Chapter Fourteen

"I can't believe either of you," shouted Ginny, throwing down the morning edition of the Daily Prophet on the table in front of Lily and Rose. All four adults were stood in front of them with mixed expressions of anger and disappointment. Scorpius, Al, James and Hugo were leaning against the counter; there not wanting to miss it and Scorpius because he felt partly responsible. "You're in the prophet."

"Not that it matters because anyone important was at the party anyway," pointed out Hermione, frowning especially at Rose. "Rose, you haven't even started applying for jobs yet and now good luck getting hired by anyone because they'll just picture you punching your cousin when they see you."

"Yeah, like that will matter," murmured Hugo to Scorpius. "She's golden trio offspring; I'm pretty sure someone will hire her."

"It was Lily's fault," said Rose, flinching as she saw the photograph version of herself break the photograph version of Lily's nose. "She told everybody."

"Then deal with it," said Ron sternly. "Your Uncle Harry had plenty worse lies spread about him; in fact all of us have. You rise above it and prove otherwise."

"I'm sorry," said Rose, not able to look her father in the eye.

"Although I was pretty impressed with that punch," grinned Ron. "Looks like I taught you well when you were a kid."

Hermione groaned. "Now is not the time for that, Ronald. She shouldn't have done it in the first place."

"Yeah she shouldn't, she broke my nose!" cried Lily.

"Which was healed so stop complaining because you slapped her first and spread the rumours you knew I didn't want you to spread," said Harry, running his hands through his hair. "Put it this way you're both in a lot of trouble."

"This is brilliant," exclaimed James, cutting in grinning. "Me and Fred spent years trying to annoy all of you – and these two have created more trouble in one night alone than we ever did."

"I wouldn't quite say that," grumbled Ginny.

"I think it's needless to say that you're grounded until you go back to Hogwarts and I'll be speaking to Professor McGonagall as well – no Hogsmeade trips for either of you for the rest of the year," said Hermione.

"What?"

"You can't do that," argued Rose. "I'm over seventeen. I can give my own consent if I want to go to Hogsmeade."

"Besides it's really unfair," added Lily.

"I'm fairly certain Professor McGonagall can take away privileges if she wants to," explained Hermione, dismissing their protests. "Remember, you don't just represent this family, you represent Hogwarts. She too will be appalled at your behaviour last night."

"And Lily, I think you owe an apology to Scorpius as well," said Ginny, snapping Scorpius out of his reverie, surprised that his name came up. "You spread that rumour purely to annoy Rose and you didn't stop and think about the consequences it would have with his relationship."

"Sorry, Scorpius," said Lily humbly. "I didn't think. Tell Savannah I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I have a feeling it's not you she's mad at," said Scorpius, looking pointedly at Rose.

"I didn't do anything to your girlfriend," said Rose. "She can't blame me if she's too stupid to realise what Lily says isn't true."

"Rose," warned Ron, although his eyes were kind. "Don't talk about other people like that."

"Sorry," apologised Rose. "Malfoy, tell your girlfriend that I'm sorry she got caught up in all of this."

"I will," said Scorpius, with his eyebrows narrowed. Rose was very good at phrasing her words. She hadn't actually apologised for her own behaviour towards Savannah that night and she knew it. "In fact I'm meeting her soon. I didn't get time to explain last night because we had to go. It took all I had to get her to meet me; I have a feeling she thinks what everybody else thinks."

"Yeah, thanks Lily, I almost forgot everybody at school now thinks this," quipped Rose sarcastically.

"You're single, you can do what you want," said James, dismissively, ignoring Ron's choking cough.

"I broke up with Eric last night and he has already started telling people that he dumped me and that he was so upset that I cheated on him," explained Rose. "When I finished him because he was flirting with Dom. People are going to believe him."

"Think of it as part of your punishment," said Hermione unsympathetically. "Right, I think that you've had enough lecturing for now. Scorpius, are you back for lunch?"

"Yeah I should be, Savannah kind of made it clear that she only wants to see me for the minimum amount of time possible," replied Scorpius, with a humourless smile.

The people in the room seemed to be disbanding. Rose and Lily slumped off grumpily, with Al, James and Hugo laughing at them. Only Al's dad, Harry, stayed behind.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," said Harry.

"Yeah, I'm fine," answered Scorpius. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Let's just say that I know what it feels like to be victim to rumours that aren't true and having all of the students talking about you," explained Harry with a wry smile.

"It's not quite the same though, is it?" chuckled Scorpius. "It's not the first rumour about me that has flown through school. Whether it's been about whether or not I was a mini death eater or which girl I've slept with this month, I'm used to it. Rose is too."

"Rose is?"

"Well golden trio offspring and all that," said Scorpius.

"I'm presuming it's more of the all that."

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not Ron, Scorpius, I'm not blissfully unaware as to what you lot get up to at Hogwarts," said Harry frankly. "I always worried that my fame, our fame, would have a negative effect on our children. We tried to keep things as normal as possible but we've never been able to control anything that happens at Hogwarts. James used to try to live up to his namesake, Lily laps the attention up, Al and Hugo ignore it but Rose, I think she's the one who's been affected the most."

