Drowing In You
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the HPverse, I also have never been to London so IDK if there
is an ice cream shop on Charing Cross but for the sake of this story let's say there is
Until it was pointed out to me I hadn't realized I was pretty much leaving Hermione out of the story. Of course there is a mother-daughter bond between the two. Hermione is just a hard character for me to write. So I tried to add more Hermione into this chapter. Hopefully it doesn't seem OOC or stiff or you know… bad. Super thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are awesome. Thanks to everyone else who is following or favorite this story.
Chapter 8: Guess who is coming to dinner
Rose entered her kitchen and frowned.
"Why have we set out the good china? Gran and Pop Granger coming to dinner?" she asked.
"No" Ron scoffed. "I told Hermione not to bother."
"Hush, the Malfoys are coming to dinner."
Rose's heart started beating faster. "What? Why?"
"Astoria and I have corresponded. There might not be a way to get you out of this contract so we may as well get acquainted with each other. We're going to be family soon."
"There is no way I'm going to be related to Malfoy scum" Ron said.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're both purebloods I'm sure you're already related. In fact if I recall Cedrella Black married Septimus Weasley. Cedrella is Scorpius' great-great-great grand aunt and Septimus is—"
"Okay, we get it. I'm already distantly related to the git" Ron said, "That doesn't mean I want to be even more related to him."
"Should've thought about that before you signed the contract" Rose muttered.
Ron slammed his fist on the table. "Damn it, when are you going to bloody forgive me? I already said I was sorry. I'm not the best decision maker, and I don't always think about the consequences of my actions. But I do love you and care about you. I've made a mistake, we all make them!"
Rose sighed. He was right. She knew she truly had gotten over her grudge with her dad days ago. She just couldn't help but to be snappy whenever he spoke.
"I love you too, daddy. And I forgive you. If you'll excuse me, I'm supposed to be meeting with Amerie in Diagon Alley."
Rose held up a set of yellow robes. It was pretty enough, had cute little white polka dots. She read the tag: shrinks or stretches to fit size, stain-proof, comfortable for day where.
"Tell me that's not for you" Amerie said holding up a checkered patterned robes.
"No, I'm shopping for Lily, she had to work" Rose said. While Rose didn't like to shop for herself, she didn't mind shopping for others.
"There is this dress you have to see."
"You know I don't like dresses."
"But this dress was made to be worn by you" Amerie complained. She dragged Rose by her arm to the other side of the shop.
On a mannequin was a periwinkle blue dress with a corset top and frilly bottom.
"I don't know" Rose said. While she didn't mind some dresses, this one was too girly. "It's not like I'm going to a party or something anytime soon."
"One, you should always have a back up party dress, just in case. You never know when these things are going to pop up. Two, you have to wear this dress to King's Cross."
"What? I am not wearing a dress to King's Cross. Do you know how uncomfortable it'll be sitting on a train for hours on end in a frilly dress?"
"This dress is a showstopper, but if you don't want to wear it, you don't have to. I guess Megan's going to have all the attention with her shinny new badge."
Rose's eyes narrowed. She knew Amerie was goading her. "Fine I'll try on the dress, but that does not mean I'm wearing it to King's Cross."
After two hours of shopping (the line was long) the girls went out to muggle London for lunch.
"So" Amerie said casually as the two girls walked aimlessly through Charing Cross. "When were you going to tell me about Malfoy?"
"I…I keep thinking if I don't say it out loud then it's not real" Rose said. "It's stupid huh? No matter how hard we look we have yet to see a blood contract be broken."
"That sucks, at least Scorpius is good looking."
"You sound like Lily."
"I always said Lily has good taste. So how is Scorpius taking it? Is he looking for a way out as well?"
"He knew!"
"Oh?"
"Yeah, he's known it for a couple of years now. He could've told me before now so it wasn't so much of a sock."
Amerie looked at her friend skeptically. "If Scorpius would've come up to you a year ago saying you're engaged—"
"I would have thought he was confounded or something. You're right. It's just so….ugh." Rose threw her hands in the air to show her frustrations. "His parents are coming to my place for dinner tonight. I don't know if my mum is trying to start the third great wizard war or if she actually deluded herself into thinking this will work."
"It can't be that bad, ooh look an ice cream shop" Amerie threw an arm around her best friend and led her into the shop. "Your father and Mr. Malfoy might not be chummy with each other but I'm sure your mum and Mrs. Malfoy should be able to keep the peace."
"Did I tell you I met Mrs. Malfoy?"
"No, what happened?"
The girls looked at the ice cream list as Rose explained. "Two weeks ago I ran into her in Diagon Alley. She was all haughty, pretty much the stereotypical standard pureblood woman."
"I know what you mean, I've met my mother."
"Yes, you get it, and then, hold on. I'll take a double mint chocolate chip with cherry sprinkles, what about you?"
"Um…one scoop banana nut, one scoop strawberry swirl topped with peanuts on a sugar cone."
They paid and continued as the ice cream was being made.
"Where was I? Oh so after Diagon Alley, thank you" she took her ice cream. The girls linked arms as they left the shop "After Diagon Alley she invited me to Malfoy manor. My dad was not happy about that by the way. SO I go over there and she has this old French woman strip me down and talk about how fat my ass is. Then she sized me for a wedding dress."
"Your arse is kinda big"
"Shut up! It is not. I spend a lot of time sitting on a broom so there has to be more cushion than for the average person."
Amerie snickered.
"Mrs. Malfoy said my ear piercing was lopsided and she redid it right then and there without a warning."
"I thought something was different. Your face no longer looks like it's heavier on the left side."
