Sorry this chapter is a little later than usual, I try my best to get them up around the same time everyday but that some times can prove to be difficult. Anyways I am so glad you all seem to be enjoying the story so far. Tell me your thoughts on this chapter… as you know the Malfoy family is my favorite in the entire series, so as you could imagine I was thrilled to write this. Enjoy!
The sound of heels clicking against wooden floors could be heard from several corridors away. A dark haired woman shuffled around the room, making sure everything was perfectly aligned. The witch sighed as she stood back and looked the room over one last time, huffing when she found one of the couch cushions crooked. Scorpius rolled his eyes when he entered the room and found his mother frantically tidying. "Calm down, mother, I seriously doubt Rose's opinion of you will depend on whether pillows are fluffed or not. You needn't worry, she'll love you no matter what."
Astoria nodded, adjusting the cushion one last time before looking to her son. "You look dashing, dear," the woman said, adjusting the collar of the button up shirt he wore. "And I know, I'm just quite pleased to meet her. Now, she'll be here any moment, I am going to go check on dinner and see how it is coming along." He watched his mother hurry out of the room, and a second later his father walked in.
The shorter blonde man smiled at his son, opening his mouth to speak just as a House elf entered the room to inform them that their guest had arrived. Draco looked to his son, a smile on his face when he saw how elated he looked. "Why don't you go fetch her, and I'll call for your mother, I'm sure she would hate to be even a moment late." The two of them grinned at each other, Scorpius leaving a second later headed to the front foyer.
His footsteps were quiet as he descended the staircase and entered the room, and that was probably why Rose didn't hear him. Scorpius smirked as she watched her dust soot off of her coat, thinking she probably tripped and fell as she landed, knowing just how clumsy she was. The girl sighed when she realized the ashes on her clothes were going nowhere, as she brought a hand up to push a strand of long wavy hair behind her ear. Rose looked up when she heard a husky chuckle, smiling the second she saw Scorpius walking towards her.
The two of them didn't say a word as Scorpius slowly approached her, cupping the side of her face with his hand when he was close. Standing on her tippy toes, Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. Their lips met, and they kissed each other slowly, happy to be in each other's presence. "Hello, handsome," Rose whispered to him when they pulled apart, her eyes admiring the way his muscles were shown off through his shirt.
"You look beautiful," Scorpius said as he helped her out of her coat, watching her blush as he handed the garment to a House elf. Rose wore a dark forest green dress, with black tights, and the bracelet Scorpius had given her shining on her wrist. And to Scorpius, she looked like a masterpiece from a painting. "Come on, my parents are waiting in the drawing room, they're dying to meet you."
Rose quickly pulled her hand back when Scorpius reached for it, causing him to look to her face and see the panic written all over it. "Wait," she said, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. "What if they don't like me? I mean-"
A long pale finger came up and covered her lips, stopping her from worrying herself. "Shush, doll," the blonde man said simply, chuckling when she followed his orders with wide eyes. "Do you trust me," he asked, and Rose nodded without a second thought, pleasing Scorpius deeply. The man leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek, "well then, don't worry about it." She allowed him to grab her hand this time, and slowly, the couple made their way up the grand staircase and through halls.
When they entered a certain corridor, Rose heard two voices; one honeyed and slightly plummy, the other deep and calming like Scorpius', but older. Scorpius squeezed Rose's hand as they entered the room the voices were coming from, calming her with his reaffirming touch. A burning hot and bright blush lit up her cheeks as she tripped over nothing and stumbled forward, though Scorpius caught her with a smirk and quiet chuckle. Trying to settle her embarrassment over her less-than graceful entrance, Rose was greeted with the sight of a very attractive couple when she walked in, both different in appearances.
