Chapter twenty-one

"I think it will be good for you to get home, Rosie." Hugo looked at his sister who barely managed to keep her eyes open as she almost lay over a big book. Sure he didn't like Malfoy, but for the brief time when his older sister had dated Scorpius, he literary cringed at the thought of the word date, she had been like the opposite of how she was acting now. The old Rose wouldn't get this obsessed with books and she wouldn't get involved with the head boy again.

"Maybe you are right, Hugo, but with…"

"There are no buts, and if you are thinking about meeting dad, then don't worry." She looked at him questionably, this making his ears turn slightly red under her intent gaze. "So we have talked around with some, asked about things…" He tried to be dismissal, but even if she was close to exhausted she could easily see right through it.

"Elaborate, please."

"So… me, Lils and Al have talked to mom… and Uncle Harry… aunt Ginny, Teddy and grandpa about some of the things that has occurred and how dad is acting. We are just trying to get a feeling of how it is at home."

"Why?" Hugo looked like he wanted to be in an entirely different situation, and Rose suspected that they had decided that Hugo should do this talk.

"Well… it has been a rough year for you. Like when we won the quidditch tournament you locked yourself inside an empty classroom, and you have sort of disappeared, and you are with that McLaggen to much. We want you to be happy, Rosie. But we don't think that he is that good for you. We want our Rose." She sighed at this, because she knew very well that she had been acting like a complete stranger, even to herself. This talk, that Hugo was this concerned about her, showed her how much she actually need to get a grip of the things that had changed, make them as right as possible.

"I will try to get back, promise. But now I have to think about the apparition test, I don't want it to be like when dad or uncle Charlie did it their first time."

"There is the Rose we have all missed!" This made her smile slightly, something that made Hugo's grin grow wider. "Just remember the three Ds, 'Destination, Determination, and Deliberation'" He said this while he failed miserably to imitate their mother's special lecturing voice. But it made Rose laughed at it, making Hugo feel that his mission was accomplished. He only hoped that Rose's for now clear and happy thinking would last as long as possible.

Hugo was met by Lily and Albus outside the portrait hole, they had impatiently waited for him to come out and give them a detailed rapport about how Rose had acted.

"Well… what happened?"

"Why do you look so smug?"

Hugo practically beamed at them as he jumped up in the air as a victory gesture, the sudden movement shocked Albus who stood right beside him.

"It went really well, I think she might be able to see now how it's been these last weeks. She is even worried about the apparition test!" The excitement radiated from him and on to the others who started to smile too.

"That's so great! Maybe she will get over…" Albus began but Lily interrupted him.

"I don't think we should get that far already, but she's getting there." Hugo then added with a slight tint of sadness in his before so happy voice.

"Our goal for now is to get as much Rose back as we can." But then his face changed into the face he wore whenever he and Albus tried to chase away boys from any female relative. "Then we get rid of that big headed baboon. Are you with me?"

"Yes, of course, what about you, Lils?"

"You are asking me to help you to break them up?"

"Eh… yeah… weren't we clear on that part, but if you-"

"I'm totally in, I can't stand him, and I can't see why she's with him."

"We will be like the three musketeers…"

"Now you're getting a little carried away there, Al."

"So Scorpius, do you have any plans for the summer?" Scorpius looked up from his plate and saw Lucy Goyle staring expectantly at him, she hadn't done this since he started to 'date' Christine, but now she was beginning to hope to get together with him. Sure, he could start something with her but then it would only be like it had been with Christine, and it would have been for the same reason, Rose. He had a hard time with seeing her and McLaggen, especially if he looked her in the eyes, those times that had happen he was so close to walk up to the other man to punch him, hard, in the face. But he knew that he had no right to do so, therefore he settled with just trying to ignore it all. Sometimes before he went to sleep he felt the guilt overwelm him, when that happen he couldn't see how he ever had thought that his reason for the break up was good. Lucy's hand on his lower arm served as a kick back to real life, and he quickly shoke it off.

"No, I don't have any special plans." He didn't tell her that he actually had received letters from Ted Lupin, who wanted to know if he would be interested in staying a couple of days with them, holiday from the holiday, as Ted had put it in his letter. Scorpius suspected that Ted knew about it all, and what Ted didn't know he could guess. However he thought that it would be better with some unknown scenary for a while, and when the older man had suggested it one of the letters Scorpius had recived after what had happened with Rose, he had almost jumped at the chance.

