Rose glanced around her room carefully, scratching her head. Her bed was made, her books had been placed back on their shelves and any other personal effects had been locked away from her nosy cousins and brother. Did she have everything she needed? She thought so. Breathing deeply, Rose couldn't believe what she was about to do. She must have lost her mind. But it was too late to back out of the plan now. Her father might let her, would probably let her but her mother most certainly wouldn't. In the name of being polite... Grabbing the rucksack in the doorway which was filled with her clothes and immediate necessities, Rose swung it over her shoulder carelessly. Taking one final look around, she sighed. She was gonna miss this place. But she wasn't going to be away for that long. Just for a week. The more she thought about it, the more Rose felt like her father was right. This was a bad idea. How she had ever been convinced that it was a good one, escaped her. Oh well, live and learn, she thought. Hesitantly, she stepped out of the room and with a pang, shut the door behind her.
Her mind was spinning as she walked past Lily's bedroom door. It wasn't too late to back out now! That was what the wimp within her was screaming at the top of it's voice. But elsewhere there was a deep resounding voice that was urging her on, encouraging and supporting her. She could do this. She was Rose Weasley for Merlin's sake! Her parents had faced death eaters and snatchers. Dark wizards and dementors. This in comparison to them, was child's play. But to Rose it felt like one of the most important moments in her life, ever. She would impress. She would unnerve. She would make her mother and father proud. Chewing her lip, she paused in front of her brother's room. Knocking on it sharply, she entered without waiting for his response. Every time she looked at her brother's room, Rose could never suppress her disgust. It was always a complete and utter mess. Since Scorpius' visit three years prior, he had added more unattractive images of muggle girls on his walls, much to their mother's disdain and their father's pleasured shock. His clothes were strewn everywhere, Rose could never be sure where the clean stopped and where the dirty began. Over time, everything had merged together. The words, comb, towel, toothpaste or soap were not in Hugo's vocabulary and his room accurately reflected that. He never made his bed and the sheets had stains all over them, mostly from leftover food and drinks. Rose loved her brother dearly but sometimes his messes were too much to bear even for Albus and James. Her mother often blamed Hugo's untidiness on genetics, I.e: their father. Apparently he hadn't been very organised growing up. Not to say that he was very organised now either...
Leaning across the doorway looking at her brother, who was sprawled on his bed reading a book, Rose smiled a little. He looked so comical, with his afternoon snack in his left hand and his book in his right. The situation was so contrasting. Gently, she cleared her throat. He didn't seem to have noticed she was there at all.
Glancing up, Hugo smiled casually at his sister. Rose knew all too well that just about every girl in Hugo's year would kill to see him smile at them like that. For all his flaws, Rose had to admit, that her brother was pretty good looking. His red hair, like Rose's had darkened with age and now it was a deep auburn colour that turned a shade of gold in the sunlight. Hugo was only too aware of this and utilised his hair efficiently by tossing his fringe to and fro so that it gently covered his eyelids. While Rose found the action a little annoying and ridiculous, the girls that hounded her brother around the school seemed to find it dreamy and attractive. But hair wasn't the only thing that Hugo had in his artillery of charm. He had lovely eyes. Rose frankly, had always been jealous of his eyes. They were a lovely shade of blue, not deep sea blue, grey blue almost like Scorpius'. They had darkened slightly over time but they still managed to mesmerize all in Hugo's way. Shoving the disturbing thoughts regarding her brother's attractiveness out of her mind, after all she was his sister. Sisters don't think about how good looking their brothers are, she told herself. She must really be stressed out to be driven to think about that. Of all things! It would probably be better if she voiced her concerns quickly now. So Rose tried to focus on the conversation at hand.
"Heading off sis?" Hugo broke the silence.
Rose nodded quickly, feeling the lump rise in her throat again.
Hugo noticed and chuckled. He never missed anything. Especially with his sister.
"Well have fun then." he replied, stressing the word, "fun".
Rose rubbed her forehead.
"Gee.. Thanks."
"Hey it was your idea to go in the first place." Hugo protested.
"Yea but maybe it wasn't such a good idea."
"Having second thoughts? Where's that Griffindor courage eh?"
"But you forget oh brother, I am a Slytherin!" Rose shook her head.
Hugo raised his hands to his mouth in surprise.
"How could I forget!" he exclaimed sarcastically.
He seemed to have taken an interest in their conversation all of a sudden and was now sitting upright on the bed. He had closed his book and placed it on his bedside table. But he was still eating. Predictable.