"So you know that she's messed up too?"

"I probably don't know to the extent that you do," said Harry. "But I'm aware she's not the sensible girl her parents believe. She seems more sad this Christmas. She puts a brave face on when she thinks people are watching but most people don't realise when I'm watching."

"I never really noticed before this year, we've never really talked," said Scorpius, honestly. "I think that she's teetering on the edge now, and this might be what's going to push her over. I've tried to help her but I think now it's up to her. The problem with Rose is that she tries to prove to everybody that she doesn't care, when really she's breaking on the inside."

"Ron and Hermione can't see it, and I don't have the heart to tell them that their daughter is sleeping around and drinking all the time, because of them," said Harry. "I'm hoping that when she leaves Hogwarts she'll have less pressure and she'll be okay."

"I don't have the time to fix her, she's too complicated and I need to fix my relationship with Savannah," said Scorpius.

"I'm sorry that Lily was to blame," apologised Harry.

"Don't worry about it, Sav doesn't care about Lily," said Scorpius. "Everybody at school has pitted Sav against Rose. Rose knows that it upsets Savannah and she annoys her on purpose."

"I hope your girlfriend is smart enough not to listen to her then."

"Me too."

"Thanks for meeting me," said Scorpius gratefully. She had met up with him in a café local to her (she couldn't apparate) and although she was here, he knew that just because she was here didn't mean she wasn't angry. "I'm sorry I didn't have time to explain myself last night."

"I didn't want to come but you sounded so desperate in the letter you sent me this morning," said Savannah, tucking her hair behind her ear. "So were you in Rose's bed?"

"You see, the thing is-"

"Oh Merlin, you did sleep with her," exclaimed Savannah. "I should have known you wouldn't have changed who you are just for me."

"Hey, wait a minute here, I have never cheated on a girl, ever."

"I think that makes you doing it now, worse."

"I never cheated on you, Savannah, I wouldn't," said Scorpius firmly. He laid his hand on the plastic top table near her but she didn't take it. With a sigh he pulled it back towards him.

"Then why did Rose say you did?" asked Savannah angrily. "And why didn't you just say no when I asked you?"

"Because I was in, well more in fact on, her bed," replied Scorpius guiltily. "But not in the way that everybody thinks. I didn't have sex with her, I wasn't even in contact with her. She was trying to wind you up when she made it seem like we did. By acting like a bitch, she was covering up the fact she was upset."

"If you didn't sleep together then what were you doing with her in her bed?" asked Savannah, shaking her head. "You shouldn't have been there in the first place."

"I admit, it does seem suspicious but I assure you it wasn't," pleaded Scorpius. "But why I was there, isn't really my story to tell. That's why when Lily told everyone, she didn't say why because she wasn't allowed."

"If you don't tell me the truth, then I am walking out here and I will never talk to you again," said Savannah stonily. Scorpius stared at her dark eyes and was conflicted. They were clearly sad and he was compelled to tell her, because he wanted so desperately for her to be happy with him once again. Yet he felt as though he would be breaking a promise to Rose.

"I'm only going to tell you if you promise me you tell no one, not even Rose," said Scorpius seriously.

"Why are you trying to protect her, Scorp?" asked Savannah sadly. "She's done nothing but mess things up for us."

"I know, and I am so sorry about that," apologised Scorpius. "I went into her room that night because I knew she was alone and scared."

"Alone and scared?"

"Something happened to her when she was a child and it's left her with a fear of storms," explained Scorpius reluctantly. "When she's at home she usually just goes to her parent's room but there's no way she'd do that with Lily in the house. Lily didn't know and you can imagine how much it would hurt Rose's pride if she did."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"I knew about it because we share a common room, I've heard her crying before," said Scorpius. "How could I just sit there and do nothing when I know she's alone in her room crying?"

Savannah sighed. "Okay I understand why, but you are so stupid Scorpius, why didn't you just tell me what had happened beforehand?"

"I didn't want to upset you," groaned Scorpius. "And I just ended up hurting you more, didn't I?"

Savannah nodded. "I'm sorry I assumed the worst of you, I guess I've always thought that you'd end up wanting someone else."

"You don't have to apologise," said Scorpius, smiling as she finally took a hold of his hand. He squeezed it happily. "The way Lily told everybody, the way you found out, it was the only assumption you could have made."

"I still should have thought better of you," said Savannah. "It's just that – urgh – she gets to me so much!"

"She's good at reading people," explained Scorpius. "It's how she fools people. She can see what makes people tick and she gets on their good side. Unfortunately it means she can see what annoys people too. Why do you think she got slapped? She knew Al's sister has had a crush on me for years and so she used that. She knows you're insecure about going out with me and so she uses that to hurt you."

"It's cruel."

"It is cruel," reinforced Scorpius. "She knows how to be a bitch and she plays the part well. It's all an act though, she's just as easy to break."

"You're saying I should fight back?"

"No, because when she attacks you it's upsetting but you can deal with it. I know you don't believe it, but she is fragile. If you start attacking her in the same way she does to you, she won't be able to deal with it."

"Why do you defend her so much?"

"Because somebody has to."