Word Count This Chapter: 2,503
A/N: So I'm sorry, this is actually such a filler chapter; I was going to make it summer till Christmas, but that was going to take so long and I wanted you guys to know I hadn't abandoned you. Anyways, my finals are more or less complete and school lets out on Friday the 14th so I may update weekly in the summer. Just so y'all know. I think that's it! Please review, I got 8 in ch.2 but only 3 or 4 in ch.3, so if I'm doing anything wrong I'd love to know... OK thanks!
~Audrey
Summertime
"Rose, this time next year I'm going to be going to Hogwarts," Hugo beams.
"I already knew that, thanks," Replies Rose over a plate of eggs. "But yeah, I reckon you're right."
"It's a good thing that you're the first born, Rose. You'd have a lot to live up to if you were coming to Hogwarts in my footsteps," Hugo grins, pointing his fork at himself. "Consider yourself lucky."
"Someone's going to be in for a rude awakening when they reach Hogwarts," Mumbles Rose, arching an eyebrow. You're just like James and Fred, only more annoying and less funny."
"No need for sarcasm, Rose," Mum reprimands, drinking some sort of muggle drink called coffee that Rose finds too bitter.
Dad scoffs. "As if you weren't the most sarcastic person I ever-"
"Ron."
Rose's Dad shuts up.
"And, speaking of James, the Potters are coming tonight," Mum informs the lot. "They sent us an owl. You two don't mind sharing your bedrooms, do you?" She doesn't wait for a response before continuing, "Good. We've only got one spare room."
"Why are they coming?" Asks Hugo eagerly. "Ooh, ooh, do we get to go to Diagon Alley soon?"
Tuning out the conversation, Rose ponders the hard-to-believe fact that she's almost ready to begin her second year. She still remembers sitting on the train with Lysander, the Nott twins, Scorpius, Caitir, Marvin and Albus. Her and The Scorpion had been on such good terms then. She evens remembers Amity Nott's commentary.
"I don't know if I can believe my eyes. You, Weasley and Malfoy, acting civilised? What is the world coming to?" Her eyes turned teasing as she said to Scorpius, "I can't believe you like Weasley all of a sudden, Scorp."
"I don't like Rose, not really," he replied quickly. "She helped me with my exams, so I suppose I had better be nice in return. We agreed to a truce." He then turned to her. "Right, Weasel?"
"Absolutely," She beamed. Caitir shook her head.
"I always figured you couldn't go on trying to kill each other forever, but really? Acting so chummy already?"
"We're not chummy!" Exclaimed Rose, while Scorpius shook his head in horror.
"Nothing of the sort," he confirmed.
Still half in her thoughts, Rose mumbles, "Maybe we'll see Scorpius in Diagon Alley. Wonder when he's going."
Hugo drops his fork. "The Malfoy bloke? You wrote to me saying you couldn't stand him."
"Yeah!" Dad echoes, "Rose, what d'you mean, you wonder if he'll be there? Why are you so interested in him all of a sudden?"
"Ron, is it honestly so hard to understand?" Asks mum exasperatedly. "She wonders if she'll see Scorpius in Diagon Alley when we go next week." She enunciates each word clearly, as though dad is a toddler. "Perhaps they're friends – or, they would be, if you didn't stop pitting them against each other for something the boy's father did nineteen years ago!"
"He tried to kill you," Dad reminds her, voice laced with barely hidden rage. "Draco Malfoy, he tried to kill you and me and Harry. I'm not going to suddenly go around urging Rose be best friends with his son. He could be a bad influence for all we know."
"He's a Gryffindor!" Exclaims mum. "What can you expect from the boy?"
Hugo is glancing back and forth between his parents, extremely amused. Rose can feel tension rising in the air as dad looks from her to mum and back to her. "I only was wondering," she says hastily, "So that I could avoid him if we did end up going on the same day."
Dad looks satisfied and mum a little sad.
Once again, that irritating feeling of confusion sweeps over Rose.
"I'm going. Thanks for breakfast, mum," Rose says quickly before dropping her plate in the sink and bolting up the stairs.
"Ron!" She can hear her mum's reprimanding voice from upstairs. "You made Rose upset, maybe the two are friends. Come on. She's friends with the Nott twins, they're in Slytherin – no, don't say anything – times are changing! You aren't confined to friends in your own house. And no child should be expected to stay away from the children of their parent's enemies."
There's a heavy sigh from both Rose and her dad, in unison. No, she wants to protest. You don't understand. I dislike Scorpius because he's Scorpius, not because you hated his father. "Hermione, I know you have a point, but-"
"Exactly," came the stern reply. "I have a point. The conversation is over now."