Rose rolled her eyes and stared about the room for a moment, thinking.
"What are you afraid of?" Hugo asked patiently.
She shrugged in response.
"I don't know, making a fool of myself."
"Huh, Rosie how could you of all people make a fool of yourself."
"You'd be surprised..."
"So what if you screw up?"
"So what? It's a big deal. I want to make a good impression. I don't want to send the wrong messages."
Hugo sighed and stayed silent for a moment. Then before Rose could process what was happening, he got up from his bed and crossed over to her. Since he had already hit puberty, he was much taller and Rose felt a twinge of annoyance over this fact as she strained her neck to look up to meet his gaze. He placed his hands on her shoulders and stared at her seriously for a moment. Rose felt mildly intimidated by her younger sibling but held her ground.
"You'll be fine. You always are." he murmured.
Rose opened her mouth to reply but he silenced her immediately.
"Just trust yourself ok? Don't try to be someone you're not, don't freak out and keep your calm." he urged.
Rose bit her lip, dying to retort back but finally she exhaled and nodded slowly.
"Ok Boss." she grinned a little.
Hugo's serious expression was gone. He was grinning back at her.
"You got it." he replied.
Pursing his lips he pulled Rose a little closer and hugged her. It was one of those tender, sweet, brother-sister bonding moments. Rose actually enjoyed hugging her brother, especially now that he was physically bigger than her. It made her feel safe and protected somehow. Like how she felt when Scorpius hugged her. Rose wrapped her arms around Hugo's neck and closed her eyes. A thousand scenarios on how this would all turn out, flashed through her mind. For a split second she was panicking again but then the fear was gone. Hugo was right. There was a first but still, he was right. She was going to be fine. She had to tell herself that. She just had to keep cool. That wasn't so difficult... right? Oh course. She had the Weasley blood and the spunk in her. This was a walk in the park. Eventually, after what felt like decades, she felt her brother begin to pull away and Rose followed suit. He smiled again at her, brushing the stray hairs from her face. Rose glanced at the time and her eyes widened.
"I better get going."
Hugo nodded.
"Yup."
"Wish me luck!"
"You don't need it." he said confidently.
"So much faith in me?" she asked a little surprised.
"Of course, you're my sister." his eyes widened as if he was stating the obvious.
She smiled. That was sweet of him to say.
"Thanks Hugo."
At this, he slapped Rose on the back playfully as she turned to go.
"Anytime!" he called out as she closed the door for him, chuckling.
Hurrying down the stairs, she nearly crashed into her mother as she reached the bottom. Thankfully for Rose, her mother managed to steady her by gripping her shoulders firmly, holding her in place like something sticking to glue. Mrs Weasley laughed a little at her daughter's own clumsiness and shook her head in bemused exasperation.
"Rose you alright there darling?" she chuckled a little
Rose panted a little from the running but shook her head stubbornly.
"I'm good."
Her mother stared at her for a moment with a thoughtful look in her eyes. The humorous face she had been wearing earlier, was completely gone. That was one of the interesting things about her mother. Rose had always found it fascinating that she could switch, so easily between moods. Almost like she had a gift. While this could be a good and bad thing, it was still a unique thing to watch. Once when she had been younger and excited about human behaviour, Rose had treated her mother almost like a human test subject, studying her and analyzing her behavior, looking for patterns or clues. Of course she didn't do that anymore. It had been childish and if anything, she didn't have the time anymore. She was far too busy with school work. So nowadays, Mrs Weasley was just good old mum to Rose.
"I'd say if I didn't know any better that you look a little nervous?" Mrs Weasley suggested.
Rose chewed her lip.
"I know that look..." her mother pushed.
She sighed in resignation.
"Ok maybe a little nervous."
"Why on earth for?" Now Hermione was confused.
"I... I don't know!" Rose burst out.
Her mother pulled back for a moment, looking surprised.
"Oh all right, no need to get touchy dear."
"Sorry mum" Rose regretted her outburst immediately.
Her mother shook her head in understanding.
"No I think I actually deserved that dear. I know why you're nervous. Known for quite awhile. I was actually expecting it to come, eventually. After all these feelings are only natural. But I was just pushing to see if you would tell me first. You know, if you could actually admit something to me for a change without me asking first?"
Rose scowled a little at this.
"I was planning to."
Hermione smiled.
"I'm sure you were."
Rose shrugged.
