Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter characters or universe.
A/N: Once more thanks for the reviews guys! Your words are awesome! Keep them coming pretty please :)
Beneath the Venom
~*Chapter 12*~
"So… you have a date huh?" Lily inquired as she watched her cousin get ready. They were both in the room that Rose and Scorpius shared, seeing as how all of her stuff was there. It had been a good while since Rose had been on a date and Lily wanted to give her support, hence her presence.
It was early Saturday morning and the third years and up were preparing for their Hogsmeade visit. For the first time in a while, Rose was excited to be going into the little town. Of course, during her third year she had been nothing but excited every time there was a visit and she made sure to go to each one. However, as time went on, the allure wore off and she found that she could not spare the time away from her studies. It was nice to feel that thrill again. While the Triwizard Tournament had more thrill than she wanted, at least going to Hogsmeade she wasn't going to be worried about her life being in danger.
"Yes, with Julien, that Beauxbatons guy who spoke to me that day when the schools were demonstrating their skills," she replied as she brushed her fiery hair down in soft waves. Currently, she was standing in front of a mirror she had conjured as she observed her appearance. Stepping away briefly in favor of digging around in her trunk, she found a white head band that she promptly slid into place.
"He seems really nice. Much different from Malfoy—" Lily started, pausing as her cousin gave her a look. "I don't mean anything hostile by that, you know that. I'm not like Albus. While I may not understand or agree with your newfound tolerance of him, I'm not going to fight you. I'm just pointing out that the two are drastically different and you deserve to be around someone who is not going to demean you." Satisfied with her explanation, Rose went back to finishing her appearance.
Lily had been very surprised with her cousin for a little while now. She had been more emotional this year then she had ever been. Granted, she was aware this was her final year and she was under an insane amount of stress, but Malfoy seemed to be getting under her skin much easier now. Even now she had not explained what had caused her to become so upset that she spent the night with her in the dormitory. Despite, Rose not telling her, she had a feeling it had something to do with Malfoy. If it wasn't Albus or Hugo making her upset, it was Malfoy.
Since Rose had become partners with Malfoy, Lily noticed that she seemed to defend him more frequently. She was sure that there was another side to him that only her cousin was going to see, as they were now spending so much time with one another. However, that did not ease her concern that Malfoy was using her. Her brother did have genuine fears concerning Malfoy, he was just terrible at expressing them. It was up to her to be the voice of reason.
"Myself and Scorpius have to learn to get along better. The first task really brought home how our lack of compatibility is really going to harm us, both in ranking in the tournament and our safety. This… feud that we have is pointless. It stems from our family and I don't like it. Scorpius fed into it first and I will admit that I have not done much over the years to make it better. Now, we need to. You and I both know that he's not going to so I need to," she explained as she slipped a white cashmere sweater over the black tank top she was currently wearing. The weather was starting to become cool as autumn was in full force and winter quickly approaching.
"Yeah… I get that. Albus and Hugo are pretty stubborn, more so my brother than yours, but…. they do have valid points. Malfoy isn't exactly trustworthy," Lily urged. A soft sigh came from Rose as she ran her hands down the front of her black jeans, smoothing them out.
"Despite his outward appearance… there is goodness in him. I have seen it… he's just afraid to be who he wants to be. I can't imagine having to survive his home life. So many expectations," she said with a sad smile as she looked over at the younger girl. "His family isn't as warm and affectionate as ours. You can tell." Lily nodded, agreeing with her. It was a sad situation but that didn't excuse his behavior totally.
"So… tell me something, Rose… do you have a thing for Malfoy?" Lily asked as she sat up on the bed. It was the only thing that made sense to her. Malfoy was bothering more than usual, it was after she had seen Malfoy that she spent the night with her, and the two of them had their hands clasped together after the task. Then there was the fact that she was defending him all the time. Oh and the icing to the cake was what her brother had walked in. Tournament or no tournament, none of this was characteristic of Malfoy or Rose.
"Wh-what? N-No! That's insane!" she sputtered, her cheeks turning pink immediately. While she had admitted to herself that she was becoming attracted to Scorpius, there was no way she was going to admit that to anyone. Besides, she had already promised herself that she would squelch that desire. It would be nothing but trouble and chaos. Scropius wasn't really into dating the same woman for an extended period of time and she wasn't going to be a fling.