The man had whitish blonde hair, with pale eyes and skin, a carbon copy of Scorpius. The woman had thick dark hair, with green eyes, her skin tanned as if she had just come back from holiday. Both of the two were impeccably dressed, and held an aristocratic air about them. Though, all signs of arrogance left the second the couple turned to her and welcoming smiles appeared on their faces. "Rose, this is my mother, Astoria, and my father, Draco," Scorpius said, his hand moving to her back.
Scorpius' mother walked towards them with a grand smile on her beautiful face. "Oh, Scorpius, she's gorgeous! Rose, it's wonderful to meet you," the woman said, surprising the blushing girl when she moved in for a hug. Rose was wafted with an appealing floral scent, and she guessed it was from all the time spent in her notorious garden. When the witch pulled back, her husband was by her side, as he slid an arm around her waist.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs Malfoy," Rose said sweetly, unintentionally leaning in closer to Scorpius, something Draco noticed.
"Finally?" Astoria repeated, her eyebrows raised as she accusingly looked to her son. "How long have you been hiding this beautiful young lady from me," Rose blushed again, and Scorpius grumbled to his mother. "Oh, and please call me Astoria, dear." Draco introduced himself then, his grey eyes a twin pair to Scorpius', yet they held more scarring in them. The four of them made their way to the dining hall a second later, several portraits glaring and huffing as Rose passed by. Each and every inch of the huge home was covered in lavish and expensive décor, flaunting the wealth the family held. The small girl felt out of place when she entered the grandiose room, as Scorpius led her to the table and pulled out her chair, sitting himself in the seat across from her.
A pair of House elves came round, offering the table a variety of drinks. Rose blushed and nervously rejected the champagne she was offered, thinking back to Valentine's night. Scorpius barked out laugh when he noticed her do so, causing her to color further, as his parents gave him strange glances. The first course was served, and Rose wondered how a simple salad could taste so good.
The main course was brought out some time later, and Astoria worried when she noticed that Rose didn't put any of the steak on her plate. "Is something wrong with the meat," the woman asked, worried she had a flaw in her night.
"Oh, nothing's wrong with it. I'm just a vegetarian, so I don't eat any meat." Rose felt guilty for not taking any of the food, knowing it probably took several long hours to perfect.
Astoria looked back to her son, "Scorpius! Why on Earth didn't you tell me, I could have prepared something different." The blonde man looked ashamed, admitting he had forgotten about her diet restriction, though Rose insisted it was fine.
"That's a very noble thing of you to do," Draco said, admiring Rose's ability to stray from such a large part of most people's diet. The humble witch admitted it was rather easy, as she could hardly stand the taste of all meats. "Scorpius has told us your training to be a Healer," the man said moments later, as he reached for his wine and sipped it.
Rose nodded, tucking a piece of auburn hair behind her ear. "Oh, yes. I started my training in fourth year, when I realized I was interested in the field of work. And so now, when I graduate this spring, I'll have already completed a full year of training, and I'll only need one more."
"I don't know why they don't just make you a Healer right now." Looking to his parents, Scorpius explained, "she could heal any injury, on anyone, under any circumstances." Astoria smiled at her son, seeing how clearly proud of her he was.
"Oh, I don't know about that," Rose said modestly. Draco then asked her about the exam, having heard she had a mind like no other. "It's nothing major. I mean, technically, I scored higher than all the past participants had, but that doesn't really prove anything. And who knows, there could be someone ten times smarter than me, who just didn't take the exam." The older wizard admired the girl's ability to stay humble, knowing most would be bragging with the brains she had.
Astoria smiled at the girl, already feeling an attachment towards the witch. "Even if that is so, I must applaud you for your bright mind. Perhaps you're the reason my son's grades have come up in the past few weeks."
With a look of shock and pride on her face, Rose turned to Scorpius. "Have they? Well that's marvelous." Looking back to Astoria, she added, "but honestly, I haven't really done anything to help… well aside making him read loads more." Said wizard chuckled, agreeing that his daily book intake had certainly reached an all time high.