"I just want to make a good impression you know? I mean the way dad talks, it's like they're monsters or something..."
Her mother laughed.
"Well we all know your father tends to exaggerate a bit now and then."
Rose raised her eyebrows in shock.
"Now and then? Try all the time!" she snorted.
Sighing, her mother moved over to sit on the settee in the living area. Grudgingly, Rose followed her. She had a feeling she was about to get one of Mrs Weasley's famous motivational talks. The ones the Hugo in particular, detested. Not that she was isn't the mood to hear one of them but they were really long and Rose was kind of in a rush.
Facing her mother, Rose waited for her to begin.
"Rose," she rubbed her temples thinking, "Where has all your self confidence gone?"
"It's still here." Rose protested, thinking to herself that she had just had a very similar conversation with her brother.
"Then why are you afraid? They're not vicious animals about to tear you apart. Think of them as thestrals. You know, frightening in appearance but gentle in nature?"
Rose snorted.
"That was the best analogy you could come up with?"
Hermione Weasley nodded.
"Well you didn't give me much time to make up a better one."
"Fine" Rose folded her arms. "It's just that this is really important to me. I don't wanna mess up my chances just because I didn't make a good impression you know?"
Her mother smiled.
"Yes I do know"
"I think once I get there it won't be so bad. It's just apprehension I guess."
"Well I'm sure once you get comfortable they'll find impossible not to love you."
"Gee thanks, not actually sure if I want them to love me."
Her mother smirked.
"Yes well, it's better than them hating you."
Rose covered her eyes.
"Oh no! Don't even suggest the possibility!"
"All right, all right."
Rose calmed herself down, "I guess, I'll listen to Hugo's advice. It makes the most sense anyway. Just be myself and be cool!"
Her mother glanced at her a little amused.
"Since when do you take advice from your younger brother?"
"Since now..."
"Oh"
"Yup"
"Well dear since you've seemed to have calmed down a bit, I think I'll take the opportunity to remind you that when you get there don't forget to be polite, offer to help..."
"Mum!" Rose whined. Now that her mother's little pep talk was over, there was really no need for her to stick around. "I know, I also intend to be punctual if you know what I mean?" she said gesturing to her watch.
Hermione Weasley shook her head.
"But dear I just want to make sure..."
"Give it up Mione! The poor girl's gonna die of boredom before she goes anywhere."
Rose watched amused, as she saw her mother scowl impatiently and she smiled up in gratitude at the father who had appeared out of nowhere. He was standing right behind them and his arms were folded so that he appeared to look cross with his wife. But his eyes were twinkling. He gave Rose a cheeky wink.
"Ronald I do wish you wouldn't interrupt me!" Hermione snorted.
"I do it because I care Herm..." he shook his head, walking over to Rose.
Plonking himself down beside his daughter, he placed his arm around her shoulder.
"You know Rosie," he began playfully, "It's never too late to back out..."
"Ronald!" His wife gasped, "That would be so incredibly rude, canceling so late!"
Rose sighed.
"Yea, give it up dad, whether you and I like it or not, I have to go. In the name of being polite!"
Ronald Weasley slumped a little in his seat.
"Well at least I can tell my father that I tried. I really did!"
Rose patted her father's hand comfortingly.
"I know dad, I know."
Her father narrowed his eyes slightly at her.
"All I'm saying is, just because your mother and I approve of Scorpius as your boyfriend, does not mean that the Malfoys will approve of you being his girlfriend. They're into the whole pureblood mania thing. Plus, did I mention that they are cold blooded things, no hearts, like serpents."
"Wow dad," Rose rolled her eyes, "Go figure."
But secretly, Rose's heart always leapt with joy when her father mentioned that he approved of Scorpius. It had seemed, even up to now, too good to be true. Like a miracle. That Scorpius had won over her father of all people.
Rose recalled vividly the day she had first introduced Scorpius as her boyfriend to her parents. After all, it had only been a month ago. She had been afraid, for Scorpius. Her biggest fear was that her father would find a way to kill him and bury him in their back garden without Rose knowing until it was too late. But what had actually transpired had been a far cry from her imagination. Rose had never seen Scorpius behave quite so wonderfully. He was enchanting, lively, polite and cautious, helping her mother and chatting up her father. He was in summation, the perfect gentleman. He didn't smirk once during the entire meeting. Whether he was too afraid to smirk or whether he simply didn't want to, she hadn't known.
