Let's jump right in, shall we? I know you've been waiting for it!
Disclaimer: Everything recognisable belongs to JK Rowling. Copyright Infringement is unintended.
29. Take the Leap
Rose was trying to calm her wildly beating heart as she rushed through the corridors to head to Elora's ward.
What. Was. That?!
She still felt extremely hot around her ears, her body still tingling with pleasure over what had transpired minutes ago. It infuriated her that snogging Scorpius senseless was her the first thought her body had when he had been saying all those heartwarming things to her. He'd hurt her, almost threw her out of his life, and then the moment he was apologising, saying all those things that was dousing the anger within her, she wanted to shag him.
It certainly didn't help that he was pressed against her so intimately and they hadn't been like that since the night Scorpius was discharged from Mungo's, almost three weeks ago.
That, and the fact that she'd never had, could never have enough of him. She was mad at her hormones for betraying her so easily. She hated that idiot and wanted to stay far, far away from him.
Who was she kidding? He was her idiot and she loved him. If even if she tried her hardest, she would not be able to make herself believe that she didn't want to be with him.
Rose knew Scorpius's apology was sincere; she could sense it when he spoke to her, feel it in her core when he kissed her. She couldn't ignore that bit of relief that flooded her body when she heard him say that he knew that she loved him.
But she knew, and also wanted him to realise, that the problem wasn't simply with the love they shared. The trust was weak between the two, and too much had transpired between them for Rose to simply jump back into the lives they led together.
"Rose!"
The redhead was startled as she heard her name called out from a small crowd outside Elora's ward, which was now coming into view.
Her godfather, Harry Potter, had called out to her. He was currently wearing a cloak over his pyjamas, clearly having been woken up from his sleep. With him were Ginny, Neville, Lily, and James, who winked at her, making her roll her eyes. Ryan and Hannah were nowhere to be seen. She assumed Ryan had to head back from wherever he had been, or maybe, he wasn't ready to face Harry Potter, who'd be more than happy to skin his arse for doing what he did to Lily back at Hogwarts.
"Alright, Uncle Harry?" asked Rose concernedly, addressing her godfather. His face looked a little pale, his green eyes alert.
"He is a little nervous," said Ginny warmly, walking up to her husband and rubbing his arm, "His first grandchild is about to be born!"
"The baby's going to be fine. Elora's going to be fine," said Rose in a comforting voice, looking at Harry.
The door to the ward opened and Hannah Longbottom stepped out. Behind her, Elora's cries of pain were coming out of the room, making Rose wince. Hopefully it would be over soon, everyone would be healthy and everyone would be happy.
"How is she doing?" asked Neville, looking nervous.
"Nearly there to start pushing," responded Hannah, who looked just as nervous, "She's dilated at seven centimetres now. Healer inside said it may be another fifteen minutes or so before she can start pushing the baby."
Neville nodded and embraced his wife, who breathed in relief. He, then, turned to look at Rose.
"How does this work, the baby coming out earlier than expected?"
"Elora's healer would be able to give you a more accurate idea," said Rose, "However, post a successful delivery, the baby will be staying in here, at Mungo's, under observation, from anywhere between two weeks to two months. All depends on how quickly the baby recuperates outside the womb."
Harry's lips thinned, his face turning paler. Ginny whispered something into his ears, presumably words to calm him down. But there was no mistaking the taut worry lines on her face as well. She turned to look at Rose, and her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of something beyond Rose.
"Scorpius!" exclaimed Ginny,"You're here as well!"
Rose felt herself flush as Scorpius stopped when he'd reached her, their arms just about brushing.
"Well yeah," came Scorpius's amused voice, "Al's about to become a dad. I'm not going to miss this moment!"
Something sank in relief within Rose, but James Potter chose to open his mouth and share his unwelcome news updates, as always.
"Lies! He and Rose were busy tearing off each others' clothes in the break room. Would have gone a lot further if I hadn't interrupted them!"
Rose blushed furiously, and a quick peek at Scorpius informed her that his cheeks had turned pink. The rest of them looked amused. Ginny, however, was glaring at her son.
"Sometimes, you remind me too much of Ron," she sighed wearily, rubbing her temples, "And that's not a good thing."
"You guys can rest in the break room," said Rose quickly, "I understand it's really late, and the labour could take a while as well-"
"No," came Harry's firm response, "We'll stay here. Al - Elora - they might need us."
No one said anything beyond that so Rose didn't push it further.
Minutes passed. And then all of a sudden, it seemed, the moment arrived, the moment where things could either go very wrong, or absolutely right.
Elora had started pushing, her cries permeating through the walls of the ward and hitting Rose's ears as she stood immediately outside the ward. Hannah was back inside. Harry and Neville both looked pale; they were currently seated outside but their tense body language could not be ignored. Ginny had her lips pursed, but there was no mistaking the nervousness floating in her eyes.
James, too, was surprisingly quiet, looking up at the door every once in a while. Pale and shaking, Lily went straight to her mother, and enveloped her in a hug from behind. Rose quickly stole another glance at Scorpius, only to find him looking back at her. Her heart fluttered as the tips of his ears turned pink.
She really needed to stop staring at him, else she would be in great trouble.
Rose felt her heart clench as a particularly loud wail from Elora hit her ears. Childbirth was always painful for those giving birth, but it was known that those who were giving birth after ingesting potions had a much more painful birth, the only relief being the labour lasting less than three hours.
The wails suddenly stopped, and Rose could hear sudden commotion inside, making her heart stop in fear. Everyone had started moving towards the door, looking extremely worried.