"Or maybe, she's making friends with people outside her house because she's weird!" Exclaims Hugo.
Rose only sighs and begins counting down the hours until Al arrives. She's not sure if she can stand her family's pointless bickering much longer, especially when they talk about her and Scorpius's friendship. Bloody hell, they're not even friends. She's mentioned him once or twice, and it was never random.
…Maybe she's mentioned him three times. But no more than that.
"Rise and shine, sweetheart," A voice echoes through Rose's ears and she groans, batting her hand and trying valiantly to hit whoever has awoken her from her slumber.
"Rose, we're going to Dagon Alley today."
…
"Rosie!"
Finally, she opens her eyes to see Albus's beaming face right in front of her. It blurs, and then goes into sharp focus. She groans again. "Go away, Al…"
"Oh, come on, you can't tell me to go away! I've been sent up here to wake you up, everyone else is waiting for you!" He whines, wrenching her covers off her and exposing her bare arms and legs to the unforgivingly cold air.
"Al… you're my favourite cousin and my best friend, but if you don't give my duvet back that'll change very quickly," Rose mumbles, rubbing her eyes.
"Favouritism among families is bad," he chides. "Come along, cousin." With that, he yanks her out of bed by the arm and rummages through her drawers. "Here…" Al beams, tossing her shorts, a shirt, and a sweater.
"Er… thanks, Al. I think," she says.
"My pleasure," Grins Albus, exiting the room. "If you don't come down in five minutes I'll assume you fell back asleep and come up to drag you downstairs."
"Right."
"There's the sleeping beauty!" Exclaims James, who's holding the clay pot of Floo Powder. "We thought you had died up there!"
"Yes, I'm sure you were very worried," Replies Rose with a small eye roll.
"Next time," Says Hugo, "You may want to set an alarm. You know, if you're planning to get to Diagon Alley before supper."
"I get the point, everyone," Sighs Rose, defeated, eliciting laughs from around the room. "Can we go now?"
"Do you have your book list, Rosie?" Asks mum anxiously. "And your pocket money, in case-"
"I have everything, mum."
"Can we go to Uncle George's shop?" Asks James eagerly, taking his share of Floo Powder. "Please, mum?"
"Once you've got all your things, James," Aunt Ginny says sternly. "Go to the Leaky Cauldron, now, I'll follow."
James steps into the fireplace, yells, "Diagon Alley!" And disappears into a cloud of green smoke. Aunt Ginny follows, then Lily, Albus and Uncle Harry.
"Go on then, Rose," Dad says, gesturing towards the pot of Floo Powder. She can't help wincing. Although she's used it before, Rose nurses a strong dislike for Floo Powder; Aunt Ginny says she inherited it from Uncle Harry.
"Diagon Alley!" Rose shouts, throwing her pinch of Floo Powder into the fireplace and grimacing as she's swept into the warm flames. She can't help but be grateful that there was no time for her to eat breakfast; she'd probably throw it all up. The spinning sensation makes her sick but finally she falls into the Leaky Cauldron's fireplace, where her cousins await her. Hugo, mum and dad are soon to follow.
"Where to first?" Asks Uncle Harry once everyone has arrived safely.
"The Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" Suggests James hopefully. "I think that would be a good idea."
"Not a chance," Says Aunt Ginny. "School comes first. Besides, why do you want to go there so badly?"
"I want to see Uncle George and Aunt Angelina-" He starts in a voice the clearly says 'duh'.
"That's a likely story. I got several stern letters last year informing me of the fun you had with the items purchased at Uncle George's store."
"Mum…"
"How about we go to Gringotts first, then Flourish and Blotts?" Suggests Aunt Hermione. "We can split up after that, take care of the small things we need to buy. That way we'll have more time to do other things after. Like, you know, go to George's store."
"I like that idea!"
"Shut up, James," Says Albus exasperatedly.
"Yeah, James," Echoes Hugo, who idolises Al.
"Alright, let's get on, then," Dad says, ushering the group towards the door.
Rose spends her afternoon with Albus as they discuss year one and the upcoming ten months. "I'm excited to see our friends again," he says at one point, "But I'm not looking forward to Charms."
In Florean Fortsecue's Ice Cream Parlour, they come across Alice Wood and Marvin Thomas. Piper Longbottom is at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and Caitir is in Quality Quidditch Supplies.
"I want to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team!" She exclaims upon seeing them. "What about you?"
