"I can't be," she said. "I've seen you with lots of different girls on Hogsmeade Weekends—not that I keep track or anything."
But she had noticed. Scorpius said, "You went with Terry Boot last time. Was he your boyfriend?"
"No. He was trying to make Siva Singh jealous. She told me at the Broomsticks."
Rose didn't sound upset about it. He wouldn't have to hex Boot to avenge her honour or some rot. "Did you snog him?"
"None of your business!"
Pink tinted her cheekbones. Rose Weasley blushed more than any girl Scorpius had ever known. It resembled a natural cosmetic accentuating porcelain-fine skin. "So you did," he said. "You get my point."
"Not having a girlfriend before doesn't mean you've never kissed anyone else." The "roses" in her cheeks deepened. "I could tell."
He denied the impulse to lift a hand and feel the heat. "I have to go."
"What about the list?"
"We'll finish on the train."
"It's rude to whisper while others are present."
A Weasley lecturing a Malfoy on etiquette, what would Grandmother Narcissa say? "We'll write." He smiled ironically. "It'll look like love-notes." He froze when she touched his face with a fingertip. "Your mother's heterozygous," he said. "Mine has a bifid zygomaticus major muscle."
"There's nothing wrong in passing along genes for blue eyes . . . or a dimple."
"Grandfather prefers Malfoy traits to dominate." In all ways.
"I like your dimple."
I like your mouth. He didn't say it aloud, but even thinking it was disturbing Especially with her sitting so close. He said, "I'll use a Disillusionment Charm, ride on the driver's box of your carriage until we reach Hogsmeade Station. After that—"
"We run the gauntlet?"
"We stroll," he said, "as if we haven't a care in the world."
He was ace at pretending not to have cares. It wasn't the same as being carefree. Wondering how the bloody hell he was going to get through the next week kept Scorpius awake long past midnight, when he cast a Deep Sleep charm on his dormmates and slipped out of bed to pack. His black rucksack was a Featherlight Capacious Bag, enchanted to hold everything in his trunk, if he chose, while remaining light as a feather.
In the morning, his choice of attire raised eyebrows in the Great Hall.
"What's with the new look?" Edgar asked.
Scorpius buttered a croissant. "I've worn jeans before, haven't I?"
"Not that I remember."
Nott and Willoughby shook their heads when Scorpius glanced across the table.
"You've never worn a hooded jumper, either," said Willoughby.
Nott said, "It's brown."
Cocoa, his mum called it, when she presented the outfit at Christmas and said, "Being Slytherin doesn't mean your wardrobe's limited to white, black, grey and green, darling. Try other colours, find your own style."
"I like it," Scorpius said. He chose a satsuma from the fruit bowl, peeled the orange, and methodically divided it into sections.
"If you're not hungry, I'll take the croissant," Edgar said.
Scorpius handed it over.
"Don't be nervous," Edgar said. "Your grandfather would do anything for you."
That's why I can't eat. He glanced down the table. Phineas Filch gave him a thumb's up sign. Scorpius looked away. Everything was going according to plan.
In the general chaos of leave-taking, it was easy to remain undetected as he waited in the Entry until Rose finished herding the first-years who milled around her like sheep out to the carriages. The tips of white trainers peeked out from the hem of her robes. Was she wearing jeans? If her shirt was any shade of brown, he was changing his at the first opportunity. Couples that dressed to match gave him the shudders.
He tracked Rose outside. Potter was climbing into the first carriage. She slowly followed—giving Scorpius plenty of time to walk ahead and climb onto the driver's box. When she paused before entering the carriage and looked up, he waved. Disillusionment wasn't total invisibility. The air blurred.
"We're all waiting on you, Rosie," Potter called.
She ducked inside.
At the station, Scorpius jumped down from the box. Students rushed the train like lemmings headed for an ocean cliff. Edgar and a large group of Slytherins sauntered in their wake. Rose stood in the middle of the platform, looking around—searching for him. He gripped the strap of the rucksack hoisted over a shoulder and countered the charm.
Rose saw him right away. She smiled weakly.
He picked up the carryall at her feet. "Are you ready?"
She lunged to clasp his free hand. "First, I want to introduce you to Albus."
"Who's right behind me?"
"Heading this way fast."
Scorpius moved to stand beside Rose. She looked ready to hyperventilate. He had to distract her. "You have a grip like a boa constrictor," he said out of the corner of his mouth.
"Oh! I'm sorry." She loosened her death-hold and stroked a thumb over the back of his hand. "Better?"
Around them, stragglers yet to board the train halted in their tracks to gawk. Potter said in a loud voice, "The Express leaves in five minutes. Get moving!" Face set and tight, he strode over and came right to the point. "What are you doing here, Malfoy? You signed up to stay at Hogwarts."
Rose said, "He took his name off the list. He's coming home with me."
Potter raked a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. "Damn, Rosie, I take it back. They'd prefer a house-elf."
