just feeling so tired. I've been feeling tired."

Anika sits down next to Rose. Anika's robes are a gossamer ice blue, nearly translucent on her skin. The trim is threaded with gold. Rose can tell she put quite a lot of effort into looking nice for the party.

"Why are you tired, darling?"

Rose rolls over, burying her face in a pillow.

"Everything, Anika. I think I'm feeling better and then I'm not. I don't even know if I want to go to the party."

Anika plays with Rose's hair. "Of course you do. The Holiday Bash has bloody insane cranberry sauce. You love cranberry sauce."

Rose snorts. "So I should go for the food?"

"Go if you think it'll make you feel any better."

Rose looks up at her. "I don't think it will." She breathes in, breathes out. "I think I'm just feeling overwhelmed, and I just…"

"Do what makes you feel better. I trust you to do that. I trust that I will go and enjoy my hot date at the party, and I trust that you'll do whatever is best for you."

"So, I should stay here."

Anika goes back to applying lip gloss in the mirror.

"If you think that's best, then yes."

Rose groans. "When did you get wise?"

"Dunno," says Anika. "I'm feeling blessed. Life is going my way."

Rose wishes hers was, too. She's got a good friend dating her potential crush, her father fighting the protests against him and her mum, her dearest cousin in a spat, and a boyfriend she doesn't quite know how to dump. But, things could always be worse, she supposes.

"I don't know why I'm so upset, really. Nothing is wrong. I'm the root of all these problems. I'm just incapable."

"Darling, I don't know. You just need to rest up and get capable," says Anika.

Kelsey enters the dorm. She wears robes of deep ultramarine, and her golden hair is worn in a crown like braid on top of her head. Rose lays on the bed, staring straight at the ceiling. Anika has picked up some concealer and proceeds to dab it upon spots of her face.

"Hello, girls. Ready to go?"

Kelsey's eyes are rimmed with a pitch black mascara, her lips a subtle shade of pink. Her posture radiates confidence, her hand cocked on her hip.

"Rosie isn't going," says Anika.

"Why not?" says Kelsey, frowning.

"I'm not feeling too good. I want to rest."

"Isn't it you and Scamander's anniversary?" asks Kelsey. "You can't miss it."

Anika snaps her fingers. "That's what it was."

Rose rolls off the bed and sits straight. "What about it?"

"My conversation topic with my date tonight. He doesn't seem like he'd be into gossip, but he seemed quite interested to know about you and Scamander. I can use it to lead into other conversations,and then he'll fall in love with me."

Kelsey stifles a laugh. "Okay, Miss Thomas. You do that." She goes and sits next to Rose, leaning her head on Rose's shoulder.

"Who is the date?" says Rose offhandedly. "I don't know if I appreciate you describing my love life to weird male obsessions of yours."

"It's a surprise. You can see him if you come tonight. Come on, you know you want to."

Kelsey rolls her eyes. "It's probably some tosser she found on the Quidditch pitch. She likes the idiotic, brawny ones."

"Actually, that's more Molly's type. Did you hear she's got a date with McLaggen?" says Anika.

"Oh, god, the poor girl," mutters Kelsey.

Rose keeps staring up at the ceiling. Kelsey stands up and brushes off her robes. Anika puts down her concealer.

"We've got to get going, the party will be starting soon," says Kelsey. "Will you be alright?"

Rose waves her hand. "I'll be fine, don't spare me a second thought. Tell Lysander I won't be coming. I doubt he'll mind."

"You're positively sure you don't want to go, Rosie?" asks Anika. "Slughorn's got special guests this year. Maybe even Perry from the Vampire Vexors."

"Oh wow, I couldn't miss that."

"So you'll come?"

"No."

Kelsey grins and heads out the door. "Get better, Rose. Get some sleep."

"I'll be sure to take pictures of Perry for you, darling. Sleep well."

And they leave.


Albus stands in the middle of a bustling Christmas party. Lights are strung in every corner, and delicious food is displayed on trays being carried around by house elves dressed in bowties and sweater vests. Ever since Hermione became the minister, Hogwarts has paid every house elf within its residence, paying them for every meal made and served.