Dinner went on without a flaw, and by the time the desserts were being served, Astoria and Draco were telling Rose all different stories from Scorpius' childhood. Rose's face was pink from laughing so hard as Scorpius' father recalled a particularly good tale. "And as I walked by an opened window, I hear a whole lot of noise coming from down in the yard. By the time I reached him, Scorpius had already managed to get four of the six horses into the pool. It was the most hysterical sight I had ever seen, him soaked to the bone and the massive horses trying to swim around him. It took hours to get all the frightened horses out of the water and back into the barn. From then on out we started locking the gates to the stables."
Scorpius glared at his father for telling the mortifying story, though he would allow him to do so all night if that meant he got to listen to Rose's glorious laugh. Looking to the giggling girl, he stuck up for himself. "In my defense, my cousin Edmund had told me that if you manage to get cattle into water you'd be able to talk to animals." Rose only laughed harder, asking him why he believed him.
The wizard allowed one or two more embarrassing tales to be told about him before he put an end to it. "If you're both finished with humiliating me, I think I'm going to give Rose a tour of the gardens." Scorpius stood from his chair, leaving the room to fetch their coats.
"Thank you so much for dinner, it was really wonderful meeting you both," Rose said with a lovely smile. Her wizard returned then, holding their jackets as he moved to pull Rose's chair out for her. Astoria stood to give her another embrace, and Draco gave her a warm smile, telling her how she was welcome back any time. Scorpius grabbed her small hand in his bigger one, and led her through the large maze that was the corridors of the manor. "Your home is massive, I don't know how you don't constantly get lost."
Scorpius laughed, "I have gotten a bit off track a couple times before, when not paying attention to where I was going. But I grew up in here, I've been navigating these halls since I learned how to walk." The couple continued their journey across the manor, but Rose stopped and pulled Scorpius back when she looked inside a particular room.
"Wait," Rose said gently, dropping his hand as she walked into the room. Scorpius trailed in behind her, smirking when he realized she had spotted his music room. The witch's jaw dropped as she looked around the huge room with sky high ceilings. There was every single instrument known to man in the room, but the center of attention was the grand piano that sat amongst all of the pretty music makers. Rose looked back to Scorpius with a pout on her face, and he laughed as she walked over to him with a certain look in her eyes. "Pretty please," she said, as it wasn't necessary for her to explain what she wanted.
After a long minute of the adorable witch pouting and begging, Scorpius caved. He dropped their jackets off on a table, sighing as he rolled up his sleeves and made his way over to the piano. Rose smiled brightly as she followed him, sitting beside him on the plush piano bench. The wizard lifted the lid to the glossy box, trying out a few keys before he began effortlessly playing a melody. Blue eyes watched as his long fingers moved at an expert speed, his pale hands a blur with the white keys.
Rose had never felt as at peace as she did in that moment, as she closed her eyes and allowed the music to fill her. The vibrations of the strings went straight through her, shaking her bones. Somewhere else in the manor, Astoria and Draco sat in a stunned silence as they listened to the far away music. They both smiled, knowing the little witch was doing great things to Scorpius, as their son hadn't played music in front of anyone in quite a bit.
The blonde man played several different songs for Rose, but stopped after the fifth one. He looked to his side and found a silly smile on her face, as she pecked him on the cheek and thanked him. "You play beautifully," Rose complimented, taking his hand when he offered it to her. Scorpius helped her into her coat when they reached the doors to the garden, putting on his before he offered her his arm and led her out.
A gasp escaped Rose when she suddenly found herself surrounded by the most extraordinary flowers she had ever seen. A heavy floral scent encased the girl, and she thought of Andromeda, and how the lovely witch always smelt like a garden. "Oh, this is incredible," Rose sighed as she wandered off into the colorful jungle of perfectly arranged flowers. She saw all different types of plants, both magical and muggle, and Rose wondered how one could keep all of them alive during the cold of winter. Scorpius was always a step or two behind her, content on just watching his little witch explore the depths of his mother's garden.