"What about you? I've seen how you look at that Durmstrang guy… the one who's a Champion," Rose said quickly, trying to take the conversation away from herself. It seemed to work as now Lily was the one with flushed cheeks.
"Who Alek? I mean he's attractive and all extremely talented but… ugh nevermind," she mumbled as she grabbed a pillow and held it over her face, huffing loudly. Rose couldn't help but giggle a bit at her reaction. It was obvious that she liked him but with her brother being as ridiculous she could only imagine how difficult dating was for her. She was the baby of the family and even Hugo treated her the same way, despite how they were the same age.
"Have you even spoken to him at all?" Rose asked as she applied the finishing touches to her appearance. She even dabbled a small amount of makeup on her face, which was uncharacteristic. Normally, she didn't put so much thought into her appearance. It wasn't like she normally had someone to impress either.
Lily had started to respond but it was indistinguishable and muffled because of the pillow over her face. Rose laughed a bit as she walked over to her and removed the pillow. Her cousin's face was as red as her hair. The whole scene was rather comical.
"Wanna try that again?" she inquired with a smile. Lily sighed exaggeratedly.
"Every time I try, something happens. Most of the time it's because of Albus. He starts talking about how if we talk to them it's fraternizing with the enemy and we aren't supporting you. He's really obnoxious about it, the bloody prat," she growled. "Even Hugo jumps on the band wagon."
"I'm sorry. Well, how about I introduce you to him? I'm not saying that I know him real well or anything but he is a Champion and I'm in a position to talk to him," she offered, beaming when she saw Lily's eyes light up. While Albus might think she was fraternizing, Rose didn't agree and she thought he needed to lay off of everyone for a while.
"That would be great! Thanks!" Lily said happily as she hopped off the bed. "You look awesome. Any man would be captivated," she praised, causing Rose to blush prettily. Before Rose could respond to her cousin, she heard the door open.
Scorpius strode into the room, not having expected anyone to be inside. While everyone else was getting ready to go to Hogsmeade he didn't feel like going. The last thing he wanted to do was run into Rose with her stupid date. Just the thought of it made him feel annoyed. The scowl was still on his face even when he entered the room. It immediately fell, however, when he was greeted by the sight of Rose.
Damn she was beautiful. She was wearing a simple outfit but it accentuated her curves which were in all the right places. He recognized her outfit as muggle attire but he didn't give a damn, not when she looked the way she did. She was stunning and for a moment he found himself staring blatantly.
"Is…. everything okay?" Rose asked gently. Scorpius had a peculiar look on his face and she wasn't sure what it meant. All that she knew was that he was staring rather intently and it was causing her to blush.
"The staring is kinda creepy," Lily observed. Having discovered that someone else was in the room, Scropius' signature scowl reappeared as he frowned.
"What is she doing here?" he demanded as he went to his side of the room.
"She's here to help me, not that it's really any of your business," Rose said defensively as she returned to the mirror to make sure she looked okay.
"Girl's gotta have help if she's going to look good for her date," Lily said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. She had a sneaking suspicion that Rose's feelings were not unrequited so she was going to have fun with Malfoy.
"I mean, after all, Julien is a great guy. He's super nice to her and an absolute gentleman. Not to mention he's incredibly attractive and girls always love the foreign students. They seem so exotic. Then there is the fact that he's pretty skilled too. I think he's perfect," Lily continued, grinning slyly as she saw that Scorpius was trying to hide what he was feeling.
Scorpius was not sure what kind of game the Potter girl was playing but he wasn't fond of it. While he knew that she was playing at something, it didn't make him deaf to her words. Yeah, when she put it that way the bastard sounded decent but surely Rose wasn't easily swayed by that. She needed someone of substance and he knew that guy couldn't offer it.
He felt jealousy burn deep within him as he took in Rose's appearance once more. She looked outstanding but what was killing him was that she was doing it for some other guy. He wasn't even sure if that Julien guy was going to truly appreciate what she did. While he was not on the greatest of terms with Rose almost all the time, he knew that she never dressed up. His heart ached as he realized that he wanted her to do that for him.
"Well goodie for you. Like I give a damn. I just wanted to go somewhere quiet," he said with a nonchalance that he didn't feel. "Which apparently isn't here because of you two giggling idiots."
