i've been on vacation the past 2 weeks
so sorry for not adding new chapters as often
ookay
enjoy!
Christmas came before I knew it. My roommates went home for the holiday, and it was eerily lonely sleeping alone. Never the less I woke up early on Christmas morning with a pile of presents stacked at the foot of my bed.
I opened the first one, a book from Priya entitled: "Twelve fail-safe ways to charm Wizards." I flipped to a page randomly; it was entitled "Eye contact." It went into great detail about how long to hold a guys gaze, how to avert your eyes, how to avoid getting caught staring. Apparently there were different angles you were supposed to keep your eyes at. 50% , 75%, and 100%. I scoffed and closed the book; sure I wouldn't open it again. I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror on the dresser, and tried it for a matter of seconds. Before returning my eyes safely to the stack of presents.
Acacia gave me a pretty Charmed-Charm bracelet wrapped in delicate silver paper. A chain of small silver charms, that came to life if I tapped them twice with my wand. Among them there was an owl that flew in place, a muggle ferris wheel that spun in circles, A wizard on a broom that dove up and down, a child on a swing, a cauldron that emitted lavender bubbles, and a little couple that danced in slow circles. I thought of Scorpius instantly. I took that charm off quickly and shoved it in the drawer of my bedside table next to the rose from the Yule Ball.
Erin had obviously coordinated with Acacia. She gave me one charm, a red rose inlaid with diamonds. Its petals unfurled, and closed continuously. I smiled giddily at the pretty little thing, and strung it on my bracelet, which had ceased to move.
Al gave me a huge box of chocolate frogs. I unwrapped half of them at the same time, and watched them jump around on my bed for a minute before the charm began to tire. I ate them slowly, knowing I wouldn't have room for breakfast.
The next present was from Grandma Weasley. She gave me a green weasley sweater, and a box of fudge, Typical. I pulled the warm sweater over my head, grateful since my old one had shrunk considerably. Or maybe I had grown.
The last box was large and wrapped in dusty paper, from my parents. I opened it to find a book on African Runes (which I assumed was from mum,) that I couldn't tear my eyes off. Finally I put it down on my bedside table, keen to read it again at night. I knew James would tease me, the bookworm. Heck, all my friends did. But I bided my time knowing they'd be sorry when I got constant O's. Even Al didn't do that well.
I ripped the rest of the paper off the box, and opened a large wooden crate, with a childish logo that read MINI PALS. I lifted the lid skeptically, and found a small zebra that I could fit in my palm. I was sincerely worried that it was an actual animal unjustly removed from the savannah, my ears flamed. Nevertheless I set up the small cage, with a miniature plain and lake in a matter of seconds with a few simple spells.
I read the information on the logo, but it gave no hint towards how it retained its miniature size. I wondered if I could learn to shrink people. Maybe Hugo. I watched as the Zebra sprinted repetitiously around the cage, and rubbed its head against my pointer finger. I closed the cage lid, and turned for the bathroom when something caught my eye.
A white rose lay on the bed, accidently hidden between the folds of my bed. I picked it up gently. My breath caught.
Similar to the one in my bedside table, it had a magical quality about it. It was unbreakable almost alive, and refused to wither. A glow radiated around it that made it impossible to avert my gaze.
It had to be Scorpius, I thought. Who else? I sat back down on my bed. Did I like Scorpius? It's a simple question, and I'm a thirteen-year-old girl, I thought. It shouldn't be this hard.
I couldn't like him. I didn't know him, I reminded myself. But I wanted to see him, to be near him. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to dance with him.
I refused to think about it. I returned my thoughts to the feast, to getting downstairs, to putting one foot in front of the other.
I quickly stood up, and stepped into Jeans and my green Weasley sweater. I washed my face, and brushed through the tangles of my dark red hair, which fell down to my waist. I tucked the new rose behind my ear daringly. I pinched my ice-cold cheeks for color, and walked briskly down the stairs to the common room.
James and Al were sitting in front of the fireplace. Al had a miniature Zebra, similar to mine. It had unusually spindly legs, and long eyelashes. I couldn't help but snort at the sight of the thing. Never the less he was watching it, as it repetitiously stumbled over its long legs.
James was munching an apple hungrily. He turned in my direction.
"Hey!" he said, "Weasley sweater, nice." We exchanged high fives. His sweater had a large red J stitched to it. "Al here won't wear one," he teased.