"Well, I don't."
She was currently rubbing circles on Scorpius' knuckles. While the hand massage felt good, it seemed to increase Potter's agitation. Scorpius tugged his hand out of Rose's and placed it at the small of her back. "We can discuss matters on the train."
Rose said, "The train. Look."
Faces pressed to the glass of the windows not lowered for unobstructed viewing. Several pairs of flesh-coloured extendable ears dangled against the scarlet exterior.
"I'll take care of this," Potter said. "Accio contraband!"
A wave of projectiles hurtled toward them. Scorpius cast a Shield Charm to deflect the objects raining down.
"Next time be more specific, Al," Rose said.
Potter shot back, "You, too, Rosie."
The train whistle sounded.
"We can't leave this mess," Rose said.
Scorpius waved his wand. "Evanesco!" Debris across the platform vanished. He gestured for Rose to go aboard.
Behind Scorpius, Potter said, "That was personal property you destroyed."
"The rules call for permanent confiscation, but feel free to refund their money," Scorpius said. "I'd ask for receipts." He heard a sharp breath and edged closer to Rose to see what caused her distress. A mob of onlookers jammed the narrow corridor.
They had boarded the train through the last door remaining open: the first door of the third carriage. Most Slytherins preferred the second carriage, so the "gauntlet" wasn't as bad as it could have been.
Rose said in an authoritative tone, "The train is leaving the station. Return to your compartments!"
"Whoever does not immediately comply with safety regulations will lose twenty House points," Potter added. His use of a Sonorous Charm carried the threat down the length of the carriage.
Little by little, the pathway cleared.
Rose asked Scorpius, "Is this when we stroll?"
"As if we hadn't a care."
"I'll instruct the Prefects," Potter said to Rose, "and join you shortly."
"Right." She grabbed Scorpius hand and marched toward the rear of the train.
Were all Weasleys as prone to handholding? Scorpius tightened his grip to slow her pace. "A stroll is a leisurely walk."
Her eyes darted from one side of the corridor—one set of wide-eyed faces—to the other. "I feel like sprinting."
He relaxed his fingers. Compared to running, a brisk march was a stroll. He also understood her urgency. Gryffindors packed the last carriage. When the train cleared the station, passengers were free to move about. He used a silent charm to open the door ahead.
Rose picked up the pace.
They were a third of the way down the fourth carriage when the door to a compartment slid open. A small girl with distinctive red hair and freckles asked Scorpius, "Is Rose your secret girlfriend?"
He said, "Not much of a secret anymore, is it?"
"Get back in here, Lucy!" another girl cried.
Lucy giggled. "Molly's sore 'cause she was wrong. Bye."
"Two of my cousins," Rose said as they continued down the corridor. "Their dad's my Uncle Percy."
Another door opened. A pair of blond-haired lads stepped into the corridor. The rest of the boys in their compartment crowded the doorway.
"More cousins?" Scorpius recognised the younger one. A couple of months ago on patrol, he'd come across the first-year crying in the courtyard over a lost toad.
Loki wanted fresh air and then hopped away when I was trying to catch a snowflake on my tongue. Please help me find him. He'll die if you don't!
"Honorary," Rose said. "We call their mum and dad Aunt Luna and Uncle Rolf." She told the boys, "If you need the toilet—"
"Is he the one, Lysander?" The older brother said.
"Yes, Lorcan."
"Then give it to him. Loki wants him to have it."
Lysander opened his hand to reveal a brownish-green stone the size of a pea. "It's a toadstone," he said. "A talisman against danger and poison. I cleaned it after Loki spat it out."
"Thanks." Scorpius dropped the stone into the pocket of his jeans. "I might need it."
Rose said, "My family won't poison you."
"That isn't what I said, and we have to get to our compartment." Scorpius took Rose's hand and pulled her along.
She dug in her heels. "They won't kill you, either!"
"I didn't say they would."
"What are you saying?"
All down the carriage, Scorpius could hear the snick of compartment doors opening. He couldn't take on Gryffindor House en masse. "Run!"
She ran.
Lily Potter beamed when they threw open the door. "I saved you the window seat." She looked at his rucksack and gasped. "Is that the new Capacious Bag? I need one desperately." She pointed to the pink carryall stored on the rack above the seat. "Mine looks like a baby's changing bag."
Scorpius placed Rose's green-striped carryall on the luggage rack. His rucksack he preferred to keep at his feet. Accessible. He shrugged out of his jacket and asked Rose, "Do you keep your robes on the whole trip?"
"I don't have to."
"You always have before," Hugo Weasley said. He slouched, gangly arms crossed, on the seat opposite from his cousin.
"Things change." Rose took off her robes and folded them. "Thank you," she said when Scorpius placed them with his jacket on the overhead rack.
"You're welcome. I like your shirt."
She glanced down at the blue fabric. "It's your favourite colour."