After eons, it seemed, the door opened. One of the Mediwitches, Susan, stepped out, removing her face mask.
She then broke into a small smile.
"All is well. We have a healthy baby boy."
The wild cheer that erupted outside Elora's ward then could have woken up everyone at Mungo's.
Relief flooded Rose's veins as tears prickled her eyes.
Everything was going to be okay! Albus and Elora had become parents to a boy! She was an aunt!
"Now now! You need to be quiet. This is a hospital!" said Susan in a stern voice. And then softening her voice, she said, "We are cleaning up inside. We'll allow you in after fifteen minutes."
Rose quickly approached her, the celebrations and congratulations now being exchanged in hushed voices behind her.
"All's well, right?" she asked concernedly, "Elora's doing okay, right? What happens now?
"The birthing was fine. The child's pulse is moving towards the normal rate now - we hope it'll stabilize by the end of the week. We'll be observing him for the next forty eight hours for any complications; he's already been set up in the incubation bubble. We have reasons to be hopeful about the observation period coming clean."
"Okay," breathed Rose, finally grinning. That sounded alright, "Okay, this is good news. Thank you Susan, for all your help!"
She turned to look at her family. Harry had slowly backed into one of the benches and had sat down on it, overwhelmed with emotions. Ginny and Neville were hugging each other joyfully. James and Lily too were hugging each other, jumping in joy, eager to welcome their nephew amidst the noisy family they were. It was beautiful, seeing a family come together to celebrate the arrival of a new family member.
She fondly reminisced the day Amelia was born. Her labour had lasted nearly sixteen hours. Albus, Elora, Harry, and Ginny had been dropping by every once in a while to check on her. Her and Scorpius' parents had unfortunately been out of town. She had been nearly in tears, terrified at the thought of giving birth without her mother by her side. But Scorpius really stepped up and made things easier for her. He'd been there throughout, trying to make her forget the pain by distracting her, and in penultimate moments before Amelia arrived, holding her hand tightly and constantly whispering you can do it, even cracking an unfortunate joke that had caused her to snort uncontrollably while in the middle of the pushing the baby out.
He'd been so supportive and loving through the entire ordeal that just remembering those moments filled her with stirring comfort.
She found her eyes flitting towards Scorpius again, and found him to be staring back at her, again. However, his eyes were slightly glassy, as if reliving the same moments as she was. His smiled widened as they made eye contact, and he mouthed 'Congratulations' to her.
She found herself returned his smile, mouthing back 'you too'.
This wasn't the moment to worry about their own past, their fight. Their silly, lovable best friend and his wife had just become parents; their fight could wait to celebrate this joyous moment.
The door opened again, and the medics exited the room, nodding at Rose, which she took as a clearance to go inside the ward.
Rose walked in first to spot a sweaty and tired Elora resting on the bed and sobbing in happiness. Albus was seated next to her, holding her left hand tightly and pressing kisses to it. She turned to see Hannah, who stood in the corner, looking in awe at a large glowing golden bubble atop a mini stretcher, or it was known, the incubation bubble; Rose knew that the baby was inside the glowing bubble, healthy and breathing.
She turned to look back at Elora and Albus, who were clinging onto each other, feeling a rush of affection for both. Those two had been trying for a baby ever since Amelia was born, both realising that they, too, were ready to raise a child. Conception certainly took time, but here they finally were, proud parents to a beautiful boy.
Albus met Rose's eyes, his green eyes bubbling with emotions. She quickly walked up to him and embraced him tightly, silently congratulating him. He returned the hug in the same fervour, lifting her off her feet, and making her laugh.
"Get ready for crazy sleepless yet memorable times, Potters!" Rose heard Scorpius's estatic voice from nearby, and she chuckled. They were truly in for some mad times.
She felt Albus unwrapping one of his arms from around her and holding it up, as if extending Scorpius the same hug. Seconds later, she felt Scorpius move forward. Her senses were overwhelmed with the smell of his cologne, causing her to feel all tingly. Within seconds, she felt Scorpius's torso burning against her back, her face flushing at the memories for their little tryst mere moments ago. He wrapped his arms around the two of them merrily, and Rose was immediately transported to her days back at Hogwarts, when it was the three of them against the rest of the world. The warm feeling expanded within her chest, making her break into a nostalgic smile.
Just as suddenly their hug had started, Scorpius pulled back, and so did Rose. She tried to look at her husband discreetly and found his face flush in happiness as he looked beyond in awe at the golden bubble glowing in the corner. The grandparents had crowded themselves around it. James and Lily had moved in next to congratulate their brother and sister-in-law.
As Rose approached the incubation bubble, she spotted Harry's eyes glistening with tears. Ginny had leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his stomach, "That's our grandson inside!" she sighed happily. Harry proceeded to kiss her on her forehead, returning the embrace by wrapping an arm around her.
Rose felt for her godfather. It had truly been one hell of a journey for her uncle. He lost his parents before he could even talk, then he was raised as an orphan. He lost his father figures and many people he considered family, just when he was a teen. And now he was here, saying hello to his first grandchild.
She walked up to the incubation bubble, trying to discreetly squeeze into an empty space between others, and spotted a small infant below the golden layer; the mousy little infant was stirring slightly. His eyes were closed; he had a notable black mop on his head, even for his age, a cute button nose she recognised instantly as Elora's. Rose found herself falling in love with the tiny little boy - this little one was her nephew!
She walked away and moved towards Elora, as the rest of the people in the ward moved towards the baby to get a glimpse.
"You did well, Longbottom!" grinned Rose, squeezing her friend's shoulder. Elora chuckled through her tears, placing her hand atop Rose's and squeezing it.
