I'd like to thank Rayven49, InSaNeAnNiE and Veronique Ruthven for reviewing! You guys are awesome! I'd also like to thank my beta rokslite.
SECOND YEAR
Rose had to admit that having Scorp and Al over at her house before they made their way to King's Cross made their trip a bit less nerve-wracking. She could double check her lists with them to make sure everything was packed and ready. She could also review the assignments they were given over Summer.
If she had been left to just her family, she would have gone bonkers. Her mum would have added things to her list and her dad would have scratched things off.
As they made their way towards Platform 9 3/4, Rose grinned at her best mates before they stepped through, pushing their carts along.
"This year's going to be great," Scorp said, smiling at the chaos around him. They made their way to the train and together, they were able to get their trunks, as well as their bird cages into the Weasley/Potter compartment without asking for help. When they returned to Rose's parents, grinning gleefully at their independence, Rose was smothered in a hug, making her smile drop.
"Mum!" she said, pulling away as Hermione held her tight.
"You're so grown up, aren't you?" she asked on a tearful laugh and her dad pulled her under his shoulder, rolling his eyes at Rose.
"You know how she gets, Rosie."
With a sigh, she turned to Scorp and Al, who pretended to be tearful and pulled her into hugs as well. She batted them away and they laughed at her. Al hugged Ron and Hermione quickly while Scorpius waved, ignoring the scowl her father was aiming his way.
They entered the train, leaving her alone and she turned around, hugging her mother tightly, surprising her,
"I love you," she said quickly, doing the same for her father before racing off to join her friends. Her parents chuckled at her, her mother wiping away her tears.
"It's so crowded in here. It reminds me of the Burrow," Scorp said, glancing around the packed compartment.
"Doesn't it?" Rose asked, grinning, as she shoved James' feet off of her lap, making him fall to the ground and scowl at her.
"Dom seems to be missing," said Al with a frown, watching Molly chat with Lucy, Louis and Roxie.
"I'm going to miss Vic," Rose said with a slight pout and Al hugged her with one arm.
"She said she'd visit when she can. Plus, we'll see her over Christmas."
"Yeah, but I liked having her around in case I needed to talk to someone."
"What are we? Cheese?" Scorp scoffed from where he sat.
"I can't talk to boys about everything, you know," she said, indignantly. Al and Scorp frowned at each other.
"What can't you talk to us about?"
"Other boys, for instance," she said, grinning and they scowled darkly at her.
"Plus... Personal things," she said and laughed when they shuddered in obvious disgust.
"The conversation ends here. Would you like to retrieve your manliness, Scorp?" Al asked, holding his arm up to wrestle.
"Don't mind if I do," Scorp said with a grin. Rose rolled her eyes and turned to Molly to ask,
"Where's Dom?"
Molly grinned and inched closer, obviously ready to spill some juicy gossip.
"Do you remember Gerald Lynch, the Captain of the House team?"
"Yes," Rose said, leaning closer eagerly.
"They exchanged letters over the vacation and all of a sudden, she just has to meet him when we get here. Bit dodgy, don't you think?"
"Extremely," Rose said, grinning.
"Want to go look for them with me?" Molly asked, her eyes glinting mischievously.
"Definitely!" Rose laughed.
She excused herself and they left the compartment, peering into the glass in the doors of the other carriages, looking for the couple. When they got to the end of the train and saw no sign of their cousin or Lynch, they got suspicious.
"Luggage compartment?" Molly asked, staring at the door, as if trying to see inside.
"Let's," Rose said and they made their way to the door, silently opening it and looking inside.
They were disappointed when they found no one and frowned, closing the door behind them when they heard a small noise. Grinning like lunatics, they went inside, tip-toeing around some bags. There, they found Dom and Lynch mauling each other against the wall of the compartment,
Molly and Rose made simultaneous gagging noises, making the couple break apart and tug at their clothes, conspicuously.
"Do you mind?" Dom asked, hotly, pulling Gerald, who was now the colour of the Hogwarts Express, after her.
"Well, I've just been traumatised for life!" announced Rose as she sat next to Scorp and Al, who had ended their arm-wrestling and were now attempting a game of Exploding Snap.
"What happened?" Al asked, not looking up from his cards.
"I just saw Dom and her boyfriend going at each other in entirely inappropriate ways," Rose said with a shudder.
That made them look up.
"Dom had a boyfriend?" Al asked, incredulously.
"I didn't know either," she said, shuddering at the vision of her cousin snogging.
"Who is he, then?" James asked, leaning forward, eagerly.
"None of your business," Rose said, primly, omitting the fact that she had not found out by legitimate means.
