A/N: I had to edit this chapter several times to meet the competition limit of 1000 words, but now that judging is over, I decided to post the full version. Enjoy!

One

December 31, 2023 9:31 p.m.

Scorpius Malfoy looked up into the stern visage of Ron Weasley. Why did he have to be so tall? It made Scorpius feel like a kid.

″You're late.″

″Honestly, Ron. By one minute. His watch probably isn't synchronized with yours, that's all.″ The warm brown eyes of Rose's mum peered under her husband's arm, which was blocking the doorway. ″Hello, Scorpius.″

″Good evening, Mrs. Weasley.″

″Please, come in.″ Even Mr. Weasley noticed the steel in her tone, for he dropped his arm and stepped back.

″Hi, Scor,″ Hugo said. The two boys exchanged a ritual handshake.

″Where's Rose?″

Hugo rolled his eyes. ″The same place she's been since dinner— the bathroom.″ He turned and yelled up the stairs. ″Oi, Rose, lover-boy is here!″

Scorpius gave him a shove.

″Scorpius!″ Rose ran right up to him and stopped.

Scorpius laced his fingers with hers but didn't say anything. Not out loud, but he hoped his eyes were as expressive as hers. Two weeks— fourteen whole days— had passed since they had said goodbye on the Hogwarts Express, and while they owled or Flooed every day since then, it wasn't the same. He was dying to kiss her, but her family was here; he could feel her dad glowering behind him. Rose smiled as if she knew exactly what Scorpius was thinking, and just when he decided to kiss her anyway, she dropped his hands.

Scorpius groaned under his breath. Mr. Weasley's idea of a New Year's Eve date for his daughter was allowing her to invite a guest to the family party. Desperate to see Rose, and falsely encouraged by Mr. Weasley's smile during the conversation on Platform Nine and Three Quarters, Scorpius had leapt at the chance. It was only later that he found out he would be meeting her entire family for the first time.

And Rose's family was not your average collection of wizards. Two curse breakers, two Triwizard champions, a dragon keeper, and four— four!— Aurors (bloody Gryffindors). Not to mention her godfather was Harry Potter. Yes, him. Scorpius had been welcomed in the Potters' home several times, but he had a feeling meeting your friend's dad and meeting your girlfriend's godfather were two different experiences. And her grandmother, whom Rose adored, had killed Great Aunt Bellatrix. The crazy Death Eater both Dad and Grandfather were afraid of. That Bellatrix.

Scorpius was nauseous, and he still had to Floo.

He was dusting himself off when he was assaulted by a plump older witch smelling faintly of vanilla. She held him at arms' length, beaming.

″Scorpius, we're so glad to meet you. I saved you some chocolate gateau. Rose says it's your favorite.″

″I— yes, ma'am.″

She reversed a Disillusionment charm and handed him what looked like half the pudding, complete with a fork. With Rose pulling his hand and Molly Weasley pushing his back, Scorpius entered a sitting room bursting with attackers. Er, Weasleys.

The room quieted.

″Everyone, this is Scorpius. Scorpius, this is everyone.″

″Rose, Scorpius will think you haven't any manners.″

″He already knows that, don't you, Scor?″ Rose's eyes sparkled.

The memory of their last ten minutes on the train came rushing back. Merlin, he wanted to kiss her— but he also wanted to live. Maybe Rose was the one he should watch out for.

But she obeyed her mum, walking him round the room and introducing him to her aunts and uncles one by one. He wished Mrs. Weasley hadn't given him the gateau; his possession of it only seemed to increase his unpopularity.

Bill wasn't bad, and Percy was just as stuck- up as Dad had said, but Rose's cousins were friendly. Rose left him standing with Mr. Potter, un-jinxed so far. Scorpius gulped.

″Eat up,″ Potter said, indicating the untouched pudding. ″Molly is an excellent cook.″

Scorpius started breathing again, and they were silent for a few moments except for the scraping of metal against china. Potter was watching his wife, and Scorpius remembered she was a Weasley. Potter must have gone through this awful family intimidation too.

″Their sparks are worse than their spells. Be good to Rose, and they'll leave you alone.″

″Yes, sir.″ Al had said the same thing.

″But, Scorpius? If you so much as glance at the stairs, or outside, or a cupboard, or any other private space, it will be your last voluntary move for a very long time. Do we understand each other?″

Scorpius didn't need a mirror to know he was even paler than usual. ″Yes, sir.″

()()()()

Scorpius sipped his Firewhisky (George had shoved it in Scorpius's hand shortly after his conversation with Potter, saying he looked like he could use a drink) and watched Rose. He was supposed to be watching the chess match, but Rose was flirting with him. Sitting with her female cousins, she was giving him sidelong looks, flipping her gorgeous curls behind her back, toying with the stem of her wineglass. It was fifth year all over again, the glances and giggles and girlishness, only better. Without the suspense of doubt and with the memory of experience, knowing Rose was flirting was infinitely better than wondering.

″One minute! Places, everyone,″ George called. There was a general scramble as couples moved to pair up, and George and Charlie circled with refills.

Rose came to Scorpius with a know-it-all smile. He was kissing her at midnight, family be damned. They locked eyes.

″Ten, nine, eight . . . three, two. . . .″

But Rose didn't wait for midnight. On the count of ″one,″ she hooked an arm behind Scorpius's neck, pressed her body into his, and kissed him.

Not a friendly kiss, either. Or a brief ″it's midnight″ kiss. No, Rose was kissing him more intimately than she had ever done in public, and Scorpius threaded one hand in her curls and wrapped the other one around her, pulling her closer still. She tasted of peppermint underneath the wine. He was dimly aware of glass breaking, and the clock chiming, and James's and Al's catcalls, but by the time she softened the kiss and released his mouth, Scorpius was blissfully oblivious to anything but Rose. Dazed, he couldn't help his longing look towards the front door.

But Potter was smiling. ″Like mother, like daughter, eh, Hermione?″

″Rose is a smart girl. She knows what she wants.″

″And how to get it.″

″Shut up, Al.″ Lily threw a noisemaker at her brother. She had her mother's aim, and it hit him square in the forehead.

″Aunt Hermione, you need to add another couple to the snog list,″ Victoire said.

″It is not called a snog list,″ Mrs. Weasley said irritably. ″Assuming that it even exists, which it doesn't.″

″What's—″

″Don't ask,″ Rose said. ″One more?″

a/n: Another little reference to ″The Weasley Christmas Song List″ (I know, I know, I'm shameless). I responded to a reviewer, misspelled ″song″ as ″snog,″ and voila! I've been dying to use it ever since :D

To clarify: Two curse breakers (Bill and Victoire), two Triwizard champions (Fleur and Harry), a dragon keeper (Charlie), and four Aurors (Ron, Harry, Teddy, and James). This is set during Rose and Scorpius's seventh year at Hogwarts, so they're both of age.