A/N: Sorry it's been a bit longer between Chapters 2 & 3 than it was between Chapters 1 & 2. Thanks to everyone who's read, favorited, and followed so far! Anyway, here's Chapter 3, set in September 2019, when Albus, Rose, and Co. are about to enter their third year.
I promise I have a whole timeline dealio planed out, and that I will publish more stories in the Express Universe, because I have a TON of ideas and I didn't create like...100 OC's for nothing. ;-)
Chapter 3: Third Year
"What house do you think I'll be in, Albus?" Lily asked her older brother. Albus let out an exasperated sigh. Beside him, Scorpius chuckled. Lily had been taking turns asking her brothers and Scorpius this question all morning.
"I don't know, Lily. You'll end up in whatever house the Sorting Hat thinks you belong in," Albus replied. He had told her the same thing, word for word, each time she asked him.
"Maybe you'll end up in…Slytherin!" James exclaimed. Lily stomped on his foot in response and James let out a yelp. "I'm kidding, Lily! Jeez. We all know you'll follow the Code of Potter and end up in Gryffindor." James pulled his younger sister in for an affectionate side hug. Lily let out a pleased hum in response.
"Where are they?" Lily asked Harry excitedly, her eyes scanning the crowded platform. She saw a girl with braided pigtails send a frightening glare at James, who recoiled in response.
"Abigail seems happy to see you, James," Albus said with mock politeness, receiving a scowl from his older brother. James had dated Abigail Younge, a Ravenclaw girl in his year, from the second week of last September until January. However, she had one large flaw James couldn't overlook for long: she didn't like Quidditch. And so James called it off only two weeks before Valentine's Day. According to Rowan Thomas and a dozen other eyewitnesses, Abigail did not take it very well. Rose had later told Albus that the next time she saw Abigail in their common room the older girl had screamed that her cousin was a prat, scaring Rose into spilling ink all over her Defense Against the Dark Arts essay.
"I don't want to hear any fighting out of the two of you," Harry chided his sons. Beside him, Ginny muttered something that sounded like "That will be the day."
"Albus!" Rose was running toward her cousin and closest friend, wisps of her short curly hair escaping the ponytail it had been pulled into. When she saw Scorpius standing with the Potters, her brow knit together in confusion. "Scorpius? Did you come here with Al?"
Harry put a warm hand on Scorpius' shoulder. "Thought he'd have a change of scenery for the last few days, right?"
"That's right, Mr. Potter," Scorpius nodded in agreement. Noticing the piercing gaze Rose was now giving him and Albus, Scorpius motioned that he'd explain later, which seemed to pacify her.
"Hugo!" Lily exclaimed as her cousin and his parents came over. She threw an arm over his shoulder and began excitedly chirping away. He returned the favor with gusto, and the two extroverts were soon in deep conversation about their plans for their first year.
"Hello, Scorpius," Hermione greeted the young teenager, who seemed a bit surprised at the warm friendliness in her tone. "I hope you've been well since we last saw you."
"Yes. Thank you for having me over for Rose's birthday celebration. I understand it must have been awkward since—"
"Nonsense," Hermione dismissed with a wave of her hand. "We were happy to have you over, right, Ronald?" She sent her husband a small glare. Ron Weasley suddenly wore the neutral expression he had once used as an Auror.
"Anything for Rose," Ron replied, placing his hands on Rose's shoulders. This answer seemed to please Hermione, whose gaze softened. Harry let out a slight chuckle. Ron was slowly coming to terms with the fact that his daughter was close friends with the son of the man who bullied him throughout his years at Hogwarts. Hermione and Harry even managed to convince him to allow Scorpius to visit for Rose's birthday over the summer.
Soon the train was whistling, indicating that it was time for the students to board the train, and Albus found himself being kissed on the cheek by his mother. Any embarrassment he felt melted away with laughter when he saw Ginny plant a firm kiss on Scorpius' cheek as well. His best friend turned bright pink and mumbled a goodbye to Harry and Ginny, who sniggered behind her hand, shooting her husband an amused look. Lily was enveloped by Harry, who looked like he was trying hard not to cry. Ginny patted his hand before bending down to hug her youngest child.
