11, February 2023 13:04

Hogwarts: Corridor

For the first time since Halloween Rose found herself walking alone in the corridors. She twisted her hands nervously looking over her shoulder every few minutes. She began walking faster; she had to get back to the Gryffindor common room. He had been watching her. Always, always watching her. Sending her the notes reminding her that she was his. That he was the only man she would ever be with. She shuddered. Before this she had only ever snogged boys. She had never…

She should have gone to Hogsmede with everyone else, but she hadn't felt like it. All those couples in the village blissful in their relationships unaware of the hell she was going through. Rose glanced over her shoulder again. She thought she heard… She broke out into a run, before eventually tripping and falling to the floor, hands first. She winced at the scrape of the stone against the delicate flesh on her palms.

"Rosie." She stiffened. He was there. She didn't bother to look back over her shoulder as she began crawling away furiously. Her wand had fallen out of her pocket when she had tripped. She spotted it and headed in its direction quickly, still on her hands and knees.

"My poor sweet Rosie. It's been awhile. Too long," She opened her mouth to scream as she glanced over her shoulder to see him as he raised his wand. Once again she woke, naked, on a bed with him there hovering over her.

Scorpius was walking to breakfast the day before Valentine's Day his mind thinking furiously as he struggled with his conscious; he turned a corner and stopped suddenly as his mind focused on the sight in front of him.

"Weasley?" he saw Rose Weasley curled up on the floor. She jerked up looking at him. His stomach sank as he saw the puffiness of her eyes. He hesitated. He didn't know the girl very well; yet, he felt the need to make sure she was okay. Of course if he didn't her cousin would come after him, accusing him of things again.

"Rose," he said softer, sitting down next to her, wondering if this had something to do with… No it couldn't have anything to do with what he had been struggling with. After all how could he have gotten into Hogwarts? She flinched away from him. Scorpius sighed and began to get up, he had tried. Why would she talk to him anyways? Then he stopped, sitting down again. Strange as it was, he knew this had something to do with him. He reached out for Rose's hands. She looked up at him wild eyed. He turned her wrists gently over in his hands. Her wrists were rubbed raw.

"What happened?" he asked looking at the red head in concern. She pulled her hands out of his.

"Nothing" she responded and turned away resting her head against the wall. Scorpius began to understand what Lily had been talking about when she had confronted him before Christmas, about something being wrong with Rose. He didn't understand why she thought he had done something though. He decided to go and find the now fifteen year old girl. Malfoy stood up slowly and cast one last glance at the girl who was curled in on herself. He felt a wave of nausea hit him. He had better find Lily fast.

He found her outside of the Charms room.

"Potter" Lily looked up from her conversation with Benjamin Hunt, whom Scorpius recognized as being one of Rose's close friends.

"I'll see you later Benjamin. Thanks for talking to me again," Lily walked over to where Scorpius was waiting for her. Ben looked at the pair and turned quickly walking away. Scorpius frowned. There was something going on with Hunt. He turned away, towards Lily. Right now Rose was the most important thing.

"There is something wrong with Wea- Rose. And it wasn't me" He quickly said as Lily opened her mouth.

"Her wrists, they looked like she's been chained up somewhere." He informed the fifteen year old softly. Lily looked at him in horror.

"And she insists there's nothing wrong." Scorpius continued.

"I hate Mondays." Lily muttered, before looking back at the 17 year old. Somehow she knew he would help her find out the truth even if no one else would. She frowned as she thought about the two conversations she'd had with Ben Hunt, who was supposedly Rose's best friend. He had insisted he didn't want anything to do with Rose and that maybe Lily should mind her own business.

Lily went up with Scorpius through the hallways to where he had found Rose. Scorpius crossed his fingers that the girl was still there. She was. Lily glanced back at Scorpius eyes wide before kneeling down next to her cousin.

"Rose," she said softly reaching her hands out to gently touch her. Rose flinched, quietly whimpering under her breath.

"We'd better get you to the hospital wing," Lily said.

"No," Rose protested shaking her head as she tried to curl in further on herself. Lily looked back at Scorpius, frustration over her face.

"Her room," Scorpius suggested watching both girls feeling sick.

Lily nodded, "Okay," she said biting her lip. She still thought Rose should go to the hospital wing, but she knew her cousin. If she didn't want to go, she wouldn't go. Both Lily and Scorpius helped Rose up and escorted her to her room where she collapsed into her bed.

A few days before the students were due their Easter vacation Hermione received a letter.

Mum,

I need to come home. As soon as possible.

Rose

Hermione sighed and pulled a piece of parchment and a quill towards her.

Rose saw her mother's owl flying towards her at breakfast on Tuesday, April fourth. She knew before she even opened it what her mother's response would be.

Rose,

You can wait until Friday like everyone else.

Mum

Rose looked at the letter her stomach sinking before she got up and ran out of the Dining hall. Scorpius saw her from the Ravenclaw table. Without thinking about it he got up and ran off after the girl. He caught up to her within a few minutes. She turned and grabbed a hold of him. It took Scorpius a few seconds to comprehend that the girl was sobbing into his shirt. He put his arms around her and held on tight. He looked up to see Lily standing a few feet away watching them. Rose looked up at them a few minutes later.

"I need to tell you something" Rose whispered.