Chapter 4
« You might try to get ready on time, » Hermione said as she yanked a brush through her daughter's hair.
« Well that's just no fun, » Rose giggled, knowing that she had simply decided to sleep for an extra three hours instead of get ready for her trip to Hogwarts.
« It's your first year at Hogwarts. You might be a little more excited. »
« I am, but that doesn't mean I don't have to— OW! Mum! » Rose yelled as her mother snagged a particularly difficult curl with the hairbrush. « sleep. »
« You could have gone to bed last night when I told you. »
« And miss that game of exploding snap with Hugo and dad? I'm trying to lead balanced lifestyle filled with social activities as well as academics. This follows the current medical— »
Hermione grinned as she stood over her daughter's hair. « Yes, I think we all know how much you take advice, especially from doctors. That's why you were walking around when you had dragon pox, isn't it? »
« Of course, » replied Rose, unfazed.
Ron lumbered into the kitchen, rubbing the last of the sleep from his eyes. He made straight for the refrigerator, pulling out the necessary ingredients for four omelets filled with bacon, mushrooms, broccoli, peas, tomatoes, and peppers.
« Not so much as a good morning, Ron? » Hermione said as she pecked him on the cheek.
« Nope. » said Ron, his mouth full of the bread lying on the counter. « Gimme a kiss. »
Rose promptly made a gagging noise.
« It's a peck on the lips for Merlin's sake, Rose! » Hermione said while Ron laughed.
Hermione finished pulling back Rose's hair and set the brush down. « There, now let me look at you, » she said.
Rose stood and turned around. Ron blanched when he saw her. The tops of her hair were pulled into a bow at the back of her head, while the rest lay about her shoulders. The freckles covering her face were almost hidden by the blush that covered her face. Ron's blue eyes sparkled, at least he thought so, when she looked at him. The head, he couldn't even be sure it was Rose's, cocked sideways. « Yes, daddy? »
« Nothing. You're just so big, » Ron said.
« Yet another stellar compliment from the mind of Ron Weasley, » Hermione quipped. « And don't you dare give her a noogie. I see that look in your eye. Do you know how long this took me? » She pointed at Rose's hair as if it were a personal masterpiece.
The clock above their stove chimed once to signal the half hour. « Nine-thirty already? HUGO! We're leaving! Get down here! » Hermione yelled up the stairs.
« Hold on, he's probably playing Budda Boy again. Lemme get him. » Ron said as he pounded up the stairs.
« Budda Boy? » Hermione mouthed to herself.
« It's because Hugo just sort of sits on his bed cross legged for a few hours after one of you wakes him if you don't keep at it. »
Hermione shook her head. « The things your father comes up with. »
Hermione, Ron, Hugo, and Rose sprinted across platform nine and three quarters. « Mum, why can't we just Floo there? » Rose asked, her hair flying behind her and straining against the bow.
« They've disabled Flooing and apparition for safety reasons. »
« There won't be anyone they need to keep safe if none of us can make it there! » Rose said.
« Well think of it this way, Rose— » Hugo began.
« I don't think it's time for that, Hugo. » Ron said, pretending to be out of breath as he pushed Rose's featherlight trunk.
At least Rose didn't have time to worry about the rather solid looking wall at the platform. They were running too late for her to be scared. The yellowed brick was fading in places, she noticed as she ran full tilt towards it. Funny how she could remember the most insignificant of details right before doing something her brain screamed at her to never do. Solid objects were generally not good doorways, for example. All Rose could remember approaching the wall was the voice of her grandmother telling the story about helping Uncle Harry through the wall his first time. « Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous, » Rose muttered to herself just as she crossed the brick wall.
She found a wrought-iron archway on the other side when she looked back. She quickly moved to the left to avoid being toppled. A lot of Muggleborns did that, or at least her mum said so. Hermione said she was actually so interested in the 9 3/4 sign that no less than three people ran her over before she remembered to move. The bricks on this half of the train station looked redder, probably because of the reflection of the scarlet Hogwarts Express, waiting for exactly thirteen more minutes in the station.
