Monday 15th May
There was no dignified way, Scorpius mused, to make a Floo call. He was knelt on the floor of Slughorn's office, fumbling with the pouch of jade green powder he'd been handed. It was hard enough normally, but his sweaty palms were causing the fine powder to stick. But he managed gather a decent amount, watching Slughorn's fire flare emerald, before sticking his head in.
"Malfoy Manor."
Scorpius' dug his fingers into the stone floor as his head made the unsettling journey through the Floo network, while his body remained on all fours in the Hogwarts basements.
The Manor's foyer quickly materialized in front of him, lanterns already lit for the evening. Most rooms of the Manor had undergone a significant refurbishment a few years ago, his grandparents' way of sweeping things under the rug. But traditionalists were, they'd likely kept the evidence of the original décor, shoved in a closet with innumerable skeletons.
A bell tinkled faintly in the distance, notifying the elves of his arrival. It wasn't a full second later that Penny popped into the foyer,
"Master Scorpius! Penny is being surprised by you, Sir!"
"I know, I hope I wasn't interrupting anything—"
"No, you is not!" she squeaked, wringing her pillowcase between her fingers, "But your parents is not here, sir, they is at the Greengrass house, but Penny can call—"
Scorpius' gut twisted, "No, it's fine. I—I'm actually here to see Grandfather. If he's available, that is."
"Of course, sir! Penny will be fetching him!" she disappeared with a pop.
The accompanying wait only made Scorpius more aware of his meticulously planned betrayal, and how uncomfortable he felt about asking this of his grandfather. He briefly imagined Lucius reading the truth on Scorpius' skin, somehow seeing the traces of Rose's touch lingering across his jaw from hours ago. It only brought more of a sweat to his brow, fed by the phantom flames licking his neck.
"Scorpius, m'boy. An unexpected call, but a delight all the same." His grandfather's aristocratic drawl was unmistakable, and Scorpius knew his inflection was a watered-down copy of it, no matter how hard he'd tried to drop it.
"I hope you can forgive the interruption, grandfather. I didn't mean to disturb you."
Lucius was still dressed in his evening robes, but he'd loosened his topmost buttons. He was also, as Scorpius had timed, holding a tumbler of cognac, likely his third or fourth. It would be his last one before he and Narcissa retired for the evening, in roughly an hour's time. Scorpius had walked a careful line with his call—late enough to ensure his grandfather's tongue was loose, but early enough to seem polite.
"Not at all, boy. I'm always eager for a talk with my only grandchild, the sentimental old man I'm becoming, I'm suppose. But I assume you didn't call for a chat? You know your father's routine, and you've timed your call during his absence. A sensitive matter?"
Scorpius' gut twisted. Doubtless of cognac, or the few wrinkles that lined his forehead, Lucius' eyes were alight with their usual sharp wit, and his tongue never fell behind.
"I'm rather transparent, I know." Scorpius acquiesced, "I was hoping for a favour, one I know father wouldn't allow."
Lucius' watched him carefully, "Your father and I disagree in several areas, I'm afraid you'll have to be specific."
Scorpius cleared his throat, "I was hoping you'd lend me some books from the Manor library. I only need them for a few weeks, and I'll return them promptly."
Lucius hmmed, agitating the contents of his glass, and the clink of ice cubes was loud in the quiet. The drink was so strong Scorpius could see the oily swirls in the amber liquid. "Books. Hardly a sinister request."
"It's the nature of the books, I'm afraid. I've a list, actually." He fumbled in his pocket, feeling oddly disembodied from his hand as he stuck it through the Floo.
Lucius took the paper from him, taking his time to skim down the parchment as Scorpius anxiously awaited his answer. If there was something Scorpius didn't envy about his father, it was growing up with this. Being around Lucius felt like he was under constant examination, and Scorpius self-monitored every pause in his speech, and awkward shift in his posture. He watched himself as an eagle-eyed voyeur; acting as he wanted Lucius to see him. Because everything his grandfather said implied he was seeing you in crystal clarity, but was too bored to care.