"Come on, Rosie, we just want to have a bit of fun with the bloke," Fred said, grinning.
"Ask Molly," she said, knowing that if it was anyone who could handle Dom's wrath, it was her best mate and cousin.
They eagerly cornered Molly, who laughed as they began questioning her.
"So, who is it, then?" Al asked, grinning.
"Our soon to be Captain, Gerald Lynch," Rose said with a grin.
"Lynch? Are you certain?" Al asked as Scorpius laughed.
"Yes, Lynch. And from the way they couldn't untangle their tongues, I'm pretty certain."
They sat still for a moment before they fell all over each other, cackling at the imagery.
Following their raucous laughter, by the time the food trolley came around, they were half-starved, so they gleefully gorged themselves. Al was just stuffing the last piece of Drooble's into his mouth when Molly made her way closer to them, bored without Dom.
"Don't tell me you're going to do what I think you are," she said, eyeing Al with trepidation.
"He is. He lost a bet!" Rose said, sitting on the floor with Scorp, starting a new game of Exploding Snap.
"What bet was that?" she asked, curious, and sat, watching as Al began to blow a humungous bubble.
"He said he knew my favourite flavour of Bertie Bott's. How wrong he was."
"It's strawberry," Scorp said, obviously not paying attention, focusing on his cards. He didn't see the startled look that Rose gave him and he missed the knowing grin Molly sent their way.
Quite suddenly, there was a huge "pop" and they glanced across to see Al covered from head to foot in gum.
Molly sighed, pulling out her wand, wondering why she was related to a bunch of trouble-makers.
By the time they arrived to Hogwarts, Rose had burned off a lock of hair and Scorpius had singed off an eyebrow. Al, who had joined them later, had lit his sleeve on fire.
"I really don't see why we enjoy this game so much," Scorp said, fixing Rose's hair with his wand as she did the same to his eyebrow.
"It's a challenge not to set yourself on fire?" Al asked, grinning.
They laughed and made their way off of the train, following everyone to the carriages. When they got into one, Alice Longbottom joined them.
"I didn't see you on the train," she said with a smile.
"You know us. We were in the Weasley/Potter compartment."
"No wonder I didn't see you. It's always terribly crowded in there."
Rose laughed and they chatted about their Summer holidays while the carriage took them on the short trip to Hogwarts.
It wasn't long before the new First Years were sorted and the feast began. It seemed as though the sweets from the train were ages past. They dug in with gusto and chatted with vigour, discussing the holidays, assignments and their hopes for the year to come.
"What I was telling her was-" Scorp wasn't allowed to finish as James called,
"ROSE!" loudly across the Great Hall.
A large group of students turned to stare as Rose got up and made her way across to him, blushing the whole way.
Scorp watched, confused, as Rose sat with him for a little while. He glanced at Al for a moment, but he shrugged, unsure of James' motivation.
"Do you think it has anything to do with-" Scorp started but was interrupted when Rose all but ran back to their table, took her seat and buried her face in her hands.
"Rose?" Scorp and Al asked, simultaneously.
"Just let me die of humiliation, please," she said, her voice muffled against her hands.
"What did he do?" Al asked, turning to glare at his brother, who was grinning over at Rose.
"He called me over to introduce me to one of his friends," she said, her face still covered.
Al and Scorp glanced at each other, confused.
"So?" Scorp asked, trying to pull at her hands.
"It was horrible. When I sat down, he introduced me to one of his friends who bloody fancies me and asked if I want to go out with him. I will kill him when I get the chance," she said, pulling her face out of her hands.
Scorp and Al saw the fury in her eyes and cautiously scooted away from her.
"I should go just to spite him," she said, muttering to herself now.
"Come on, Rose, don't stoop to his level. He's an idiot," Scorp said, soothingly, his stomach churning at the idea of Rose going out with anyone.
"Yeah," she said, sighing, "you're right."
She shook her head.
"We'll handle James, Rose, don't worry," Al said, smiling over at James, evilly.
Rose laughed, shaking her head quickly.
"No, don't worry. I already told him no, so it's okay."
When Scorp looked across at the table, though, it was to see that James had gone back to eating, but a bloke next to him was staring at Rose. The look on his face didn't look like he was giving up anytime soon.
He nudged Al, who glanced at him curiously before he tipped his chin towards the boy. When Al saw him staring, his eyes narrowed and Scorp grinned. With Al on the case, he had nothing to worry about.
"James! My big brother!" Al asked, hugging him around the shoulders. Scorp came up behind them, grinning into his fist.
"Need something, Albie?" James asked, grinning.
"Yeah, I was just wondering, that bloke that asked out Rose...?"