Lily waved him off, not fooled by his reaction. She could tell that there was something more. His eyes burned with a jealousy that he was trying to hide. It was surprising to her that Malfoy felt for Rose as he did. Albus and Hugo would never stand for it and honestly, she was not sure if she was too okay with it either. None of that mattered right now, though. Rose had a date to attend and she deserved to be happy without Malfoy botching it up.
"Oh shut up," Rose growled before sighing. She was getting really tired of his behavior but she was not going to let that ruin her mood. "Lily are you going to be going to Hogsmeade as well?"
"Nah, not this time. Believe it or not, I'm kinda falling behind with everything going on. Not a very good excuse I know, considering that you are still at the top of your class and juggling a tournament," Lily said with a sheepish smile. Rose shook her head a bit but smiled.
"Okay, I'll see you later then. I have to go," she said as she hugged her before heading towards the door. "Enjoy your quiet time, Scorpius." With that she disappeared into the hall, leaving Lily and Scorpius alone.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Scorpius growled after the silence became too much for him. He felt uncomfortable being around the Potter girl. The two of them never directly had any altercations really. She seemed to stay out of the fighting.
"Don't you?" she said pointedly as she gave him a knowing look before leaving the room. He found himself staring after her confusedly. What the hell did that mean? Where the hell else would he be? Did she mean for him to go to Hogsmeade as well? Why would that have been what she meant?
He could have sworn she was the one sitting there praising Rose's date. Why would she want him to go and botch it up? Wait… was she giving her approval of him? No, he had to be reading far too much into that. There was no one in Rose's family that would approve of him, not that he really blamed them. He had never demonstrated anything promising that he would be good for her.
Growling, he found himself pacing the room as he decided what it was that he was going to do. It had been his intention to stay as far away from Hogsmeade as possible today. He was sure that he would be sick if the saw the two all lovey dovey with one another. His pacing paused as the image of Rose and that bastard being lip locked passed his mind. Clenching his fist, he had the urge to punch something or rather someone.
"Oh damn it all!" he mumbled irritably before grabbing his robes and heading out. He was not entirely sure what his plan was but staying at the school was no longer a part of it.
Rose found herself feeling quite nervous as she approached Hogsmeade. She was supposed to meet Julien at the town near the entrance. The closer she got, the more anxious she felt. It had been a long time since she had been on a date and she was worried that somehow she was going to mess it up. She had a tendency to bore people when she began talking. Normally, it was because no one could keep up with her conversations. They were intellectually based which was not what most guys wanted to hear about when on a date.
Aside from her book smarts, she wasn't really sure what to talk about. It was not like she was a very interesting person on a normal day. The most exciting thing she had going for her right now was being a Champion but that was the last thing she wanted to talk about. She had just survived the first task and all she wanted to do was push it to the back of her mind. Besides, being a Champion didn't define who she was.
Then there were her parents. While they might not have been quiet as famous as her uncle, they still had done incredible things. She was like her cousin in the sense that she wanted to stand out from her parents. Despite how much she loved them, she wanted to be her own person and achieve her own greatness that had nothing to do with them. She really hoped this didn't become a topic of conversation either.
Arriving before Julien, she found herself nervously fidgeting where she stood. All of her worries were plaguing her mind as she considered how she should behave. What was she going to talk about? Maybe she would be saved and he would only be interested in cultural differences. That should be a pretty safe topic. After all, Hogwarts was pretty different from Beauxbatons. Maybe she could learn something new too.
Twirling a strand of her hair around her finger, she bit her lower lip uneasily. Why was this so hard? The only guy she had been hanging out with that she felt comfortable around had been Scorpius. Despite his normal bad attitude, she found it so very easy to be herself. Granted, there were times he would call her out on being a bookworm but he never seemed to make her stop being herself. Not that she ever really gave him the chance. She would be damned if she ever let him change her. Lately, he seemed to enjoy that about her.
A small smile slid onto her face as she thought of Scorpius. Never in a million years had she ever thought that would happen but thinking of him did make her happy. At least, thinking of him when he wasn't being an arse did. He had been so comforting and wonderful when they were both in the hospital wing. If he was like that all the time, she could see herself falling very hard for him. He was charming and unbelievably sexy but it was hard to see that when he hid behind an egotistical smirk and foul language. When he said horrible things to her, it was hard to imagine he could be anything else but mean. Since the tournament, however, she had seen more and more of that side of him and she was determined to bring it out permanently.