Cynthia walked into the room, her robes now changed into the standard daily uniform.
"We'll be taking away the baby in five minutes. He needs to go into observation." she announced. Her eyes suddenly widened at the sight of Harry and Ginny next to the incubation bubble, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. I'll be b-be back. Take another ten minutes," she said nervously and then exited the room.
"But he just got here!" exclaimed Elora, almost starting from her bed, but Rose held her back.
"Hey, it's procedure. He'll be fine," said Rose assuredly, "You focus on resting and regaining your energy, you've been through a lot!"
"Well, yeah." replied Elora tiredly, flopping back on her bed, "I just want to hold my child again; he's so small, Rose - like, he can fit on my forearm!"
"He's beautiful," said Albus lovingly, looking at Elora, "Thank you so much, for bringing him into our lives. You are amazing!"
"You guys are sooooo cuuuuute!" cooed James Potter, interrupting them. He stood up to Rose and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, looking at the couple in front of them expectantly, "Now tell us, what are you going to name the baby?"
Elora and Albus looked at each other, uncertainly. Albus spoke up, "Well, we never came to deciding that. We thought we had time -"
"Which is why you should save time and energy and simply name him James!"
Rose rolled her eyes; the prat would never learn.
Just then Elora's Healer, Simone Matthews, walked in, smiling at the gathering.
"I understand congratulations are in order to the Potter family on their newest member!" she exclaimed. Harry walked up to her quickly and shook her hand.
"Thank you, for all your help!" he said, his voice thick with emotion.
"I was just doing my job. I should thank Elora - she's been brilliant," replied Simone, smiling brightly at her patient, who returned her smile, "It was my pleasure, really. So I just wanted to quickly update on the next steps."
Everyone suddenly fell extremely quiet.
"The baby will be at Mungo's for at least two weeks, while Elora would be here for four days, and then she would be free to go. We'll be running some mandatory tests for the both of you to ensure that no complications take place later."
"We can visit our baby though, right?" asked Albus concernedly; Rose noted how tense he was as he looked sharply at the Healer.
"Of course! The parents can visit the baby anytime, however, anyone else would have set visiting hours, and should always be accompanied by a parent. Rose, of course, is exempted."
"I'll be here to keep an eye on baby, don't worry!" said Rose softly, looking at her friends.
"Also, I'm assuming Albus would want to stay here till Elora's here?" asked Simone, looking at the duo.
"Of course!" replied Albus, looking confused as if wondering why this was even a question.
"Alright, good. Will reach out to the administration to set up sleeping space for you. Meanwhile, congratulations, and get some rest! It's been a long night."
Saying this, Simone exited the ward.
"Let me know if you need something picked up from your home," said Rose, looking at Albus, "I'll bring it over in the morning."
"Oh yes! And Scorpius can help you out with that!" added James smugly.
Rose shot him a glare. Sometimes, this dearest cousin of hers could be too annoying. Scorpius, who was still staring at the incubation bubble, looked up in alarm at being called out.
Before Rose could reply, James looked at a confused Elora and Albus, ready to clear the air, " They could do with some privacy so that they can continue shagging."
Rose and Scorpius only groaned as Elora and Albus turned to look at them in shock.
"You guys hooked up?!" both exclaimed in unison, looking gleeful.
"No. No. No." said Rose, trying to subdue the embarrassment. But her cursed tell-tale Weasley blush was atrocious and very obvious, "James is being an arse, as usual."
"Oh no Rose! Just ignoring me won't change the fact that I ran into you guys devouring each other in that break room."
"So all's well now?!" asked Albus, looking positively beyond himself.
"What do you mean by all's well? All wasn't well?" interrupted Harry, looking sharply between Rose and Scorpius.
Rose's stomach lurched uncomfortably. She did not want more people to know about the situation regarding the status of her marriage.
But thankfully, Scorpius stepped in, having noted her discomfort, "I think Rose and I will take off now. It's been a long day, and I don't expect things to be different today-"
"Rose! It's the eighteenth today!" blurted Albus suddenly. His eyes were wide. He got up from his seat and walked towards her, and enveloped her in a hug again, "Happy Birthday!"
Oh, right.
Other people in the room were soon murmuring and she found herself being hugged by everyone. She even shared a brief hug with Lily. Everyone hugged her, but Scorpius, who was staring back at her with an undecipherable look, making her stomach flip.
"Ah!" said Harry suddenly, taking off his glasses and wiping it clean, before putting it back on and looking at Scorpius knowingly, "Makes sense why you'd applied for leave for today as well."
Scorpius predictably coloured at the moment, because it clearly wasn't the reason why he took leave. But he did not dispute what Harry had said.
"We'll take leave now. I'll see you both in the morning," announced Rose. Next to her, James was making kissing faces. She simply pressed her palm across his face and pushed him away, annoyed. He truly was an utter idiot.
After exchanging brief goodbyes with those present, she walked out of the room, with Scorpius right behind her.
As soon as the door shut, the nervousness reappeared. They hadn't spoken directly since the incident a couple of hours ago.
Scorpius broke the silence, "I'll pick up Amy. You can gather your stuff from your locker."
Her heart skipped a beat, her insides twisting uncomfortably. He didn't think she was coming back home, right?
Right?
"Scorpius, I'm not coming back home right now," she said firmly, refusing to make eye contact with him. She knew her resolve will break. "I'll stay at Albus's place.'"
"I know that!" he replied just as quickly. He nervously ran a hand through his hair, "I was just saying that I'll crash over there with you guys. I'll take the couch, promise."
