Thursday 20th July

"You shouldn't have left it so late."

"I'm aware, thank you."

Hermione had set herself up on Rose's bed, watching at Rose crammed clothes into her suitcase.

"Maybe if you'd let me stay the night at Scorpius', I would've packed earlier—"

"Ha. Nice try." Her mother remarked, making no movement to help Rose as she dug through her wardrobe for her sandals.

Her parents had gotten a lot stricter since they'd found out about the curse. It was another conversation that hadn't gone the way Rose had hoped. Ideally, she and Scorpius could've sat them down, calmly explained, and carefully fielded any questions her parents came back with. But instead, Rose had come back from Scorpius's birthday lunch to find a copy of History of Purest Blood on the dining room table, and her parents barraging her with accusations and questions. Apparently, Hermione had found it on Rose's pillow when looking for a blouse Rose had borrowed.

Not ideal. Ron had accused 'that Malfoy boy' of converting Rose to the dark side, and Hermione had just looked at the book like it was a hand grenade. Rose may have gotten defensive, and pointed out that she was an adult now, and hadn't her parents snuck into the restricted section of the library multiple times? Her parents hadn't taken it well.

But once she'd explained everything, they let up. But still, she wasn't allowed to stay the night at Scorpius', and he couldn't be in her room with the door shut. It was ridiculous—they were both adults, seriously—but her parents were caught up on the part about him being a death trap.

It was surprising they'd said yes to the Egypt trip. Aurelia had given Scorpius an international Portkey license and a hefty sack of galleons for his birthday, and had managed to sweet talk Rose's parents into the idea. Rose had a feeling that her mother's academic curiosity had something to do with it too. As soon as Rose had explained her research, Hermione's eyes had lit up a little.

They were set to leave at 7am the next morning, from the Greengrass Manor, to meet up with Bill and a colleague of his at 9am. James had kindly invited them to stay at his apartment in Cairo, so he could show them around the city.

"How are you feeling about it all?" her mother asked gently, and Rose, locating the sandals, extracted herself from her cluttered wardrobe.

It was a hard question to answer. Rose knew she couldn't get her hopes up, but it was hard not to. It was the first glimmer of a lead they'd had in months, the first time she could actually consider a world in which she'd kiss her boyfriend. A world where it wasn't a fantasy far out of reach.

"No matter what happens," Rose said carefully, "it'll be nice to have a holiday either way. James is sure to know all the good spots."

Hermione nodded understandingly, tracing her finger idly over her stomach in thought.

"You better keep the baby in there until I get back." Rose told her, and Hermione groaned.

"The sooner this baby evicts, the better. I'm sick of getting other people to tie my shoelaces."

Hermione paused, and Rose knew she was looking for something to say, but was trying to phrase it in the best way possible,

"Rose… don't expect a miracle, ok? Blood curses are tricky, and one so closely intertwined with Scorpius family, and for such a long time—"

"Yeah, Mum, I know. I'm not getting my hopes up, I swear."

Hermione nodded, "Alright. Don't forget to have fun, ok?"

Rose scoffed, "With James there? He'll make sure of it."

Friday 21st July

Scorpius was bleary-eyed when he emerged from his doorstep, and Rose wagered it was the earliest he'd been awake all summer.

"I didn't sleep very well." He said quickly, lugging his bag over his shoulder. "Worried about… you know."

"I'm sure they won't dissect you too much." Rose nudged him with her elbow. She hadn't slept well either, for much the same reason, but her excitement was getting the better of her now, "You know, I've never been outside of Europe before?"

Scorpius looked surprised, "You haven't?"

Rose shook her head, "We've driven to France twice, and we went on a skiing trip in Switzerland, but I haven't travelled much."

Scorpius looked mildly interested, but kept politely quietly. It was another of those moments when she remembered how different their upbringings were. The Weasley-Grangers were comfortably middle-class, but no where near as rich as the Malfoy and Greengrass families.