Rose and Al reckon Quidditch runs in their family and they're both anticipating a spot on the team at some point in their school career. "Absolutely," Rose says. "I want to be a Beater, like my uncle."
"I want to go for Keeper, but I don't know how many second-years they'll let onto the team," Caitir replies nervously. "I'm sure you lot would be great at it, though!"
"I think being a Beater would be great for letting out stress," Says Rose brightly. "You know, if Scorpius ever drives me up the wall, I can just go hit a few bludgers around until I feel better!"
Caitir laughs but still looks fairly apprehensive. After the pair wave away her worries and exit the shop, they stand in the middle of the street. "Reckon we should meet everyone back at the Leaky Cauldron?" Al asks. "I'm sure it's been two hours by now."
"Yeah," she replies. "Yeah, if you haven't got anything you want to buy."
"Hey," he says suddenly. "Hey, look, it's The Scorpion and his mum and dad."
Rose looks up sharply and makes eye contact with Scorpius. He raises and eyebrow and smirks in recognition. She can feel his cockiness radiating from down the cobbled street. "There's someone I haven't missed," she mutters under her breath, making her way towards the blonde boy. "Remind me not to punch him in front of his parents, will you, Al?"
"But-" Albus replies, confused, "I thought you were the perfect one who wouldn't dare punch Scorpius or anyone! And I thought you two were on better terms now!"
"He makes me act uncharacteristically violent," Rose retorts. "Also, how many times do we have to tell everyone? That whole 'being on better terms' was a one-time thing, like a truce, so he could get help with his exams. He's an annoying prat."
"Hey, Weasel, Albus," Scorpius calls, walking up to the pair.
"Hello, Scorpion," Rose says. "How was your summer?"
"It was lovely. I didn't have to put up with you at all. How about you?" he replies with a falsely kind smile. Rose grinds her teeth; she was going to use that insult. Why does he always have to get the better of her?
"Oh, fine. I'm thinking of joining the school team as a beater so that if I can imagine the bludgers as your face. I'll perform at the highest level possible with that strategy." She rolls her eyes and silently thanks her parent's genes for allowing her to think quickly.
"Ooh, good one, Weasel," Says Scorpius just as his parents catch up to him. "Dad," he says, looking up, "This is Rose Weasley and Albus Potter. They're, uh, in my year at school."
"And in your house," Says Mr. Malfoy coldly, sizing up Rose and her cousin. "So," he directs his attention towards her, "You're the daughter of Weasley and Granger."
"I am, Mr. Malfoy," She replies cautiously, afraid of the vibe that Scorpius's father gives off.
"The blood traitor and the mudblood," he whispers under his breath – Scorpius give his dad an irritated look - but before Rose can say anything, he continues on to Al. "And you're Potter's son. The Boy Who Lived. The Chosen One." He practically spits the words out.
"Um…yes," Says Al. "And you're the guy who worked for the evil side during the second wizarding war."
"Let me ask you something, Potter," Says Mr. Malfoy. Rose glances at her cousin nervously. "How is it that you know about that war, and who my loyalties were in said war, but you didn't know what a…hero your father was until last September?"
"Er…" Stutters Albus. "How did you find that out? I really don't-"
Scorpius looks angry. "Come on, dad, let's go," He says, pulling his father's arm firmly. "See you around, Potter, Weasel."
Rose can't help smiling because Scorpius seems very similar to her. He dislikes her because she's her, not because father's past rivalries with her parents. They're the same in more ways than they would expect.
"Cheers," Everyone echoes, raising their glass and drinking.
Rose sighs, glancing around her grandparent's yard with content. August sunsets are the best, she decides, with their pink and orange skies and warm evenings and happy crickets. Add to that the prospect of returning to Hogwarts tomorrow, a full meal in front of her, and a family she can't help but love – even though there are times when she wants to tear many of their heads off – it's impossible not to feel extremely happy.
Rose, hunger overtaking all other thoughts, digs into the food Grandma Weasley has prepared. There is a loud chatter but Rose tunes out most of the noise, happy for once to sit in silence. Everyone discusses their future; where they'll work, in Vic's case, and what house they'd like to be sorted into, in Louis's case. She thinks about her own future while the group talks; what second year will be like, what classes she'll take when she has more choices, how fun Hogsmeade will be when she's old enough to go there, what she'd like to do as a profession when she's older. Rose can't help but feel that tonight is a time to reflect on the past and future; she can't help but feel more excited than ever for the next six years at school.
Rose also can't help but feel like the corniest person on earth. So she joins in with the family's conversation and makes the best of her last few hours of summer.