"Maybe you could stay with me." Her face lit up as she smiled hopefully at him, but he just stared at her, sure he had started to take unnecessary risks the last couple of weeks, but it would take a lot more to get him to voluntary spend time with the Goyles.

"I don't think so, I've got other similar plans."

"But…"

"Another time, maybe."

At that time his eyes flickered towards the Gryffindor table were Rose had just arrived. He could see a slight difference in her posture, she looked more like herself. She even smiled a little at something Lily Potter said. He realised that he had missed it so much, her smile. If he focused enough he could vaguely remember the sound of her laugh, he felt how he smiled slightly at the memory, but then he remembered that fateful day when it all ended so abruptly. In need to get out of there he got up and moved towards the doors, at the same time silently cursing the person who put the Gryffindor table closest to the door.

Rose felt the sting as she watch Scorpius leave in the corner of her eye, she knew that she shouldn't want to go after him; they were over and had barely said a word to each other in weeks. It was Scorpius who had put her in this situation, he broke up with her, he didn't want her. Right now she tried hard to focus on keeping herself in place, and not slip back to how it had been the last weeks. She was happy to be going home, to talk to her mom, talk to someone who hasn't been in the middle of it all. To Rose her mother was the voice of reason, and had always been.

Suddenly she felt Lily's elbow connect with her ribs, waking her from her thoughts.

"What?"

"I said that we should perhaps start packing, we're going home soon."

"Yeah, you're right, it will be nice to get home."

"Eh… Rosie… what are you going to do with McLaggen?"

"Oh… I don't know…he can't get any kind of hint…" She let out a frustrated sigh while she rested her head in her hands. "Good thing he won't come back here next year."

Lily eyed her cousin sympathetically; it wasn't much that went Rose's way lately, and when it did it would be snatched away from her in a cruel way.

"There, you got it, next year there will be new possibilities. There are many cute…"

"Don't even say it, Lily." Rose was nothing but serious, and the fierce glare she sent Lily told her that if she liked to live, she should not dare finish that sentence. Lily didn't think that it would be a good thing to push Rose in any direction, but she thought that Rose would feel better if she could meet a nice guy who liked her for her and treated her with the respect she deserved.

"Well, I'm not telling you to get married, Rosie. Just think about it over the summer, ok?"

Rose didn't answer, just snorted at the comment, before she took out one of her books and pointedly put it in front of her face, to show that all attempts to small talk would be ignored.

The sun shone through the clouds, but the wind was chilly, which made many of the students by the train wear scarves. Most of the students couldn't wait to get home and show their families what they had learned this year.

Scorpius dreaded to go back to the Malfoy Manor, not that he feared anything, he dreaded the silence and coldness. It wasn't his home, he had known that ever since he sat down in one of the boats which would take him to Hogwarts for his first year. Hogwarts was his home, and he already missed it. But this summer was different, he wouldn't have to stay at the manor the whole time, there was another place, a place that sounded more welcoming to him that the manor could ever be. He kept the letter from Ted in his pocket, afraid to lose it if he put it in his trunk. He straightned up to look over the heads of the students in front of him, to see were would be the best place to board the train.

Since most of the students tried to get on the train through the doors in the middle he decided to go to the front, where the prefects were to meet later on. Obviously he wasn't the only one thinking like that, and when he got to the door he saw Rose struggling to get her trunk on the train while balancing the cage with her owl.

For a moment he just watched her, his mouth turned slightly when he heard her curse, a pang of longing hit him, he wanted nothing more than to go up to her and encircle her in his arms, but he forced away the impulse as he closed the distance between them. He ignored the little voice in his head which told him to go to one of the other doors.

Rose had begun to regret that she didn't get on the train together with Hugo and Lily, it was much more difficult to lift her trunk up at the Express and holding the cage at the same time. She could feel the despair and frustration, she wanted to kick something really hard. Letting out a frustrated growl she smacked her arm out, not expecting to hit something.

"Ouch, take it easy." She turned and began to apologise, but then she saw who it was exactly.

"I'm so sor- Oh, it's you, then it doesn't matter." She turned back to her trunk and tried to lift it with renewed force, so that she could get away from him as soon as possible, suddenly wondering why she put down so many books, she had books at home, and she could always get to Diagon Alley.