She finally looked up to make eye contact and her insides quivered at the hopeful look floating on his face. She hated herself for the next words that came out of her mouth.
"Scorpius, you don't need to come with us. Just go home, get some rest."
Rose bit her lip as Scorpius's expression changed. He stared back at her long and hard. Rose internally trembled as she saw the turmoil in his eyes. He loved her and wanted to be nowhere but with her, his eyes screamed.
But she wasn't ready.
His voice softened, a hint of a plead coming through, "Please Rose - I don't think I can go back home now, not without you. You must know - the place wasn't home without you and Amelia. We need to talk-"
Her heart clenched. She couldn't. "Scorpius, I can't do this right now. Besides, I have work tomorrow -"
"I'm not saying we need to talk now," he said quickly. He closed his eyes and pursed his lips for a moment, before looking at her again, "I know a lot has happened in the past few hours - and there's a lot to take in. But I'd really like a discussion with you - I want to sit down and talk things out in detail. I chickened out from doing so when things were extremely dire between us and you know what happened. I want to fight for us, I will do it. But if you're telling me that I should give up on my dream, you need to explain why. I've told you, I want to fix what I did, and I need your help in it. I know we'll take time, and I am happy to wait, but I need to know that you want to work on our marriage as well - I mean, don't you want to?"
Rose spotted the fear in his eyes, the speckle of doubt that she didn't want to work things out.
She wanted to hold back from responding. There was too much going on in her head, and she wasn't sure of what exactly she wanted to do.
But there was no doubt that she wanted everything to be okay between them, hopefully back to normal. So why delay this answer and torture him?
"I do, Scorpius," and for a moment, his face glowed in relief, "But I need the space tonight, please. I need time to think it over."
Scorpius looked at her, his pale blue eyes burning with questions. But then his expression softened.
"Okay." he exhaled after a few moments "How are you planning to go back home?"
"By Floo; it had been connected to the Potter's fire grate."
"Alright. Oh, and one last thing-,"
Scorpius gently cupped her face and dipped his head to kiss her, taking her by surprise.
Ohh!
It wasn't raw or lustful like their previous kiss, but a sweet, burning one that made her chest ache with a painful longing. His lips pressed against hers softly, the gentle movement of soft his lips doing something inexplicable to her senses. She tried to hold back from responding, but she couldn't. She was feeling dizzy, exhilarated, content, and so emotional. She found herself stretching on her toes, her fingers finding his shirt collar and tugging him closer. He wrapped her tightly in his arms as he slanted his lips across hers as if trying to imprint in his mind what kissing her felt like. Rose thought her knees were melting, for her body was humming in such a delightful manner. Thankfully, and as always, Scorpius held on to her tightly, ensuring she didn't fall.
He pulled back after what seemed like too short a time period and leaned his head against hers, eyes closed and breathing softly on her face. Her heart fluttered as he lovingly ran his fingers on top of her cheeks, their noses brushing.
"I'd wanted to kiss you like that on your last birthday so that you could know," he whispered regretfully, gently brushing his knuckles against her flaming cheeks, "But guess I had always been a coward when it came to expressing emotions. I know you said y-you just said you wanted space - b-but I didn't want to lose my chance this time. I'm sorry if I hurt you. Happy Birthday, Rose. Wish you only the best."
Without any further word, he pulled back from the embrace and walked away, leaving behind a very flustered and confused Rose.
"He's beautiful!"
"He's lovely. He looks so much like Albus! Definitely better looking than the baby on the right."
"Elora!"
Rose and Elora currently stood outside the intensive care unit for premature babies and were peeking keenly through the glass window separating them from the room, sighing over beautiful babies.
After a night of fitful sleep, Rose decided to head to work early, figuring out that it was better for her to burn her energy at work, instead of just scuffling around at the Potters' residence. Thankfully, she'd been occupied with new cases as soon as she'd arrived, so it was only around lunchtime that she had been properly able to catch up with Elora.
So here she was, staring at babies with her friend, who'd recently become a mother. Having travelled different countries and having gawked at child till his eyes hurt, Albus finally went to sleep in the wee hours of the morning and still hadn't resurfaced from his makeshift bed in Elora's room. When Rose had arrived, Elora had been persistent about wanting to go and check on her son, so she obliged and here they were, staring at her mousy little son, who was fast asleep in his incubation bubble.
"So what's the deal with you and Scorpius now? Are you guys back together?" asked Elora casually, turning to look at her friend.
"Not exactly," replied Rose truthfully. She had no idea what they were right now.
Estranged? On a break? Separated? Yup, no idea what they were.
"What do you mean by that? It's either a yes or a no!"
"We t-talked, and fought and then there was some kissing -"
"Or tearing clothes off - in James's words"
"Do not listen to that idiot! You know he blows things out of proportion."
"But you guys did make out! And did you want to, like, you know, tear off his clothes, get some mad angry sex?"
Yes! was the only answer resounding in her head, however, she hesitated.
The second long delay in her answer was enough for Elora, who only chuckled.
"But I wanted to whack him as well! I was so angry!"
Elora sighed, "Rose, I am going to ask you two simple questions, with either a Yes or No for an answer, okay? Do you love him?"
"Yes," came the firm answer.
"Do you want to be with him? Simple yes or no, remember?"
"Yes" came a quieter response, "Bu-"
"There's your answer, no two ways around it. Now here are my two knuts on the situation - Just take the plunge and move back in with him," said Elora seriously, looking at her knowingly.
