Scorpius and Rose. Always
Rose paced the kitchen of the Weasley burrow. Today was the big Weasley Family Christmas extravaganza. The one time of year when ALL the Weasleys met up at the home of the Family Patriarchs, Arthur and Molly Weasley. NO ONE missed it. Mostly due to the fear of what Molly would do if they tried. Still, it was just as wonderful as it was obligatory. There was a giant tent in the apple orchard, family and close friends running around, presents floating from here to there, the fullest Christmas tree you have ever seen. It was like Christmas exploded all over the place. Rose loved it. This reunion, however, was going to be difficult. Scorpius would be there, Scorpius Malfoy—the boyfriend of Rose Weasley—would be there. Scorpius had always spent most of the break with his family, he had never actually been to a Weasley Christmas extravaganza. This year he would not only be at the extravaganza, he would be there with his parents. Draco and Astoria Malfoy would be at the Weasley Burrow. Rose had begged her parents to let her go over to the Malfoy's instead, having lunch with them alone had proven to be a breeze. Draco didn't really have any opinion of their relationship, he was more concerned about her father than anything else. Astoria had been downright wonderful. Heading to Malfoy Manor for a day would be a breeze. To her surprise, however, her parents—even her mother—had forbidden her to go to their house. They never explained why. Her mother decided to invite the Malfoy's over to the Burrow instead to make it up to Rose but Rose hardly felt like that was a positive thing. Still, it was done. They were coming. A Malfoy and Weasley Christmas. Hooray.
Rose couldn't stand in the kitchen anymore, dodging the flying food was starting to become an aerobic exercise. She walked out into the yard and watched her family be themselves. Albus and James were arguing about nothing. Lily and Dominique were gossiping about the newest hot wizard band. Molly Longbottom and Lysander Scamander were making the kind of awkward small talk that two teenagers who had a crush on each other normally made. Her mum and dad were arguing about how to properly turn on the grill that Arthur had just purchased. Harry and Teddy were talking over proper broom maintenance with Fred. Charlie was sitting at a bench looking annoyed as his husband Tom fretted over his newest dragon burns. Uncle Dudley was watching in awe as his 10 year old son floated on a broom, the latest muggle born wizard of the Potter family. Molly and Arthur sat in two chairs surveying their descendents. It was Weasley paradise.
"Rose!" Lily said running up to her. "Settle something for me. Isn't Scythe the hottest member of the Firecrabs?"
"Bullocks Lily!" Dominique said as she sidled up next to them looking radiant as ever. "Tarmac is the hottest."
"Oh gods, I don't care." Rose replied.
"Oh right. She's too busy oogling that scorchingly gorgeous boyfriend of hers." Lily said, winking.
"Shut it." Rose said, glaring at her.
"You're lucky I haven't taken him for myself." Dominque said, swishing her fabulous strawberry blond her over her shoulder.
"Try it Dominque. Try it." Rose sneered threateningly.
"Is it me, or does the sun look like it's wilting today. Should have known from the terrible blimpie harvest." Luna Lovegood said as she floated towards the group, completely oblivious to what they were talking about.
"Hi Aunt Luna." The three girls said in unison.
Luna smiled at them for an awkwardly long moment, before looking straight at Rose. "Oh. They're here."
"Wha-" Rose started when she heard a gasp coming from Lily.
She turned to Lily's eyeline and saw three very uncomfortable looking people entering the back yard escorted by Molly.
"Scorpius…" Rose whispered, and as if he heard her he turned to look right at her, then smiled.
She ran to him, temporarily forgetting where she was. He did the same. They embraced, swaying on the spot before Draco Malfoy cleared his throat.
The entire family was staring at the Malfoys.
"Malfoy." Ron said, nodding begrudgingly to him before resting his eyes on Scorpius. Scorpius, bless his heart, dropped his hands rigidly to the side.
Molly stepped in. "Lovely to see you again Draco. Astoria, you look so radiant." She wrung her hands on her apron as she said it.
"Your home is brilliant Mrs. Weasley!" Astoria said jovially, taking Molly's hand into hers. "I must have a tour when you get the time!"
"It isn't like I imagined." Draco said, scrunching his face as he looked around. Astoria casually elbowed him in the rib.
Molly wasn't paying attention. "I'll show you around in a minute dear, first I'll introduce you to the family,"
"Oi! Scorpius!" Albus said, running up to Rose and Scorpius as his grandmother took Astoria's arm and Astoria dragged Draco with her.
