Before I woke mum up, I put up another silencing charm over the living room. I had to tell her two very important things, and I'm not sure which I would get in trouble more for: Scorpius Malfoy, my arch-rival turned buddy (with the help of some sinful shagging) was in the kitchen, making breakfast, and her brother, who we believed was a muggle, was not only a wizard, but I had told him she was also a wizard, and now she's going to have to explain that she ruined their parents lives, but also saved the world.

I expected a little bit of yelling for my part in these happenings.

I crept up to her bed to wake her up, and gave her a very quiet "I need to talk to you real quick, and I'm just gonna borrow your wand so you can't hex me when I do."

Technically, the wand stealing was so she wouldn't hex Malfoy, who she might see as a nutter who just showed up in her kitchen at eight in the bloody morning.

She gave me a lifted eyebrow, but told me she would be down in five and to please make some coffee for her. I nodded and padded down to the kitchen, only to find Blondie loading up a tray with waffles, jam, and tea.

"Guests, even when they call your friends derogatory terms, should be served breakfast." He said simply, then walked into the living room to feed my prat of an uncle.

I mean, who the bloody hell says 'mudblood' anymore? I should probably give him a warning, considering it's not exactly a word my mother likes. And it's carved into her arm. And for most of her childhood she had to fight against people who used it to demean her.

Oh, this morning was going to be absolutely horrifying.

When mum comes down to the kitchen, I had her a coffee and say very quickly "Malfoy, my Malfoy, er, Scorpius is here because he wanted to surprise me with breakfast."

She brightens immediately. "Ooh, that's sweet, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, it was, except I sort of dragged him into the living room to yell at him about it, but I didn't want Terry to hear, and then Terry came in and realized we were magical and he's a wizard and now I think you have to tell him about the war because he keeps saying mudblood and it keeps freaking Scor and I out and-"

I realized I was hyperventilating as she cut me off. "Ok, dear, splash some water on your face then come join me in the living room. Terry's a wizard, and now he knows we are too? I can handle it. Just go calm down, alright?"

I nod mutely as I watched her take a sip, sigh, and walk away. I turn and splash some water on my face, bloody fuck that feels better. I didn't realize I was so flushed until the cold came against me.

"So I'm 'Scor' now, then?" Malfoy stands behind me with a smirk on his face. "It's better than Hippie, I suppose."

I turn around with a bewildered look. He's leaning casually against the counter, wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt advertising a muggle band. His arms are crossed, and his muscles bulge out a little, and I suddenly resent the fact that he can't hold me for a moment and just let the absurdity of the last ten minutes wash over us.

"Hippie?" I ask, shaking myself back to reality.

"Hannah, my ex called me that. Short for Hyperion." He explained, uncrossing his arms and pushing his hands flat against the counter behind him. "Apparently there weren't any good nicknames for Scorpius. But I like Scor. Reminds me of what I'll be doing at the match when we get back."

Thank fuck everyone else is busy, or they would've seen me walk over, press myself against him, and whisper "Funny, I was thinking it's what you would do after."

I winked, walking away as he said "those aren't mutually exculsive."

I flicked my hair over my shoulder and said "yes, they are" rather decisively as I walked into the living room.

…

Malfoy and I sat down on the coach opposite our guest as my mum explained to Terry what happened during the first war. To be honest, I hadn't heard much about it myself, so Blondie and I listened rather intently.

I never knew that so many people were killed so ruthlessly. I mean, I had figured it was bleak, but it was so much worse and so much longer than what mum had lived through. Muggleborns were tortured until they died or until their souls left them. Not even through the Dementor's kiss, sometimes it could be tortured out of them through hours and hours of the Cruciatus, like with Uncle Neville's parents, apparently.

She told us about how the Order of the Phoenix was this tiny rebel group, how the Death Eaters had such a hold on England and parts of Europe that it seemed like the entire wizarding world would disappear. How after Uncle Harry's parents were killed, the large majority of Voldemort's supporters left him, claiming the Imperius, and how it was ignored that there was no trace of that spell being used on them.

She told us everything, things she learned from portraits, from books, from people. She even told us about Harry's life growing up, how he lived with his aunt and uncle, how they turned so spiteful towards him because he was a Horcrux. Then, it was time for her to explain the second, more private war in England. She went upstairs to get dad, and called Uncle Harry, because if they had to talk about it, they would talk about it together.