Rose opened her mouth to protest - the suggestion was ridiculous. But Elora cut her off, "YOU love him and want him. YOU have a family with him. And he wants the same thing. Pushing him away is pointless. BUT set your boundaries, rules, and expectations clearly. If you want to take it slow, tell him that. You want him to be formal, tell him that. You want to take up wherever you left off, you tell him that. Take time to heal, but please, oh, please, don't stay apart. Living together will help you get used to being around each other, getting that intimacy and trust back. Take the leap, Rose. You need to be around each other to learn how to do this. Else, you may only end up drifting apart."
Rose contemplated Elora's suggestion, "I know that. But sometimes I don't trust my own instincts around him. Like last night, I was almost about to shag him here at Mungo's-"
"Speak to him about it Rose. So that he can help you out. Also, can we pause the discussion on impulsive shagging?" cringed Elora, "My vagina tends to become nauseous at the thought. Childbirth had ensured that!"
Rose laughed. "Come on, let's go back to your room. Do you need your dressing changed?"
"No no, I changed it an hour ago."
They walked back to the ward, and it can be said that it was a massive shock for Rose when she entered Elora's ward to see a massive 'Happy Birthday, Rose! Welcome Baby Potter!' banner floating in the air, ward decorated with balloons and streamers. Her eyes widened as she spotted her parents and Albus chatting away.
"What is all this?!" exclaimed Rose, pleasantly surprised, "And what are you guys doing here?" she added, looking at her parents.
That was the moment Rose smelled something addictive - fresh bread, the one from her favourite restaurant, Vacanza Romana.
"Did someone get freshly baked Ciabatta?" asked Rose delightfully, heading towards the corner table which was loaded with food, all from the restaurant. She had developed a special love for Ciabatta bread from this restaurant when she was pregnant with Amelia and had since always tried out the same everytime she visited Vacanza Romana. She fondly looked at the breadbasket, itching to spread some warm butter on a slice and bite into the fluffy bread.
"Well, yeah." said Albus, grinning "You didn't think we would miss out on your birthday ritual, you mad girl? I know you are crazy busy with your work today - but Scorpius thought we could order in and celebrate it together here. Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione, well, they are here to meet the baby. "
"Where is Scorpius?" asked Rose, her heart suddenly picking up pace at the idea of seeing him again. She could still feel his lips against hers after that parting kiss they'd shared. Her eyes flitted to her parents who were both looking at her curiously.
Oh.
They still thought she and Scorpius were divorcing. They needed an update now before her father went ballistic at the sight of Scorpius. She quickly walked up to them, ready to break the news.
Hermione got up the moment Rose reached her, embracing her immediately, "Happy Birthday, my dearest Rose," she said warmly. Her eyes, however, looked sad.
"Thanks. Is everything alright, Mom?" she asked, looking at both her parents.
"We are still trying to wrap our head around the bomb of a news that you dropped on us yesterday," replied Ron gruffly before dropping a kiss on Rose's forehead, "Happy Birthday."
"Thank you-Right. Well-" said Rose nervously, "But you see, that's not happening. So there's nothing to worry about anymore."
Ron and Hermione both looked at her with raised eyebrows, taken aback.
"Scorpius and I have decided to give our marriage another chance. We thought we had exhausted all options. But we had a chat last night, and we realised that we were too hasty in making our decision."
Ron was staring down at her blankly. Hermione frowned, "Are we missing out on something here? Last night you told us that things were so bad and divorce was the only option. And today you've done a complete u-turn on the entire story we heard yesterday-,"
"No Mom, that's not it!" said Rose hurriedly. She suddenly realised that there were two other people in the room who didn't need to be privy to this conversation. "Can we take this somewhere else? Dad - please come?"
"Oh come on, Rose!" came Albus's indignant voice, "Let us also hear this! Sounded like this was going to be so much fun!"
Rose turned to throw Albus a glare, who snorted, "Come back soon, alright? Scorpius will be here as well in a bit."
She only ignored him and moved out of the room, wary of her parents right behind her.
Honestly, she had no clue as to what she should tell them.
Should she even start from the beginning? With the whole Ryan thing? Or should she just say that she and Scorpius have identified their issues to work on?
Yeah, the latter sounded right. But she also knew her mom would have a barrage of questions that she'll have to deflect-
She started on spotting a flash of platinum blonde at the end of the corridor. Her eyes widened as Scorpius came into view, with Amelia in his arms, who was, in turn, holding a small bouquet of purple orchids, her favourite flowers.
Her face broke into a small smile at the sight and then she suddenly remembered she had a set of very confused parents right behind her.
Scorpius spotted her and his handsome face broke into a wide grin, which faltered just as quickly when he spotted Ron and Hermione behind her. Rose quickly peeked at her parents right behind her; they weren't smiling at all, looking rather intimidating.
Feeling rather nervous and unpleasant, Rose stopped right outside the break room, "I don't think we would be disturbed or overheard here," she said. The sight through the window blinds assured her that there was no one inside, but they didn't have much time either.
"Scorpius should also join us." came her father's terse voice, just as the man in question stopped in front of them, taking in the scene cautiously.
"Amy, could you give Mamma the flowers?" whispered Scorpius warmly. Amelia broke into a toothy grin and handed Rose the bouquet.
He then looked at Rose sheepishly, "I just thought it'd look sweeter if Amy gave you the flowers, so picked her up from the daycare room - what's going on here? Hello Ron, Hermione." he added, nodding at her parents.
"We should all go in, quickly please. My break is about to be over," she said hastily, opening the door to the break room.
Once everyone was in and seated, and Rose closed the door behind her, Ron exclaimed indignantly, "What on earth are you both up to?!"