"Oh god, not you Potter." Scorpius said, smiling wickedly at his Rose.
Albus cringed. "Can you not make sex eyes at my cousin for a second." He whispered, rolling his eyes as Rose blushed.
James sprinted up to them. "Malfoy. How nice to see you." He said in a monotone. "I'd like you to meet the family."
"I've met the family." Scorpius said, he couldn't stand James.
"No. You've met Albus's family, your best mate. I'd like you to meet ROSE'S family. As in all the male members of Rose Weasley, your girlfriend." James replied, smirking. "OI! FRED, TEDDY, HUGO, LOUIS, LYSANDER, LARCON!"
Suddenly, a parade of male Weasley's and friends came stampeding in. Scorpius had a feeling this was all planned.
"You're not even related to some of them!" Scorpius yelped.
"Maybe." Larcon replied. "But we'll still kick your arse."
"For sport." Lysander finished.
Teddy stepped in. "As the oldest, let me be the first to say welcome. Also, that what Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry said to you goes triple for me."
The boys started laughing. Apparently, Scorpius's terrifying ordeal had become an entertaining family story.
"But I gotta say-" Teddy continued. "You held your own against Uncle Ron…and THAT GUY is bloody crazy."
Scorpius smiled despite himself. "Teddy, you should be on my side! You MARRIED a Weasley girl!"
"Yea, I did." Teddy said wistfully. "They're a real hand full. If you know what I mean." He waggled his eyebrows.
"THAT'S OUR COUSIN!" James kicked in. "AND LOUIS'S SISTER!"
"Yes it is. But seeing as I held you as a baby, I feel compelled to tell you that YOU have no power over me." Teddy replied. "ANYWAY. I'm family, Malfoy. Our situations are not at ALL the same. So watch yourself."
"Oh shut up, all of you." Rose said. "Your not the only family."
"Pardon?" Teddy replied.
Rose arched an eyebrow. "LILY, DOMINIQUE, ROXANNE, MOLLY, MOLLY L., LUCY, VICTOIRE!"
The girls came rushing in, surrounding Rose and Scorpius.
Rose smirked. "THESE are my family, and I dare say that we are all perfectly capable of throttling you if you so much as touch a HAIR on Scorpius's head."
Victoire arched an eyebrow. "Teddy? Are you trying to be a big boy again?"
"I am a big boy...er, man." Teddy said meekly.
"I think Scorpius has been threatened enough." Victoire replied. "Do try not to anger me. You know the consequences."
"It's my job! I'm the oldest!" Teddy replied, pouting.
"And so am I." Victoire replied, crossing her arms. The girls smirked.
"Let's not forget whose really in charge here." A voice said, and the second generation turned to see the first standing behind them. Harry, Ron, George, Bill, Charlie, Neville, Percy, and even Draco stood looking formidable.
"Yes. WE are." Another voice said. And there was Hermione, Ginny, Astoria, Audrey, Angelina, Hannah, and Fleur.
Then Arthur and Molly strolled up. "I think this needs to be settled in the family way. Parents vs. Children, all out Quidditch battle."
"Oh Arthur." Molly said, rolling her eyes and smiling.
James laughed. "Really, can half of you even GET on a broom.
Angelina crossed her arms. "Boy, I was WINNING quidditch championships before you were even a THOUGHT."
Ron smirked, "Malfoy, can you even get on a broom anymore?" He said looking at Draco.
"Weasley, is our king, he cannot catch a single thing, that's why all the Slytherins sing, Weasley is our king." Draco mused.
"Dammit, we're supposed to be on the same side!" Harry said. "Where's my equipment, I'm gonna teach these kids a lesson!"
The game was epic. Harry and Albus battled for the snitch, as did Rose and Draco as the players switched out. Ron and Hugo battled the quaffles, Scorpius and Ginny chased with a vengeance. George and Fred batted bludgers at each other. The game went on long before a thunderstorm ended the whole thing at the insistence of Molly, and her word was law.
They all landed, looking decidedly ragged.
"Albus don't worry, one day I'll be old and decrepit and you may hope to best me!" Harry announced laughing.
"Oh yes Dad, that's why you caught the snitch? OH WAIT, YOU DIDN'T!" Albus announced.
"You're not a bad seeker Weasley." Draco said, feeling odd that he had just had a decently good time with a brood of Weasleys.
Scorpius was estatic. "Did ANYONE see how I held my own against a Hollyhead Harpy!"
Ginny smirked. "Barely. You still got a ways to go before you can get to the big times kid."