Uncle Harry apparated into the living room, as she told him to, and said hello to Malfoy and I, then promptly dug into a new batch of waffles Malfoy had cooked while we were waiting for everyone to arrive. I had used the opportunity to run upstairs and put on some real clothes, because fluffy kitten pajama bottoms and a t-shirt seemed a little out of place for this.

Harry told Malfoy he expected breakfast deliveries for the rest of his life, if we were going to keep calling him so early in the morning on what should've been break.

Mum and dad actually seconded that request once they started eating, and while I think mum might've been joking, there was no mistaking the look in dad's eye. Fed and ready to tell the next half of the story, mum decided it would be too much for me to hear, so she kicked Malfoy and I out, telling us to get presents, and food for dinner.

She also, weirdly enough, extended an invitation to Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, probably because she felt guilty that if Blondie's cooking skills were as good as his waffle-making skills, she was going to get him to cook dinner without him realizing he's doing all the heavy lifting.

I sometimes think mum really should've been in Slytherin, but then I wonder if it's more conniving to put oneself in Gryffindor so they don't realize you're going to mess with them.

…

Blondie and I are walking around the outdoor mall, groceries procured for a lamb chop, sipping hot chocolate and looking in clothing stores trying to find something for Lily. I thought we should get her a knife, and he thought we should get her a book, so we decided on a dress as a nice middle ground.

He stops when we're about half-way through shopping, having procured most of the presents I wanted for my cousins, and gives me a very serious look. We're sitting on a bench, having done a bunch of couple-y things today, and I feel like I'm in one of those rom-coms we like to make fun on. Fuck, does he want to discuss feelings? I'm not very good with my own.

"Rose," yeah, here it comes, declaration of love, he used my real name and everything, "I have something important to tell you."

I nod, pursing my lips and looking skywards as I take a careful sip, trying not to burn my tongue.

"I need you to keep a secret, alright?" No fucking shit, we're already shagging in secret, won't be hard to not explain to anyone ever that I've broken your heart because I'm a cruel, evil, conniving Slytherin just like the rest of them.

I nod instead of saying that.

"I, um, mymumisntactuallyaroundsoshewontcometodinner" he blurts out. I let out a small sigh of relief. Feelings talk pushed to another day!

Wait, did he just say his mum isn't around?

"Er, what?" I say, trying to understand why he's telling me this, and what exactly his grey eyes are trying to convey looking into mine. Fuck, maybe this is a feelings talk.

"She, um, left because she didn't like being so close to muggles." He said quickly, looking down. "And divorce isn't really a thing in the wizarding world. And as much as I like to pretend otherwise, she was marrying my dad for the wealth, even though his name was shit."

I understand exactly what he's saying. I don't know a single married couple that has ever split in the wizarding world, which I've always found a little weird but figured it was Weasley luck of something.

"And your dad wanted to stay in Cokeworth?" I asked, a little confused about why Mr. Malfoy hadn't just gone with her.

"He wanted to keep me away from all of it. I was eight when she left and I don't think she gave a second thought to the fact that she was leaving me, too." He gave a lopsided frown "So if we're having dinner at your house, it'd just be my dad and I."

Ah, that made more sense. I was having trouble pinning down just why he was telling me this. Maybe because he accidentally learned a bunch of my family secrets. I shrugged it off, "Oh. Oh, yeah, that's totally fine. Do you want me to just say she was sick, or something?"

He nodded, grimacing a little."Er, yeah, and if you could just like, not mention this to Al, or anyone, ever, that'd be great."

"Yeah, Hippie, I got you." I bumped his shoulder and gave him a soft smile.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me, I tell you two of my deepest, darkest secrets in one day and you're already using one against me?" He laughs out, but pulls me into his lap, cocoa forgotten. "Such a snake, babe, such a snake."

I wrap my arms around his neck and lean in a little "Well, we all know how much you like reptiles, don't we Scorpion?"

"You've already established you're the worst. Shut up and kiss me?" He complained. I realized I haven't actually kissed him yet today, so I lean in with what was meant to be a gentle, fleeting kiss, which turned onto a full on snog. Trying to keep it relatively public-appropriate, even though there weren't many people here, he kept his hands on my waist, which I was slightly annoyed about, because dammit, I had to listen to my mother talk for two hours about the first war while sitting right next to him and I would really appreciate a quick grope or a shag right now.

I quietly inform him of this, and we're on the way to the car with our luggage in tow when I hear a decidedly feminine voice yell out "Oi, Scorpius!"