"Dad, we had an extremely nasty fight," replied Rose immediately. Scorpius's eyes widened in recognition. He seated Amelia next to him, and turned to look at the rest. Rose, however, continued, "We thought that divorcing was the only way-"
"Rose, there's something that's been bothering me." interrupted Hermione quietly, her eyes trained on her daughter, "I had wanted to ask you this yesterday, but Ron held me back, especially since Hugo had also been there."
Ron seemed to look at his wife in alarm. "Hermione," he said warningly, but she only ignored him.
"Does this have to do anything with that Ryan Smith boy? Rose, are you still in love with him, do you want to get back together back with him?"
There was pin drop silence in which Rose stared back at her parents in shock, horrified that they knew about this.
"Mo-how?!"
"You told Hermione about this?" came a quiet voice from next to her, making her nearly crick her neck as she abruptly turned towards Scorpius.
He was simply looking at Ron, his head cocked, jaw tense.
"This was about our daughter and granddaughter, Scorpius." responded Ron, meeting his gaze firmly, "I was not going to keep secrets from my own wife, who incidentally happens to be Rose's mother."
Rose stared at them all, dumbfounded.
Scorpius seemingly had told her father about the secret and her mother knew about it., while she was in the dark all this time.
"You told them? When were you planning on telling me about this?!" Rose asked him, feeling extremely annoyed. Scorpius groaned softly, as if he had been dreading this, and was about to respond, but Hermione beat him to it.
"We are your parents, Rose! We deserved to know the truth! It's astounding that you never reached out to us first and told us. Why didn't you ever come to us? We could have helped you out -"
"I wasn't ready to face the disappointment, Mom! It would have been quite scandal for the press, wouldn't it? They would have easily blown this out of proportion. Besides, I was just about managing my work here at Mungo's, and the next thing I know that I am pregnant with Scorpius's child -"
"Excuse me?" spluttered Ron, narrowing his eyes, "Scorpius's child? But you-" he thundered, pointing at Scorpius, his face now reddening in anger, "You told us that it was Ryan Smith's! And Rose had broken up with him. Why is she saying Amelia is your kid? WHAT THE HELL, MALFOY?! DID YOU LIE?!"
Rose cringed. Okay so the discussion had taken a whole new direction. Hermione looked at her husband, sighing, "Ron-"
"Malfoy lied! He-he was the one who had knocked up our daughter! And he made up this story that made him all noble and hero-like-"
"Dad!" Rose cried, while Scorpius grimaced. Amelia, who'd been lightly dozing off, was suddenly startled awake at Ron's voice. "We did think Amelia was Ryan's child!"
Ron looked at her as if she'd said she hates Chudley Cannons, "Are you out of your mind, Rose? What did you mean you thought?! Did you mean that you and Malfoy were fooling around as well, while you were dating that boy - that's doesn't bode well!"
"Rose, I think your parents deserve to know the complete truth," said Scorpius firmly, from next to her. She turned to face him, and he looked defiantly at her parents. He placed his hand comfortably on hers, squeezing it softly, "I'll speak if that's okay with you - they need to know how I messed things up."
Rose's eyes widened. Ron Weasley was not going to take this lightly. Scorpius was baiting a death wish.
"You messed up?!" growled Ron immediately, his eyes now narrowed into slits, "I told you to that I would break you if you ever hurt her - "
Ron almost started from his seat, but Hermione held him back, looking curiously at Scorpius.
"I don't think that's wise, Scorpius" said Rose timidly, looking at her dad, who was turning purple by the minute. Oh yes, definitely, not wise to speak out everything.
"They need to hear why," gasped Scorpius, looking fiercely at her. The way he was looking at her was making her heart pound inside her ribcage."You don't deserve all these insinuations, when all you've done is help me out." He, then, turned to look at her parents, "I want you to hear me out, hear us out. Then you can make your decisions and inferences."
"Oh go on Malfoy! I am all ears," seethed Ron, his face red as he stared down at the couple in front of him. Hermione sat back, not saying a word.
"...and then I pushed Rose for the divorce. She didn't want to, she reached out to reconsider. But I was too pigheaded; I was drowning in my insecurities and thought that they were better off without me. So I said some horrible things to her that I know I will never forgive myself for. But I convinced myself that they didn't need me and I wasn't good enough for them Rose and Amy would be fine with. But with the whole truth being laid out by Smith and Lily - I don't know; it just felt like everything had cleared, and I knew I had to fight my way back in."
Amelia let out a soft snore.
"Your daughter has only been patient with me; she's only loved me and pushed me to believe in us. Please do not take out any anger on her or have any presumptions - she's the best person I know and, therefore, she doesn't deserve any of that. I messed up and I am trying to make amends. The accident with the mission showed me a mirror to the feelings that I didn't know existed within me, and I would be starting with therapy soon to arrive at the root of these problems so that they can be sorted, and that I can be good enough to deserve your daughter." finished Scorpius ten minutes later, looking cautiously at Ron.
Rose gaped at Scorpius, struggling to believe that he'd said all that. Something fierce and warm was bubbling inside her at Scorpius's words, which only grew more intense with everything he'd said.
He'd always stood by her ever since they were kids; he'd done that when she'd crumbled under the pressure of having famous parents, he'd done that again when she found herself pregnant, and her father had lost his head about her pregnancy. Here he was, again, speaking to her parents with no fear, no worry about his own image. He just wanted her to be safe and loved.
She wordlessly turned to her parents. Her father did not possess the angry look anymore, but had instead fixed Scorpius with a calculative look. Her mother's expression, however, had softened, as if empathetic to how Scorpius's feelings.
"I-I'll be starting my therapy today,as a matter of fact" stated Scorpius nervously. Rose quickly looked at him, surprised at the new development.