Her parents and Hugo arrived a few minutes later. Hugo stared around him with his eyes as big as the plates of bacon he and his father loved so much.
« Woah. »
« Very eloquent. And this is why you're the little brother, » Rose said as she perused the area. « Right, so I've got about eight minutes to get on that train before it leaves without me. Dad, can you get my suitcase onto a compartment please? »
Ron finally loaded the trunk at 10:57, three minutes before Rose's departure. Many hasty and tearful goodbyes later, Rose sat alone in the compartment at the end of the train, the compartment where her parents sat every year they went to Hogwarts. Even her mum sat here her last year, though Ron and Harry didn't come back with her. Rose figured her mom probably listened to an iPod or something on the way up, until she remembered that her mom was too old for iPods. She must have read.
The train compartment remained empty for several hours. At first, Rose wished some poor kid would come, huffing and puffing, up to her compartment with the grand announcement that everywhere else was full and could he please sit with her. Apparently, that wasn't in the cards for this year. Friends could always be made after the Hogwarts Express anyway. Rose absentmindedly patted the scarlet leather seat beside her. Doubtless Hugo would have five theories on why the express favored Gryffindor colors over those of the other houses. She sighed; this would be a long journey without something to do. She could read if nothing else, at least.
Three hours later, Rose heard a knock on the compartment door. « Anything off the cart, dear? » said the smiling, dimpled woman behind the door. Her black hair was pulled into a bun behind her head, but the curls that hung by her face kept her from looking too severe. Besides that, she was rather plump and jolly looking with her smile and frilly apron. Rose figured she looked like the Muggle Mrs. Clause, but with black hair instead of white. « Could I have all the jelly slugs and chocolate frogs please? » Rose asked, knowing there wouldn't be very many of either left. Her compartment was the last on the train. True to Rose's guess, the witch pulled out seven jelly slugs and fifteen chocolate frogs. Those would last about twenty minutes. Rose almost worried about spoiling her lunch, but she remembered that Ron knew better than to pack her a lunch on a train full of sweets. He probably ate his food once on the train, if that.
Rose picked up her History of Magic book and returned to outlining the second Goblin War. She hated using quills and parchment. She might use them to turn in her assignments, but she would always use paper and pencil for taking notes. Her mother use a quill at Hogwarts, and she said it was one of her only study regrets. Rose returned to the book; it wouldn't do to be thinking of her mother just hours before her sorting. Apparently this war, according to the book, was caused by the goblins. Rose believed that for probably a second. Did the goblins just decide to give all their land to the wizards? Or better yet, did the wizards invade and then state that the goblin retaliation was a strike against wizardkind? They were so predictable back in those days. Her mother said that the same sorts of people spewed the same sort of vitriol. Rose hadn't noticed it, but her mother did have to deal with her fair share of annoying supremacists. Rose could always tell when her mother met one at work. She would bake something for their House Elf and leave it by the door of his bedroom.
« Neekum? » Rose called to the air.
A loud crack sounded, and the house elf appeared, wearing an orange hat and Chudley Cannons jersey. Her father had corrupted the elf, just as he had his children, according to Hermione. « Yes, mistress? » the elf called.
« I just wanted someone to talk to, » Rose said quietly.
Neekum moved to sit next to her. « Mistress should try another compartment. Theres be many witches over there, » he replied in a squeaky voice.
« They'll think I'm weird if I show up so late to their compartment, like I've been hiding all this time. »
« Have yous been hiding, mistress? » Neekum asked, staring into her eyes.
Rose squirmed a little. « No. I've just been sitting here. I'm surprised no one has come to sit in this compartment so far, actually. Maybe someone will come by later. »
« But they all have seats, right mistress? »
« I guess you're right, Neekum. Thanks for the talk. Just don't tell mum I called you, okay? She doesn't need to know I already need help before I get to the school. »
« If she asks mistress… »
« You can tell her. Just don't say anything, and I'm pretty sure she won't ask. She probably doesn't think I'm smart enough hot remember to call you. »
« Yous very smart, mistress. »
« Well thank you. Now run home. I bet my parents are wondering where you've gotten off to. Thanks for talking to me. » The elf gave a small nod, snapped his fingers, and disappeared.