"Move aside, Weasley."

"No, why should I?!"

"Move so I can get your trunk on the train. It will be much harder if you are in the way." She wiped around and glared onto his chest, since he had gotten closer, so she was forced to look up to see him glare down at her.

"I can do it myself, Malfoy. I don't need you." For a second something changed in his face, but then the indifference was back and she felt the strong urge to hit him once again.

"Stop sounding like a four year old, there are more people who need to get on. We both know that I'm stronger than you, so shall we do this the hard way or the easy, you decided Weasley."

Rose mumbled something inaudible, but Scorpius could guess that it was more curses by the look on her face, but she moved aside to let him haul the trunk up on the train, then he stepped away to let her get on, and as she passed by him she said a low thanks, then she was gone.

When he opened the door to the compartment where the prefects were to meet, he could almost touch the uncomfortable silence inside, which only increased when McLaggen who was seated beside Rose, noticed his presence, laid his arm around her and pulled her closer to his side, all the time staring and waiting for a reaction from Scorpius, a reaction that never came. Scorpius just turned his head the other way, ignoring everything. The other prefects tried to strike up a conversation, but failed miserably.

It wasn't until the head girl cleared her throat that the tension somewhat disappeared, but the head girl nervously shifted in her seat under the very intent gazes coming from both Rose and Scorpius, since none of them wanted to look anywhere else.

"Um… yeah… so we… should patrol." She looked at the head boy for help, but he was busy with sending unnoticed death glares at Malfoy. She realised that she was alone in this one with no chance to get out of it.

"Go in pairs as usual. Report to me or… well report to me if something happens."

Rose knew that she were going to end up with Paul, as partner to patrol with, she almost got a sense of déjà vu as they got out in the corridor. Last time Scorpius had stolen her 'excuse' to get away from Paul, and then she had gone with him instead. She wished that something like that would happen this time, but she strongly doubted that would. She just couldn't stop the feeling of lonliness that lingered with her at all time.

The feeling of dèjá vu only increased as McLaggen turned to her and smiled a, to him, flirtasious smile as he suggested that she should find an empty conpartment were they could be undisturbed. All the emotions inside Rose that had threatned to show, now seemed to boil over inside off her, she was fed up with everything about Paul, and everything else too.

Scorpius tried to block out the extremely annoying chatter coming from Lucy, who had managed in some way to get paired up with him.

'I don't need you', Rose's words echoed in his head, he had broken it off for her sake, he had no right what so ever to get upset by does words, this was what he wanted for her, right, her not needing him. Sure, he knew that she had never really needed him, she was strong and independant, but he knew deep down that he needed her more than anyone. That was his reason, he didn't want to be selfish and tie her to him, especially when she deserved so much better.

"So, who is it that you are going to this summer?" Lucy's question snapped him back to reality, but it took time for him to process what it was that she had asked.

"Eh… some relatives, I haven't met them that often."

"Who are they? They are like us, right?"

"What do you mean with that?" He was sure that he already knew the answer, Lucy was so simple minded, but he wanted to hear it from her.

"You know, pure." Yes, it was so obvious, and when he answered his tone was dripping with annoyance.

"I don't care about something like that, they are family." Scorpius didn't care much of the word pure, it didn't matter. Ted and his wife were much nicer people than most of those he knew, at least from what he had been told by Rose and what he had made out from the letters he had recived, but since he didn't trust Lucy he didn't elaborate more and told her about Ted's inheritance, or that his wife was the child of two, to Lucy, blood traitors. It wouldn't be fair to them, he reasoned.

"I'm so sorry that you couldn't come to us, we would have had so much fun." Scorpius didn't even bother to answer her, he just kept on walking, but he suddenly stopped midpace when a familiar voice could be heard through the corridor.

"Why can't you get that nothing's going to happen between us, other than if you ever touch me like that again I will HEX you so BADLY that you won't even know your own name!"

"But Rosie, we've been together for months, if it hadn't been for that…"

"Do not continue what you are about to say." Rose's voice held very evident threat and this time Scorpius couldn't hear any objection from the head boy, but Scorpius felt a sinking feeling since he understood perfectly what they were referring to with 'that', or rather who. However he thought that it was about time that Rose would finally end it with McLaggen, everyone could so clearly see what she felt about him, except for McLaggen himself.