"Today?" she breathed, trying to digest the news. The fire within her just burnt more fiercely.
He turned to her with a small smile, suddenly bashful, "Yes. After the birthday lunch. I had planned to start sometime next week, but then after last night, I had some of my own thinking to do. I realised I needed to clear out my head, dig deeper to realise why I did, what I did - at the earliest, it could not wait. And thankfully, Healer Robinson had a slot free today and I just knew I had to meet him. Rose, my fight for us also includes the fight for myself. I had been lurking in the dark for too long; it's high time that I do this so that I can be a better person."
Her insides were were positively aching now. She was half swelling in pride for the step that he'd taken to finally pursue therapy, and half desiring to embrace him tightly. Hearing him feel so insecure and unsure about himself, especially during the brief separation, rattled her. He'd always had this air of confidence around him, so much so, she envied it back in school where his attitude was one of the things that made him obnoxiously attractive.
But hearing him say all those despicable things about himself, and feeling like he wasn't worth her and Amy - it shook her to the core.
"I think we'll leave now." came Hermione's voice.
Rose looked at her parents in surprise. Neither of them bore that angry stance they had about fifteen minutes ago.
"Work things out, both of you." said Ron gruffly, shaking his head. He quickly pressed a kiss to a sleeping Amelia as he got up and walked out of the room.
Rose blinked. What was happening?
She turned to look at her mother, who smile sadly at the sight of her husband walking out so suddenly. "Mom, wha-"
"Partnerships where things are blurry and secrets are kept are not easy," said Hermione clearly, "Ron and I understand the situation, trust me. Not feeling that you're good enough, or that you're the second best, walking out because of that, abandoning someone who loves you - it's not something we haven't heard of." she shot her daughter a pointed look, causing Rose's eyes to widen in understanding. It made sense now, why her father walked out without throwing Scorpius a punch. The situation had hit much closer to home for her father.
"While Ron and I are not happy about what happened, we are also glad that you both are talking about it and are trying to move forward. You both started out as best friends and that gives your relationship a foundation that is simply irreplaceable. Build it, protect it, nurture it. Word of advice - be truthful and open with the other. Ron and I have spent our lives bickering at every given moment, but the openness we had helped us build a trustful, loving relationship where we could rely on the other to never leave our side. I hope you both do the same, alright? It will be needed, especially since you'll be away in Switzerland for three months, Rose. You have to have trust to ensure things don't worsen when you are not around each other."
After a quick goodbye, Hermione too left the room, leaving just the couple and a sleeping Amelia in the room.
"So I'm guessing someone got through to the leadership programme she didn't think she would get," announced Scorpius, cracking a smile, his face looking proud.
"Well, yes." said Rose, suddenly feeling shy. She tucked her loose curls behind her ear and looked up at him. His expression suddenly turned guilty, confusing her.
"I'm sorry - I know I should have told you about speaking to Ron about the whole Smith thing-" he started nervously, running a hand through his hair.
"Hey. Thank you," she said simply.
Everything inside her was burning hot, on the brink of an explosion.
There was an intense silence in which they both stared into each others' eyes, trying to decipher what this moment meant for the both of them.
Could they take a leap now to start things over?
The door slammed open, and the trance was broken. It was Raymond at the door.
"Sorry to disturb you, Rose," he said quickly, his eyes darting to Scorpius for a moment, "But the Baxters are here. They are waiting for you."
Rose exhaled loudly. The interruption could not have had a worse timing, "I'll be there. Just give me five," she said, nodding at him.
Just as Raymond left, she looked at Scorpius and blabbered, "I'm so sorry. But I have to go. It's a critical case that arrived this morning. Her parents had been out of town and they just came. I know you have an appointment later, but think I'll need to take a rain check on our lunch-"
"Hey hey hey!" interrupted Scorpius, placing his hands on her shoulders, instantly shutting her up, "There's nothing to apologise for here, Rose. You're doing your job. Come on now - go save lives!" and lowering his voice, he beamed at her, "You're brilliant, you know? I'm so proud of you, Rose!"
The warmth that had been building inside of her was just about to blow up. "As I am of you, Scorp," she said softly, watching his eyes light up in surprise, "All the best for the first session today."
"Thank you."
His face broke into that warm, lopsided grin she dearly loved, the one that he'd shot her all those years ago while she was sulking in the library, upset about her first Quidditch final defeat and he'd come by to cheer her up, ditching his own victory party.
And that was all that was needed for that bubbling warmth to combust inside and for her to completely melt into a puddle.
"Take the leap, Rose."
Elora's words rung in her head. Her breath hitched.
"Let's have the food from Vacanza Romana for dinner perhaps, once I move back in tonight?" she found herself saying nervously.
She was going to do this. They were going to do this.
It took Scorpius precisely three seconds to realise that she'd been serious.
He then engulfed her in a tight, heartfelt hug, lifting her off her feet, and whispering, "Thank you for never giving up on me."
Scorpius watched silently as Rose walked into the living room, with Amelia waddling in first towards the TV, clearly happy to be back home. He breathed deeply as his wife took in the environment, looking around, her eyes scanning the scene. He was crapping his pants, entirely afraid of Rose noting changes in the room. Some of his rage fits saw him breaking things around in the living room, and he'd toiled his arse off the entire evening to ensure that the room looked as close as possible to what it had been before she left. He'd also lit some vanilla-cinnamon scented candles - her favourite - to make the setting more calming and pleasant to be in. She turned to look at him, looking slightly amused.