"Write us all the time?" Harry asked his daughter in a slight whisper, taking her hand in his and giving it a quick squeeze before releasing it. Lily nodded assuredly.
"Of course, Daddy," was the reply.
Scorpius and Albus waited for Rose to finish saying goodbye to her parents. "Not my hair, Dad!" Rose cried out as she ducked away from Ron's attempt to affectionately ruffle her hair, crossing her arms over her head protectively. Hugo laughed at his older sister, but sobered when he had to give his own goodbyes to a teary-eyed Hermione.
James said his goodbyes last, promising his parents that he'd look after Lily. "And maybe Albus, but I don't really need to—he's got Rose, and she'd never steer Al wrong. She's always keeping him out of trouble…I think." He gave Rose a mock-suspicious look.
"She's really just waiting to take out your team's Seeker," Scorpius quipped, winking at Albus, who rolled his eyes.
"Says the bloke who almost gave me a concussion from a Bludger," Albus mumbled.
"It's part of the game, mate. Can't let Ravenclaw lose because one of my best mates is on the other team."
"And his other best mate is busy shooting the Quaffle past Gryffindor's lame Keeper," Rose said with a small smile. James, said Gryffindor Keeper, acted like he didn't hear her, but the tips of his ears turned crimson. He grabbed Lily's hand and started stalking off toward the train.
"How many points did you score against James during our game last year?" Scorpius asked Rose.
"Fifty—enough to make James sore. Between her and Dominique, I think James' ego took a large hit," Albus said. Rose and Dominique were both Chasers for Ravenclaw and Slytherin respectfully. This made them James' least favorite family members during games and both girls took a not-so-secret pleasure in scoring goal after goal on him. James wasn't an incompetent Keeper—he was certainly much better than Ron was in his Hogwarts days—but Rose and Dominique, after playing Quidditch at the Burrow for years with James, knew his weaknesses and how to exploit them.
Hermione shooed the group of young students toward the train. "Best better be getting on now." Rose watched her father comfort her mother as she wiped a tear from her eyes. Then she felt a tug on her arm, and Albus, her, and Scorpius were walking arm-in-arm toward the train to find a compartment.
Rose took the lead, peering into each compartment the trio passed, looking for the Boot twins or Brennan Finnegan. She hoped she'd find them soon—Brennan had written in his last letter that he wanted to have a go at her in Wizard's Chess during the ride. They also agreed to talk Quidditch, since Brennan was to try out for the Ravenclaw team again that year. During the beginning of their second year, Brennan had tripped down the stairs leading from the Ravenclaw tower and broke both wrists upon landing at the bottom, resulting in him missing tryouts. Rose felt terrible and had visited him afterwards when he was in the Hospital Wing, spending hours with him playing Wizard's Chess and listening to his dry humor.
"Rose!" The trio turned to see Brennan's sandy hair poking out of a compartment ahead of them. His grey-blue eyes were fixed on Rose. "Hurry on in for a game!" He stepped out to stand in the doorframe and wait for them.
"Coming!" Rose replied. Glancing at Albus and Scorpius, she grinned and tugged the boys along faster. Brennan stood aside as they entered the compartment, sitting down next to the window and across from Rose. Albus noticed that the Boot twins were also in the compartment, but Shiloh McManus was not.
"Hello, Albus," Edgar greeted him, a genial smile on his face. "Happy belated."
"Thanks, Edgar. How was your summer?" Albus replied. Next to him, Scorpius watched Rose and Brennan set up his chess set on the small tray table from the wall and begin a game. Ella was completely absorbed in a Divination book, and Albus doubted she'd come out of it any time soon. He wondered how Rose and she had managed to become such close friends—it was no secret Rose didn't care for subjects like Divination.
"We went to visit our grandparents at their villa for a few weeks. We almost missed our portkey because Dad was working on finishing an article about a jury case he received word on. Our mom really took it in stride though—usually she's the one working until the last minute," Edgar replied. "Sorry we couldn't make it yesterday—Mom wanted to spend more quality time with us since she doesn't get to take much vacation time."
"Don't worry about it, mate. I understand the exciting life of being Child of a Dedicated Auror." Albus rolled his eyes. He would need more than two hands to count the number of times Harry couldn't attend a family function due to work. To his credit, Harry never missed one of his children's birthday festivities, Christmas, or Easter holidays. Albus wondered if his mother had forced him into making an Unbreakable Vow.