Trouble was, she couldn't neglect herself in the meantime. Julien seemed to have a genuine interest in her and he seemed so wonderful and gentle. It even had her wondering if maybe he was too good to be true. There had to be something wrong with him. Everyone had some sort of flaw or dark side. His just must have been much more hidden. Regardless, he made her feel appreciated and respected which was what she needed. Scorpius would have to wait.
Besides, if there was anything between her and Julien it was not as though it would be able to last. He lived far away and she wasn't sure if she would be willing to make the commitment to leave to be with him. She had her own plans which involved traveling. Shaking her head, she immediately tried to rid of those thoughts. She was getting unbelievably ahead of herself. What she needed to do was go on a simple date and enjoy herself in the moment. It was a flaw of hers to have everything planned out all the time.
Before her thoughts could cause her to worry any more, she saw Julien approaching her. Her heart sped up a bit and her stomach felt a bit fluttery. She just needed to enjoy herself above all else. Honestly, what could really go wrong? She offered him a small smile, trying to get over her nerves.
Julien was dressed casually but she found it too look really good on him. While his school uniform wasn't bad, she liked seeing him in neutral colors. He wore a grey sweater with black slacks that he currently had one of his hands tucked into the pockets of. His light colored hair swayed slightly in the cool breeze, causing him to brush some of the strands out of his face.
"Tu es trés belle," he said smoothly as he stole her hand and gently placed a kiss on her knuckles. This man was far too smooth for his own good. She was sure that he had tons of girls swooning over him back home. It was flattering that he took an interest in her. Only when he gazed at her expectantly did she realize she should say something.
"O-Oh.. thank you…" she answered gently. She was fairly fluent in Latin due to Herbology so it wasn't too difficult to figure out what he had said. Was this guy actually real? Maybe someone was seriously messing with her and was using Polyjuice potion. Great, now she was becoming paranoid. She could just hear Scorpius calling her such.
"Where would you like to go, first?" he asked, as he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm like a proper gentleman. Rose was very impressed with his behavior. Even if it was for show it was a rather good show.
"Well… I can show you around to some of the shops. Honeydukes is fantastic if you like sweets. Zonkos is pretty fun if you like jokes and stuff, though I would have to say my uncle's store is much better," she said with a bit of a giggle. "Then there is always the Three Broomsticks. That's the most common hangout place and it's not too bad." Julien listened intently to what she said, nodding periodically.
"Zat sounds wonderful. Let's go to zis, Broomstick place. I would like to see it," he remarked as he kept her hand tucked into his arm but allowed her to lead the way.
Scorpius mentally berated himself the entire journey to Hogsmeade. One or two of his fellow housemates offered to accompany him but he brushed him off. Even his most recent flings weren't enough to distract him. Some strange force of nature was compelling him to go into the town and keep an eye on Julien. While Rose's family may have trusted him, he did not. There was no telling what sort of façade he was using to get merlin knew what from Rose. Just recalling the last time he had to save her from stupid arseholes had his blood boiling.
He would be damned if he ever let anyone hurt her. Yes, he was not the greatest example of kindness but he would never stoop so low as to force himself onto any woman. He knew nothing about Julien which only made him distrust him further. Sure there were other reasons why he didn't like the prat, but that was beside the point.
Rose… seemed a bit naïve when it came to men. She put up a great act but over the years he had never really seen her date. He was sure it wasn't from the lack of trying but men were intimidated by strong willed and intelligent women like her. Those men, however, were weak and unlike himself. He found her fire to be extremely addictive.
Oh what the hell was he doing? What was he going to do when he did find her? The whole point of him avoiding Hogsmeade was so that he didn't see her acting happy with another man. What was he going to do, jump out and claim that she be with him? The startling realization of his feelings towards the Weasley had him stopping in his tracks: he wanted her.
Yes, he knew that he had become attracted to her but he was finding himself wanting more than just that attraction. He wanted her entirely. He wanted to be the reason that she smiled. The more they worked with one another, the more he hated that more often than not, he was the one upsetting her. It was a good portion his fault that she had become so injured during the task. His Malfoy name was meaning less to him if it meant that he couldn't have her. Would he be able to set that aside, though? Could he be the person that she claimed she saw?