After revealing that she wanted to move back and sharing that groundbreaking hug, Rose clarified that she wanted to take things slow, and there were certain rules she wanted them to follow, and he'd only nodded, maddeningly happy to have her back at home. She'd mentioned that they'd reach by eight in the night and then they'd have dinner together. It was with a spring in his step that he'd walked to Elora and Albus to give them the update, who'd only responded just as joyfully, not before Albus snuck in a comment about him being a 'love-sick idiot'.
He'd had his apprehensions about beginning with therapy, but he had to take the leap
The meeting with Healer Robinson had been rather smooth, short, quick, derailing all the painful apprehensions he'd had about the concept. Pureblood families were still opening up to the idea of mental health, and Scorpius was truly glad somebody could understand and help him out with more concrete actions towards getting better. They just had a conversation about how to move forward with their sessions, making Scorpius feel more positive and supported on the road to recovery.
Once the meeting was over, he scrambled back home, getting the place ready for Rose's arrival.
His palms were sweating profusely at the moment, and he realised he was still holding her bags and hadn't moved an inch since she walked in.
"Can I expect my room to be this decorated when I walk in?" asked Rose, her eyes twinkling.
Even though there was a slight dampener of Rose moving into her room instead of theirs, he found her reaction encouraging, even heartening. He'd been terrified of how she'd be once she moves in. Whether she'd be reserved, or even too serious with their conversations. Guess he'd put too much thought into something he shouldn't have worried about.
This was Rose. She was only as genuine as anyone could ever be. If she'd promised that she would put in equal effort to work on their marriage, she would do it.
"Don't flatter yourself, Weasley," he smirked, shaking his arms to regain the feeling and moving towards the stairway to drop her bags off, "You can deck it up the way you want to, with some Chudley Cannons and The Weird Sisters posters."
Rose rolled her eyes, hiding her smile as she moved towards the kitchen.
He soundlessly bounded up the stairs, his heart beating wildly.
Rose was finally here, under the same roof as he was.
Excited and happy simply did not cover how he was feeling at the moment. He was over the moon, really.
After a quick trip to her room, where he kept her bag, he practically flew to the kitchen. She was already seated on one of the bar stools by the kitchen island already ready with the dinner; she was biting into the toasted ciabatta bread he knew she loved. Amelia was seated in her high chair, looking delighted eating dinner from her bowl. Merlin, she was growing up so fast!
He went ahead and sat opposite Rose, who coloured on spotting him, almost choking on the toast.
"Sorry for not waiting," she said, looking embarrassed as she wiped her mouth, "I was really hungry, and you know that toasted bread smelled so good."
He shook his head, amused. "It's alright. I'm not going to come between you and your bread."
She grinned.
They slowly unraveled their meal from their favourite restaurant, before Rose cleared her throat, looking nervous, "So, these rules I was talking about -"
Scorpius sat straighter, "Yes, go on."
Rose paused to take out a folded piece of parchment from her coat pocket and opened it. Scorpius almost smiled at the familiarity of the action.
Of course, she'd note this down.
"Okay. Here we go," she said in a small voice, her eyes looking at him nervously over the parchment, "Rule number one, we tell each other everything. Except maybe what you discuss during therapy - that's at your discretion. But I hope you do include me in this journey of yours in one way or the other. I-I want to be a part of it."
"Done deal." he said swiftly. He knew that they had to work on being absolutely open with each other, and he was more than onboard with it.
"Two - we don't sleep in the same room or together till I am comfortable with it."
Scorpius had anticipated this. He nodded, "Of course, Rose! I wouldn't push you for anything you aren't comfortable with."
"Three - you don't seduce me. This includes no walking around shirtless -"
Wait. What?!
He almost laughed at the furious blush that had covered her face but he held himself back.
"-no walking around naked, no working out around me-"
She was adorable. Period.
"-not wearing fitting t-shirts or shirts or trousers -
"Oh come on! I have to wear formal shirts and trousers to work! And they have to be fitting." he interrupted hastily, "I'd look like a ponce otherwise."
Rose looked at him for a moment, before nodding, "Okay, we can excuse the formal clothes. Now, back to your seduction: no surprise kissing me, no touching me in any way that could be perceived as non-platonic. I hope this is okay with you," she finished, looking at him over the parchment.
He simply exhaled and said, "Yes, ma'am." It would certainly be difficult, keeping his hands to himself, but it'll do.
"Four - you get me more of this Ciabatta. Feels like it's been ages-."
"That's it?" asked Scorpius, surprised, "Are those the only rules?"
"I would have included one about starting personal therapy, but you've taken that step, and I couldn't be prouder." said Rose, beaming widely at him.
Scorpius felt his face flush as Rose looked at him. He leaned forward, his eyes boring into hers, "The first session was good - I'm confident about the therapy helping. That's all I can say at the moment."
"And that's all I need to hear, really." she said, smiling hopefully at him. She suddenly looked excited, "So, I got more details about the programme in Switzerland. You will not believe who all are turning up to lead the training!"
"Go on. Tell me!" smiled Scorpius, helping himself to some buttered bread from Rose's plate, and chuckled at the glare she shot him for taking food off her plate.
"Rule number five, you leave my plate of food alone - no touching it. Absolutely not. Thank you."
Scorpius only laughed harder.
AN:
They finally moved back in together. Baby steps!
This story has officially 4 more chapters to go - had written the outlines to get an estimate and avoid the writing spiraling out of control.
Will try and wrap the writing as soon as possible so that when I resume full-time work in May, only the editing part remains and timely updates continue.
Looking forward to your feedback and messages. As usual, reviews make my day and motivate me to update faster :)
Stay safe, y'all!
Until next time,
WeasleyKingRocks