"Mum actually went a whole year without landing in St. Mungo's. Dad said we should have a party," Edgar chuckled. Albus wondered how he was able to take his mother's dangerous job in stride. Sure, Harry was an Auror as well, but as Head of the department he didn't see as much action as he used to. At least Albus hoped he didn't.
"We got word the other day that Teddy received his first accident out of Auror training," Albus mentioned.
"What happened?" Scorpius asked, turning away from Rose and Brennan's game to face the boys.
Albus shook his head. "Nothing horrible—it wasn't even during an investigation. Dad said there was an incident in the filing room, and Teddy came out covered in tiny paper cuts. He must have looked ridiculous." He chuckled. "Wish I could have been there to see his face. Teddy's always falling about when he's not focused on something."
The door to the compartment was suddenly thrown open, startling Ella, whose book dropped from her hands and onto the floor. James Potter, now in his fourth year, stuck his head in, grinning at the group of third years in front of him. Albus bent over and handed Ella her book before he addressed his older brother.
"James, what brings you here?" Albus asked.
James leaned against the doorframe casually. "Just saying hello, is all. And to inform you that our precious baby sister has run off somewhere with Hugo—I assume to make some friends." He inspected a fingernail. At fourteen, James was now several inches taller than Albus, and his hair much longer and shaggier. Their grandmother Molly had tried chasing him around the Burrow at Albus' party, trying to cut his hair, but James had expertly escaped.
"Well, that's good for her, but why are you really here?" Albus asked, his guard going up. James never came by to just give him a friendly hello. Shoulders stiff, Albus was preparing for a prank or something equally humiliating.
"As I promised our father, the Chosen One, I am not here to fight. Roxie asked me to come and retrieve Rose—that is, if she's finished her chess date with Finnegan over there." James smirked and jabbed a thumb in the direction of Rose and Brennan, who had, until that moment, been very absorbed with their game. Rose's ears turned pink.
"It's just a game between friends, Potter. No need to get jealous of your cousin spending time with her housemate," Brennan addressed James curtly, his complexion neutral.
"You wound me," James said mockingly, placing his hand on his heart. "So, Rosie, our little posse is only six compartments away. Louis is off at the Prefects meeting, but all of your other favorite people are there, including your favorite Potter cousin."
"Hey!" Albus exclaimed. "I'm Rosie's favorite Potter, if anything. We are best mates, James." He crossed his arms and sent a glare at his brother.
"It's alright, Albus," Rose said as she stood up from her game. Scorpius noticed that Brennan looked slightly dejected at the loss of his chess partner. He thought of offering to play a few games with his roommate to cheer him up. "I'll be back before we arrive at the station," Rose told the group in the compartment before playfully shoving James out of the doorframe. "Let's go, Jim."
Albus watched as James pretended to flail about before recovering and giving Rose a mock-salute. "Yes, Rosie dear. And you can bet I'll be sure to tell Emmett what a brute you've been to me," James teased. Rose grabbed James by his sweater and tugged him along, but Albus could see that her ears were pink.
Scorpius stood and took Rose's former seat across from Brennan, who was now staring out the window. "Care for a new partner, mate?" The other boy shook his head.
"No thanks, Scorpius. Maybe in a few, though," Brennan replied, his eyes not leaving the scenery. Scorpius caught Albus' eye, but he only shrugged. Their group had become awkwardly silent for a few moments before another familiar head popped in.
"Finally! I've been looking up and down the train for you," Shiloh McManus said as he entered the compartment. "Passed Rose and the Elder Potter on the way and she pointed me to where you were all at." Scorpius saw Brennan frown at the mention of Rose's name, but it seems like no one else had noticed.
"Elder Potter?" Albus parroted. Beside him, Edgar let out a low chuckle.
Shiloh shrugged and sat in the now-empty seat between Albus and Brennan. Across from him, Ella went back to reading the book that she had dropped minutes earlier. "He is your older brother, yeah? So he's the Elder Potter," Shiloh explained easily. "Why does Rose go off with him all the time? I thought you were her best mate, mate."