« You can get your house elves to visit you on the train? » asked a voice from the doorway of the compartment.
Rose spun around to see Scorpius Malfoy. She remembered something about her dad telling her to beat him at every test when he pointed the boy out to her on the platform. He didn't seem harmful enough. He was small, with slicked blond hair. He was already wearing his school robes, and they were impeccably tailored. He probably looked like the image of his father, according to what her dad said about Malfoy when they were in school. Rose doubted that Malfoy would have taken a small step back when she stood up, though.
« Did you want to be alone? » Scorpius asked.
Definitely not like his father, Rose decided. « I've actually been waiting for someone to sit over here with me. I was going to look for people in other compartments in a few minutes. »
Scorpius still teetered on the edge of the compartment while he bit his lip.
« You okay? »
« Can I sit here? »
« Of course, silly! I would have sent you off otherwise. » Rose gestured to the seat across from her. « You have that side. That's the good part about having only two people in the compartment. We get more space to stretch out. »
« Yeah, it is pretty nice. I think a lot of the other compartments have four, at least if you're near the front of the train. »
« I wonder why no one took this compartment, » Rose mused.
« Well it's because you're in here. » Scorpius said simply.
« What? »
« Well, no one wanted to bother you. And they kind of all said you'd die if anyone else came and sat with you, but I didn't believe them. All the other compartments were full anyway. It took me long enough to get past all the people trying to stop me on my way over here. »
« Why'd they think I was going to die? »
« Well don't you have that Muggle thing? »
« It's called asthma, and I'm not going to die. »
Scorpius's eyes widened. « So it's true. You do have something, then. Can I get it? »
« Do you really think my parents would let me on the train if you could catch it? I'd be in the hospital wing by now with Madame Pomfrey hovering over me like a starving vulture. »
Scorpius chuckled, and a very light blush spread over his face. « You know, you don't look much like your family. »
« People say I look like Harry Potter. »
« Well that's just the hair. You've got your mum's texture though. And don't look at me like I'm a stalker. I saw the two of you standing together before I got on the train. Father pointed her out to me. I don't know who your eyes look like, but I'm pretty sure Harry's were green. My father says that's the only reason your uncle made it. Luck and pretty eyes. »
« My parents said that Uncle Harry had the eyes his mother, which reminded him constantly that love would always find a way around the evil in the world. » That shut Scorpius up.
« Sorry about what my dad said. I don't believe it, you know? It's just hard to think of what to say without going back to what he would say. I think that's what he wanted, to be honest. »
« Don't worry about it. And please punch me the moment I say something that my mom would say. I shudder to think of the tripe that would come out of my mouth. »
« Could it make it onto a Bertie Bott's flavor? »
« Yes it could, but I don't think even Bertie Bott's would want a poor, defenseless kid to eat my mother's words. They're much to difficult to digest. That's how she prefers them, of course. »
« I do believe my father mentioned something about your mother's penchant for long words. »
« Trust me, she didn't grow out of it, » Rose said, and the two of them chuckled.
« Want a chocolate frog? » Rose asked, extending a hand.
« Oh, sure. » Scorpius said and took the frog. « Huh. »
« What? »
« It's your mum. »
Hermione's brown eyes stared out from the frame of the chocolate frog card. « I'm never going to get used to that. »
« To be honest, I don't blame you. »
The two sat with their chocolate cards for hours, until Scorpius had to leave while Rose changed into her school robes. He felt like a guardian of her virtue for just a brief moment there, where someone could have come across the path, and he would have to defend her. It felt nice, he supposed. He had never had anyone to defend before, save the worms on the path his father would try to kill instead of move to the garden. When he came back into the room, the two sat and poured over their History of Magic notes until they reached the castle. Rose said it wouldn't do for them to be unprepared.