At least Scorpius had whole months between interactions with his grandparents, whereas his father had spent whole summers walking on eggshells in his family home, and it explained a lot about Draco.
One of Lucius' blonde eyebrows had crept higher as he'd read further down the list, but his expression was otherwise unreadable.
"I understand if you're reluctant to lend these books off grounds—" Scorpius began.
Lucius shook his head, "I'm not reluctant boy, simply surprised. But as I've told your father, time again, blood knows its own worth. I'm glad you're undertaking your own research, regardless of your parents'… questionable influence."
Scorpius felt his hands curl into fists, but they were both firmly planted in Hogwarts, so out of his grandfather's sight.
Lucius sent Penny to fetch the books, taking a hearty swig of his cognac. Scorpius' stomach felt crampy, and he realized this was what it felt like to sell his soul to the devil, or as close as he could get.
"Speaking of purity," Lucius continued, and Scorpius suppressed a groan, "any news of your exploits with the fairer sex?"
Even though it would be the highlight of Scorpius' week to watch his grandfather's face fall at the utterance of 'Weasley', the consequences wouldn't be worth it. Instead he gave a half shrug,
"I've been concentrating on my exams, in truth. I haven't had the time."
He'd given his grandfather an out, but Lucius didn't take it, "The Avery girl is pretty enough. Her grandfather was somewhat of an oaf, but their line is strong enough. It wouldn't be an awful pairing, if the children took after us in mind."
Penny arrived with the books, sparing Scorpius from answering, as he pulled the heavy volumes through the grate,
"Thanks for your help, grandfather. Enjoy the rest of your evening—tell grandmother I said hi."
Lucius forced the corners of his mouth up, Scorpius guessed he was trying for a smile,
"No bother at all, Scorpius. We'll have to arrange the return of the books later, perhaps you could come for dinner afterwards? Your grandmother misses you terribly."
There it was, the pay-off. A favour wasn't free for Slytherins, but Scorpius knew he'd gotten off lightly.
"I'll write you a date that suits. Thanks again."
"Goodbye Scorpius, and good luck with your exams."
Thursday 18th May
The exams always overshadowed Rose's birthday, but now they were overshadowing her and Scorpius' research too. It had been a week since they'd been able to scour the pureblooded section of the restricted section, and the itch to solve the problem only grew stronger.
She hated how it seemed to hang over them in their silent moments, a bitter taste whenever the moment arose when a normal couple would lean in, unthinking. Ridiculously, she even grew envious when catching fourth years sneaking out to snog past curfew. How pleasant would it be, to have something so simple, a basic intimacy to share with her boyfriend that most couples took for granted.
Still, her birthday had been better than she ever could've hoped. Hogwarts was starting to warm, the heavy spring rain giving way to days lit with golden sunshine that pushed sunsets further back. But while the sky hinted at summer, the brisk Scottish winds still cut through clothing, so Rose and Scorpius had warmed themselves with woollen blankets and a wind-breaking charm as they sat by the lake for morning tea.
She lay her head in his lap, and he had somehow acquired strawberries, despite it being late spring. She watched him take the first bite—the way his lips curved around the plump fruit, and how it burst between them, and he sucked the juices that stained his lips pink. She had to be going crazy, but it was one of the hottest things she'd ever seen. Then, he'd offer the fruit to her for the last bite. Maybe it was her imagination, driven to extremes without his lips, but she swore she felt the warmth of his lips lingering on them, and the greedily took in it with the sweet tang of strawberry.
"We should probably be studying for the Charms exam this afternoon." he said sensibly, "If you weren't the Gryffindor favourite, I'd think Professor Kilbourne scheduled the exam on your birthday to spite you."
"I don't think so, unlike you, I'm universally adored." she teased, enjoying the feeling of his fingers going through her hair.
"I thought arrogance was meant to be my brand?" his eyebrow quirked, and he fetched another strawberry.
"Get a new one, it's so 2022."
He responded by squishing the strawberry against her lips, spreading juice over her mouth and Rose erupted into laughter.