Albus sighed. To be honest, it bothered him a bit that Rose would run off and muck about with James, Roxanne, and their friends instead of hanging around with him and Scorpius. Ever since James noticed her crush on his friend Emmett, he had been asking Rose to spend time with them. He doubted his older brother would ever tell anyone, but Albus thought James secretly wants the two to eventually get together. Rose is too shy to do anything about it, though, and Albus was certain that Emmett viewed her as Rose, James' cousin instead of Rose, cute and available girl. However, he'd never say that to Rose.
Shiloh waved his hand in front of Albus' face. "Mate? You in there?"
"Sorry, Shiloh. Just started thinking about something. Anyway, Rose is one of my best mates, but James and Roxie like taking her under their wing for whatever reason," Albus replied. He saw Scorpius raise a brow but say nothing. Both boys knew the real reason was so that Rose could be closer to Emmett, but they weren't going to tell any of their other friends that.
"I'm going to the loo," Brennan said abruptly as he stood up and exited the compartment. Scorpius stared after him with concern.
"Do either of you know what's gotten into him?" Edgar asked. The other boys in the compartment shrugged.
"Isn't it obvious? Brennan fancies Rose," Ella suddenly said, not bothering to look up from her book. Albus and Shiloh were gobsmacked. Edgar and Scorpius looked more thoughtful, as if they were mulling it over.
"Brennan Finnegan fancies Rose, as in my cousin, Rose Weasley?" Albus asked aghast. He looked towards Scorpius as if for confirmation. Ella earmarked the page she was on before placing her book in her lap and looking up at Albus.
"Brennan is always stealing glances at her in class or in the common room. When he makes jokes, he looks at Rose first to see if she's laughing. And finally, he frequently seeks out Rose to play chess and purposely plays poorly so he can spend as much time with her as possible. He could beat her if he wanted to, but he doesn't." As Ella spoke, she counted each sentence off a finger.
"How do you know all of that?" Albus' eyebrows were knit together. "I'd like to think we all spend enough time together—how come I didn't notice any of it?"
"It's not obvious to everyone, Albus. Although your brother seemed to pick up on it…" Ella trailed off. Albus' cheeks reddened. He couldn't believe that James, who didn't even know Brennan that well, had picked up on his crush on Rose in the few seconds he'd been in their compartment. Albus suddenly felt a pang of jealousy. Rose was one of his best mates—shouldn't he notice when blokes were interested in her? He didn't even know when Rose and Brennan had become friends. Albus could only remember Brennan as one of Scorpius' other mates.
"They're mates because of his accident last year," Scorpius told Albus, as if he could read his mind. "When Brennan broke his wrists before trying out for the team, Rose spent a lot of time with him in the Hospital Wing—don't you remember? And she gave him copies of her notes because he couldn't hold a quill for long. She felt guilty for making the team when he couldn't try out."
"So you saw this coming, too then?" Albus asked. He felt the jealousy infect his voice.
Scorpius held up his hands. "I was just starting to figure it out today. Brennan hasn't said a word to me about fancying Rose. I'm only putting the past pieces together, mate. I would have told you if I was sure anything was going on." This seemed to placate Albus for the moment, and he leaned back into the cushion of the compartment bench.
"Well, I didn't see any of this coming at all, Al," Shiloh piped up from next to him.
"You don't really understand romance, though, Shiloh. I think most of it flies over your head," Edgar said with a small laugh. Shiloh's cheeks pinked.
The compartment door opened and Brennan reappeared, looking a little calmer and happier than when he left. The group exchanged a series of glances that were meant to convey that none of them would mention Brennan's now-known feelings for Rose. Scorpius greeted his friend and dorm mate with a smile. "Glad to see you back, mate. Now we're not outnumbered anymore," he said congenially.
Brennan scratched his neck. "Yeah, can't be outstripped by these pompous Gryffindors. Their combined egos may suffocate you." He gave a small smirk before taking a seat on the other side of Shiloh, facing Scorpius. Before any of the Gryffindors in the compartment could reply, Brennan was resetting the board and asking Scorpius to play a game of chess with him.
