Chapter XI
Fourth Year
"There she is!"
"What, our beater? She's not going out with a Slytherin is she?"
"Yep."
"Why?"
"Well it can't be a personality thing."
"Wouldn't be surprised if she was just in it for th-"
"Back off." Scorpius' voice cut off the giggling girls' conversation, "Just back off."
"Oh, so this must be the boyfriend!" More giggles. Rose pursed her lips together and tried extremely hard not to go back and confront the girls that were following her on her way to Potions. Scorpius had appeared just in time.
"Rose?" A soft hand slipped into hers and she felt comfort, "Just ignore them. Soon enough they'll be feeding on the next bit of gossip. Just give it a week."
She nodded, keeping her eyes ahead and squeezing his hand tight.
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Fifth Year
James Potter scratched his head as he leafed through a Transfiguration book, hoping for more specific instructions on how to turn a potted plant into a pineapple. They were still giving the plants out.
Suddenly, a terracotta pot was slammed onto his table-
"Miss Malfoy!" The Professor protested.
"Sorry, Professor, I slipped." Matilda Malfoy explained sweetly and she turned back to James. Her cold icy stare drove into him and he felt his heartbeat quicken. He hated how she could do that to him with just a look. And she knew she could do it, she knew just how intimidating she was.
"So we have a problem, Potter, for a while now it seems." She said silkily, still grasping the sides of the pot with her long and lethal fingers. Her white-gold hair was held back with a forest green ribbon today, and her eyes were stormy and threatening, "Against our wishes, our houses are being drawn together, incidentally by close relatives of ours."
"I'm aware of that." He replied stiffly, closing his book.
"And we don't want this, of course." She told him, as if he didn't know.
"No." He agreed.
"Therefore it is our responsibility to stop this from continuing." She explained delicately. James regarded her, perplexed.
"I've tried." He said pointedly.
"Well, I must say, it's proved effective." She commented dryly, frowning at him slightly, "I'm talking about a plan with a more in-depth provocation of their emotions, something that will really cause them to doubt their decision of being together, rather than just threatening not to talk to them anymore. I'd call that a bonus from where Rose is standing."
"Just tell me what your bloody plan is." James cut in angrily, sick of the sight of her. Ever since first year, she'd taken jibes at him, and he'd returned the spite. She'd always managed to rub him up the wrong way, and despite himself, he'd always rise to the bait.
"Emotional blackmail." She announces grandly, "My personal favorite."
"No kidding." He replied darkly, "So what do you suggest we do?"
"A duel." She said quietly, "I send a challenge Gryffindor's way and you send one ours. You know how temperamental we can be. People will get hurt, people will be punished, people will suffer. We simply show Rose and Scorpius the debris and let them know that it is because of them. I know Scorpius, and the guilt will certainly get to him, not to mention he'll be concerned towards Rose's safety."
James thought about this for a moment. Could he really hurt Rose like this? The guilt could tear her apart.
But the longer she stays with that scum, He thought to himself, The more likely she'll be torn apart anyway. She needs to learn, she has to see the pain that a Slytherin could put her through.
"I'll do it." He said. Matilda nodded, looking satisfied.
"You can expect an owl at your Common Room window tonight." And she walked away. James sighed and pulled his plant pot towards him, only to find that the plant inside was reduced to ashes.
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