She fell silent though, seeing the look on his face—the longing so apparent—that she knew it was another one of those moments, where a kiss would sit so perfectly. She pictured him kissing her softly, licking the juice from her lips, and she felt that ache of longing too.
Instead, she swiped at the strawberry juice on her lips with a finger, and he held out one of his. She transferred as much of the juice to his as possible with a wipe, and he popped his finger in his mouth, sucking it clean.
It was an ache that never left, and only grew in intensity.
"I got you a gift, but it needs a slight adjustment." he said quickly, and she sat up in surprise.
It took him a second of fumbling in his rucksack, before he produced a leather-bound journal, unmistakably dragon hide, and his favourite self-inking peacock quill.
He opened it, and she tried to sneak a peek, but he twisted in a way so she couldn't what was inside, and scratched on of the pages, his tongue poking out a little in concentration. He blew on the ink for a moment to dry it—Merlin, those lips—before shutting it again and handing it to her.
The cover didn't have a title, but was carved with delicate designs that she ran her finger over, before clicking open the clasp that held it shut.
It didn't have a title on the cover, but Scorpius had made his own on the first page:
Every Time I Wanted to Kiss Rose Weasley-Granger
By Scorpius Malfoy
She flicked to the next page.
1. When she burst into my compartment on my first trip to Hogwarts.
2. When she laughed at my joke in that same compartment, twenty minutes later.
Rose felt the smile warm up her face, and flicked to the most recently filled page, to see what he'd just added, the fresh ink stark against the page,
272. When her lips were coated with strawberry juice, and I wanted to kiss them clean.
"Two hundred and seventy two?!" she exclaimed.
He shrugged, "I must've forgotten some." But then he looked a little sheepishly at her, "I know it's nothing big, but-"
She didn't know how to explain the warm glow that had filled her chest, and the smile she couldn't keep off her face, so instead she leaned across and pulled him into a crushing hug.
"It's perfect." she whispered, muffled into his collar. She didn't know what else to say, but the warm feeling must've been a little bit like love.
It seemed her hug had translated that, as he squeezed her just as tightly in return.
Friday 16th June
The weeks between her birthday and the end of term sped past in a blur. She'd tried to spend the few days between her last exam and the train ride home in the library, but was pulling up nothing new. Dredging through the pages grew tiresome, the same backwards justification of pureblood prejudice blended together until it just looked like twisting script to her eyes.
It was almost a relief to be on the train home, squished into Scorpius' side with Albus, Tessie, Magda and Georgette packed into the same carriage. They were chatting excitedly, relieved the exams were over, making plans for the summer months that seemed to stretch endlessly before them.
Her friends hadn't questioned Scorpius and Rose's relationship yet, as though mentioning it would break the careful truce. But Rose saw the question in Tessie's eyes, and knew she couldn't put it off. But it would be hard to talk around Scorpius' secret, so she was hopelessly procrastinating for another day.
Tessie wasn't staying with them this summer, now that she was seventeen, she'd found a summer job at the Leaky Cauldron, with accommodation in rooms above. Magda was going back to her mother's hair salon to help out, and Georgette was planning to spend most of the summer at a rigorous Quidditch camp she'd been invited to. And Albus was leaving for his trip with Taki in three weeks, hopefully with Harry's permission.
Their last year loomed closer now, and Rose was finding it difficult to come to terms with the fact that her trip to Hogwarts on the 1st of September would be her last. She didn't want to imagine what her life would be like without her friends so close by, and worried quietly about a life without them a bed away. She still felt so lost about the idea of her life after school—she still didn't know what she wanted, and where she was going to end up. Her anxiety liked to fixate on a world where she and her friends would drift apart, barely seeing each other as they got caught up in the busy-ness of their adult lives.
Scorpius noticed her mood though, and leant down quietly—the others were caught up in a conversation about getting discount drinks at the Leaky with Tessie's job there—
"Are you alright, Roza?"