"Inside! All of you!" Molly announced. "Not sure how you'll fit…"
Rose ran up to Scorpius and hugged him tightly. "Great chasing out there." She whispered.
He leaned down to her ear. "Should be pretty decent, I've been chasing you for seven years."
"The snitch has to know it's trying to be caught." Rose whispered back. He wanted nothing more than to snog her.
The rain started coming down and family members were running into the house, laughing and yelling.
Rose tugged Scorpius to follow her.
"Just a minute." Scorpius said, Rose looked at him bemusedly.
Scorpius looked over at the entrance and saw that Harry, Albus, and Ron were staring at him.
Molly stomped forward. "What are they doing, they'll catch their death of cold out there!" She started to move forward when Ron stopped her.
He sighed, as if he was resigning himself to what was about to happen. "Just…give 'em a moment." He said, grabbing his mother and leading her, upon protest, into the house.
Albus followed, smiling widely, he knew. Harry stayed.
Scorpius looked at Harry. Harry stared for a moment, nodded, and winked. Go for it.
Scorpius turned back to Rose, smiled, and grabbed her hand. He led her to a nearby tree.
"Scorpius?" Rose inquired as her drenched hair her stuck to her face. Just then, thunder pierced through the air. Rose flinched but never stopped looking at him. The sound of the rain as it fell in sheets was so loud that it seemed to fill the entire world around them.
"Rose." Scorpius said, his voice raised. "Rose. For six years, I thought I hated you. I thought that the only reason I was forced to associate with you was because you came as a packaged deal with Albus."
Rose just cocked her head to the side, a clear indication to go on.
He did. "I thought I hated ANYTHING Weasley."
"No, you didn't." Rose said, smiling.
Scorpius smiled. "No. I didn't." He laughed. "I mean, for God sakes my best friend is Albus Potter! Who was I kidding?!"
Rose bit her lip. "What are you trying to say?"
Scorpius pressed his lips together. "I'm saying…For sixteen years, I've always thought I knew myself. I always thought I had everything figured out…what an outrageous delusion I was laboring under!"
Rose rolled her eyes. "SCORPIUS! What are you trying to say?"
Scorpius laughed again. "Even now, I had this whole thing planned out! I knew what I was going to say! And here I am mucking it up!"
Rose laughed and buried her soaking face into his chest. "Gods Scorpius…"
He cradled her head in his hands. "Rose. What I'm trying to say is…I had no idea how much I didn't know myself, until I met you. I didn't know who I really was until I kissed you. All these years we've been competing at school? Well…you win! You know WAY more than I do."
Rose smiled. "No…I don't." She blinked the rain out of her eyes, then chuckled. "Don't you know that?"
Scorpius laughed and looked up at the sky, shutting his eyes as a streak of lightening screeched across the clouds.
He looked at her again.
"Scor-" She started.
"DAMMIT I LOVE YOU!" Scorpius blurted out. He sighed, dragging his sopping wet hand down his face. "Waited all this time for a thunderstorm, IN BLOODY BRITAIN, and that's how I tell you!"
"You…waited?" Rose whispered, yet even with all the rain, he still heard her.
"I had it all planned out…"Scorpius muttered, chuckling at himself. "Dammit, you must have hated that."
Rose stepped back for a moment and stared at her dripping wet, ridiculous boyfriend. "You really think I hated that?"
Scorpius stood for a minute and stared right into her eyes. Then, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into to him. "No…I don't."
Rose smiled. "Looks like you know more than you think."
He smiled almost to beaming before leaning down and kissing her deeply. He wrapped is arms around her and held her so tight it felt like he could never let her go. She reciprocated in full, standing on her tip toes to meet his lips. He dipped her slightly as he kissed her and it all looked like an old romance movie. Childhood rivals, from rival families, falling in love and declaring it below an old apple tree in the middle of a thunderstorm.
She broke the kiss and had to pull away from Scorpius as his lips tried to follow hers. She cocked her head to the side and looked into his metallic greys.
He chuckled, "Let's head in. I've got a six year old, 20 galleon bet I have to win against Albus. This dinner is about to get weird."
"As if it could get any weirder." Rose whispered.
Scorpius grabbed her hand and started to move forward but found that Rose wouldn't budge. He turned to look at her.
She ran her hand down the side of his face with a kind of softness that he had never felt before. She leaned up and kissed him slowly.
"I love you too, Scorpius Malfoy… always."
"Always." He whispered back.