He had easily won over her mother, helping in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes and complimenting her hair. Her mother, was a sucker for hair compliments and of course couldn't object to being loaded with them by her daughter's boyfriend. Rose was mildly disturbed that he could get her mother on his side so easily. It was a true art, to win her favour and having mastered that art, Scorpius was now very much respected by Rose and Hugo. Her father had been a little more of a challenge. While he had been relatively impressed with Scorpius when he had visited them for Christmas, meeting him as his daughter's boyfriend had been a whole different ball game. And of course there was the issue that he was a Malfoy. Though they were cordial towards one another nowadays, Rose knew all to well that Scorpius' father and her parents still had a lot of bad blood between them. Her father had been apprehensive, to say the least.
But Scorpius had braved the originally cold voice and the stiff body language. Having broken through her father's defenses by chatting about his true love, apart from her mother, Quidditch, Scorpius had had no issue, making an impression. Of course he had a little support from Rose who cautiously hovered around to make sure her father played nice. She didn't have to really. It turned out that male wizards bonded very easily over a common interest. The next thing she knew, the two of them ended up watching a match together and Scorpius had been invited to the family Quidditch gathering the following month! Rose had realised, fairly quickly that she had only witnessed first hand a small section of Scorpius' charms. He had a lot more up his sleeve that he utilised efficiently.
So at the end of the day when Scorpius had said goodbye to everyone, her parents decision had been unquestionable. Yes he was a Slytherin, but then so was Rose so that hadn't been much of an issue. Yes he was a Malfoy, this fact in particular had been relatively hard for her father to accept, Rose had been glad that he had finally gotten over it's stigma. But he was a good, decent and kind young man. He was understanding and obviously loving. So yes, Rose had her parents' green light to go ahead. Hugo, who had been betting with Rose that they would hate Scorpius, had been infuriated at this decision. Rose of course, had been ecstatic. Not for the money of course but just to know that her parents approved. For all of the things going against Scorpius, his name, his house, her parents had seen him for his merits and that was important to her. Now she only hoped that she would have as much success with his parents. She had to.
Leaning against her father's shoulder Rose sighed.
Ron Weasley stroked his daughter's hair.
"Hey on the bright side, if things go awry, Scorpius will be there to protect you."
"Yea that makes a world of difference." she commented.
She wasn't being sarcastic. She would probably be hyperventilating now if she knew that Scorpius was going to be there today.
"Besides," he mother added, "I don't know about Draco but Astoria has got to be a pretty decent individual to raise such a lovely son."
Rose raised her eyebrow at her mother. She knew her mother was referring to all the compliments Scorpius had paid her. She just couldn't get over them. For the life of her Rose did not know why.
"Yup, ok mum"
Rose realised she was stalling again. She had better get a move on.
Standing up, she made her way over to the fireplace. She grabbed the small pocket at the side and took out some Floo powder. Replacing the pocket, she turned to face her encouraging parents with a smile. Gripping her things tightly, she waved with her free hand.
Her father waved back.
"Hey Rosie, in the small case that things go bad, would you prefer Lilies or Carnations for your funeral?"
"Ronald!" Hermione exclaimed, "You'll make her feel even worse."
Her mother was right.
Rose's stomach had sunk to her knees. But she showed none of her newly acquired fear on her face. Instead she shot her father an unpleasant look. But she was genuinely thinking about his question. After a pause, she replied with a grin.
"I think neither. I'd prefer Roses. Red ones please."
Her father winked playfully at her.
"Bye dear, see you soon!" her mother called.
Rose nodded.
"Malfoy Manor!" she called out, dropping the Floo powder onto the ground as she spoke. A ball of green flames erupted with a bang and Ron and Hermione looked away to cover their eyes and when they turned back, Rose was gone.
"She'll be fine." Hermione consoled herself.
Ron nodded.
"Of course she'll be fine. She's got my blood hasn't she?"
His wife snorted.
"I don't see how that helps..."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things turn out?"
"Yes I suppose." she murmured.
Then the two of them stood there for a long while, in front of the fireplace. Rose had never been away from them for more than a few days at a time, unless she was with her family on sleepovers. This was different, a strange and new thing to them, letting her go like this. She was becoming a woman and this first meeting with Scorpius' parents indicated her growing maturity. Rose's departure had a lot more symbolic significance that met the eye. But of course her parents had never expressed this symbolism to her. So there they stood, a little like statues, thinking about their daughter and what she could be possibly be doing at that moment.
Rose landed with a thump. A loud one.
"Oof!" she muttered.
