Life seemed to have a funny habit of putting people through a circle, where they would be subjected to the harshest emotional and physical pains that they had, up until that point, never experienced. It then seemed to reward said people for making it through such confusion and pain, by giving them periods of time when they would be blissfully happy. The inevitable and unfortunate truth, however, was that the circle, as all circles, was ongoing, and just as happiness came around, pain did too; claiming people's time as its own. It was this very circle that Rose Weasley soon found herself embroiled in, though it would take its time to show its face.
The events of the summer holidays were still fresh in her mind as Rose boarded the Hogwarts Express. She hurried through the train, trying to find the compartment in which he would be sitting. Albus was already on the train, and no doubt the two of them would be catching up on the events of the holidays. She had glimpsed the blond head of his father as she made her way onto the platform, but the restrictive arms of her parents bidding goodbye to her had made it near impossible to even see Scorpius, let alone talk to him.
"Rose!" a familiar voice called.
Rose stopped her hasty dash through the train corridor and turned around to see who was calling her. May stood behind her, an excitable grin lighting up her features. It has been a good few weeks since the two of them had seen each other, and Rose had missed having someone her age to talk to. Her cousins were of course excellent company, but her best friend was irreplaceable.
"May!" she exclaimed happily. The two immediately began to chatter about their holidays, and it was only midway through their conversation that Rose realised that everyone had gotten into a compartment and she and May were left in the middle of the corridor. She opened her mouth to suggest that they find some seats but before she could, a mildly urgent voice floated up towards them from a near compartment.
"Erm, May? Don't wanna interrupt your little conversation, but the bloody train's gonna start moving in a minute!" Albus called.
May jumped. Albus's voice had evidently startled her.
"Yeah, allright, we're coming!" replied Rose, grabbing May's hand and quickly edging into the compartment, where Al and Scorpius were sitting. She took care not to look at Scorpius and sat down in relief. The train had just started moving with a great lurch and she was thankful that she wasn't in the middle of the corridor- the way the train had moved, she was sure she would've fallen over. It didn't help that she was quite prone to falling over anyway.
"So, how are you all, guys?" asked Albus.
"Allright." shrugged Scorpius.
"Good." said Rose.
"Good thanks, and you?" replied May.
"All good." he said.
Albus and May soon struck up a conversation about lessons and holidays and some other waffle that Rose didn't bother paying attention to. She was too busy looking out of the window at the rolling hills and bright splashes of green. She resisted the urge to look at Scorpius, but soon found herself looking towards him. Her jaw almost dropped. Six weeks had changed him.
The freckles that littered his face previously had faded away, and his untidy mess of hair had been tamed; the unruly locks of hair near his forehead now fell in a diagonal fringe lightly over his eyes. His platinum blond hair was now a much warmer shade of yellow (had he dyed it?) and it complemented his green-grey eyes beautifully.
"Erm, Rose?" he asked.
"Yeah?" she replied.
"Why are you staring at me?"
Crap. She had been staring too long at him. 'Stupid, Rose! Stupid! Don't go drooling all over him!' she chastised herself.
"Oh, you just look a little different, that's all." she said nonchalantly.
His eyebrows creased, and Scorpius wondered what she was talking about. Rose was the one who had changed. Her hair was auburn as opposed to the usual ruby, as she had described it, and it was tied up in two little plaits which reached to just past her shoulders. She now had a gentle fringe that framed her face. She looked cute. Not hot or pretty, but she had a look of innocent endearment about her.
"Oh. Do I? You're the one that's changed." he said, directing the conversation away from himself.
"Not much has changed really, but hey, I did say I had auburn hair now." she grinned.
"Oh, right yeah, I remember now. So, are you looking forward to going back to Hogwarts?"
"Sort of. I'm not all that keen on the non stop NEWT work but if it's challenging, I'm sure I'll find it fun."
He nodded in understanding. "That's cool."
"What about you?" she asked.
"Looking forward to the lessons really, and the food- there's no food like Hogwarts food. Oh, and most of all, being back with my friends."
"I take it you didn't have much company in the holidays, then. What about your cousin? Wasn't he going to come visit?"
"Oh, he couldn't make it. I'm going home in October, you know, like how muggles have half term?"
It was Rose's turn to nod in comprehension.
"Yeah, I know what half term is."
"It's good that McGonagall's put in stuff like half term. Even if it is only for a week."
"I'm glad it's not for longer, though, if it was, I'd miss Hogwarts like mad." said Rose.
"Agreed. But you go home for half term anyway. I usually stay at Hogwarts, so I'll probably miss it even more this year."
"Why do you stay at Hogwarts?"
"Let's just say I'm not that big a fan of staying at home, and leave it at that." He said it casually but Rose could tell there were underlying issues. Still, she decided not to pursue the matter.
"Rosie? You're a Prefect, right?" asked Albus after a few minutes.
"Good God, don't remind me." she muttered, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"It's allright, Rose. Just because you're not Head-" started May comfortingly. She was cut off by a glare from Rose.
"Don't. Mention. It." she said, through gritted teeth. "You either." she said, directing a scowl towards Albus.
"Well, I don't mean to mention it, but don't you have a meeting?"
"It's not until half one. And it's only just gone half twelve, Al." Rose said irritably.
"Allright, don't bite my head off. Just thought I'd show some cousin-brotherly love and ask." said Albus, with irritation.