Despite it being July, the sun barely crept over the horizon, and the cold dew soaked Rose's sandals. She hadn't eaten in preparation of the trip; the longer the Portkey distance, the more nauseating.

She didn't know how the fill the silence, and she didn't feel she needed to. She knew Scorpius well enough now that she could tell he was deep in his own thoughts, and there was no point disturbing him.

Soon enough, they were crouched over an old cracked vase, hands pressed firmly on the clay.

"Ready?" he asked, catching her eye. This swoop in her stomach was much more pleasant, and she held his gaze as they counted down.

"Three. Two. One—"

The sharp pull was sickening, and the world swirled and shook around them. No matter how many times she travelled by Portkey, the sensation was always far more unpleasant than she remembered. It almost gotten too much, when Rose felt her feet connect with solid concrete, and she braced herself as they hit the ground with force.

The heat was the first thing she noticed, like she'd stepped into a blanket of it, and she took a few bracing breaths against the twisting of her stomach.

She looked at Scorpius first, "Alright?"

He looked a little grey, but he was in one piece, "Alright."

They'd landed in a side alley, buildings of pale stone looming over them, casting a shadow that Rose was thankful for. She hadn't expected sand and pyramids exactly, she wasn't that naïve, but she was surprised by the sounds of a busy city warming up around her.

"Good to see you weren't too badly rearranged!" an enthusiastic voice sounded from behind her, and Rose turned to see James approaching them. He fit in comfortably with the heat, bronzed warmly from the sun and dressed in a white linen shirt and sandals, grinning broadly.

"James!" he pulled Rose into a tight hug, and while Scorpius didn't get the same, James gave him a friendly wink, and then he was leading them out of the alley.

"Not entirely a wizarding community in Agouza," he explained, leading them onto a street already bustling with activity, "but a high wizarding population. Most of the wizarding communities in Cairo set up outside of the city, keeping away from nosy tourists." He explained, with another wink in their direction.

"We'll get you something to eat, and then we should head over to the office in Giza to get your man all fixed up, yeah?"

He said it so lightly, but Rose felt Scorpius tighten imperceptibly beside her, and she reached for his hand.

From there it was only a short walk to James' apartment, the third floor of a pale stone building, with a surprisingly generous view of the Nile sprawling beneath them.

It was undoubtedly a bachelor pad, and James didn't seem bothered by the plates stacked at the sink, and piles of clothes dotted around the floor. He brewed them some coffee, and laid out some breads and dips. All the windows of the apartment were open, curtains catching the slight breeze drifting through, and Rose tried to reconcile the fact that they were suddenly in a foreign country.

"Bill's absolutely fascinated by your case by the way," James told them through a mouthful of bread, "but he's not exactly an expert in blood curses, so his colleague will be doing most of the analysis. Generational curses aren't unheard of, but one crafted so specifically, and with such a fatal outcome…that doesn't pop up every day, let me tell you."

Scorpius' silence was worrying, but she knew what he must be thinking. Something he'd kept a secret for so long, being discussed casually over coffee like it was a case of the hiccups, must be somewhat startling.

But he just nodded, drinking deeply from his coffee mug, and Rose tried to shoot him a reassuring smile, still clutching his hand under the table. They were sprawled on the tile floor around James's coffee table. He didn't seem to have a dining table, but with the guests he had over, they probably had more interest in his bedroom.

"But once it's all sorted," James was confident, "I've got a few places to show you. I mean, you can do all the touristy nonsense if you're so inclined, but we've got to have a decent piss up before you head off. Drinking is pretty heavily monitored in the Muggle areas, so you've got to go to the underground wizarding places if you want real fun. There's this wonderful place run by nymphs with the most enchanting belly dancer…" he sighed wistfully. "Anyway, I'll transfigure the couch into a bed for you two. But no kissing, eh?" he chuckled at his own joke.

They apparated to Giza shortly after that, and the scene was more as Rose had expected. It was strange how the city gave way so abruptly to pyramids, like an invisible line drawn in the sand. Bill's office was a building right on the edge of the city boundaries, with a view of the pyramids out before them to one side, and clustered buildings to the other.

