Thank you for reviews! It makes me super happy to hear that you enjoy my writing.
Well then, lets move on to chapter three and find out how Herbology class is going.
We'll also find out how Draco and Ron are doing with their bonding.
Enjoy!
Chapter 3 – Herbology
Monday, 1:00 PM, September 2nd 2023 – Greenhouse Seven - Hogwarts
"Right, class. Who can tell me what this is?" professor Longbottom asked the class and pointed to sad-looking object resembling a gnarled stump.
"Well, obviously it's a Snargaluff. They were in last years curriculum, professor." McLaggen said.
"Very good, Mr McLaggen. I'm happy to hear last years class weren't a complete waist on you. Last year you learned to control the vines, correct. This year we'll harvest the pod." Professor Longbottom informed the class. "Can anyone tell me what we use the pods for?"
"If I'm not mistaken, professor, the pods are used in potions. It's a form of catalyst used to make two ingredients react faster." McLaggen announced and gave Rose a wink.
Scorpius rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"You're partly correct. Could you elaborate, Mr McLaggen?" The professor asked.
"Uhm…" McLaggen started but seemed to be at the end of his knowledge about Snargaluffs as he opened and closed his mouth a few times but no words came out.
"It's rather dangerous to use one's entire vocabulary in a single sentence, isn't it?" Scorpius drawled loud enough for McLaggen to hear, but not loud enough for their professor hear. Scorpius saw to his amusement how the colour in McLaggen's face drained.
Beside him Albus and Melania tried their hardest to stifle their laughter in order not to draw professor Longbottom's attention to them.
"Professor, the Snargaluff's pod is used to make two ingredients that normally don't react together react and create a desired effect. That's what makes them unique. I believe it was the extraction of the Snargaluff pod that made the Contraceptive Potion made by Malfoy's Apothecary such a huge success." Rose said.
"Excellent, Miss Granger-Weasley!" professor Longbottom beamed. "Not many young wizards and witches know that!"
Rose smiled from the appraisal and McLaggen looked rather disappointed, which made Scorpius smile smugly.
"Today you'll be working in teams of three to control the veins and harvest the pod. Quickly now, team up." Professor Longbottom said.
Monday, 1:50 PM, September 2nd 2023 – Greenhouse Seven - Hogwarts
Harvesting the pods proved to be harder than they thought. Scorpius, Albus and Rose had teamed up and while Scorpius and Rose grabbed a hold of the vines Albus dived in to try to get a hold of one of the greenish pods. Once Albus got a hold of a pod Scorpius got so excited he forgot to hold onto his vine, which resulted in the vine escaping his grip and knocking the pod out of Albus' grip. The pod travelled up in the air and landed with a splash between Scorpius and Rose and drenched them in the pod-content as it broke once it hit the ground.
"Well, careful now! These pods are extremely precious!" Professor Longbottom warned the students.
"Professor, are these pods toxic, by any chance?" Rose asked as she greenish goo made a hissing noise on her leather apron.
"Well, you're not supposed to make skin contact. It you got any on you I suggest you go wash yourselves off immediately." Professor Longbottom said and inspected the damage already done to apron.
"Come on, let's go. The Quidditch locker-room is nearest." Rose said as she grabbed Scorpius' hand and rushed out of the greenhouse.
Monday, 2:20 PM, September 2nd 2023 – Quidditch locker-room - Hogwarts
After having successfully cleaned both themselves and their clothes Scorpius and Rose were now sitting the locker-room waiting for their clothes to dry.
"Did you see the look on McLaggen's face when I got the question right instead of him." Rose laughed as she dried her hair with a towel.
"Yeah, how could anyone fail to notice his stupid git-face?" Scorpius mumbled and wrapped a towel around his waist.
"What's wrong with you? You used to love having a go at the pompous git." Rose said and raised an eyebrow.
When Scorpius didn't answer but merely looked out the window of the locker-room as he sat down on one of the benches, Rose walked over to him.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say the Scorpion King is jealous." she smirked as she cupped his face in her hands.
"Don't be ridiculous, Rose. Why would I be jealous of that slime git?" Scorpius huffed.
"I don't know why, perhaps because he winked at me. But that would be really immature of you, so it can't be because of that." Rose said and tilted her head slightly.
"He fancies you." was all Scorpius could think of to say.
Rose gave him a kind smile and sat down on his lap. Scorpius wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, you listen to me now, and listen good, because this is important. I love you." Rose said with a voice so calm Scorpius felt all the unease he'd felt just vanish.
"What?" he said and looked into Rose's amber eyes.
"I said; I love you." Rose said again, still calm, and her face lit up in a brilliant smile.
"I love you too, Rose." Scorpius said and returned the smile, equally brilliant. "But what has this got to do with McLaggen?"
"Well, that's the point, isn't it? This…" she pointed back and forth between herself and Scorpius. "… has nothing to do with him. I love you, and you love me. I want to be with you and no one else, and that's all you need to care about. If you still have a problem with McLaggen fancying me, then that's your problem. Not mine. I'm not taking responsibility for that. Nor will I ever take that into consideration." she said, her voice firm yet still warm.