"Anything from the trolley, dears?" A now-familiar voice called from the corridor. As usual, Albus purchased his bag of Jelly Slugs and a half-dozen Chocolate Frogs for Rose. Scorpius grabbed a bag of Sugar Quills and handed one to Brennan. Edgar and Ella split a Cauldron Cake, which Albus thought must have been some kind of secret twin ritual. Shiloh declined, mentioning something about home-baked goods from his mother.
"Is Rose ever going to be here to buy her own Chocolate Frogs?" Scorpius asked Albus in amusement. True, every year Rose seemed to be whisked away to another compartment, missing when the boys would buy their sweets. Albus shrugged in response.
"All I know is that if I ever fail to grab some of these for Rose," he paused to motion to the Chocolate Frogs in his lap, "She will never forgive me. I am convinced that I rank below chocolate in order of importance." He ripped into a Jelly Slug, getting some of the candy juice on his face.
"That's very attractive, Albus," Edgar snorted from across him. Ella dug a tissue out of her jacket pocket and handed it to Albus wordlessly.
"Thanks, Ella. Bugger off, Edgar." Albus stuck his tongue out at his friend.
The compartment door slid open and Rose appeared. "I'm back—oh! You're full up now." She frowned. "I could just go back and sit with James and his mates."
"No," Brennan said, looking up from the chess board. "You can have my spot, Rose."
"But aren't you and Scorpius in the middle of a game? I wouldn't want to—"
"Rose, you can have my seat," Shiloh interrupted her. "I can just sit on the floor. I don't mind." His cheeks turned pink—Albus supposed Shiloh was still a bit awkward around girls. He stood up and ushered Rose to where he had been sitting before sitting on the floor in front of Ella.
"Thank you," Rose replied. Scorpius looked over the chess board at Brennan, who sported a small smile as Rose was now sitting between him and Albus.
"Here are your Frogs, Rosie," Albus said as he dumped the small packages in her outstretched hands. "Now tell me, would your favorite Potter reliably purchase you Chocolate Frogs every year without fail?"
Rose shook her head and laughed. "Al, you are fully aware that you are my best mate and favorite cousin. No amount of time I spend with James and Roxie will change that—as long as you keep the Chocolate Frogs coming." She tossed a Frog to Shiloh on the floor, who barely managed to catch it before it would have hit him in the face. "That's for being a gentleman and giving me your seat," Rose said, smiling. Shiloh's face lit up pink and he quickly looked down at the candy in his hand so the others wouldn't see.
"No problem. Can't let a girl in a skirt sit on the ground. Besides, you were here first," Shiloh mumbled.
Scorpius watched Brennan as he tried to subtly gaze at Rose, who was opening one of her five remaining Chocolate Frogs. Brennan's eyes narrowed and Scorpius turned to look at Rose, whose eyes were shining with unshed tears.
"Rosie? What's the matter?" Albus asked. Rose was staring at the Chocolate Frog card in her hands. She let out a small sniffle, and suddenly all the eyes in the compartment were on her.
"I got Uncle Fred," she whispered. Scorpius' eyes widened. He had known that Rose and Albus had an uncle who had died during the Battle of Hogwarts. Albus grabbed onto Rose's free hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
"It's okay, Rosie. I can get rid of it if you—"
"No," Rose interrupted her cousin. "I want to keep it." She wiped her sleeve across her eyes and then tucked the card carefully into the breast pocket of her denim vest. Rose gave Albus a small smile that he returned. She turned to spectate as Scorpius and Brennan resumed their game.
"Oi, Al, want to pass a mate a Jelly Slug?" Shiloh asked from his place on the floor. "I'll trade you one of my mum's biscuits."
"Sure thing." Albus handed Shiloh a few Slugs in exchange for a chocolate biscuit. "Your mum makes the best sweets," he said as he popped the biscuit into his mouth.
"Thanks. Maybe if I tell her Albus Potter, second son of the Chosen One likes them, she'll send more this term." Shiloh sent a dramatic wink at Albus, who rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Edgar reached over Shiloh to pluck a biscuit from the tin.
"Oi! Boot! Get your bloody hands off 'em!" Shiloh cried as he tried to swat Edgar's hand away. "You didn't even ask, mate!"
"Sorry," Edgar mumbled as he stuffed a biscuit into his mouth. He swallowed and gave Shiloh an innocent smile. "Won't happen again."