Resuming his journey, it wasn't too much longer before he found himself in Hogsmeade. The town was buzzing with elated students roaming the streets and filtering in and out of the shops. There were several different places that Rose could have been but he had a feeling she would be playing it safe. Besides, the best place to hang out and talk would have been the Three Broomsticks.
Stepping into said place, he stole himself a seat in the corner of the room, cast mostly in shadow due to a nearby fireplace. It would be easier for him to look for her this way so that he would not be caught. One of the baristas caught sight of him and sauntered her way over, drawing his attention briefly. He barely heard what she said, distracted with his task at hand. After giving her his order of butterbeer, he shooed her off but not before finally realizing that she had been trying to flirt with him.
The barista was a handful of years older than himself but her body demonstrated several more years of maturity. He would have to admit that she was attractive with a perfect hourglass shape that on a normal day would have turned his head. Her blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun that framed her face with loose tendrils. It seemed that there were several other males in the room trying to vie for her attention but were unsuccessful.
With disinterest plain on his face, Scorpius returned to looking for Rose. It wasn't hard, actually. All he had to do was look for bushy red hair and he was able to find her. She was sitting far enough on the other side of the room that he was unable to hear what the two of them were saying. That was fine by him. Body language described more accurately what words could not. From what he could see, much to his displeasure, all seemed to be going well.
Rose found herself relaxing in the warm environment the Three Broomsticks provided. The air was warm with the scent of various baked items and the crackling fire across the room. It was nice to be relieved from the chilly air despite having not been in it long. Despite relaxing, she found herself feeling fidgety as she drummed her fingertips along the wooden tabletop. Julien gently placed his hand over hers and offered her a warm smile.
"You do not 'ave to be nervous with me," he assured her to which she offered him a tiny smile.
"I'm sorry. I… haven't been on a date in a very long time and… I'm worried I might say something to mess this up. You're kinda too good to be true," she admitted, her cheeks acquiring redness that was not from the warmth of the inn. Julien's smile became impossibly more charming and gentle.
"You will not mess anyzing up. Zat is eempossible because you are too sweet. You can ask me anyzing if zat will make you feel better," he offered as he squeezed her hand comfortingly. Rose felt her heart skip a beat at his perfection. How was this guy even real?
"Okay, thanks. Well… what is it that you like to do when you're not doing schoolwork?" she asked. It seemed like a fairly safe and normal conversation starter.
"I like to read mostly. I am one of zee top in my class because of zat," he said simply, earning a wide smile from Rose. It felt like they might have more in common than she had hoped. The conversation went more smoothly from there on out.
Rose discovered that Julien came from a pureblooded family that was respected back home. He had two younger brothers that were just starting their first and second at Beauxbatons. It turned out that he enjoyed his studies almost as much as Rose did which did her heart wonders. A lot of the Ravenclaws were like that but Rose had found it hard to relate to most of them. Some of them were so snobby she was sure they could have fit right into Slytherin. It was obnoxious really but sitting before her was a guy who seemed far too good to be true.
Scorpius was finding himself becoming more and more annoyed by the scene in front of them. He wasn't able to hear what they were saying but he could tell that Rose was enjoying herself, maybe too much in his opinion. An irritated tick had started in his jaw from the moment Julien began touching her. The damned bastard thought he was so smooth and Rose seemed to be eating it right up.
His heart skipped a beat as he saw the two lean towards one another. Julien whispered something in Rose's ear which caused her to blush and then giggle. He was not sure how much of this he was going to be able to take. If he was not careful, he might punch the git in his pretty boy face. Grumbling unhappily to himself, he downed his drink in a few swigs before noticing that the two had apparently finished their time in the inn and were leaving.
Giving them just a moment's head start, Scorpius paid for his drink and then stepped out. Rose was walking very close to Julien, too close for his liking. Her arm was looped with his and she was leaning her head on his shoulder a bit. Before he could stop himself, he scooped down and collected a couple of pebbles before whipping them at the back of his head, careful to make sure Rose was not affected.
Julien immediately began looking around, trying to find the culprit. Scorpius was forced to dip into a nearby shop to prevent himself from being seen. If Rose saw him, she would accuse him regardless if she had seen him do it or not. Besides, she was under the impression that he was back at the school and not following her around like some lovesick puppy. Momentarily disgusted with himself, he considered heading back to the school. Just what was he doing anyways?