"And I was only trying to comfort you, Rose!" said May, hurt.
"Sorry, Al. And you May, I'm sorry." Rose apologised. "I just really wanted Head Girl." she said in a small voice.
"Oh. I was wondering why you were getting upset." remarked Scorpius, though not unkindly.
Rose sighed. "I guess I can't change McGonagall's decision." she said. A hint of bitterness bled through her voice.
"I think McGonagall's getting a bit senile in her old age anyway." said Scorpius, trying to lighten the mood.
"I agree with Scorp, actually. Old Minerva's losing her marbles." said Al cheerily.
"But McGonagall doesn't really have marbles, though. So why would you say that?" May enquired confusedly.
"It's a Muggle expression." Scorpius explained.
"Oh."
"Don't stress about it though, Rose. I guess it just wasn't meant to be." Scorpius said.
"I just really wanted to make my parents proud though, yannoe?" she said unhappily.
"We do know." answered Albus. "But they have so much other stuff to be proud of about you that's not to do with academics. I mean, at least you're not like Molly, in one bed one night, another bed the next."
Rose laughed. "That's true. And anyway, who am I to complain? I have you guys!" she said brightly, trying to mask how bad she was actually feeling.
"Exactly. Plus, you deserved it over Holly anyway." said May.
"Oh, tell me about it. She's nothing compared to you, Rose." declared Albus proudly.
"Thanks, guys, but she actually is. She's pretty and funny and smart and, well, practically perfect." Rose was suddenly aware of how crestfallen she sounded, and how her friends were about to open their mouths to argue, so she quickly added, "But still, who cares about her when I have you guys?" Albus and May smiled and she knew she had countered their worries.
Rose wouldn't show how much this had knocked her confidence in herself. She knew she was a good student and all, but she felt as though she had failed her parents. Not only had that disheartened her, but Holly being picked over her had hit home how hard she would have to work. And just to add it all, Holly had indirectly made it clear that she was now her competition. Between the smug smiles, snide looks and the surprisingly convincing act Holly put up of being an innocent little creature; Rose had developed a deep dislike of her.
Rose hadn't managed to fully hide away her disappointment, however. Scorpius had seen the sad shadow in her eyes which had gone unnoticed by Albus and May.
"Still, McGonagall's loss, eh? I'm sure you would've made a great Head Girl." Scorpius said comfortingly. May and Albus indicated their agreement.
He added in an undertone, "And I completely understand how you feel about pleasing your parents. Will took my place- I didn't even get Prefect, and my dad expected that much of me. Still, who cares, eh?" he said, winking.
Rose smiled gratefully. The wink, a sign of their shared understanding, seemed to cement their friendship. Scorpius had somehow silently identified with her so well in that brief moment. He understood that she wanted to be Head Girl to maintain her reputation and fulfill the endless task of pleasing her parents- a task which she had pretty much been instructed to do. He also understood that she wouldn't say anything for fear of unsettling her friends. And in a way, she understood that he wanted to please his parents and that the disappointment he felt in not exceeding his fathers expectations still stung. She also somehow recognised that he wouldn't say anything either, but would instead pretend not to care. The mutual grasp that the two had on each other's true thoughts only highlighted how strong their friendship was becoming. And so it was with a much lighter heart and less worry that Rose made her way to and from the Prefect's compartment. She had even managed to send a condescending congratulation to Holly and Will on their respective Head Boy and Girl places.
The next few hours passed relatively quickly, and as the train pulled into Hogsmeade station, the glowing lights of Hogwarts beckoned the students closer and welcomed them. The usual excellent feast was laid out and no one had any trouble in ravenously demolishing the never ending piles of food heaped upon the tables. Chattering and laughter echoed loudly through the Great Hall, and after a while, it was time for bed.
Rose made her way up to her dormitory with May and sank, relieved, onto her warm bed. She was back at Hogwarts. She was with her cousins, and May, and Scorpius. Her heart lifted a little at that. She glanced out of her window overlooking the Quidditch grounds, and as she did, she glimpsed a figure staring at her from the opposite Ravenclaw Tower. Rose could just make out a malicious smirk on the face of one Holly Bertrand. Rose narrowed her eyes and vowed to strengthen every asset she had that she could use against Holly. It was time to bring her down.
A/N: I'm quite pleased with this chapter, I feel as though it's one of my more stronger pieces of writing, and I hope you all liked it. This is the tenth chapter (yay!) and that's quite an achievement for me, because I've never continued with a story like this (as in, a multi chapter story) long enough for it to reach ten chapters, (mainly because of a lack of encouragement) but you, my wonderful readers and reviewers have made encouraged me to carry on with this story, so thank you all!
Thank you to Sianatra, FireIgnitesUs, DizzyPotter and the-writing-vampire for taking the time to review :)
And also, thank you to everyone who's added this story to their Story Alert or Favourite Story list- that's Sianatra, FireIgnitesUs, 3rdemosewa, magiclastsforever, luna-lovegood-77, ChoclateyBooks4ever, kirra993, KCRedPanda98, TheGreekGods, Jalice Hale, undertheimpression, Heather Jayne, twi360amylouise and last but definitely not least, DizzyPotter. It's great to know that people somewhere out there are reading my story.
I do hope you all liked this chapter. And if you did, leave a review and let me know what you thought of it :)