"You're right. 'Course you're right." Scorpius said after letting her words sink in. "Sometimes I just don't understand how I got so lucky as to have you in my life." he added and gave her a sort of shy look.
"Knock if off! You're not allowed to try and guilt-trip me like that!" Rose laughed.
"You're right, I've been bad." Scorpius said and started trailing kisses down her neck.
"Alright there martyr. Are you even listening to me?" Rose said.
"'Course I am. I was acting jealous and tried to project those feelings onto you. That wasn't very thoughtful at all, rude even. I'll never do it again. But you just told me you love me, you can't expect that that won't make me rather randy." he whispered into her ear. "Now, why don't you show me what happens to naughty boys."
"We're going to miss our next class." Rose said with a voice that sounded stern, but Scorpius felt her arching into his touch.
"I don't care. Nothing in the world is more important than you, love." he whispered before he kissed her passionately.
Monday, 8:30 PM, September 2nd 2023 – Drawing Room – Malfoy Manor
Draco and Ron ended up spending the entire day together. It wasn't as bad as Draco first had thought it would be. After a lunch at the Leaky Cauldron they'd made a very long stop at Quality Quidditch Supplies where they'd gotten into a long discussion with the owner about the latest broomstick servicing kit. Both of them ended up spending a fairly decent amount of galleons in the store, which they both agreed obviously meant they had to fetch their brooms and give them a go. That was how they ended up at the Manor where they now, after two hours of flying around the Malfoy estate, were sitting in the drawing room bonding, each with a glass of firewhiskey in their hand and brooms and servicing supplies scattered across the table.
"You see, I recon the problem is your hair." Draco said after a moment of serious thinking.
"You reckon Tracey Davis jilted me 'cause of my hair?" Ron asked as he drank from his glass again.
"Has to be it, yeah. You're a decent bloke, nothing to dislike about you, really. Apart from your hair that is. Always made it hard for me to take you seriously." Draco said matter-of-factly.
"But I thought we had a good thing going. Then she just leaves me, out of the blue. Never saw it coming." Ron sighed.
"I'll bet she's a carpet muncher!" Draco exclaimed in realisation.
As they were now on their second bottle of firewhiskey they were both quite sloshed, hence logic reasoning was out the window…
"I bet you're right!" Ron said and nodded slowly.
Their conversation was interrupted by the whooshing sound in the fireplace announcing someone arriving via Floo.
"Well, I see you two have had a very productive day." Hermione said as she stepped into the drawing room, her eyes glancing from the two men so deeply sunken down in the sofa they were almost lying down, to the bottle of firewhiskey and finally to the scattered broom supplies.
"Hermione is home! Come and join us, will you?" Ron beamed as she came into view.
"You found scattering quidditch junk all over the room and getting completely legless more important than being at your respective jobs?" Hermione frowned.
"Yeah! We bonded. Aren't you proud of us, love?" Draco said and reached his hand out for Hermione to grab.
"Proud wouldn't have been my first choice of word." Hermione said but couldn't help but smile a little as she looked from her ex-husband to her new boyfriend.
"Who are you to talk? I bet you and Potter got sloshed yourselves the minute I left to find Ron." Draco said and raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm glad you buried the hatchet at least." she smiled a she sat down next to Draco and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"For the love of Merlin, knock it off you two. It's not fair to broadcast your love in the face of a heartbroken man." Ron muttered.
"What do you mean heartbroken?" Hermione asked taken aback by surprise. "You can't seriously still be upset about Draco and me?"
"What? No, 'course not. That's in the past, Hermione. Quit living in the past." Ron waved Hermione off as if to tell her she'd gotten it all wrong.
When Ron didn't clarify, however, Hermione turned her bemused expression to Draco.
"Tracey Davis gave him the cold shoulder." Draco explained.
"And now I'm never going to find love again." Ron sighed theatrically.
"Don't say that, Ron! Obviously you'll find love again." Hermione said.
"Well, I've only ever loved two people in my entire life. Both of them turned out to be total disasters. But one time it was 'cause accidently I downed a love potion, which wasn't even intended for me. So I guess that doesn't count. But the other one, who really ought to know better; casually divorces me and shags my childhood nemesis." Ron exclaimed and gave Hermione a semi-serious accusing look.
"Not to mention those two events weren't connected." Draco pointed out.
"And she still loves you though." Hermione smiled and put her hand on Ron's.
"Yeah, but in a miserable platonic sort of way." Ron said and Draco gave off a laugh.
"Oh, do be serious!" she gave both men a reproving look.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Is this a serious conversation we're having? Should we be sitting up for this?" Draco asked, his words dripping with sarcasm.
She tossed a pillow at him and sniggered;
"Oh, sod off, you horrible man-child."
Ron grinned too.
"Well, honestly, I've got to say; I'm happy for you. I really mean it. You're a smart match, and I always knew that." he said.
Draco gave Ron an appreciative smile.
"And thanks, Draco. By the way." Ron continued.
"For what?" Draco asked surprised.
"For today. I really needed this. Haven't been properly sloshed since New Years." Ron explained.
Well, end of chapter 3. Stay tuned for chapter 4.
Cheers!