"Well if it isn't, Malfoy? What are you doing here?" a cheeky voice called out. Scorpius groaned as he realized it to be Potter's voice. Really, of all the places he could have ended up why did it have to be in the same room as him? Looking around, he noticed that he was in Zonkos. Okay, so that would have been a weird place for him to be. Normally he would not be caught in a joke shop. It wasn't his thing.
"Last time I checked this was a public place," he rebutted drolly. His eyes kept darting outside but from where he was he could not see Rose any longer. Damn him and his momentary loss of composure.
"Didn't peg you as one for jokes. Why are you really here?" he prodded, approaching Scorpius and standing relatively close to his personal space. As much as he hated Potter being there, he was never one to back down from a challenge, which was clearly being issued.
"None of your damned business, Potter," he growled as he turned his attention away once more. Now he was feeling antsy because he had no idea where the two had gone. His mind began racing a mile a minute to different scenarios of what the two could be doing. A normal, sane person would have realized that none of them were realistic but he had already come to the conclusion that he was acting irrational right now.
"What are you looking for?" he demanded, noticing that Malfoy kept looking away from him distractedly. Something was going on with him and knowing the Slytherin, it couldn't be a good thing. Frowning, he yanked on the blond's shoulder so that he was forced to face him.
Scorpius' eyes flashed angrily at being touched by Potter and his first reaction was to knock his face in. His fist was clenched in preparation but what stopped him was the look of disappointment Rose's face would display if she found out. There would be no doubt that she would find out because Potter seemed to love to run to her and cry about his problems.
"I don't have time for you," he grumbled as he turned to leave, wanting to get as far away from the annoying bastard and to look for Rose. Albus was surprised that Malfoy didn't take the bait and start a fight with him. It was unbelievably uncharacteristic and suspicious.
"You're up to something and I know that's not a good thing. You had better leave Rose out of your schemes or so help me I will kill you. She deserves to be happy instead of being stuck around a git like you," Albus snarled. He was nearly thrown off balance as Scorpius whipped around and grabbed the front of his robes, glaring at him.
"You can't stand the idea that maybe a person can change just because you're too incompetent to manage it yourself. I know I don't make Rose happy and I'm typically the bane of her existence but you're no fucking saint either, Potter. How about you turn that judgmental tone towards yourself and fucking grow up!" he spat before releasing him and tearing out of the building.
Albus stumbled back from the force of being released and stood in stunned silence as he processed what had just happened. Malfoy didn't hit him and had used Rose's first name. He had seemed genuinely upset by his accusations.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, Albus remained where he was feeling awkward and abashed. He hated how much truth rang with Malfoy's words. Truthfully, he had not been very supportive about anything if it concerned the pompous Slytherin. Rose was doing her best to get along with him because she was forced to work with him because of the tournament. However, since day one, he had known Rose to be trying to give Malfoy a chance because she didn't want to feed into the family feud. It was until things had reached such an impossible level that she was forced to concede. Family meant the most to her even if it wasn't good for her.
If for some insane reason, Malfoy did make her happy, Albus knew that she would never act on it. Between him, her brother and her father she would never stand a chance. Rubbing the back of his neck uneasily, he knew that he did have some growing up to do. For once, he needed to stop letting Rose make the sacrifices. It was his fault, after all, that she was in the tournament. Once more, family came above her own needs. God he felt like an arse.
Rose couldn't believe the amazing time that she was having. Everything felt like it was going so well and she had finally given up the paranoia that it was too good to be true. She deserved to have something nice like this happen to her. It was refreshing considering all of the stress she was under with studying for her N.E.W.T.S and staying alive in the tournament. Then there was Scorpius' constant mood change. It was nice to talk to someone who wasn't going to be unpredictable.
She and Julien had just left Honeydukes and she was happily munching on a Chocoball, delighting in the sweetness that filled her mouth. Honestly, she was not sure that this date could get much better. Julien had been nothing but a proper gentleman to her. He had even been paying for everything, despite her protests that she had her own money.
Amongst their wanderings, they found themselves passing in front of the Shrieking Shack. While no one except a handful of people knew its true history, it was still considered one of the most haunted buildings. Rose knew that no ghosts resided within the dilapidated shack but it still surprised her that it was still standing. Any supposed howling noises that were heard she was sure were due to the winds that managed to whip through the open crevices.