As he stopped to admire his mother's peonies, memories flooded back to Scorpius of when he helped her plant them when he was just a child. And they still remained flourished and stunning as the day they bloomed. When he looked back up, his little witch was gone. "Rosie," Scorpius called out in his booming voice.
A grin found the man when he heard a giggle from far off, no doubt in his mind that it was coming from his Rose. "Alright," he said loud enough that he knew she would hear. "You want to play, we'll play. I'll find you one way or another."
A smirk to challenge fell upon Scorpius' lips when he heard her light voice next, "you can try, old man." The insulting name made the Slytherin chuckle, as he quieted his footsteps and went on the hunt.
The search continued on for a few minutes, with Rose's sweet giggles sounding out every now and again. Scorpius wore a devious smile when he turned a corner and found his witch standing a couple feet away from him, facing away. The lion had found his lamb. In the next second, Scorpius had snuck forward and scooped Rose up into his arms effortlessly. A light shriek left her as she was spun around, not bothered in the least that she was defeated.
Setting her back down, Scorpius bent low and grabbed her face, kissing her hard for a long second before pulling back. Her blue eyes were wide and sparkling with happiness; the way Scorpius loved to see them. Taking her hand, he wordlessly began leading her again, matching silly grins on their faces.
When they finally reached the center of the flowery maze they were faced with a big marble fountain. Rose admired it for an instant, before she turned around to Scorpius, pleasing him with how delighted she looked. She walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his middle and laying her head on his chest, as he pulled her in close. "Your parents are lovely," Rose said, her voice muffled by his jacket.
He grinned as he looked off into the distance, enjoying the way she snuggled closer to him. "They seem to be rather taken with you, but then again, I did expect such a reaction." Scorpius felt light hearted as he held his girl, closing his eyes as he inhaled her delicious sweet scent. Rose listened to his heart for a while, one of her favorite things to do, until finally she pulled away.
"I don't want to leave you," Rose said with a slight pout. The thought of retrieving to her home after such an incredible night was horrific. She wished more than anything that she could stay wrapped up in his warm strong arms forever.
Scorpius reached a hand up and caressed the side of her face, loving the way she reacted to his touch. "Then don't," he said, like it was the most simple thing. He stared deep into her ocean blue eyes as his thumb moved to stroke over her bottom lip, "don't ever leave me, Rose." Her eyes closed as he bent lower, his mouth landing on her sweet lips seconds later.
Rose moved one of her hands over his beating heart, the other going to play with the soft hairs at the nape of his neck. Scorpius groaned into her mouth when she darted her tongue out, allowing her entrance as she massaged his own tongue. His hands on her waist fisted her coat as he pulled her even closer, feeling her gasp into his mouth. Rose felt a burn deep in the pit of her stomach when Scorpius bit on her lower lip, as one of his hands slid down her back and grabbed her bum. They allowed all the passion they felt for each other flow into the kiss, and when they finally pulled back, they were panting.
"I've got a surprise for you," Scorpius teased as his thumb stroked her lip again, enjoying how they were now swollen and slightly bruised. Rose grinned, and immediately asked for it, feeling exceedingly cheerful. "You've got to wait until we're back at school until you can see it," Scorpius said, laughing when Rose sulked in his arms.
She begged for a few minutes before realizing he was much more stubborn than she. "Fine, but it better be real good."
Scorpius smiled down at her, "only the very best for you." Rose let out a giggle, beaming up at him as he cupped her face and pulled her back into a kiss. The couple stayed out in the garden for the next half hour, until they reluctantly pulled away, knowing Rose had better get home.
That night, after his wondrous witch had gone home, Scorpius went to his father's study, knowing he would find him there. Draco looked up and saw a foolish grin on his son's face, and he knew at that moment he had fallen hard for the girl, even if Scorpius didn't know it himself.