Al rolled his eyes, and stuffed the sweater over his head. "Happy?" James looked at him.
"Not especially." He turned to me. "You got a Zebra too, I assume?"
"Yeah. It's upstairs."
"Does it have a name?"
"Not yet" I said in a singsong voice. Plopping down beside him.
"Oh" he said, looking into the fire. "I named mine Gerald. Then I accidentally transfigured it back into an apple."
He bit into the green apple maliciously, and licked his lips. I threw a pillow at him.
"Mom and Dad are going to be pissed. Must have cost a fortune. But then again if a fifth year can reverse the spell it couldn't have been that expensive right?"
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Al chimed in.
We went down to the Great Hall together for breakfast. I caught Scorpius' eyes from across the hall. His hair was slicked back, as always, His face ghostly pale.
We hadn't spoken since the lake. I didn't dare. In one week our relationship had spun into unknown territory. We weren't together. We weren't friends. We weren't even friendly. But I couldn't stop thinking about him. If he passed in the hallway I fixated on the wall ahead and walked blindly passed. I saw every move he made, from the corner of my eye.
"Rose?"
"What?" I turned to face Al, who was sitting next to me.
"You were staring at Malfoy."
"No I wasn't."
"Yes you were."
"Give it a rest," I snarled. Silencing him.
Across the table James was snogging Juniper. I flashed back to the blonde he was dancing with at the Yule Ball. I glanced over at Al with a look that said your- brother- is-moving- through- girls- rather- fast- is- he- not?
Al looked down silently, and wolfed down a piece of toast, which he choked on and turned red.
Every few feet wizard crackers we set up in piles. Unlike muggle christmas crackers that contained a flimsy paper hat, a plastic toy and joe. These ones burst into pale blue smoke and left behind fascinating gifts. I pulled one which became a pair of glasses that allowed you to see people naked. I took them off faintly, and passed them to Al who had the same response. I doubted a teacher had placed that one on the table.
Al and I cautiously opened the next one, which was a sheet of silvery stickers. I stuck one to Al's nose, which refused to come off. Instead it turned invisible and left a transparent star that looked like it had seared through his face. He stuck one to my cheek furiously.
We began to open the crackers in a rampage. I got a magical chess set, a large flowery hat, a broomstick furbishing kit, and several white mice, which I put in a box. I wasn't going to let Ms. Norris eat them, especially on Christmas. The old flee bag.
When we had eaten more than our fair share of breakfast. We left. Al and I saw a flight of Bulgarians sitting in the hallway.
"You there" one called out to me, "little girl." My ears flamed, as I spun around. "Vat is your name."
"Rose" I replied indignantly.
"You are very pretty Rose," I looked at Al. What? The Bulgarian lumbered forward. He towered over me. With dark hair, and dark eyes, a strong nose, and a chiseled jaw. I knew for sure my ears were flaming red. I was grateful that they were tucked under my hair.
"Thanks" I said, turning to leave.
"Vait," he called after me. I spun around impatiently. "I vill see you around." He bowed formally, making my ears flame. I bobbed a curtsy, like a princess, and careered back around. Al was standing a few feet behind me. We exchanged a look.
"That was weird." I said as soon as we turned the corner, trying to be as cavalier as possible. Al shrugged.
"Maybe he likes you"
"He just thinks I'm pretty. I guess." I added.
"A lot of guys do," he said casually.
"What?"
"Well they do," he repeated with a shrug. I let the conversation drop.
I returned to my dorm, and put the mice in the cage with the zebra. They were roughly the same size.
I walked into Lily's dorm where she and her friends were crooning over a little black owl that a girl with long ashy braids had gotten.
Lily attacked me with a hug. The girls flocked around me like a celebrity. Pulling me onto the bed.
Lily showed me every new present she had gotten, with a detailed description about who gave it to her. I smiled and nodded at the correct intervals, until I my jaw hurt.
Lily proposed we go down to Hagrids, and her avid little pack of followers agreed. I followed reluctantly, as they trailed through the grounds. Trudging through feet of snow.
I fell back. Watching them peck along like a flight of crows.
"Rose!" I turned quickly. Scorpius was trudging through feet of snow after me, from the lake.
Lily and her friend's heads were disappearing under a hill. As they approached the fire- lit hut.