Shiloh gave Edgar a look of indignation before turning back to face Albus. "I think I liked him better when he was quiet and didn't steal food from me." Albus laughed.
As he continued his game with Brennan, Scorpius noticed Rose's head starting to droop over the boy's shoulder. He looked between Rose, whose eyelids were fluttering shut, and Brennan, whose cheeks were a bit pink. The two boys made eye contact and Scorpius winked. Brennan ignored him as he ordered his Queen to take Scorpius' Knight. When the Knight had been pulled from the board and Scorpius made his next move, he glanced at Rose again to see that she was now definitely asleep and snuggled against Brennan's shoulder.
Shiloh looked up at the two Ravenclaws from his position on the ground. "Every year," he said to himself. Edgar looked away from Albus, who he had been conversing with about their new electives, and at Rose.
"Rose Weasley: falls asleep on the train, runs off with James Potter, and eats Chocolate Frogs," Edgar listed. Albus nodded in agreement: Rose had formed a bit of a habit.
Ella looked up from her book. "Rose was probably up half the night reading. She told me she received an awful lot of books for her birthday this year."
"She was actually up half the night with Hugo, who would not stop pestering her," Albus chimed in. Rose had sent him a late-night owl complaining that Hugo, who was more than excited to be starting his first year at Hogwarts, wouldn't leave her room. "Rose had to beat him in a chess match to get him to let her sleep." Albus was glad that his younger sister, Lily, had chosen to spend the night in James' room instead of with Albus.
"Does everyone in your family play Wizard's chess?" Shiloh asked from his spot on the floor. Albus shook his head.
"Well, Rose, Hugo, and Uncle Ron play all the time. Sometimes my dad will play, but he complains because Uncle Ron and Rose always beat him. And Hugo's really good for an eleven-year-old—I can't even play him for long before he beats me. Um, Uncle Bill, Uncle Percy and my cousin Molly play sometimes. Oh, and my other cousin, Louis. Grandpa Arthur is the one who taught Uncle Ron, so…" Albus looked around. "It sounds like a lot, but it's really not even half of everyone."
"I learned from my dad," Brennan commented as his Rook took down one of Scorpius' Pawns, dragging it to the end of the board.
"Same here," Scorpius said. "Why don't you play, Al?" Albus shrugged.
"I'm just not really interested in it—it doesn't mean Rose hasn't tried to get me to play before, though. I'd rather play Exploding Snap," Albus replied. Brennan and Scorpius shot him a look like he was missing out.
Suddenly they were arriving at Hogsmeade Station. Brennan shot Scorpius an uncharacteristically frantic look—Rose was still asleep on his shoulder. Scorpius took to putting away the chess set for Brennan while Albus looked like he was about to shake his cousin awake.
"Leave her for a bit, Albus. Train hasn't stopped just yet," Shiloh said from the floor. It was for naught though, as the train whistle blew and Rose began to stir awake. She lifted her cheek from Brennan's shoulder and made eye contact with her housemate, who she realized she was in very close proximity to. Albus watched from Rose's other side as her ears turned a light pink.
"Oh! Brennan! Sorry for falling asleep on you like that. Did you—did I disrupt your game?" Rose asked concernedly. Brennan waved her off.
"No, Rose. We weren't going to finish anyway. And don't worry about falling asleep on me—I didn't—I don't mind." He gave Rose a shy smile.
"Well, thank you," Rose returned the smile and stood to retrieve her bag from the luggage rack above the seats.
"Oi! Come on, you two! We'll miss the carriages!" Albus hollered from the hallway. Rose rolled her eyes before taking off after her cousin, Brennan Finnegan close behind.
A/N: Yeah, I know...Rose, at this point, still has a crush on James' best friend, Emmett Wood. And we know Brennan Finnegan has a crush on Rose. And who knows? Crushes don't always last when you're thirteen. There's still a lot of time left for all these kids to grow up, and not everyone finds their "endgame" romance before they're seventeen. Or at least...no one realizes they've found the person they'll be with forever before they're seventeen. Oh-ho-ho.
Eventually, either through later chapters here or in other stories from the Express-verse, you'll find out what happens during the school year, or the train ride back from Hogwarts, or during winter and summer breaks, etc.