"Shut up! I got called flat-footed and then Coleen Sparks showed up to do my hair."
"The Coleen Sparks. You're shitting me. You know how expensive she is? I buy all of her hair care products. She is the absolute best. Do you think she's going to do your hair for the wedding? What about bridesmaids? I can't be your maid of honor with bad hair."
Rose glared at her best friend until the latter stopped talking.
"Sorry."
"She seems to be close friends with Mrs. Malfoy. I'll see if I can put you into contact with her."
"You're the best!"
"You're just saying that because you want to be maid of honor" Rose teased.
"Of course I'm going to be your maid of honor. So when is the wedding? I need to know so I can throw you a proper Hen Night."
Rose groaned.
"I don't know. I don't want to get married" she complained.
"It won't be so bad."
Rose looked into her closet unsure of what she should wear.
She had just gotten out of the shower and was debating what she should wear to dinner.
It was just dinner so there should be no need to dress up. At the same time, it was kind of an occasion the first dinner with your future in-laws. Should she wear a skirt? She shook her head it was almost as bad as wearing a dress. Should she wear robes? That was too formal.
After twenty minutes she picked out a pair of cream capris and a white and gold cami. She tied her hair up while it was still wet and slipped on a pair of gold flats.
"Need any help with dinner?" Rose asked her mum as she entered the kitchen.
"No, but can you get your brother from the Potter's" Hermione said.
"Yeah sure."
Not wanting to ruin her clothes in the floo she apparated instead. Of course with the apparition wards up she came out nearly a block away.
The Potters were in their backyard playing Hot Potato with a jinxed Quaffle.
"Hey Rose, you're looking nice" Ginny said.
The Quaffle came in her direction. She caught it automatically and threw it to Lily.
"What's the occasion?" Harry asked.
"Dinner with the future in-laws" Hugo spoke up.
"Mum sent me to come get you" Rose said as Hugo caught the ball.
"Do I have to go?" Hugo asked as he tossed the ball to Ginny.
"If I have to go you have to go" Rose complained as she caught the ball Ginny threw. She tossed it to Harry. As soon as Harry caught it, it exploded in a puff of purple mist.
Everyone laughed.
The two Weasleys went home.
"Seriously Ron, do I have to hide all of the firewhisky?" they could hear their mother ask as they entered the house.
"It's just one shot" Ron grumbled. "I don't know how I'm supposed to make it through the night sober."
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"We're back" Hugo called as they entered the dining room.
"How was it at the Potters?" Hermione asked.
"It was cool" Hugo replied nonchalantly.
Hugo went up to change. He wasn't happy that he had to get in his words 'all dressed up' but he settled for a button down plaid shirt and khakis. Meanwhile Hermione pulled Rose into the living room so they could talk.
Rose had always been a daddy's girl. Hermione remembered how Rose used to cry whenever she held her. It took Rose time to warm up to her mum although she bonded with Ron easily. They were an inseparable pair, wherever Ron when Rose followed. As she grew older she they began to bond more. Rose had the same love of academics that her mother had. They started doing more things together. Hermione even tried to teach Rose how to cook. Not that it went to well.
"Oh mum" Rose groaned. "What would you do if you were in my position?"
Like her daughter, Hermione reclined backwards onto the bed.
"I honestly don't know" she sighed.
"Mum! What kind of help is that?"
Rose realized how childish that sounded and smiled a bit.
"When I was your age I was already hopelessly in love with your father" Hermione said. "He was always the one for me, even if we both were being too thick to realize it. I didn't even think about getting married, and surely not so young. I wanted to have a career first, make a name for myself before I started a family. I'm not a big believer in things that there is no substantial proof to, but I know most people would say that fate has their own reasons for doing things. Everything has been working out well so far, we just have to believe that they will continue to go that way."
Rose sighed. She didn't really believe in thinks like fate either. It was always such a touchy subject. Yeah sure prophecies were made and sometimes they come true, but what about the ones that don't? What do you call it then?
"Do you think it'll work between Scorpius and me? Have you ever met an arranged marriage that works?" Rose asked.
"Not an arranged marriage, but…" Hermione sighed unsure if she should continue. "Do you know how George and Angelina got married?"
"No."
"Before the war Angelina dated George's twin Fred. They broke up when the war got heavy. I think they still liked each other, they just didn't want to have a relationship during such a hard time. It was the same for a lot of people. Harry and Ginny had broken up as well. After the war, Fred died. Both George and Angelina were distraught. George ran away for months. We were all really worried because we had no idea if he killed himself, if he was safe there were still death eaters running around. It was a confusing time. It wasn't like the war finished and everything went back to normal. When George came back, he came with Angelina. The two of them had eloped. Your Nana was not happy about that. The two of them weren't in love. They loved each other sure, but not the kind of love married people share. They were using each other to get over Fred and it was kind of disturbing. I don't know how their everyday life was, I wasn't living with them, but I know things were bad at first. They were always fighting and crying then screaming. They had a very hard time of it for a couple of years. They worked through their problems. I like to think they're in love. They're happy now."
There was a moment of silence as they both thought through the implications of that story.
"You can grow to love someone, over time."
"And if I don't?"
"Well, if we can't find a way to break this engagement, maybe we could find a way to break the marriage."
Rose rolled her eyes. "Mum, they don't call it bonded for life for no reason."
"Maybe you can have a muggle ceremony. You can always get a divorce."
"A muggle ceremony? I don't think the purebloods will stand for that."
"It's your wedding."
There was a knock on the door.
"What are you two doing up here" Hugo said as he let himself in, "The Malfoys are here."