Rose was fuming as she briskly walked away from Paul, she wished that she would have hit him harder, just a slap in the face wasn't enough, she was a witch, why didn't she use her wand. She could feel the train slow down, so she decided that she better go get her trunk and then perhaps try to find the others, since she reluctantly had to come to the conclusion that she wouldn't be able to get the trunk off the train without help, and to try and find Scorpius for help was out of the question.

Scorpius both dreaded and hoped that it would be Rose who walked his way, but then McLaggen came into view instead, Scorpius didn't realise that he had started to clench his teeth together at the mere sight of the other man.

McLaggen, who either didn't realised that it was Scorpius or just didn't care, began to ramble about what had just occurred.

"That Rose Weasley thinks she is so much better than everyone else. Yeah well, I've heard the stories about her parents, and they don't make a pretty picture, so what else can you really expect from her." Scorpius' anger boiled up inside of him, he could faintly hear Lucy giggle at what McLaggen had just said, and the later just kept the remarks coming.

Suddenly there was like a part of Scorpius brain had just shut down, when he then pulled his fist back and let it make contact with McLaggen's jaw. The head boy let out a surprised groan as he staggered backwards against the wall.

"W-what was that for?" He glared at Scorpius, but he didn't come close to the furious look that graced Malfoy's face.

"Don't you ever, ever, talk about her like that! You hear me, or I swear to you, if you ever hurt her, I will personally look you up and…" The train had come to a halt, something Scorpius barely realised, but then he just walked away without even finishing his threat,just letting it stay in the air, and leaving a shocked Lucy and an angry Paul behind, to get his trunk.

Rose barely had time to get out of the way, when a furious looking Scorpius nearly ran her down, he didn't even stop to apologise when he almost slammed a terrified-looking, third year back into a compartment. Rose just stared after him, surprised over his strange behaviour since it was the most emotion she had seen in his face for weeks. It was close that she left the trunk and cage to go look for him and get an answer to it, but she ruled against it as something a friend would do, and they weren't close to being something like that.

She found Albus and Hugo by one of the exits, and out side she could see the fiery red colour of her father and aunt's hair. But she couldn't see her younger, female cousin anywhere.

"Where's Lily?"

"She said she was just going to say good bye to some people... and that she would meet us later." Albus waved it off and together they walked off the train; it took the joined forces of both Rose and Hugo to get her trunk off, then they made their way through the sea of wizards who waited for other students, and towards their waiting family members.

Rose noticed how her dad didn't look her in the eye, but she was still to upset with him to give it another thought, instead she stayed in her mother's tight embrace as long as possible.

"It's going to be ok, Rosie." Hermione's voice was soft, so that only Rose was able to hear it, she only nodded to show that she had heard it. She had missed her mother so much, and now she felt safe to feel all that she had tried to repress so desperatly.

Right then they all noticed someone who quickly was elbowing her way toward them, and then Lily was right in front of them, breathing hard and clutching her sides, like she had just finished a marathon.

"Lily, what have you done now?" Ginny eyed her daughter suspiciously, and so did Harry, even if there was more amusement in his face than in his wife's.

"Don't look... at me like that… it wasn't me… that got into... a fist fight with… Paul McLaggen." Both Albus and Hugo instantly turned their heads towards Rose, and the rest of them looked at her to get an explanation too, even if they weren't as up to date as Albus and Hugo.

"Eh… I didn't get into a fist fight." Lily tried to get the attention back to her, since she now could breathe normally.

"Hello, over here… good… now, it's only a rumour, but McLaggen is telling people that he fought with Malfoy on the train, and that he was winning but then Malfoy just took off."

"He wouldn't do that." The words left Rose before she could stop them, and as they all stared at her she could feel how the heat spread in her face. "I mean… he wouldn't… run away."

"It wouldn't surprise me if he did." Ron spoke for the first time, and he looked over the heads of his wife and daughter, who turned and saw Scorpius leave towards the gateway alone. "All Malfoy's are cowards."

"Ronald." Hermione hissed at her husband, afraid that there would be a public shouting match, but Rose grabbed her trunk and began to make her way towards the gate way without a word.

"Really smooth, Ron." Harry looked sympathetically at the retreating back of Rose, before he took Lily's trunk and they all started to follow Rose.