"What is zis place?" Julien asked as he paused in their walking to look at the decrepit building. A few students were nearby, whispering excitedly and pointing while another couple was slowly creeping towards the shack presumably on a dare to see who would get the closest.
"It's called the Shrieking Shack. It's supposed to be haunted but it really isn't" she explained as she too gazed at the building.
Teddy Lupin, who was practically family, had told her of what the real history of this place was. It was where his father used to go for his transformations when he went to school. When Teddy had found out about the Shrieking Shack, he had been very excited to find something that was linked to the father he had never met. His first year at Hogwarts, several years before Hogsmeade trips, he would sneak out to visit the shack. He claimed that it helped him connect with his father, whom he only knew through stories from family.
It broke her heart that it was this place that made him feel closer to his father. It was absolutely run down but there was still evident that something used to dwell inside, even if only briefly. There was rotted, broken debris of what used to be furniture and even some moth-eaten, moldy curtains that limply hung from the broken windows. It was a depressing place but it used to bring Teddy comfort. If the village ever decided to tear it down, Rose had a feeling that he would be the first to petition its salvation.
"Let's go check it out," Julien offered, excitement in his voice as he already began making his way towards the shack. Rose had only been inside once in her third year but there really wasn't anything special inside. However, that did not seem to faze Julien as she tried to voice this while following him. The building had been standing far longer than it should have and she didn't think that it would be safe to go inside.
Before she could protest any further, her date had already managed to slip inside, forcing her to hurry to catch up to him. As soon as they were inside, she wrinkled her nose at the smell of decay that permeated the area. While the air was currently chilly, she could only imagine how awful the place smelled during the summer with the hot, stuffy air.
Grey light filtered in from broken sections of wall and windows, reflecting off of broken glass that littered the floor. Thick layers of dust covered every surface and as they walked, they kicked some of it up into the air. Rose covered her mouth as she began coughing a bit from the particles. She had forgotten how truly terrible it was inside.
Beneath their feet, the wooden planks creaked dangerously as they moved around. Rose remained in the center of the room as Julien insisted on exploring. She never would have thought there was this side to him. He seemed so calm and poised. It never would have occurred to her that he would be into haunted locations or adventurous. Granted, no one would have thought that about herself either.
"See? There really isn't anything in here… hey wait!" she called out as she saw him ascending the stairs. It groaned under his weight and for a whole moment she was worried that they would give way. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if something happened to him while they were on a date. That was the last thing her reputation needed. It was hard enough to get a date without everyone thinking that anyone who dated her would reach a tragic end.
"I want to see what is up 'ere," he called down to her as he reached the landing. Rose groaned as she carefully made her way up the stairs as well. What was it about guys that they had to have moments of stupidity? This place was not safe and it was easy to see.
"Really, this place isn't as exciting as it sounds," she complained as she walked with him. They entered a room that had a bed that took up the far wall and a completely broken out window. There wasn't a curtain or anything to shield the chilly wind from billowing in. It kicked up more dust and the walls began to groan and whine.
"Are you sure zis place isn't 'aunted?" Julien inquired, disappointment evident in his voice. Rose sighed as she shook her head. Placing her hand on his arm, she gently tugged, urging him to follow her out.
"It never was. It was only stories," she explained before halting. Something was making noise out in the hallway. While it made her instantly nervous, Julien seemed to perk up and immediately headed out of the room.
"W-Wait! Julien! Hold on!" she called out as she was forced to follow. As soon as she left the room she was shrouded in darkness. There was no light filtering in. In fact, she couldn't see any window anywhere and she knew that there was at least one of them before they had gone into the room. Turning around, she could no longer see the room she had left. It was pitch black and disorienting.
Her heart began racing as fear began to settle in. Something was terribly wrong. The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on end. There was something familiar about this. Her eyes widened as she turned around several times, trying to catch her bearings.
"Julien? Where are you?!" she called out shakily. The silence was deafening as she did not receive a response from him. There wasn't a creak of the floorboards or a whistle from the wind. It felt like something dark and oppressive was closing in on her.
"Answer me!" she screamed, panic now flooding her body. Her heart was racing and thrumming heavily against her chest. The only sound she heard was the blood rushing in her ears. It was as silent as the grave which only caused a terrified shiver to run down her spine. Her body broke out in a cold sweat as she tried to calm herself down. This was not good.