Slowly getting to her feet and dusting herself off, she stepped out of the fireplace, cautiously. This was it. There was no turning back. Consoling herself with the fact that Scorpius was probably this nervous when he had met her parents, she straightened herself up and took a good look around. She was in a dining room. There was a long, long, wooden table that could probably fit up to 20 over people in the middle of the room. A green persian rug was placed below it. A large chandelier hung overhead and there were torches on the walls. Looking at the fireplace from where she had come, she saw the mantlepiece was adorned with intricate designs carved into the wood. Mostly of serpents. A large clock above read the time, 1.00pm. She had perfect timing despite all the delays she had experienced, thanks to her parents. Along the other side of the room were three large windows. Rose could barely make out that they were windows there at all, it was so dark. Thanks to the dark emerald curtains that blocked out the sun. The room had a green tinge to it, not dark and gloomy but a lot like the Slytherin common room. Rose bit her lip. What did she do now?
"Hello?" she called. Her voice was cracked.
There was no answer and her voice seemed to bounce off the walls.
"Hello?" she called out again.
As she took steps forward, her shoes echoed on the wooden floor. She winced slightly.
She had the huge urge to run home now but her willpower or foolishness kept her rooted.
"Anyone home?" she asked.
Suddenly she heard the scattering of feet, someone coming towards the room, closer and closer. Rose's heart could have stopped beating but she willed herself to keep breathing. Suddenly the door creaked open and Rose's eyes widened as she saw a small house elf step into the room. She blinked. She had always guessed that people like the Malfoys would have house elves but the Weasleys had never had any. Her mother was strictly against all of that. She had practically reformed house elf rights during her time in the Ministry and thanks to her, new rules had been implemented to ensure minimal cruelty and abuse towards them. Rose was proud of her mother for what she had done but Hermione, because of her sensitivity regarding the subject, had never really explained much to Rose regarding house elves, their type of magic, the way they functioned etc. Mostly because her daughter had never asked her anything regarding the subject and so they had left things at that. The only place where Rose really noticed them was at Hogwarts and even there, she never really saw them up close. She knew of Kreacher but he was a free elf, her uncle having released him after the second wizarding war. She had only met him once when he had popped in to visit and hadn't been that much of a fan of his, due to his bad temper and general dislike of her mother. So seeing one now, to be facing the prospect of talking to one, Rose didn't know whether to be scared or excited. It could turn into a new learning experience for her. She might find out something about house elves!
"Hi..." she murmured.
The house elf said nothing but simply came towards her. Getting a better look at him now, Rose saw that he was dressed in rags, they weren't filthy or anything but they were pretty unsightly. He seemed happy, contented, there were no scars or cuts on his face, like the scars she had seen on Kreacher's. He was clean and when he finally reached to grip Rose's hand firmly, apart from his slightly calloused fingertips, his skin was smooth.
"Come." he nodded to her.
Rose shook her head.
"Sorry?"
"Come" he repeated and began to pull her towards the door.
"Erm.. ok" she replied and quickly followed his lead.
The next thing Rose knew she was being led, past room after room. All of them looked about the same, with a green tinge, lots of wood but she couldn't get a good look in because they were walking by so quickly. If her parents could see her know, she thought to herself. After what seemed like forever, they stopped in front of a large wooden door. Rose glanced at the house elf who gestured her to enter the room. After a pause, Rose did as she was told. Slowly, she knocked and pushed the door open. It swung forward with a creek and Rose stepped in. Glancing around the room, Rose noticed instantly that it was a living area. But it was worlds apart from the Burrow. The plush green chairs and the settee were organised neatly in the middle of the room, not the the disorderly casual atmosphere of home. Another rug was on the floor. There was a fireplace against the wall but there was an actual fire burning there, a green one. Large bookcases were lined against the walls and Rose caught glimpses of familiar titles as she walked by. Rose stopped in front of one of them to take a closer look. As she reached out to take one of the novels of the shelf, she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She nearly jumped out of her skin and she quickly turned around.
Astoria Malfoy smiled.
"I don't think my husband would take too kindly to you reading his books without permission." she nodded towards the shelves.
Rose instantly slapped her hands to her sides.
"I'm sorry about that. I, love to read." she remarked.
Astoria waved her off with her hand.
"So I've been told. I don't hold it against you. The library is filled with great reading material. No matter, no matter dear. Come, sit."
