A Malfoy 'Family' Christmas
Chapter Nine
When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels
~Anonymous
She walked in to the kitchen, attempting to continue her optimistic attitude in front of people. Sitting at the table were the rest of the Malfoy family: Draco, Astoria, and Scorpius. Rose plastered a smile on her face and joined the trio.
"Good morning, Rose. Did you have a good sleep last night?" Astoria asked warmly. She then put a plate in front of the auburn haired girl.
"Yes, very well," Rose responded. She decided not to mention all that she'd heard earlier. For one, because she hadn't been meant to here it and didn't want to answer questions about how she'd overheard it. For another, she didn't want to stir up trouble. So, she said nothing and instead began picking food from the table to eat for breakfast.
"I finally got an owl back from Mia and the group. They are coming over in a few hours to play Quidditch," Scorpius spoke breaking the slight silence that had begun to envelop the quartet. He then turned to look at Rose, "I know it's not really your thing but you're more than welcome to join us."
Rose thought about the offer. Normally, when given such a choice, between Quidditch and anything else in the world, she'd choose the latter. When everyone else headed out to watch Quidditch matches back at school, Rose searched out a quiet corner to read a book. That would be what she normally did. Yet in this instance, the choice wasn't quite as easy as normal.
As she contemplated her plan for the day, the argument she overheard only minutes before played in her head. If she chose not to go with Scorpius and his friends, she faced the possibility of running into Lucius Malfoy all by herself.
"I'll come and watch," Rose responded, putting extra emphasis on the word 'watch'. She was only using the Quidditch game as a way to avoid Lucius; she wasn't about to actually hop on a broom and start playing.
However, as Rose looked at Scorpius, she caught a slight sparkle in his eye that told her he may have other plans.
Rose and Scorpius were sitting out in the backyard under a warming charm. Scorpius had been tending to his broom while Rose read a book. Scorpius had spent several hours the year before, when he got the broom, explaining absolutely every facet of it to her. She had been so bored that, even with her ability to remember almost everything she heard, she hadn't retained much of the broom lecture. All she knew was it was the newest Nimbus and it was the fastest broom on the market.
"Quidditch!" an excited, feminine voice called from within the house, behind the pair. They both turned and saw Scorpius' friends standing in the doorway, brooms in hand. By the large, almost comical smile on her face, Rose guessed that it had been Mia Pritchard who had spoken.
"Are you going to be playing with us?" Mia asked Rose. The auburn haired Weasley quickly glanced around the group. While only Mia, Albus and Scorpius actually played Quidditch at Hogwarts, the others carrying brooms intimidated Rose and her absolute lack of skill. Bellamy Zabini had a crazy competitive streak, going as far as playing dirty to win, even in a friendly pickup game. Geoffrey Goyle was large in both height and musculature and would provide a menacing opponent.
"Of course she isn't Mia!" Charlotte Zabini interjected, her voice filled with over-exaggerated disgust. "Rose is much to smart to partake in such an idiotic game!" While Rose's dislike of Quidditch was a result of her simply finding no enjoyment in it, Charlotte hated the game because she had no ability to play it. Charlotte always expected things to go her way and when they didn't, she turned against them.
"Rose will be siting out with Oliver and I instead. Isn't that right, Ollie?" Charlotte turned to the other member of the group without a broom and gave him a pointed look. Rose chuckled at the girl's antics.
Rose had always felt especially close to Oliver Nott. Both were quiet and reserved, and both abhorred attention of any kind. Both had a strong work ethic and did very well in classes. Both would much rather read a book than watch or play Quidditch. Rose was almost positive that Charlotte had explicitly pointed out Oliver's lack of participation in the Quidditch match to ensure Rose made the same decision.
"Sorry, Mia," Rose spoke, "I think it's best I sit this one out." The other red haired girl simply shrugged and made her way out into the backyard. Rose and the others not joining in the game took a seat on the edge of the deck and cast a warming charm around themselves.
Because there were only five playing, Scorpius and the others began with simply tossing the Quaffel around. There weren't enough players for a team, and the uneven number made it difficult to create two small teams. They quintet however, quickly tired of the simple exercise and flew back to the ground.
They slowly made their way back towards the house, animatedly discussing something. Rose musingly wondered what they were discussing. She didn't have to wait long to find out.
"We need one more to play a quick three on three, any takers?" Mia asked. She scanned the faces of each of the three, but rested on Rose for several seconds longer than the others. She should have known. For years, both Albus and Scorpius had tried to get her in to Quidditch, wanting to share it with her. It had started off sweetly enough, but over the past year their efforts had begun to involve actively trying to get her to actually play the game. Rose had stood her ground on that fact on more than one occasion and she was prepared to do the same again. Nothing would get her up on a broom.
She opened her mouth to reject the offer, but was distracted by movement to her right. Oliver had begun to stand, possibly volunteering to join the game. Rose, wanting to see more, leaned forward around Charlotte. Mia, either unaware of Oliver's movements or, more likely, choosing to ignore it, instead took Rose's movement as her volunteering.
"Excellent! Thanks for volunteering Rose! You can be on Al and Scor's team and I'll play with Geoff and Bell. Here's your broom!"" Mia spoke lightning quick. She quickly grabbed Rose's arm and pulled her to a standing position. She then thrust a spare broom into a stunned Rose's arms and headed quickly back to the 'pitch'.
"I-I-I-I-I didn't volunteer!" Rose spat out.
"It'll be fun, Rosie! Just a friendly, non-competitive, pickup game. You'll have Scor and me doing all the work, if you'd like. All you have to be is a body. And who knows, maybe being in the middle of the action will change your opinion of this truly spectacular game!" Al tried to convince Rose to play using his best reasoning and his most enthusiastic and persuasive voice. All he needed to push her over the edge and have her actually agree was a puppy dog pout and 'pretty please.'
Beginning to feel her resolve to never play Quidditch crumble under the force of Al's argument, Rose dug in her heels further. After Al had finished her inner voice had asked her 'why not?' and Rose found it much more difficult than normal to answer the simple question. It was a truly unsettling sign.
She put her broom down and turned to sit where she'd just been. She halted. A pair of expensive looking leather loafers took her previous spot.
"Scorpius," the regal voice of Lucius Malfoy sounded clearly across the backyard. Rose looked up from the expensive footwear to find they belonged to the elder Malfoy. "A word, if you would." His words made it sound like a request; his tone and body language said otherwise.
The blonde looked apologetically at his friends. Then he followed his grandfather into the house. In the shocked silence that followed, Rose felt momentarily relieved at not having to mount a broom and attempt to play Quidditch. Then the implications of what had just happened hit her.
'We must do something to stop it!' Lucius' voice from earlier echoed in her mind. Without thinking, Rose began to follow after the pair, wanting to know what exactly the 'something' Lucius Malfoy had been talking about was.
To be continued