A bloodcurdling scream tore through the air and she fell to her knees with her hands clamped over her ears. There was no calming herself down as she felt herself panicking and shivering. This was the same entity that she had run into her first night back at the castle. What was it doing here? What in the hell was it? As terrified as she was, she tried to peer through the darkness in hopes of discovering what it was. Maybe if she knew what the entity was, she might be able to fight it off.
The scream didn't come from Julien and for that she was thankful. Hopefully he had managed to get away before this entity had appeared. Granted, that made him a right bastard if he honestly had left her alone. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stand as her ears rang painfully from the scream. It was silent once more and still crushingly dark.
Deciding that she was going to get nowhere standing still, Rose took a few uneasy steps as she moved along in the dark. Reaching out until her fingertips grazed the wall, she walked along the hall. She had only been in this place once before so she didn't know the layout that well, let alone in the dark. Stumbling along, she found the staircase and carefully began descending them. No matter where she looked, it was black. There was no light even on the first floor.
"Julien?" she called out as heard something moving. It was a rustling noise as though something was moving and dragging something along the ground. It was a soft sort of dragging noise, much like several fabrics trailing along the floorboards. Following this soft rustling was a solid thump and then silence. Thump and then silence. Thumb and then silence.
Gathering her courage, Rose stepped off the stairs and looked around. It was still incredibly dark but she knew there was an exit somewhere nearby. As quiet as she was attempting to be, it didn't matter when she stumbled over debris, kicking it across the floor with a clamor. Wincing, she waited for whatever was stalking her to attack. When nothing happened, she breathed a sigh of relief. The feeling only lasted a few seconds before the screams started again.
Scorpius was grumbling rather unhappily to himself as he looked for Rose. She and her stupid date had disappeared and it was putting him in a rather pissy mood. Bloody Potter and his stupidity. If the prat hadn't distracted him he would know where the two were by now. For all he knew, she had already headed back to the castle or the two were locked in an intimate embrace somewhere. The latter made him growl loudly to himself and shake his head. No, Rose was better than that.
Hands in pockets, he trudged along until he found himself passing the Shrieking Shack. He knew the place wasn't haunted but that didn't stop it from creeping him out. There was something…. unnatural about it. Not wishing to give it another thought, he kept walking until something stumbled out of the nearby brush and fell in front of him. Frowning, he was surprised to find that it was Julien.
"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded roughly, wondering what the hell was going on. Where was Rose? Grabbing him by the front of his sweater, he yanked him to his feet and glared at him. "answer me!"
"Zat place is 'aunted! Zere is something 'orrible in zere!" he replied, absolute terror apparent on his face. His normal tan complexion had gone stark white and he was even trembling. Scorpius was disgusted with his lack of composure but what pissed him off even more was the fact that clearly he had left Rose alone somewhere.
"Where is Rose?" he growled dangerously. The man before him shook his head a few times, whimpering a bit before Scorpus shook him roughly a few times. "get it together you pansy! Where is Rose?" His voice was booming this time which snapped Julien out of his frantic behavior for just a moment.
"I don't know! She was with me in zere," he answered as he pointed to the Shrieking Shack. More than pissed off at the prat, he roughly tossed him aside as he vaulted the fence that surrounded the shack. Rose had been ditched by her wimp of a date and for all he knew she could have been laying hurt somewhere inside. The building was not the most stable structure in the village, not by far.
Climbing in through the nearest broken window, he was instantly shrouded by darkness. It wasn't normal considering the house was built like Swiss cheese. There were enough holes in the shack that there should have been plenty of light filtering in. He had barely placed his feet on the ground when a horrific scream had him disoriented and stumbling.
"Rose? Rose!" he called out as he pulled out his wand. Mumbling an incantation, the end of it lit up brilliantly and he was able to see a few feet in front of him. The scream had sounded inhuman and it shook him to the core of his being. This place wasn't supposed to be haunted so what the hell was happening?
Shaking his head, he steadied himself as he moved along, thankful that the screaming had stopped. Carefully stepping over debris, he found Rose standing at the far side of the room. Rushing over, he immediately began checking her over to see if she had been hurt but she didn't seem to see him. Her eyes were wide, absolute terror filling them and her already pale complexion was impossibly paler. She seemed to be looking at something over his shoulder. Slowly he turned around, his heart already pounding heavily against his chest, fearful of what he might find.
His own eyes widened in horror.