Rose felt like a stone statue being dragged across the floor. Eventually she found herself opposite Scorpius' mother on one of the chairs. They looked more comfortable than they actually were. Mrs Malfoy who had been reading, set her book on the coffee table and glanced at Rose for a moment with interest. Rose felt like she was being scrutinized, like this was some kind of a test. Finally she extended her hand.
"Hello, I'm as you might have guessed, Astoria Malfoy, Scorpius' mother." her hand remained, waiting for a handshake from Rose.
Rose obliged and offered her hand.
"Rose Weasley."
They shook and then retracted their hands. Mrs Malfoy's hand was cool and pale but her shake was firm and confident. This woman was in charge. Rose panicked at this realization for a moment. Where was Scorpius?
As if reading her thoughts, Mrs Malfoy spoke.
"Scorpius and my husband are in Diagon Alley getting some things for me. They should be back soon."
Rose nodded her head.
"Rose?" Astoria asked.
"Yes." she replied. She was surprised at how firm her voice sounded but she was pleased.
"I am sorry about you being dragged throughout the house like that. It must have been a it of a walk I'd imagine. That's just the specific fireplace the Floo Network takes you to. We've tried of course on numerous occasions to change it to the fireplace near the entrance of the manor but you know these things never get settled. Ministry always promises to fix it and they never do. But what's new eh? It really is a pain when you need to get to the other end of the manor though, like in cases such as these. I suppose the only benefit was that you got an instant tour about the place."
Rose smiled a little at Astoria's casual front.
"Yes it was a little disorientating. But an interesting experience to say the least. I don't think I got a really good look, we were passing by too quickly."
Mrs Malfoy shrugged.
"I suppose you can get used to it, when you've lived here as long as I have! Well perhaps I'll show you round a little later."
Rose nodded. Suddenly remembering her mother's instructions to be polite, she cleared her throat.
"By the way, I wanted to thank you for inviting me for the week. Scorpius talks about you so much, it's such a privilege for me to meet you."
Astoria smiled.
"Well I'd like to thank you for coming at all. For not declining the invitation that is. My husband was convinced that you're parents wouldn't allow you to come. Draco and I have been dying to meet you and now we have you for the week. Isn't it wonderful?" she smiled.
Rose smiled back, a little more at ease. Astoria Malfoy, once you got past the sophisticated exterior, had a very open air about her.
"It is. And of course my parents were more than happy to let me come. After all, you let Scorpius come at least twice to visit them."
"That's true..." Astoria pondered. "I've been so excited about your visit. I don't have a daughter obviously and I've always wanted one. It would be good to have another woman in the house for a change. Not always surrounded by male chauvinists.
Rose chuckled at the idea of Scorpius being a male chauvinist. She could picture it vividly.
Mrs Malfoy continued, "And we have heard nothing but the finest praises from Scorpius about you."
Rose grimaced slightly at this. She mentally noted to herself that she would have to kill Scorpius later for painting her out to be so perfect.
"He exaggerated, I'm sure." she mumbled.
"Well so far, I don't believe he did."
Rose glanced sharply up, her mind whirring with a mixture of happiness and pressure. Scorpius' mother liked her! Well she had indicated that she approved of Rose. Which was good! But they were only talking, so far. Now the only thing Rose needed to do was to not screw things up. That was the pressure that was beginning to bear down on her. But she wasn't going to panic. She had to, as Hugo had told her to, remain cool.
"Thank you." she smiled.
"You play beater with Scorpius don't you?" Astoria commented, switching to another subject.
She's testing me, Rose thought to herself. Trying to see how I would respond.
"That's right, for 5 years now."
"5 years is a long time." Mrs Malfoy commented.
"Yes it is. But playing alongside the same player for a long time has it's merits."
"Trust?" Mrs Malfoy guessed accurately.
"Exactly. And dependence. I suppose you feel more confident and daring because you know the other person had your back."
"You trust Scorpius?" Astoria questioned her. Rose saw her focusing intently, leaning forward, waiting for the appropriate response. So she gave her what she wanted.
"With my life." she noted seriously. Rose knew, she spoke nothing but the truth.
Astoria leaned back in her chair satisfied.
Just then there was a loud knock on the door. Astoria immediately rose and beckoned Rose to do the same. Following instructions, Rose stood up and faced the door.
"Come in" Astoria called.
The door swung open with a familiar creek and Rose's entire body relaxed as she saw Scorpius come towards her. Without even glancing at his mother, he embraced Rose in a warm and friendly hug.
"Glad you made it." he whispered in her ear.