Bill's colleague was a quiet man, ruddy-cheeked in the heat. His glasses kept slipping down his nose with sweat, and he was somewhat lacking in bedside manner. He barely greeted Scorpius before getting him to sit up on an examination table, and Rose watched with pity as Scorpius knuckles tightened white against the edge. Scorpius was probably the youngest piece of research in the room, by a few thousand years.

"Sorry about Quentin," Bill explained quietly, "he's far more familiar with books than people."

"I got that impression." Rose replied, and Bill rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Rose was lucky she was surrounded with familiar faces—it would've been a far more difficult trip otherwise.

"I can't imagine how difficult it's been for both of you." His voice was gentle, "I hope there's something we can do to help."

"You are kind of our last hope," Rose's voice was shaky, it surprised her, "we don't really know what else to do."

Bill smiled, highlighting the gentle lines in his sun beaten face, "You guys are really serious, huh?"

Rose watched as Quentin wielded his wand across Scorpius' body, a white glow following. Rose tried not to read into the crease in his brow too much, unable to pull her eyes from Scorpius.

Rose swallowed tightly, the dry air raw on her throat, "I don't think there's anyone else, Uncle Bill. I don't think there ever will be."

She knew it sounded stupid, she knew he probably saw how young she sounded to him, so immature. But he nodded,

"When you know, Rose, you know. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise."

The examination had only taken a few hours, but Scorpius' body was aching afterwards. Quentin hadn't been able to do anything too dramatic, just a simple examination to begin with. He promised he'd do more research over the weekend, and they were to come back on Monday and they'd try whatever solutions he came up with. It wasn't as horrendous as his imagination had let him believe, but he knew the worst was still to come. It was a knot in his belly that wouldn't ease, even with James's light-hearted banter, and Rose's reassuring touches.

It was hard to get rid of the thought that he was a burden. It was his curse, his defect. But everyone around him was bearing the brunt of it, going to such lengths to help him. It was hard to not fantasize about a better world where everything was easier, where he and Rose would take this trip for the experience of it, exploring the museums, mosques and pyramids with nothing but food and fun on their minds.

It was like James could see they needed a distraction, pushing them to get ready for a night on the town. True to his word, as soon as the streets grew dark and crowded with a different energy, he took them out. They walked through the streets, loud with chatter, before slipping down a set of stairs that the Muggles' eyes glazed over as they passed. He knocked on the door they stood before, and were welcomed into a smoke hazy room, lit low with lights and crowded with wizards and witches of all backgrounds. Scorpius even spotted a few goblins and sprites at a nearby table, talking quietly between themselves over full glasses.

James ushered them to a table, taking off only to return with brightly coloured cocktails and a glint in his eye.

"To curses and cures!" he declared, lifting his glass high. Scorpius and Rose clinked with him, before turning to their drinks. Scorpius was hit first with some kind of pineapple flavour, before the after taste of alcohol punched his senses.

James led the conversation, mostly. It was hard to get a word in edgeways with him, but Scorpius found he didn't mind, preferring the companionship of his drink and his misery in the crowded club.

James only fell silent when the band cleared off the small stage, and a beautiful nymph adorned with glitter took the stage, dancing to a rhythmic tune that made Scorpius' head feel hazy. He found himself entranced by the way her body glitter and multitude of gems glittered in the low light, the sway of her hips—

Scorpius jerked as Rose kicked him under the low table, and she shot him a glare. The fog in his brain lifted immediately, and Scorpius realized most of the wizards in the bar were utterly entranced too, some openly drooling.

"Shit," he whispered, "I'm going to be sleeping on the floor tonight, aren't I?"

Rose huffed, "Honestly, men."

The spell was broken—it must've been a spell, Scorpius realized—when the dance ended, and the dancer hastily collected the coins that had mysteriously piled on the stage at her feet.

From there they moved to another bar—James still looked a little dazed—that was far more lively, and Scorpius let Rose pull him onto the dancefloor. He let himself relax a little at the feeling of her arms on his shoulders, her body swaying against his hips.

