Hi guys :D
Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Things happened XD. I got a new laptop, that broke and so I got a new new one XD. I'm also going to Uni tomorrow. SO. Yeah.
The song isn't mine, obviously. It's La Vie En Rose by the legendary Edith Piaf :D The translation was not by me. I don't take the credit :p
Chapter 7
"Morning," Rose said as she jumped into step next to Albus and Scorpius as they walked to the Ministry from the Bakery, Ava was smiling in a purple pant suit next to her, sipping at a cup of chai tea.
"Thanks for the intrusion," Albus replied, rolling his eyes, "morning Ava, where are you both going?"
"Good morning Albus, Scorpius, I'm going to the Prophet, Rose is just showing me the way," she replied.
"Where's Scarlett then?" Scorpius spoke up, drinking from his coffee cup.
"Sleeping, I think," Ava said, she sipped at her cup again and smiled. "This trip is practically a holiday for her."
Albus grinned, "I wish I could sleep in, it's not like I have anything to do."
Scorpius sighed, "the Quidditch league starts in a couple of months, you could be getting ready for it. But of course, Albus, you like leaving things too late."
"Albus has never been one to help himself," Rose said with a grin. Bumping shoulders with Albus and making him grimace.
"What is it exactly you do, Albus?" Ava chimed in whimsically.
"He just lazes around," Rose replied for him.
Albus sent a glare Rose's way and turned to Ava, "I'm a Junior Organiser for the Quidditch league," he replied. "I really wish you'd go back to Scotland, Rose, those 2 weeks when you were gone last year were just heaven."
"Oh shut up, Al, ooh and I have some good news. Lorcan called me this morning and said he'll be coming for Dominique's party, you two can catch up about old times, can't you," Rose suggested with a wink.
Her cousin however, rolled his eyes and drank his hot beverage, "whatever."
"Who's Lorcan?" Ava asked, a smile on her face at the prospect of meeting another male acquaintance.
"My best friend, he's in Africa at the moment, curse breaking, he hasn't been back since Christmas." Rose replied with delight in her eyes.
Ava nodded with approval, "I'm sure I'll enjoy this party."
Albus suddenly started laughing, "fat chance, Weasley gatherings are horrific."
Rose elbowed her cousin and shook her head, "no they aren't Albus, don't ruin it."
"Aunt Muriel chatting in your ear about what you really should be doing with your life, trying to set you up with hideous beasts. Then there's granddads poorly cooked 'Muggle' delicacies, that gave half the family food poisoning last time. The music is always terrible, and those incessant gnomes."
"The music won't be terrible, it is Dominique's party, remember," Scorpius added. He tossed his cup into a nearby bin, followed by Rose. They took each other's now free hand. Ava practically beamed.
"So Albus, Scarlett wouldn't really tell us, but what did you talk about?" Ava said with a friendly smile.
Albus grimaced slightly, knowing that he hadn't an answer to the question, because they had hardly spoken about anything. Scarlett had been withholding, and he knew she knew more about him than he knew about her. His grimace changed however, and became a half-smirk, and he shrugged his shoulders, "things that shouldn't be spoken about in public."
Ava wasn't exactly pleased with the answer, nor Albus' clear disregard, "oh," was all she could muster, and then she went back to her tea. Looking through the small plastic lid and into the caramel coloured drink.
"You're so annoying Albus, you know?" Rose said, "I'm sorry for him, Ava, he can be distasteful when he wants to be."
She nodded slightly, still looking at her cup.
Albus shrugged, knowing if he apologized, that would break down his façade, so instead, he shrugged and walked ahead of them, moving from their path and onto a different one and he stepped through a door.
"What could Scarlett possibly see in him that is likeable?" Ava said in small voice.
Both Scorpius and Rose laughed, the volume of the laughter made Ava grin. "That's a question we've both been asking, maybe there is some kind of sinister secret," Rose replied with a grin.
"I wouldn't be surprised, Albus probably has a million secrets up his sleeves, maybe we should consult Chi, see what she has to say with her Seer abilities," Scorpius said.
Ava's grin widened, "you know a Seer?" she exclaimed, dropping her cup and looking excited.
"Yes," Rose replied smiling, "but she doesn't see anything good, like lottery numbers."
Scorpius sighed dreamily, "that would be great, wouldn't it?"
"Oh shut up rich kid," Rose said, elbowing him with the arm connected to the hand holding Scorpius'. "You have way more than what they give away in the lottery."
He frowned, "that is my father's money, and not mine."
"Same difference," Rose replied with a winning smile. After a while, Scorpius' grimace twisted into a smile, mimicking Rose's own.
Ava shook her head, grinning, "no, but I've always loved to do a story about a Seer and the struggles they face. Do you think she would allow me to interview her?"
Rose scratched at her head, "I suppose so, but I don't know the rules for an Unspeakable, considering they're Unspeakables and everything."
"Oh, it wouldn't be about her work, just about her life so far, how old is she?" Ava asked, already getting out her small notebook and pen.
"22," Rose replied, "her name is Chi Wong, Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries."
Ava smiled, "thanks, that's great. And because of how young she is, this story can be followed up."
Rose smiled at Ava's enthusiasm and she could make out the usual entrance to the Ministry up ahead. "Try to keep Albus grounded, don't let him go searching for Scarlett in his lunch break," Rose instructed her boyfriend, letting go of his hand and poking him in the chest.
He twitched back and blocked her hand from his chest, "yes, Rose, I'm sure he wouldn't know where to find her, anyway," he said with a wink.
Rose sighed with relief and accepted the kiss that Scorpius placed on her lips. He smiled at her and saying goodbye jogged off towards the entrance to the Ministry, looking both ways before he walked through the small and dodgy looking door.