"Glad I came" she mumbled back.
"I'll be praying for you."
"That makes me feel so much better..."
Scorpius chuckled and pulled away.
"I see you've met my mother." he called.
Astoria nodded.
"Yes Rose and I have been chatting for a bit."
Scorpius nodded slowly, looking at his mother in suspicion.
"Uh huh." he muttered.
Rose smiled and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, we played nice."
Scorpius relaxed slightly and wrapped his arm around Rose's waist.
"But of course you have yet to meet my father..." he said turning to face the door once more.
Rose followed his gaze and immediately her eyes were locked in their place. For a moment, she thought she was looking at Scorpius but realised that that couldn't possibly be the case since he was standing next to her. As her brain processed this information she realised that this "Scorpius" was older, he had wrinkles on his forehead and crow's feet at his eyes. His platinum blonde hair was not quite as full as Scorpius' and it was receding near the front of his forehead. His chin was sharper, more pointed than his son's but his eyes were exactly the same, dark metallic grey that drowned Rose in their depths. Rose gulped slightly as she took in Draco Malfoy.
"Hello sir." she offered out her hand.
Draco Malfoy who had been carrying several packages, apparently from Diagon Alley, immediately set them down on the ground, the whole time still keeping his gaze on Rose. Rose found him very much like his son or rather his son very much like him. His face, was unreadable. She couldn't tell if he was angry, shocked, happy, nothing. But Scorpius warm hand on her waist made her hold his gaze with quiet confidence, her hand still outstretched. She could hear Astoria and Scorpius breathing in anticipation. After an eternity, he finally extended his hand in return and shook hers. Rose had been expecting a cool hand like his wife's but instead Mr Malfoy's palm was warm to the touch, like Scorpius' and his hands were soft and gentle. His grip was firm though, like his wife's but at the same time he made Rose feel at ease.
"Pleasure to finally meet you young lady." he murmured. He had a deep voice and it floated over Rose like a wave of calm. She breathed deeply. They released hands.
"I trust you have been enjoying your stay so far?" he asked her.
Astoria laughed at this. Rose was surprised at her laugh. It was light and airy, like a cloud.
"Oh for Merlin's sake Draco! She's only been her for half an hour."
"It still counts..." he replied. Rose saw his mouth twitch slightly in amusement. The more she saw of his father, the more Rose realised where Scorpius' character came from.
"So Rose," Draco Malfoy strode over to his wife and sat down on the settee. "Sit" he indicated.
Rose obliged with Scorpius close behind her.
"I have been thinking, for the longest time, what question I would ask you when we finally met." He brooded.
Rose waited for him to continue.
"So I think I've come up with a decent one. One I've always been curious to find the answer to. Why with a family full of Griffindors, did the hat place you in Slytherin?"
Rose laughed. She couldn't help herself.
"Don't you think it's a bit late in the day for that question?" she remarked, bemused.
"Probably" he remarked lightly.
Rose did not know how to respond. Thankfully she did not have to.
"I have watched you play Quidditch." he added.
Rose nodded, "That might be the reason."
"For?" Astoria cut in.
"Why I'm in Slytherin." Rose explained. "I'm a brutal player."
She could feel Scorpius smile slightly beside her. Ah memories...
"Yes, that day when you started a fight with that Hufflepuff player..." he trailed off.
Rose flushed furiously.
"You saw that?" she asked.
Astoria nodded.
"Don't get us wrong, it was very entertaining."
Rose looked to the ground. Nobody would ever let her live that moment down.
"Would you consider yourself much like your parents Rose?" Mrs Malfoy asked.
Rose smiled.
"More like my mother. As in, I like to read."
"Yes you told me." Astoria nodded.
"Your father?" Mr Malfoy suddenly spoke up.
Rose noticed something there, an interest, a genuine curiosity. Both of them were trying to find out what she was like, compared to her parents, why she was in Slytherin. Trying to find flaws, or merit? Rose couldn't be bothered to care anymore.
"We both like Wizard's Chess." she offered.
Scorpius coughed and Rose nudged him sharply.
"What was that?" His mother asked him bemused.
"Rose cheats." he smiled at his girlfriend.
"I don't!" Rose protested vehemently. "I'm just not completely forthcoming when I play. A bit of deception, a bit of intimidation is always good fun."
"Sounds like my kind of opponent." Mr Malfoy smirked.