Rose swallowed, squeezing his hand, "I'm just worried about next year. It's our last year! It's crept up so fast, and everyone's going to graduate, and get caught up with their own lives—what if I never see them again, like this? If they all move away, and—"
"Rose." he said gently, "Look at them. You think they'd let themselves fade out of your life? They love you, we all do. They'd never let that happen, I swear."
He squeezed her hand back, just as tightly, and she couldn't help but believe him.
Their hands were still locked as they stepped off the Express, and Rose searched the platform for her parents, through the thick clouds of steam and people.
"I'll help you get your trunk," Scorpius offered, "My parents usually wait down the far end for me—"
A voice cut him off, "Hello, Scorpius. How was the train?"
Rose hadn't seen Lucius Malfoy approach them, and neither had Scorpius, judging by the way Scorpius' hand ripped from hers, he hadn't noticed either.
Otherwise, he was hard to miss—an imposing figure, juxtaposed against the sea of people by his dark robes, and stern expression. His signature cane clasped firmly in his hand, if he seemed surprised by Rose's presence, he was stoic enough not to show it.
"Oh-grandfather! I hadn't expected—"
"Your parents were delayed in their journey back from France, they asked Narcissa and I to pick you up from the station."
It seemed this news wasn't pleasant to Scorpius, he paled at this information, and Rose tried not to dwell on how hard he'd ripped his hand from hers. But she knew his relationship with his grandfather was complicated, and it wasn't her place to judge.
"Scorpius, have your etiquette lessons failed you? Introduce me to your friend." his vowels were even more rounded and posh than Scorpius' and she didn't want to think about how hers sounded in comparison. But she had spent the last few months reading half the pureblooded nonsense in the library, so she already knew what Lucius thought of her.
"Grandfather, this is my friend, Rose. Rose, Lucius Malfoy, my paternal grandfather."
"Rose?" Lucius prompted, and Rose felt obliged to answer,
"Weasley-Granger." she filled in, where Scorpius had left an obvious gap.
Lucius was collected, but his eyebrow raised slightly anyway, "Lovely to meet you, Miss Weasley-Granger."
"Nice to meet you too, Mister Malfoy."
There was an awkward pause, which Lucius seemed not to notice nor care, but took the time to give her a once over, that felt both demeaning and intimidating.
"Scorpius, I think it would be a wonderful idea to bring Miss Weasley-Granger along to the dinner that we're owed. Your grandmother would adore the opportunity to meet one of your peers, as you've kept that side of your schooling so hidden from us." his eyes hadn't left hers yet, but she held them as strongly as she dared. Everything about him was controlled and precise, from the stiffness of his posture to his straight white hair. If she hadn't known it was natural, she might've asked for his straightening charm.
"Well, Rose might be busy, and uh—"
Lucius didn't have time for Scorpius' excuses however,
"Well, come along Scorpius. I see they're offloading the trunks now, and your grandmother is waiting." Lucius turned back to Rose, and Rose tried to search for similarities between Scorpius and his grandfather. The physical one were obvious—the hair colour, the steely grey eyes, their imposing height—but the likeness ended there.
"Will you join us for dinner at some time, Miss Weasley-Granger?"
It was a challenge. Rose knew Scorpius' family came with some baggage, she knew that. But she was willing—willing to show his family they were serious, willing to show them that she truly loved him.
"Sounds lovely, Mister Malfoy." she replied.
He nodded in acknowledgement, and then they turned away. She could tell by the tightness in Scorpius' shoulders that he wasn't pleased with her answer. Inside of Hogwarts they'd been a bubble, miles away from their families and the opinions of the outside world. But upon leaving, she knew there would be judgement, at some point.
She just hadn't been expecting it so soon.
A/N: I can't believe it's been two and a half years! I just want to thank everyone for continuing to review, even during my ridiculous absence. I forgot how much I loved writing this little gang, and your reviews kept me motivated to finish. I'm in self-isolation for the next four weeks, so fingers crossed that we'll get this story finished. I hope you're all staying safe and sane in these difficult times. Take care of yourselves xx