"You are so cute," Ava said dreamily, grabbing onto the crook of Rose's arm, and allowing her to lead her towards Diagon Alley. "Make sure to invite me to the wedding," Ava continued.
Rose rolled her eyes and laughed softly, "sure thing, we'll just have to wait for Albus to fall in love and my father to be decent to Scorpius, so never."
Ava shook her head lightly, "you never know what might happen. Maybe you should speak to this Seer friend of yours. Maybe she'll read your future."
"No way!" Rose exclaimed, groaning, "there is no chance I'm going to let her read my future again, I don't like knowing it."
Ava just smiled, "you have little faith in your father, he could change his mind."
"My father doesn't change his mind. So C'est la vie and what not," Rose replied. "It's not like I want to marry him or anything, anyway." Ava turned to see Rose's expression and she could read it all in the rouge of Rose's cheeks.
"Oh Pamplemousse," Ava said, pursing her lips, "why do you blush so if you do not want to marry Scorpius? What is the problem?"
Rose's eyebrows had risen at the nickname, "what did you just call me?"
Ava blinked and thought for a second and then smiled, "Grapefuit, you just remind me so much of my little sister, she's just as lost as you."
Rose's lips pursed together and she sighed, "I don't want to talk about this, it's too confusing," she said, she closed her eyes and breathed.
Ava chuckled lightly, patting Rose's shoulder, "Des nuits d'amour à plus finir. Un grand bonheur qui prend sa place. Les ennuis, les chagrins s'effacent. Heureux, heureux à en mourir. Quand il me prend dans ses bras. Il me parle tout bas. Je vois la vie en rose" she sang in a light lilt.
"La vie en rose?" Rose asked, her eyebrow raised.
Ava grinned and nodded, "In endless nights of love, A great delight that comes about, the pains and bothers are banished, Happy, happy to die of love. When he takes me in his arms. And speaks softly to me, I see life in rosy hues. I think it's very romantic," Ava said with a giggle.
"Romantic, huh?" Rose sighed, the Leaky Cauldron not too far ahead of them.
She smiled and nodded, "it will be fine, trust me Rose, I may not be able to see into the future, but I know happiness when I see it."
Rose waved her away with a hand, trying to distract herself in her bag as she searched for her wand.
XxX Albus XxX
Albus now regretted rushing off and leaving Scorpius, it meant he had gotten in earlier, first of all, and second of all, he was already bored out of his wits. He stared at the pencils on his desk, rocking his chair back slightly, imagining something much more fun and interesting. His mind went straight to Scarlett and what his brother liked to call, the gutter.
What? He was a man, he had needs.
He leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed tightly, but his imagination was screwing with him. His thoughts weren't creating the usual scenes he wanted to see, but they were weird. Like him walking on a beach hand in hand with Scarlett. He nearly barfed at the thought of it. But his mind kept on going through these ridiculous dates and clear romantic scenarios. When it even came to it, it wasn't even… well, it wasn't even dirty. It was too nice, and he felt all tingly and strange afterwards. So deciding that this method of action wasn't working well, he decided to think about generic things, like broomsticks and beer. But then she kept popping into his head, interrupting him when he was in the pub, or just by his desk, writing meaningless tasks down. He'd start a new day dream, maybe sitting down in the Leaky Cauldron and being given a cold refreshing goblet of Butterbeer. And then just as he would put it to his lips, she'd appear, taking it from him and drinking it all, laughing at his reaction. And then he would laugh, it made him a little queasy.
It was the way she said Albus, he decided. It was always the turning point in the daydreams, he really should have opened his eyes. The delusions wouldn't do him any good at all.
He was lying in the sun on his back in the Chudley Cannons Quidditch grounds, eyes closed and hands behind his head. "Albus," he heard her call, and then he felt her poke him. It felt surprisingly real, "Albus, get up," she said again, walking around to his side. Her lips went to his ears, tickling them with her breath and it felt strange to him. His ear beginning to dampen, he realised the strangeness of it all, why would she be licking his ear? He asked himself, and then his eyes popped open and James was standing there, a smirk on his face. Albus turned his head fully and saw that his brother was holding a large toad in his hands. Albus jumped, realising that his brother had allowed the amphibian to lick at his ear.
"You creep!" he shouted, pushing James away and standing up. "What do you want?"
James was laughing and sat on the table, "what were you dreaming about? You were all smiling and saying 'Scarlett, stop', who's Scarlett? Your new girlfriend? Wait, isn't that one of Violet's bridesmaids? You sly dog, Albus Severus, especially when everyone's warned you against her. What was she doing to you? Dirty things I hope," he went on, grinning hugely, sitting the toad on his lap.
"Shut up, James" Albus screamed, "and get that toad out of here! Where did it even come from?"
"Oh, calm down, Miss Myrtle, it's from downstairs, some idiot transfigured a bunch of them into cakes or something idiotic like that. Imagine that, how inhumane? So I took this one of their hands, his names Boris. I'm thinking of hatching a chicken egg under him, what do you think?"
Albus glared at his brother, "you're an idiot, now get out, I'm busy."
"Come on, Al, I'll call Fred and we'll have a party. Plus, you're not busy, if I'm not busy, you're definitely not busy, remember, I'm the Chaser. You were just daydreaming about some girl, anyway, let's go cause a riot or something. Dad is currently not in his office, let's mess his stuff around."
Albus continued to glare at his brother, his mouth pursed tightly, even the toad in James' arms was fidgeting slightly.
"Fine then Albus, spoil sport, me and Boris are out of here," he said, raising his chin indignantly and getting up, pretending to storm out of the office.
When he knew James had gone, Albus practically slammed his head on his desk, breathing in and out slowly. It didn't last long however, because then he started to hear laughter. And with horror, he turned to the fireplace to see a familiar face in the flames.
Thanks for reading.
