Chapter 9

Fourth Year

"Very nice, Rose, very nice…!" A familiar voice scoffed. Taylor. His words, the tone…It was like acid. It sizzled through Rose's bloodstream and turned her bones to dust. She fell from heaven and found herself right in the middle of hell. Spinning round, she caught sight of her boyfriend standing just by the doorway, with a crowd of Gryffindors. She saw Joanna by his side, just behind his shoulder, and Rose could've sworn that the darkness was concealing her smirk. Dorothy and Madison were there too- as if they'd have missed out on this. She saw Diaz, striking in his dark suit, with a dark, pretty girl she recognized from his own year standing with him. At least they didn't seem to be looking at her with disdain, not like the others.

Not like Hugo. And Albus.

And James.

Oh God, oh God, She thought, Not this, not like this.

Not now…

It had only just begun, it had only just begun but now it was about to end.

It was about to end.

It couldn't.

"It's…"

"…Not what it looks like?" Taylor scowled, no, it wasn't a scowl, it was something she had never seen from him, it was a look of disgust, as if she was dirt on his shoes, as if she was the dog that had soiled the carpet, the mongrel, the bitch.

"No, it's…it shouldn't have happened like this." She said sadly. Taylor took a step towards her and for a split second she was almost certain he was going to hit her. It seemed Scorpius thought so too, as he started forward as well. She wrapped her arms round his waist and held him back, and -without meaning to- resting her cheek on his shoulder.

"Get off him, he's nothing. Nothing but a slimy serpent." James spat, like a cobra ready to strike.

"Oh, we're still on infantile nicknames, are we?" Rose retorted, feeling herself becoming not afraid, not embarrassed or ashamed, although she didn't feel she should be. She was angry, furious, raging, "Well I've got a few names for you, you fascist bastard!"

He reeled back, as if he'd been slapped. She'd confronted him about her friendship with Scorpius, the equality of houses, even about Quidditch tactics, but never had she been so vicious with him, so upfront, so fearless.

There was no fear. She didn't care anymore.

"Don't talk like that!" Hugo piped up, "You're the one cheating on your boyfriend like some slapper!"

It was Rose this time who felt the ground rock beneath her feet. She stared into the face of her brother, still rounded, smattered with freckles, her eyes, her nose, her blood.

Her brother. Just thirteen, and already he'd grown into something she'd never imagine he would. Her little brother.

What had they done to her little brother?

"Guys, let's not throw about insults we will regret," Diaz stepped in hastily, holding up his large hands and raising his eyebrows anxiously. Rose couldn't even feel gratitude, she could only feel hurt.

This couldn't be what love felt like.

"Diaz, unless you're saying you're our long lost uncle, don't get involved in a family matter that doesn't concern you," James threatened. Diaz didn't show anger, although something glinted in his dark eyes. He stepped back and offered me a sympathetic gaze.

"It's nothing to do with you." Scorpius spoke for the first time, staring James and Taylor full in the face, "It's between me and Rose."

"And the guy she cheated on!" Taylor shouted indignantly.

"Oh, please! I saw you with Joanna barely a second after Rose left!" Diaz's date piped up, and her eyes widened when she realized that she had spoken out. Rose felt a dull pang, but realized that it didn't hurt nearly as much as it should've. If she even cared at all.

"Didn't wait around long." She said to Joanna coldly, "Not that you were even close to an excuse of a friend anyway." Joanna shrugged, smiled a sickly smile. Like water off of a duck's back.

"Not like you need him now." She said nonchalantly, "You've got your Reptile, now haven't you?"

Scorpius didn't even blink, but Rose was seething.

"Shut your mouth you spoilt cow!" She shrieked, and Scorpius had to seize her arm in fear of her jumping on the girl. It didn't stop her shouting though.

"I'd rather have Scorpius for company than ANY of you!" Of course she didn't mean Diaz, or his date, she didn't even know her, "At least we can see people for who they are, not their blood or their stupid house. How can you possibly see who someone is from four options? Four choices? It's so much deeper than that-"

"Rose, he's bad blood." James said, oblivious to her words, "If he was a Ravenclaw, fine, if he was a Hufflepuff, then I guess I'd accept that too, but he's Slytherin and nothing can change that and nothing will change me."

Her eyes blazed into his.

"You ignorant bastard." She said shakily, trembling with anger and pure hatred, "You think anything will change how I feel about him-?"

"If you go with him then you'll have no family here to turn to." James thundered. From a quick glance to Hugo and Albus, Rose knew that their minds were set also. Against her, against her feelings, her thoughts, how she felt inside. None of that mattered. Not when it came to the blurred line between fact and opinion.

"Some family." She choked, and she pushed through the crowd, knowing she didn't have to ask for Scorpius to follow.

"Are you sure?" He asked her as he hurried to keep up with her.

"You know I am." She said, impatiently brushing away the tears, her expression set.

This is it then. Scorpius thought to himself, taking a deep breath.

Us.

Against the world.