"Scorpius" I greeted him.
"How's your Christmas been?"
"Umm good. How about you?"
"Good"
"You don't sound convinced." I said before I could stop myself. Why on earth did I say these things?
He looked down awkwardly, stuffing his hands in his jacket. I looked away, smiling slightly.
"You're amused?"
"Not really. I'm just entertained by the fact that we're capable of having a casual conversation."
"What's your favorite color?" He asked suddenly. I looked at him surprised. Scorpius Malfoy had a way with surprising me.
"I don't have one."
"You don't have one?" he scoffed, "That's my simplest question."
"Okay" I snapped, "What's yours?" this somehow seemed like an extremely witty comeback to me.
"Red," he said instantly.
"Not green?"
"Not green," he echoed.
"My favorite color is either green, or blue, or red, or purple, or white." I said, trying to somehow redeem my answer.
"White's not a color." He teased me, "it's the absence of color."
I looked around; the entire world was covered in white.
"It's the absence of nothing." I said slowly "I think you're wrong. It's not the air," I said swatting my hand at nothing, "if I can see it, and hold it"
I rolled up a bunch of snow and threw it at him, "and feel it! Who's to say that white is any different from any other color."
He stood there with snow dripping down his pale face, a small smile turning up the corners of his mouth.
"That doesn't make any sense you know," In a flash he stooped down, and threw a heap of snow back at me.
I sauntered up to him, with a huge snowball behind my back. He didn't move a muscle. I kept my eyes on him, waiting for the perfect time to attack. I was two feet away from him when he sprung. And knocked me into the snow. Should have seen that coming
My head throbbed painfully once it hit the ground. I forced myself up. I clasped my hands to my head, in a delusional attempt to clot the pain. He scrambled off me and helped me up softly.
"Oh Merlin, are you okay?" He asked me, frightened.
"I'm fine," I said. The pain had started to go down once again. It had come and left in short intervals since the night. I still hadn't gone to Madame Pomfrey. "Really I'm fine."
I sun k back into the snow. He sat with me. Watching me, as if he were waiting for me to crumble.
"What's your favorite animal?" he asked, seconds later.
I wasn't very good at answering his questions.
"I don't know!" I protested, easily distracted. "I think thestrals are cool, take it I can't see them. I suppose unicorns to. I like Dolphins."
"Dolphins?"
"Yes they live in the water," I retorted. He had a way of making me feel like an utter idiot. A few seconds of silence past. "What's your favorite? Ummm" I racked me head, but all I could come up with was, "What's your worst fear?
He didn't answer that one. Just looked down, and twiddled his thumbs almost violently. I sat there feeling like a moron for ruining the conversation.
"Sorry" I said, moments later. Trying to amend for my ignorance.
We sat there. He didn't leave, and I didn't dare. I wanted to know his biggest fear. I grew almost obsessively curious. I didn't say one word.
Just then, (whenever then was in the silence that followed) his father strode across the campus, bee lining towards his son. Who was sitting next to Ron and Hermione Weasley's daughter, oh right, me.
He was wearing a long green cloak that was buttoned up to his neck. He looked powerful and frightening. Although it had been drilled into my head that Draco Malfoy was nothing but a snivelly, arrogant, disgusting toe-rag.
Scorpius stood to face his father quickly. Every one always said how much they looked alike. I had never seen it, and I'm not just saying that.
They had the same hair, and eyes, and nose and jaw. Scorpius was a foot shorter but just as thin.
But everything on Mr. Malfoy looked more severe. His cheekbones were extreme and his gray eyes pierced through dark bags. His chin jutted out and his pale skin had a ghostly contrast against the dark green cloak. I couldn't find any of this in Scorpius. I supposed Draco Malfoy at thirteen was similar to Scorpius, but I sincerely hoped that Scorpius Malfoy at his father's age didn't look a thing like him.
"Father," Scorpius said instantly.
"Who's your friend?"
"Rose," he said blushing, "Rose... Weasley." Mr. Malfoy nodded cordially. I echoed the motion.
"We have to leave Scorpius, your belongings are already packed." He said sternly.
"But why?" Scorpius asked, in a stammer.
"We won't discuss it, here." He hissed, glancing over at me. I turned to leave. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss
Weasley."
When I looked back, they were half way up the hill. I wasn't sure that I liked Mr. Malfoy.
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