But it was only when they got home that the numbness finally lifted, as James drunkenly transfigured his couch into a bed for them, and Scorpius realized with a start that he was sharing a bed with Rose for the first time.

Once James was in his room, with a great deal of stumbling and bumping around, Scorpius searched his bags for wherever he'd stuffed his pyjamas, anticipation building in his chest.

"We can build a pillow barrier, if you like…" he trailed off, deliberately turning his back so Rose could change.

Rose surprised him by laughing, "For god sake's Scorpius, don't be so chaste. We're dating, in case you've forgotten."

His brow furrowed—where were his bloody pyjamas?

"But the curse—" he jumped a little at the feeling of Rose's arms wrapping around his from behind, her cheek pressing against his back.

"I trust you. Now come to bed."

Scorpius silently prayed that it wouldn't be the last time he'd hear he say that, and it warmed him from the inside,

"Small problem. I think I forgot to pack my pyjamas."

She huffed another tired laugh, "My, isn't that convenient?"

They got the lights off after that, and crawled underneath the light covers. She was wearing something thin and silky, almost as soft as her skin.

It felt so familiar, they way the fit together. His arms felt like they were designed to fit around her, as she slotted snugly against him—almost too snugly, he thought, subtly adjusting his erection, barely hidden by his underwear.

Scorpius inhaled carefully, letting her scent fill his lungs as her hair tickled his face, and she shifted against him, getting comfortable. It was strangely familiar, but so new and overwhelming he could hear his heartbeat in his ears. But as the numbness of the day washed away, he realized it was the first time all day he'd felt still.

He almost didn't trust himself to move, and got as close as he dared too. But as he listened to her breathing deepen, and felt her relax into sleep against him, he realized that it was all worth it. He'd do it all a thousand times over, if he got her.

Monday 24th July

The weekend had gone by too quickly for comfort. James had seemed to enjoy the opportunity to play tour guide, narrating their trips to the Sphinx, the history museums, and grand mosques. Even more than that, he enjoyed having drinking buddies to accompany him to his favourite haunts. He didn't even complain once about not being able to bring 'overnight guests' home, but they watched him boldly chat anyone that caught his fancy anyway.

It sped by scarily fast, and before long they were back in Bill's office, Scorpius seated on the examination table once more. He tried not to take too much from Quentin's expression, the furrow in his brow was even deeper than it was on Friday.

The day's session was far longer and more grueling. He could actually feel Quentin's magic this time, pulling and tugging at odd places, like he could feel the curse clinging desperately onto him. Bill and Rose watched on worriedly, and Scorpius tried to pretend that it would all be fine, that he'd go back to Britain a freed man.

But it didn't surprise him when they sat him down later, Quentin pushing his glasses up his nose for the thousandth time that hour.

"I had a few things to try out." Quentin didn't seem to be one for pleasantries, "I'm afraid to say none of them worked. There seems to be no way to separate it, or even isolate it from the host. It's so closely tied to your heritage, to your name. To undo it would be to undo you as a Malfoy, and I can't do that magically without serious repercussions. All I can do at this stage is more research. I'm sorry."

The words barely registered, his ears filled with buzzing. Scorpius knew it already—he knew it wouldn't be that easy. But the glimmer of optimism he'd tried to share with Rose was immediately extinguished. His father was right. History would repeat itself, the curse would be passed down, and his ancestors would rest peacefully in their graves.

Rose's hand was in his, like she was trying to hold him together, but he couldn't even look her in the eye. James even picked up on the sober tone as he walked them back to their Portkey location, keeping conversation to a minimum.

Scorpius was surprised this time though, when James pulled him into a tight hug as they said goodbye.

"It's not the end of it, mate. You'll figure it out."

Scorpius nodded, a little stunned by the sudden sympathy, but their Portkey began to glow, and they rushed to touch the weather-beaten magazine.

The last thing he saw as the Portkey whirled them away, was James, giving them a strong salute as the world began to twist.