Christmas Holidays 2023
"Rose, I brought you some tea," Hermione called through Rose's door after knocking gently.
Her daughter had disappeared an hour or so ago to try to get some of her homework out of the way. Hermione felt very sorry for her, cooped up a few days before Christmas doing homework so had brought her up some tea and a mince pie to keep her spirits up. There was no answer from Rose so Hermione went ahead and opened the door, expecting to see her daughter hunched over at her desk. Instead she sat on her window seat, gazing out at the snow covered landscape.
"Rose, you are meant to be doing your homework!" Hermione scolded.
Rose's head whipped around to face her mother and Hermione gasped slightly at the sad look in her daughter's eyes. At age seventeen Rose no longer looked like a girl but a young lady. Her red hair now reached the middle of her ribs and it fell it messy ringlets rather than a bushy mane, her brown eyes stood out starkly from her pale face that supported a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. She sat with her slender body curled up against the window, looking tired and worn.
"Rose, what is it? Has something happened?" Hermione said gently, putting the small tea tray down on Rose's desk and coming to kneel in front of her.
"No mum, everything's fine, I just got a bit … distracted. I'll do some more work now I promise,"
"Rose don't give me this, I know something's wrong. Has something happened at school?"
Rose sighed and looked her mother in the eye. Hermione could see both determination and fear in her face as she nodded slowly.
"Well what is it?"
Rose took a deep breathe as if preparing herself for the worst, "I've got a boyfriend," She said slowly.
Startled, Hermione exhaled. She had been expecting something terrible.
"Well what's wrong with that – that's brilliant, you haven't really had much to do with boys since you and Thomas broke up last year, who is he, do we know him?
Again Rose took a deep breathe and this time closed her eyes, "It's Scorpius Malfoy" She said quietly
Hermione froze, taking in what her daughter had just said, trying to work out if she'd heard her correctly.
"Sc - Scorpius … Malfoy?" Hermione repeated slowly.
Rose nodded and to Hermione's horror a few tears slipped out of her closed eyes and rolled down her face.
"Rose! Why are you crying sweetie?"
"Because I knew you'd react like this!" Rose burst out, tears falling thick and fast now. "I can hear it in your voice, you're disgusted! You and Dad hate the Malfoy's! I couldn't have chosen a worse person to go out with! And now you're going to hate me and so is Dad! You've heard what he says every time he sees the family! Always telling me I have to do better than Scorp or making digs at the way his dad looks or acts – and the glares he gives him! And I've gone and started dating his son!
Rose could no longer speak, she buried her face in her knees, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. Hermione sat, shocked to the core at her daughters words, trying as hard as she could to take everything in. Finally she gave her head a little shake and kneeled up so she could slip an arm around Rose and attempt to calm her down. But as soon as Hermione touched Rose, she froze, her crying quietened as she went stiff. Then ever so slowly she lifted her head up.
"You don't hate me?" She asked, her eyes red and puffy.
"Rose, I could never ever hate you and don't you dare ever think I would again! Now are you calm enough to talk about this?" Hermione asked
Rose hiccupped and nodded, tears still slowly sliding down her face.
"Is Scorpius nice to you?" Hermione asked.
Rose looked shocked at the question "Of course!"
"Does he respect you and listen to you?
Rose's brow knit it confusion but she nodded quickly.
"And does being with him make you happy?" Hermione said gently
And for the first time Rose smiled slightly, "Yes, I love being with him, he makes me feel like I've got nothing to worry about, I never have to explain anything to him, he just understands…" Rose trailed off, looking guilty at saying too much.
"Well if that's how you feel then why on earth wouldn't I like him?"
Rose's head whipped down to face her mother so quickly it must have hurt her neck, "What!" She gasped.
"Rose I don't care who his family are at all as long as you're happy with him – no truly I don't" She insisted at her daughters sceptical look. "I'm not going to deny that your father and I have had problems with Draco in the past but even I can see he's changed a bit since his school days and even if he hadn't it wouldn't matter as long as Scorpius is right for you. Did Uncle Harry being raised by his horrid relatives mean we refused to be friends with him? No! So does Scorpius coming from a family we've had … past disagreements with make any difference to him? No! I just want you to be happy Rose and if Scorpius makes you happy then I'm more than pleased that you're going out with him."
Rose blinked, looking shocked, "Really?"
"Really," Hermione said seriously "You can even invite him over for dinner and I won't spill hot soup or something on him."
Rose giggled, her blotchy face clearing at once, she suddenly dropped off the window seat and hugged her mother tightly.
"What about Dad though, he's not going to be happy," Rose said quietly
Hermione frowned, Rose had a point. Ron had clearly not dropped his past grudges against the Malfoy's and he certainly wouldn't be happy about Rose dating Scorpius.
"We'll talk to him okay, together. I'll be honest, he won't be happy at first but once we've talked to him about it and explained how happy you are he'll come round. It might take a little while but he will. He loves you and wants what's best for you so he'll accept it."
Rose nodded and hugged her mother again, Hermione smiled and stroked her daughter hair.
"Do you really really like him Rosie?" She asked, grinning.
"I really do, I can't … I can't imagine anybody better right now," She said quietly
"Then neither can I. I love you sweetie, you know that right?"
" 'Course I do, I love you to Mum,"
Hmmm, ending might be a little bit mushy but I have no apologies for that - I'm in such a happy romantic mood it couldn't have ended any other way! This is my entry for My Dear Professor McGonagall's Mother and Child competition, I did that thing again where I mean to write a one-shot and then it kind of grows and grows! Anyway I hope you all liked it and please leave a review telling me your thoughts.
I know I still haven't been posting much recently and I'm truly very very sorry. School and having a job just takes up so much time! That really weird thing is I first found out about fanfiction nearly a year ago now! I really can't believe it, I only realised becasue I know I found out about whilst revising for my GCSE's and now I'm just about to start my A-level revision! I can't believe it's been that long and I really want to thank everyone who's been so kind to me and welcomed me into this community - I still love it to bits and although I'm really busy I will carry on trying to keep up with it. Sorry for that little waffle then but people need to be thanked :)
Hannah x