"Mmm hmm?" James asked, smiling, obviously reminiscing on the moment.
"Well Rose wanted me to talk to you about that," he said and James stopped, turning, intrigued now.
"Did she send you to hex me, then?" he asked, pulling out his wand and twirling it.
Al's face was a mix of shock and confusion.
"No. Why would she do that?"
"Oh," James said, obviously disappointed.
"She wanted to know if she could possibly change her answer, actually."
Confused, James quirked an eyebrow at him.
"What?"
"Well, she told me she was too embarrassed to do it herself, since she already told the bloke no, but she changed her mind after thinking it over. She wants to go on the date."
At once, all the colour blanched from James' face.
"She wants to go out with Dennis?"
"I reckon. That's why she sent me, after all."
"No. No. Not my baby cousin. It's not happening," he said, sternly.
"But I thought you wanted them to go on the date?" Al asked, the perfect mix of confusion and outrage, "You can't promise her a date and then renege, James. It'll hurt her feelings!"
The outrage was outweighing the confusion now and James was shaking his head insistently.
"It was just a joke! Dennis fancies her, yeah, but I thought she wouldn't fancy him back!"
"James, you git! You're messing with people's emotions. This is your cousin! What if she likes the bloke? Wants to marry him, even?"
Whatever colour had been left in James face drained at this.
"Al," he said seriously, gripping him by the shoulders, "be honest with me. Does she really fancy Dennis?"
"Why the bloody hell else would she ask me to grovel to you?" Al asked, exasperated.
Panic shot across James' face and he shot off down the hallway, wand already drawn.
"You're a genius," Scorp said, shaking his head, amused.
Rose was laughing with Al, Scorp and Alice, making their way from Defence, when she saw James and the Dennis bloke he had introduced her to on the day of the Welcome Feast. Just as she was about to duck behind Al, he spotted her and his eyes widened before he glanced at James and literally ran in the other direction. At this point, everyone else had noticed as well.
"What the bloody hell was that about?" Alice asked, watching Dennis still running.
"I have no idea," Rose said frowning. She glanced at James who was grinning evilly at Dennis' back.
"Strange. We have to get to class, though," Scorp said, not seeming too bothered.
"Right. Don't want to be late or Krum will have our heads," Al said, grinning, leading the way.
Her family was so strange sometimes.
The day of Quidditch tryouts came on a bright, fresh Saturday morning.
The trio made their way, with their brooms, towards the Quidditch field and they smiled at each other, crossing their fingers. They were glad that they were all trying out for different positions so there wasn't any competition between them.
They grinned at Dom and Molly, two of the Chasers, as they stood with the rest of the team. Rose smirked at the arm that the Captain had wrapped around Dom's waist.
He was talking to the current team members, which, sadly, because of the number who had left the year before, had dwindled considerably. Dom waved at them, smiling jovially, making Gerald Lynch, her boyfriend and the bloke who would be testing them, glance over. She pulled away from him with a quick kiss on the cheek and jogged over to them.
"Good, you're early. That's a great way to start off. He takes punctuality very seriously," she whispered before hugging Rose tight.
"I know you're nervous, Rosie, but you'll do great. Same for you, Al. And you too Scorpius."
She gave the other two quick hair ruffles before making her way back with the team. Scorp noticed that Lynch's eyes hadn't shifted from her since she left his side.
"Why the hug and support?" Al asked, confused.
"I mentioned to her how worried I was about this," Rose said, shrugging. Only then did Scorp and Al notice that her hands were shaking.
"Rose, you're a great Keeper. Weasley is our Queen, yeah?" Al said, winking at her.
"Hoping that my dad's talents will help me somehow aren't going to work, Al," she murmured and wrung her hands together.
Scorp was about to say something, but Lynch had already made his way over to them. Glancing back, he saw that more hopeful students, most of them older, had made their way onto the pitch as well.
"Gather here, please," Lynch started in an authoritative voice that Scorp knew would work well on the Quidditch field.
"I want you to separate into what position you're trying for. Keepers, here," he said, gesturing to the left and Rose as well as a small contingent made their way where he pointed,
"Chasers, here," he pointed to the right and Scorp walked across with another small group.
"Seekers, here," he pointed behind him and Al as well as two other players walked over.
"Now, we're all going to be playing together. Three games. At the end, I'll call the names of the ones who made it."
With a nod, he made his way back to the team.
Al, Scorp and Rose glanced at each other, nervous.
I'd just like to mention that I'm posting a one-shot on the start of the relationship between Dom and Gerald. There's a bit more than meets the eye with that couple and I wanted to go a bit more in depth.