Rose raised an eyebrow, all her fears gone. This was her comfort zone. Suddenly the fears that had been surrounding the whole day were mysteriously vanishing. Hugo had been right. Being herself really did the trick.
"Do I hear a challenge there?" she asked.
Scorpius cheered and Astoria clapped.
"Go on Dad!" he called. "What have got to lose?" Scorpius now seemed to have lost, like Rose all his reservations. He was back to his normal self.
Everyone seemed to be calming down and the formal atmosphere had dissipated. It was just like a family night in. Rose actually was beginning to enjoy herself. Her parents, her father in particular had been wrong. These people were not monsters. They were like her mother had so readily put, thestrals, who seemed frightening but were harmless really. They weren't going to eat or kill her at all. In fact the more Rose talked to them, the more time she spent with them, the more she understood that they were normal people, like everyone else, they had feelings and emotions. Rose could not be intimidated anymore. Yes there had been bad blood and perhaps the parents would always, deep down dislike one another. But that did not mean that Rose had to hate them either. No, on the contrary, much to her own shock, she liked them. She actually found their cold exterior and warm interior attractive. She had a feeling that this next week would pass too quickly for her liking.
"Yes give it a shot dear!" Astoria called to her husband before encouragingly patting Rose as well..
Draco Malfoy glanced at his son and then at his challenger. After a brief pause, he shrugged, he was relaxed.
"I've got nothing to lose when I know I'm gonna win." he addressed his son.
Rose smirked. If he thought he could take her down he had another thing coming. Glancing between father an son, she couldn't help but feel confused. Scorpius had always complained to Rose that he didn't share the same bond, close bond with his parents that she did with hers. That he wished he could be more like her. But looking at him now, Rose realised that that wasn't true. Scorpius was loved by his parents and he loved them. It was so obvious to the onlooker like her. The only difference was that it was a different kind of love. They didn't show their affection openly like her family. It was more reserved, controlled. They put propriety first. Scorpius liked the openness and it wasn't that he wasn't loved, he just craved a different type of love, or display of love. She would have to talk to him about that eventually but for now she had to focus on the issue at hand.
Pulling out his wand from his back pocket, he flicked it lightly an then on the coffee table, appeared a chess board. As the pieces aligned themselves, Rose smiled confidently. She could play this game with her eyes closed. She was the family Chess Champion. This was mostly because she psychologically manipulated them to give up halfway through the game, destroying their self confidence, making them unsure of their next move. It worked every time. Even her father had conceded, she was better than him. That, was saying something. Settling herself into a comfortable position, she looked up at Mr Malfoy, waiting for him to begin. He looked a lot more relaxed than he had a good 5 minutes ago. He had run his fingers through his hair and now it was ruffled, his robes had been loosened and looked more casual. He wasn't smiling but Rose could see a glint of humor in his eyes.
"Ladies First." he indicated.
Rose shook her head.
"That's fine."
He shrugged.
"I should warn you Weasley." he said it lightheartedly, not as an insult. "I am the reigning Wizard Chess champion in this household."
At this his son and wife cheered in support. Rose playfully shot Scorpius a look and he instantly bowed out, silently begging forgiveness. She turned back to the game quickly.
"I've beat my father and we all know how good he is at this." Rose remarked with pride.
"Yea that's something to be proud of!" Scorpius called, recalling with clarity how Rose's father had destroyed him at the game when he had come to visit.
It had been embarrassing for Scorpius and Ron had, for days after that, revelled in his victory, commenting to Rose, "Your boyfriend may get straight As and may be the head of the Quidditch team but he can't play Wizards Chess for nuts! Didn't you teach him anything?" Rose in particular had suffered largely on Scorpius' behalf, taking her father's insults and jokes in silence during every mealtime when not only her immediate, but extended family was there. She had decided then when school started again, she would tutor Scorpius in the art of the game and they would show her father who was boss. But for now, it wasn't Scorpius battling her father. It was her, battling his father.
Draco Malfoy, having processed what she had said earlier, glanced at her a little surprised, obviously impressed. Rose, thinking about it now, often loved watching people whom she challenged to Wizards Chess, observing them really, the way they eventually crumbled before, losing their will, getting intimidated. It made her feel in a strange sadistic way, powerful. So far though, Draco Malfoy was not giving in. He was much better than his son who had forfeited the match before they had begun.
"No need to be afraid..." she teased him.
He sneered playfully.
"Miss Weasley, the word Fear is not in my vocabulary."
"Perhaps," Rose shrugged offhandedly, "But it's in your eyes."