"Not quite the right shade." He didn't realise how that sounded until he heard Lily Potter say, "Aw."
Rose looked at him questioningly.
Scorpius was glad to take a seat and break eye contact.
I'm Lily and he's Hugo, as you're probably aware," Lily said.
Hugo snorted. "Bet your folks always made sure you knew all our names, didn't they, Malfoy?"
"Yes, they put photographs on cards and quizzed me along with the times tables."
Rose's eyes held the humour her brother lacked. She asked, "Why not earlier, with your colours and shapes?"
"They didn't want to scar my developing psyche."
Lily gave a peal of laughter. "Hugo! You should see your face! Don't tell me you actually believe that."
Hugo scowled at his sister. "Malfoy's using you."
Scorpius felt Rose's body tense. He said, "In what way? To impress my family and friends?" He asked Rose, "Have I ever asked you to do my schoolwork?"
"No. You helped me with mine."
"I'm going to get Albus," Hugo said grimly. "He'll sort this out."
Lily released a deep breath when her cousin left in the compartment. "Well, that wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. Good thing I skivved off Prefect duty. Hugo wanted to climb out a window when someone yelled you two were holding hands on the platform." She sighed. "I missed it. I had to stun him."
"You're brilliant." Rose hugged Lily.
Scorpius had never thought to hug one of his cousins. They were acquaintances more than family, seen once a year at the Greengrass Christmas party. They didn't write or exchange Christmas cards.
A knock drew his attention to the door. Through the glass, he saw Edgar waiting in the corridor, a dark, hulking figure.
"What does he want?" Rose whispered.
"Who cares?" Lily made a shooing motion with her fingers. "Go away! We're all full up on Slytherins."
Scorpius said, "I have to talk to him. There's no danger." He smiled faintly at Rose. "The toadstone would've warned me otherwise." He slid open the compartment door but didn't step outside. His trust in talismans only went so far.
Edgar's eyes flickered from Rose to Scorpius. "Is she pretty enough to ruin your life over?"
"I'm not ruining my life. I'm making a choice. It has nothing to do with Rose, or you, or my grandfather. It has to do with me."
"She's using you somehow."
Scorpius looked back at Rose. "Where have I heard that before?"
She said, "My brother is as happy about this as you are, Goyle, but he has no control over us . . . and neither do you."
"Is there a problem?" Potter strode toward them, trailed by his girlfriend and Rose's churlish brother. With a wave of his wand, open compartment doors banged shut.
Edgar told Scorpius, "If you don't go home, he'll find you," and then turned to Potter. "No problem," he said and lumbered his way up the corridor.
Students who had reopened doors hastily pulled them shut.
Scorpius resumed his seat. The moment Edgar got off the train he would owl Lucius.
"He won't find you," Rose said softly.
"He will if your father won't let me stay."
"Don't worry. I promise, it'll be all right."
Scorpius wished he could believe that. The toadstone was burning a hole in his pocket.
A/N: Never say never! D'oh! Here I am, singing Oops, I did it again, and my inner Ron is very put out. He's not a fan of Britney, and for two weeks now, he's practiced walking down the platform, catching sight of Rose . . . and her "friend" . . .only to be told, at the last minute, "Sorry, luv, you have to wait a bit longer for your big scene." I had to go edit the last A/N to take out my rash statement that this would be the chapter. Blame Friday the Thirteenth, the toadstone, and most of all, my imagination, which won't let me summarise scenes that need to be experienced, even when they show up like party crashers. :D
The readers whose reviews are always welcome, anytime, anyplace, and anywhere, :), and brightened my week while making me feel horridly guilty for making promises I didn't keep last chapter are . . . 40/16, 23roses, abok1972, alix33, AnnaG, AudreyLovesRemus, Beauty Eclipsed, Beth, BittersweetSummer, Bittersweetness, Caileyyy Erin, Camillia Vincent, Calenmarwen, Carnivalgirl, cedward's-true-love, CFCRockAngel, Cherlemagne, deciesjo, Distopia, DragonQuillZ, drgn, Elizabeth-nightwatchman, ElspethBates, excessivelyperky, flutterby-flower, froggiegurl, Heartsday, homestar-fan, Itsa Mia, JasperisMYeverything, jn.v13, k8ebug, Kate's Master, LadyOfTheCelticLand, maddikinz940, Milka, Missdagne, ModernScribe, MollyCoddles, Moontime, Nesha227, Nightlilly, QuickQuotesQuill07, RahNee, RavenclawAmber, respitechristopher, rigal, ronandhermy, Rose of the West, SarahLou, SeraphimeRising, scarletti, secretsquirrel3, SmileLikeYooMeanIt, siriuslycrazy4snuffles, sophia666, sukanya, sunny9847, tambrathegreat, TillTheLastRoseDies, Tona-Babino, xoxphoenix, WeasleyWeakness and Wolf Girl Adrienne.