He looks around, his face almost nervous, eyes skimming along the ribbons and warm decor, to the blazing fireplace located on the other side of the room. Slughorn had taken it upon himself to have the entirety of the dungeons decorated for the holidays, stringing every empty space with chains made of candy canes and filling pockets and crevices with little wrapped candies and odd items as gifts.

Slughorn himself wears a ridiculously large red hat with an absolutely revolting red and green sweater, looking jolly and generally content. He has grown to be incredibly old, ripe with age, and his potbelly has only gotten bigger since. He weaves his way through the crowd of students chit chatting, calling out to Albus over the cheery murmurs and the Christmas band. In the background, The Vampire Vexors can be heard singing alternative indie Christmas music, each member thoroughly pierced and tattooed. The lead singer, Perry, closes his eyes as he grasps the microphone, and an elf plays a miniature drum solo in the back.

"Albus! Albus Potter," Slughorn booms, his smile large and words somewhat slurred. He holds a glass of wine in his hands, which sloshes around in it's glass as he wraps Albus in a hug. Albus stands there stiffly, somewhat suffocated by Slughorn's gesture.

Adeline Nott passes by with her hands intertwined with a boy's. Colin Creevy Jr., it seems to be. Albus wonders how a boy awkward and quiet as Colin would end up with someone foul-mouthed as Adeline.

Slughorn releases Albus from his grip. He shakes him a bit, rumples his hair.

"How've ya been, Albus? I swear, you've grown tons within these past few years. I remember when you were only a little baby- a real tiny thing you were. Your father was so protective of you, he almost never let you out of his sight. Besides when he was being Head Auror, of course,your father is a very busy man-"

"Thank you, Professor. I will be sure to tell him you said hello."

"Why, that is all I could ever hope to hear! You seem awfully ansty, young fellow. Who are you looking for."

"My date, sir. I can't seem to find her, I lost her ages ago."

"Ah, well a handsome boy like yourself can surely find another date if need be. Have I ever told you that you look just like your father-"

"Yes sir, I believe you have-"

"Well now who is this date of yours?"

"Kelsey Bones, sir.""

"Ah yes, Miss Bones. She is quite beautiful. A truly strong willed girl, at that! Well I shan't keep you too long. You go find her, son."

Albus takes this opportunity with relief and continues pushing his way through the crowd. The Vexors have started playing a Muggle song, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and people are dancing and twirling around, witches and wizards alike. He spots Kelsey in the far right corner, leaning against the wall. She's talking to Lysander Scamander, deep in conversation.

"Er, excuse me," Albus says. "Not trying to interrupt, but-"

"This is your date, I know. I'm very sorry, I'll leave the two of you to it," says Lysander. His voice is solemn, as it almost always is, and when he walks away a sad look is on his face. Kelsey clears her throat.

"I'm sorry I left you back there, I just had to tell Lysander that Rose wasn't feeling well and couldn't make it. The poor boy is crushed."

"It's their anniversary, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is." Kelsey traces her finger along the rim of her butterbeer bottle. Albus joins her in leaning against the wall. Neither of them speak, for a little while, until Albus spots James, Roxanne, and Fred Jr. approaching him.

"Oh, God," says Albus.

Up in the air, right above Albus and Kelsey's heads, is a floating sprig of mistletoe.


Scorpius is wearing his signature silk green robes for the holiday bash. The robes were his father's, when he was at Hogwarts, and they've been passed down to Scorpius himself. He hates being associated with his father and his father's past. But these are the nicest robes he owns, or anyone owns, for that matter. They don't use unicorn hairs in fabrics anymore, and the robes he's got from his father are rarities.

He meets Anika in the Great Hall at 8pm, where they walk down to the Holiday Bash in the dungeons together. It's apparent she put effort into her appearance. She's wearing stunningly tailored robes, and a soft smoky makeup. When she sees him, she interlaces their hands as they walk.

While Anika is thoroughly enjoying this, Scorpius allows his mind to wander. He really likes Rose. He has for a while now. But he's got Anika holding his hand and he starts to wonder, precisely, when things went wrong.


A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! My apologies, it's a bit slow. I've been having something of a writer's block. Well, anyway, Merry Christmas!